Luxury Apartment

 Sanctions empty Tehran's poshest properties
In one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in northern Tehran, a Japanese-inspired garden with mini-waterfalls welcomes potential buyers to a newly built luxury apartment.
The four bedroom, four bathroom unit boasts marble floors, a state of the art open kitchen, computerized lighting systems and amenities that rival five star hotels.

It's an apartment so posh visitors are required to wear sanitary shoe covers.
With a market value close to $3.5 million, the need for guests to tread carefully is understandable.
"In my opinion it's worth it," says real estate agent Bahar Khalili. "It's one of the best apartments in Tehran. An exceptional building designed by the best developer in the city."
But for the past year this swanky home has sat empty without a buyer -- half the other units in the six-floor block are empty, too.
So are tens of thousands of other apartments throughout Tehran, all for sale but sitting vacant without buyers.

"Right now we have a lot of apartments that are not sold and sitting empty because of high prices," says Khalili.
Housing prices in Tehran soared beginning in 2012, soon after western powers imposed the toughest round of economic sanctions against Iran to curb its disputed nuclear program.
The sanctions were a huge blow to Iran's economy and when the value of Iranian currency took a nose dive and no one could figure out where the economy was going, many here poured their money into real estate.
According to political analyst, Mohammad Ali Shabani, "real estate became the best way to protect your money."

Khalili agrees with this sentiment. "This is the safest investment you can make today," she said.
"Real estate has always increased in value. We have one apartment that's increased roughly $1,000 per square meter in the past five months.
"If someone wants to invest in Tehran and knows what he's buying, it's almost (a) certainty that's a good investment."
But with Iran's economic future still looking hard to predict and many Iranians lacking buying power, the market is at a standstill -- sellers not selling because they're hoping prices go up. Buyers are not buying because they're hoping prices go down.

The outcome is a Tehran skyline full of empty apartments -- and investors still looking to buy and build despite very little demand.
"Sometimes you wonder how can people possibly build more apartments when nothing is selling," said Khalili.
But remarkably, it's happening in Tehran because until the economy improves and housing prices start to stabilize, they believe, real estate is the safest place to invest.

Maserati and Lamborghini pull out of Iran

Daimler is out, Toyota is out, Porsche is out, Hyundai, PSA Peugeot-Citroën are out and when it comes to selling cars in Iran, now Maserati and Lamborghini are out, too. The definitive pullouts of those last two automakers are said to be reactions to a press conference held by a group called United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). The group highlights businesses that sell in both the US market and Iran, and works to get those businesses to choose one market or the other.

UANI said it had sent letters to Maserati and Lamborghini about their dealings in Iran, but that the letters went unanswered. Mark Wallace, head of UANI and a former US ambassador to the United Nations, held a press conference in October of last year that referenced the two companies. Apparently Lamborghini contacted Wallace just after the press conference and told him "they were out, they weren't doing any business in Iran anymore."

Discussions with Maserati then took place, and the Italian automaker said it had been out of Iran ever since Fiat announced it was leaving the country in May 2011. UANI said Maserati had been in talks with an Iranian distributor, however, and that distributor was continuing to use the Maserati name. The carmaker has since cut all ties with Iranian interests and has prevented its name from being used, adding that its new models will not be able to be sold there because they won't pass regulations the country's regulations.

Lebanon

10 things I’ve learned about dating in Lebanon

1.  Factors to take into consideration when determining compatibility are usually in this order: Religion, Social Status, Educational Status, Political Party, Attraction, Sense of Humor, Values, and that thing called LOVE.
2.  Many relationships develop in cars and parking lots (a favorite being the Dbayeh Marina), as most young people live at home with their parents until they are married (and sometimes even after they’re married!).
Am I the only one who has seen this banner one hundred million times?
3.  Usually when out at a pub or a nightclub, neither men nor women will approach someone they don’t know, even if they find that person very attractive..but will wait to add them as a friend on Facebook (to check out who they are, what their status is, what school they went to, and who they associate with), or have one of their mutual friends introduce them.  This could mean that two people will stare at each other the whole night, but neither one will make the move unless facilitated by a third party.

