"Tehran’s map etched in the faces of its people."

The map of Tehran must be sought in the faces of its inhabitants. People in Tehran move to a rhythm woven from commotion. Sometimes, this commotion finds meaning in the anxiety and quick steps they take through the streets to reach their goals and the promise of tomorrow’s progress; other times, it appears in the eager rush toward a night gathering, in the hope of creating a memory for a more distant tomorrow. This rhythm can also be traced in the slower pace and more relaxed faces captured in old photographs of people in Tehran’s alleys and bazaars. In every era of the city’s life, one truth remains constant: without its residents—suspended in a whirlwind of both sorrow and joy—Tehran would lose its present identity. The faces of its people, moving endlessly back and forth, keep the capital’s heartbeat alive and carry it forward, anchored by the city’s deep and unshakable roots.