4.  That being said, once contact has been made..most “dating/getting to know each other” takes place over Facebook, MSN, Gmail chat/BBM since casual dating is difficult because everywhere you go in Lebanon, you are bound to run into someone you know..which makes you define the relationship too soon into it.  Therefore, it often appears that relationships progress quite quickly since most of the “dating/getting to know each other before it’s official” takes place online..or in cars..or in parking lots.  So, as soon as two people go out ALONE in public, it usually means that things are “official.”

5.  If you and your partner have enough disposable income, you will rent an apartment so that you can spend intimate time with each other (even if you’re still living/sleeping at your parents house).  This is especially true for people who are of different religions.

6.  Most plastic surgeries take place in the months right before Summer and Christmas, since that’s when all of the bachelors who are working/studying abroad come home to spend time with their families and look for a potential wife.

7.  Lebanese men want Lebanese women to be more open when it comes to casual sex, however, when it comes time to marry, many Lebanese men (even the most open-minded!) will judge Lebanese women (and maybe even consider it a deal breaker) if they have had sex before marriage.  Because of this, a (more liberal) Lebanese woman is much more likely to have casual sex with someone she would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS consider marrying (foreigners get a lot of action because of this).., and lie to her “potential future” husband about it..and simply get hymen reconstructive surgery before her wedding day.  While other (more conservative) Lebanese women take their virginity so seriously that they don’t even wear tampons.

8.  If you are an Eastern European woman living in Lebanon (and not working in a supernight club) you will automatically be labeled a prostitute no matter how many degrees you have, languages you speak, or high powered positions you’ve held.

9.  For most Lebanese men, looks still comes ahead of intelligence, character, and moral values.  And for most Lebanese women, money comes ahead of looks, intelligence, character, and moral values.

10.  Many Lebanese women are known to look, dress, and act provocatively, yet when it comes down to it, will hardly ever follow through with “it.”  Especially with a man she is considering marrying.  She wouldn’t want him to think she was “easy.”

Roof Sunbathe

Why women who DON'T sunbathe are TWICE as likely to die early than women who do
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun thought to be cause of skin melanomas
But Swedish researchers have found that women who avoid sunshine are twice as likely to die from any cause -  including cancer
Study asked 29,518 Swedish women to monitor their sunbathing habits
It goes against everything we've been told about sun worshiping.

But a new study has shown that women who avoid sunbathing during the summer are twice as likely to die than those who sunbathe everyday.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden claim guidelines which advise people to stay out of the sun unless wearing sun lotion may be harming us, rather than helping us.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight is often cited as a cause of skin melanoma and the NHS recommends avoiding overexposure to the sun to prevent all types of skin cancer.
But after following nearly 30,000 women over 20 years, the new research found that women who stay out of the sun are at increased risk of skin melanomas and are twice as likely to die from any cause, including cancer.

'The mortality rate was increased two-fold among avoiders of sun exposure as compared to those with the highest sun exposure habits.'
A lack of vitamin D, which is created through exposure to the sun, is thought to be to blame, as it is known to increase the risk of diabetes, rickets, tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis.
Prof Dorothy Bennett, Professor of Cell Biology at St George's, University of London, said: 'The findings support the consensus that the ideal amount of sun exposure for Northern Europeans is ‘a little’, rather than zero.
'As the authors comment, our bodies need sunlight to make essential vitamin D, which can help us resist some cancer types.
'Those who normally avoid the sun and/or cover most of their skin are advised to take vitamin D supplements.'
The research was published in The Journal of Internal Medicine.

Luxury car in front of my store

Koloocheh is a Persian cookie made in various parts of Iran. They are prepared for Norooz celebration in the south of Iran. Different regions of Iran have different Koloochehs. In the Caspian_sea region of northern Iran, Koloochehs most notably come from Lahijan and Fuman. Other regions, such as Kashan and Yazd in central Iran also have their own Koloocheh.
Koloochehs differ in taste and consistency from region to region. Those from Fuman are larger than most other regions in Iran (approximately 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 of an inch thick).
Iran's most famous Koloochehs come from Lahijan. Although recently additional flavors such as chocolate have been added, Lahijan Koloochehs traditionally come in Walnut or Coconut varieties and are approximately 2 inches in diameter and 3/4 of an inch thick. The Kashan Koloochehs are much smaller (approximately 1 inch or less in diameter and 1/2 of an inch thick).

Koloochehs from southern Iran are brittle biscuits that principally consists of water, sugar, wheat flour and egg white. Masgati is a crystalline soft confection which consists of rose water, starch, sugar and water.
Koloocheh and Masgati is the special souvenir of Shiraz.

Hajj Pants

Relatives of two Iranian teenage boys at the center of a row with Saudi Arabia said the pair was physically abused in Jeddah by airport officials but not sexually harassed.
Ahmad Amirabadi, an MP from the holy city of Qom, told the ISNA news agency that he had spoken to the families of the two boys and had received a different account to what was widely reported.
“We have spoken with the families of these teenagers and they completely refute the issue of sexual harassment,” ISNA quoted Amirabadi as saying. He added that the families complain the boys were “beaten and insulted.”
Earlier this month Iran’s foreign ministry said that two Iranian teenage boys, aged 14 and 15, had been stopped at Jeddah airport by officials and subjected to “sexual abuse.”

The pair had flown to Jeddah in March for the ritual Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Hassan Subhani Niya, a member of Iran’s National Security Committee, also told Iranian media there was no evidence the boys had been sexually abused.

Earlier, President Hassan Rouhani had asked the foreign ministry to investigate the matter “and prepare an inclusive report on the subject.”
According to Iranian media reports, while performing a body search on passengers Saudi officers allegedly took the teenagers away, citing suspicions, sounded off the alarm at the gate and subjected them to abuse.
The Iranian government said last week that Saudi officials had arrested the airport officers responsible for the act, but there has been no such confirmation from Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile on Saturday, a small group of demonstrators staged a protest outside the Saudi embassy in Tehran, demanding that Riyadh prosecute the errant airport officials. Demonstrators waved banners that called Saudi Arabia “the kingdom of terror” and labeled the newly-ascended King Salman a “war criminal.”
Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia have a decades-old history of bitter ties.
Tensions have recently exacerbated over Saudi allegations of Iranian military support for anti-government Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen, where Riyadh has also stepped in militarily.

Saudi Hajj For Iranians

According to a bill presented by Foreign Policy and National Security Committee of Iranian parliament, sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia may be terminated.
Based on the bill that signed by 80 members of parliament, Umrah rituals will be suspended until the Saudi officials guarantee the security of Iranian pilgrims and stop their harassment.
In an interview with Fars News Agency, Seyyed Hossein Naqvi Hosseini, spokesman for the Foreign Policy and National Security Committee of Iranian parliament said: Recently, Saudis’ audacity and arrogance towards Iranian Umrah pilgrims in Mecca and Medina has increased and a week before two Iranian teenagers were sexually abused by Saudi police in Jeddah Airport.
He added: So, MPs are in favor of a bill that terminates Umrah until the Saudis safeguard Iranian pilgrims and respect their honor and dignity.

In other action, 18 members of Iranian parliament sent a letter to President Hassan Rouhani to condemn the harassment and ask for punishment of those Saudis who abused two Iranian teenagers.
Another member of Foreign Policy and National Security Committee of Iranian parliament Mohammad Saleh Jokar, insisted that the government never withdraw on this matter and should take back Iranian credibility. In his interview with ISNA he asked for firm stance of Iranian Government on this matter.

Yesterday, Iran voiced protest to Saudi Arabia over the sexual harassment of two Iranian teenage boys by the Saudi police.
Foreign Ministry Deputy for Consular and Iranian Expatriate Affairs Hassan Qashqavi said Iran has submitted a letter to the Saudi charge d’affaires in Tehran over the incident.
Explaining the incident, he told reporters on Tuesday that according to the Iranian head consul in Jeddah, the two teenagers were asked by two Saudi police officers for more body inspections when they were leaving a Saudi airport.

Noticing that the inspection had taken longer than usual, their fellow passengers took notice that the two teenage boys had been sexually harassed, Qashqavi said.

The Iranian consular officials lodged a complaint file and informed the police chief of the airport of the incident, he noted.
He added that the Saudi police summoned all its officers on duty in the airport and then asked the two teenage boys to identify the ones who did the crime. But nobody punished for this offensive crime.

Rich Iranians

An Instagram account which appears to show Tehran's wealthy young elite living like their counterparts in the West has become a sensation in Iran.
If it wasn't for the Farsi number plates, you'd be forgiven for thinking the account belonged to a rich American living in sun-drenched Los Angeles. But this - apparently - is Tehran, the Iranian capital, where women are forbidden from going uncovered in public places, and alcohol is strictly forbidden.
Rich Kids of Tehran - a play on Rich Kids of Instagram - is a collection of photographs that appears to show the decadent lives of the city's gilded youth. Young women in bikinis lounge by deep blue swimming pools, while the men recline in supercars or slouch in front of tables stacked with liquor. The women seem to be in their private homes and gardens - where going uncovered is not prohibited - and some of the photos are taken in different countries. Many are clearly taken in and around Tehran, however. And while it is impossible to confirm where the alcohol has been photographed, it has been widely reported that drink is available to Iranians with deep pockets.

The images have alarmed many in the country, and yesterday one Iranian newspaper ran pictures from the site under the headline: "The hidden lives of the rich." Most of the images are publicly available on what look like genuine Instagram accounts of the individuals in the photos.
It seems they do not fear repercussions from the Iranian authorities, who have been known to pursue other young people for engaging in subversive activities. Seven Iranians were recently issued with suspended sentences for uploading their own version of Pharrell Williams' music video Happy to YouTube.

Golshifteh UN Hat

Golshifteh Farahani has participated in two movies , Her First Movie , ''Paradise'' , directed By ''Mia Hansen-Løve'' . She has played complementary role and the character called ''Yasmin'', in This Movie . The topic of This Movie is about the history of the music . Her Second Movie , ''EXODUS'' : Gods and King , which was directed By ''Ridley Scott'' , In This movie , She also has played complementary role , as Nefertari in Exodus .  Golshifteh two weeks ago was the guest of honor at Forum des Images in Paris, France has the same cinematic conditions. Golshifteh Farahani Movies were screened at the International Forum The Movies Such As : ''About Elly'' Directed By ''Asghar Farhadi'' and another Movies that Golshifteh Farahani has Played outside Iran. Golshifteh Farahani Says About her movies In Iran : '' I Won An Important award in the Fajr Film Festival For The Movie , '' pear tree '' . I always Had Acting suggestions the next three years And All Directores wanted to cooperate with me ,But for me it was canceled because I wanted to continue studying music and became a musician.So refused all of them and I resigned from acting and cinema. When I Was 17 years old Everything was prepared for my trip to Vienna to continue my music there . One night I went to the front of the mirror and asked myself: "Golshifteh, Do You really want to be a pianist ? Do You want to play Classical music? Is This what you want in life? "I sat down and thought seriously. I was a little disquiet. I wore black. I love Metallica. I went to a punk concert. Twenty minutes I could not sit quietly . I could not become a pianist , So I decided to continue my acting

Pink Bentley

How do you spend 2 billion dollars on luxury cars? Apparently Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary really likes its Porsches.
The Iranian parliament’s recent investigation into a scheme to import luxury cars instead of medicine threatens to erode the credibility of a leading pro-Iran lobbying group that has long claimed that economic sanctions are preventing access to medicine in Iran. An investigation by Iranian lawmakers recently revealed that nearly $2 billion that had been allocated to the importation of medicine into Iran was actually spent on the purchase of luxury cars.
While it had long been suspected that the Iranian government was squandering funds for medicine, pro-Tehran advocacy groups like the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) used the medicine shortage as a hook to claim that sanctions were causing the shortage.

As average Iranians struggle to obtain key medications, Iran’s ruling class has enjoyed relatively unfettered access to top-notch healthcare, a fact that has not been raised in NIAC’s talking points.
When rumors of the medicine scam first emerged in 2012, then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sacked the country’s health minister in order to keep her silent.
Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, Ahmadinejad’s health minister at the time, was not saying what the Western media were regurgitating, she kept publicly complaining that the $2 Billion in the annual budget, allocated to import medicine with,  was not received by the health ministry.
It was a bizarre situation in which, Iran’s health minister kept repeating the medicine shortage was nothing to do with sanction and yet the Western media kept repeating, sanctions were causing the medicine shortage in Iran!

Akhoond

An Iranian newspaper says at least 500 Porsche cars have been imported by way of a Persian Gulf island that is also claimed by the United Arab Emirates.
Thursday's report by the Javan daily quotes lawmaker Amir Khojasteh as saying it's unclear who the importer was or why the island of Abu Musa was used as the route to bring the vehicles into Iran. Khojasteh is demanding that Industry Minister Mahdi Ghazanfari elaborate on the case.
Abu Musa is one of three Iranian-controlled islands close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
Tehran says they have been part of states that existed on the Iranian mainland from antiquity until the British occupied them in the early 20th century.

Andy and Sepideh

Bringing matinee idol charisma to the silver screen and concert stage is ANDY, Persia’s legendary music exile   aka “The Prince of Persia” or “The Persian Elvis” in media circles, who has released multiple albums selling in the millions throughout the world with countless Number 1 hits. Voice of America ,The Persian program called the Iranian /Armenian the best artist of the year and Armenian pulse called him the best Armenian international singer of the year. Andy has toured extensively around the world many times over playing some of the globes most prestigious venues, theaters and stadiums.
A humanitarian, he has appeared and contributed in many International charitable causes, most recently having recorded “Stand by Me” with Jon Bon Jovi to show solidarity for the people of Iran garnering 7 million hit on youtube . Appearances in feature films have  include DREAMWORKS’  “The House of Sand and Fog” ( Sir Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connolly) where Andy is featured singing in the film and contributed to the score and he has supported and contributed to several indie films such as “Futbaal”, “The Florist”, and  Guide Company Films  “The Keeper” (The Legend of Omar Khayyam) with Academy Award Winner  Vanessa Redgrave,  in which Andy plays the  governor of the ancient city of Samarkand.  Andy first made his mark on ABC’s 2001 production of the “Princess and the Marine”. 

When Andy's not acting or producing movie scores, Andy's a musical trailblazer forging a new path that redefines traditional musical borders.  He plays to sold-out venues all over the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Russia and the Middle East.  His touring schedule regularly includes locales rarely if ever performed in by American--based artists such as Armenia, Uzbekistan, and cities Tashkent,Samarghand , and in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, amongst others, spreading his universal message of love and joy.  In the United States, he has played for the last ten years to critical acclaim at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as the prestigious Kodak Theatre in Hollywood and large scale venues in Las Vegas. His music was recently chosen by the JPF “Independent Music” Awards Best Middle Eastern Album and Song for the second year in a row.

In a gala ceremony at Universal Studios, he was named Persian Pop Male Singer of the Decade.  For five years in a row he has received the coveted Best Armenian International Singer, Best Armenian World Artist and Best Armenian World Album awards and in Nov 09 he received the “ Legend Award “ from Big Apple Music Awards.  He was also recognized and awarded twice by the City Council of Los Angeles for his contributions through music to the city. 

At first glance, it’s the dance music side of Andy that stands out.   Somewhere between the mystery of an ancient civilization and music that dates back 5000 years and the youthful brashness of modern music, Andy has made his own unique place in music history.  He has created a new fusion of sound that combines traditional Middle Eastern instruments with the Western world’s drum and bass, guitar and modern technology.  His global sound embraces many exotic influences.  Aside from his Persian- Armenian heritage, Andy combines lush Arabic modes with African rhythms, in which he spices with Spanish flamenco guitar licks, and western dance music.

Bus in LA

LA is home to one of the country’s best public transportation networks, including subways, light-rail, buses and shuttles to just about every corner of the Greater Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is making it easier than ever to discover LA without a car. Car Free LA features a series of self-guided "car free" vacation itineraries that offer a new way to experience the hidden gems of LA’s diverse neighborhoods via foot, bike and Metro.
The Metro Trip Planner is a great tool to use when planning your way around Los Angeles. The tool generates detailed instructions on how to get to and from your destination. You can also download the Go Metro Los Angeles V2 mobile app to help you get around the city while on the go.
All transit rates start at a base fare of $1.50. In addition to a single-ride fare, options include the Metro Day Pass ($5) and the 7-Day Pass ($20). On the Metro Rail and the Metro Orange Line, single-ride fares, passes and stored value must be loaded on a Metro TAP card. TAP is a durable plastic card that you can use again and again. Buy and add value to a reusable TAP card from TAP vending machines located at Metro Rail or Metro Orange Line stations.The TAP card allows you to add money and/or choose from a daily, weekly, or monthly pass to add to your card. Buying a pass is often less expensive than the base fare price per ride.

Inside Kabeh

There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Mecca. By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth.
Thousands circle the sacred Kaaba at the centre of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day. Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day.
The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.
The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.The Kaaba that we see today is not exactly the same Kaaba that was constructed by Prophets Ibrahim ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and Ismail ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) From time to time, it has needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters. Of course, we all know of the major reconstruction that took place during the life of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) before he became a Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). This is the occasion when the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) averted major bloodshed by his quick thinking on how to place the Black Stone using a cloth that every tribe could lift up.
Since then, there has been an average of one major reconstruction every few centuries. The last renovation took place in 1996 and was extremely thorough, leading to the replacement of many of the stones and re-strengthening the foundations and a new roof. This is likely to be the last reconstruction for many centuries (insha'Allah) as modern techniques mean that the building is more secure and stable than ever before.
The original Kaaba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit. For a considerable period of time it also had a window situated to one side. The current Kaaba only has one door and no window.
We are so used to the Kaaba being covered in the trademark black Kiswah with gold banding that we can't imagine it being any other colour. However, this tradition seems to have started at the time of the Abbasids (whose household colour was black) and before this the Kaaba was covered in multiple colours including green, red and even white.

BBC and khabar network

MUSCAT, Oman — The urgent quest for a breakthrough in talks to rein in Iran’s nuclear capacity led negotiators to meet into the night Sunday with a deadline looming over their heads.
Secretary of State John F. ­Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, met for three hours in the early afternoon, and more than two hours more after nightfall. A U.S. official said talks would resume here at the meeting site, a resort along a scenic beach between the Hajar Mountains and the Indian Ocean, on Monday morning.
The mere fact they are still at it suggests progress is still possible, as more than a decade of negotiations boil down to the final two weeks before a Nov. 24 deadline. If the date passes without a deal or an extension, an interim pact dies, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the international effort to keep the Islamic republic from building a bomb.
Important differences remain unresolved, including the level of uranium-enrichment capacity Iran will be permitted to retain, and the pace for phasing out international sanctions.
For the United States and its five negotiating partners, the goal is to make sure that all pathways to an Iranian bomb would be visible and time-consuming. Iran seeks relief from the punishing sanctions hobbling its economy when falling oil prices are strangling revenue.

Bazaar

Of many of the countless peoples and places Herodotus documented in his colossal Histories, only names and vestiges remain. Despite having been in the epicenter of a region continuously subject to invasion, bloodshed, intercultural tensions, and religious strife (to name a few malaises), Iranian culture has always managed, somehow or other, not only to survive, but to proudly flourish, despite various changes in its outward appearance and form. From the ashes of the remnants of the House of Sassan, and from the depths of the two centuries of silence emerged the voices of Rudaki, the first major poet to write in modern-day Persian and Ferdowsi, who, in a labor of love composed the triumphant Shahnameh, Iran’s national epic celebrating pre-Islamic Iranian mythology and lore. Later, though Iran found itself yet again under foreign occupation—this time by Turco-Mongol dynasties from the East—Iranian art and architecture flourished and adapted itself to its new surroundings.
Iran later enjoyed a lavish renaissance at the hands of the first indigenous rulers of Iran since the Sassanians, the Safavids. Despite their religious zealotry and fervent promotion of Shi’ism (by sometimes questionable means), they ushered in a golden age of Iranian art and culture still looked upon with reverence and longing today by Iranians and non-Iranians alike.
Fast-forward some three hundred years, beyond the lost glory of Esfahan and the languid glances, dark tresses, and swarthy, curved eyebrows of the belles of the Qajar epoch, and on the eve of yet another cultural revolution, Iran’s art and culture was again being molded anew by its proud sons and daughters. Alongside the introduction of modern architecture and radical developments in literature (particularly the Sher-e No movement of modern poetry), the foundations of what would later be defined as contemporary Iranian art were being laid by the artists of the Saqqakhaneh

New filtering

Iran plans to loosen Internet censorship by introducing "smart filtering" which only keeps out sites the Islamic government considers immoral, Communications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said on Wednesday.
Internet use is high in Iran, partly because many young Iranians turn to it to bypass an official ban on Western cultural products, and Tehran occasionally filters popular websites such as Twitter and Facebook. Censorship has eased somewhat since Hassan Rouhani was elected last year on a moderate platform the "smart filter" initiative seemed to reflect.
"We have signed agreements with three universities and research institutes to develop smart filtering to block only depraved and immoral sites, but allowing access to other pages,"

Vaezi said, without naming the organisations involved.
"Smart filtering is used for specific targets only and presently the project is undergoing experiments," he was quoted by Mehr news agency as saying to journalists.
The minister did not make clear what would be considered depraved and immoral, but the terms are frequently used by Iranian clerics to mean anything from pictures of women in revealing Western clothing to outright pornography.
But he did brush aside rumours that Tehran would start filtering the latest teen fad, the WhatsApp Messenger instant messaging service. "What is being said about this matter is mainly non-sense - propaganda," he said.
The Mehr report did not mention the latest Internet fad, a Facebook page where women post pictures of themselves without their obligatory headscarf.
Like satellite television and music videos in earlier decades, cyberspace has been a controversial phenomenon in the Islamic republic, both out of political and moral concerns.
Many in the conservative clerical establishment long opposed its introduction into Iran and, since its debut, have demanded tighter supervision.
Their offensive peaked during a crackdown on freedom of speech in the wake of mass protests against former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection in 2009.

Visiting Elham

Actor and artist Farshid Nawabi couple end their marriage to have rotary and inspire young child and his father survived.
Celebrity inspired jewelry is universal serial actress wife Farshid Nawabi Sounds of Rain Man film and television actor separated and brought to life and shared his father's son.
The couple decided to split shortly before the New Year holidays this year and fulfilled their divorce, but it's still not the media.
Rotating the second half of last year with a series Sounds of Rain (Hussein Soheyli born) was the most notable on the three network.
Spinning in circles, no doubt inspired the television set, I Mstajrm, butterflies and the song has been playing in the rain. He was also in the movies Moonlight Wedding, Vancouver, White has played an oath and slopes.

Remaining

Hot girls, fast cars, huge homes and a life of luxury – that’s present-day Iran for a new group of young friends who are taking social media by storm while also underscoring a class-based hypocrisy inside the Islamic Republic.
The Rich Kids of Tehran as they call themselves, began with a sole account on Instagram last month and grew steadily to Facebook and Twitter, gaining attention with three specific hashtags unusually paired together -- #lavish #lifestyle and of course, #Iran -- that helped them to establish more than 70,000 followers and growing.
The photos posted would be normal coming from any Western or secular country in the world: girls in bikinis, young men bare-chested posing poolside, groups of girls in their tightest Friday-night-best, high-end cars parked seductively in an upscale neighborhood. But from a place like Iran, where women are forced to wear head-to-knee covering in public and co-mingling with the opposite sex is strictly forbidden, it's a behind-the-scenes look at life in Tehran that some have heard tales about, but most people have never seen.

Iranian Elham Charkhandeh Smoking

Elham CharKhandeh is clever actress to make money from islam as business company Avaye baran, could be successful in channel three, and many Persian people are watching this TV series every day. Among the actresses who have main roles in Avaye baran, Elham charkhandeh is the beautiful actress who plays the role of a cheating and cruel wife. Elham Charkhandeh is 35 years old and she could be successful in her role in Avaye baran. her similarity with the famous and international singer Katy Perry is remarkable. 
What are they like, over there in Iran? Are they all glowering fanatics, stewing in resentment of America? What's your mental image? When a land is distant, unknown and labeled as an enemy, it's easy to think in simple terms. No doubt Iranians are as quick to think evil about us as we are to think evil about them. The intriguing thing about an Iranian movie like "Baran" is that it gives human faces to these strangers. It could be a useful learning tool for those who have not traveled widely, who never see foreign films, who reduce whole nations to labels.