I have a bucket list of all the things I want to do in Tehran. Of course what usually happens when you live in a city is that you never actually do those things because you figure eh, I have time or I’ll do it next week. As I slowly but surely crossed others off my list, one remained: Valiasr Street, the 11-mile (19 km) spine of Tehran. But there was always an excuse- it was too hot, it was too cold, it was Ramadan, I was out of town, it was Friday dammit and I wanted to sleep in, I plain didn’t feel like it, and the list went on and on. But with some friends, we decided that May 11th was the day. There was no backing out this time. Take a walk with me as we explore Tehran’s longest street and some of my favorite spots and the awesome pieces of art along the way.
Valiasr Street
Valiasr (or as the GPS [incorrectly] calls it: Vali A-S-R) runs from Tajrish Square in the north to Rah Ahan Square in the south. It’s Tehran’s longest street, and by some accounts, the longest in the Middle East (and still by others, the longest in the world though I can’t confirm this and am generally skeptical when Iranians use superlatives). For me, it’s an anchor. Whenever I lose my orientation, I think, ok, where’s Valiasr? And the puzzles pieces fall right back into place. It’s also one of the few streets in Tehran that is actually wide enough to invite walking. Sidewalks otherwise widen or narrow with no rhyme or reason, there’s a tree bursting through the concrete blocking your way, or else there’s inevitably construction which forces you to walk in the street with cars zooming by within inches of you. In fact, this is one of the biggest gripes about the city among many of my expat friends- two people can’t walk side-by-side and talk comfortably!
But Valiasr is different.
So beloved is this street that even the designer Jordy created a clutch with the Valiasr street sign on it. My parents remember it fondly as the street lined from beginning to end with derakht-e chenâr (plane trees). These days, there are fewer trees in some parts, but once you pass the intersection of Parkway, you’re under a chenâr canopy. I know what you’re thinking- if only these trees could talk.
I had walked different stretches of Valiasr before: Parkway to Tajrish, Parkway to Vanak, Mirzaye Shirazi to Vanak (the longest I had done before), but never from start to finish. Those of you familiar with Tehran know that the north is considered “posh” and the south, well, not so much. So because Valiasr runs north-south, the people, the culture, the stores, everything changes greatly as you make your way from one end to the other. I love the southern end for the old doors and windows; then comes the stretch leading to City Theater that I’ve dubbed “so ugly it’s beautiful”; then the more unmemorable part that suddenly changes directions where I nearly got ran over by oncoming traffic; then the cool stairs and sculptures in and around Saei Park; the street looks wider to me after Vanak, and smell of piping hot, creme-filled piroshki wafting down the street make my stomach grumble; approaching Mellat Park (Tehran’s answer to Central Park) instills a sense of calm; and once you pass Parkway, you’re under the cooling shade of the chenâr all the way up until Tajrish.
An unexpected welcome
My friends and I started out on Valiasr at Rah Ahan Square. Because of the thunderstorm the night before, the weather was cool, clean, and simply perfect for a long walk. We headed north, stopping to take pictures of cool things along the way and chatting in English. As we crossed the intersection of Imam Khomeini Street, a lady in a chador walked alongside us, smiled, and said shyly, “Hi, welcome to Iran.” We thanked her, and she waved and said goodbye and went on her way. I should add that this happened two days after Trump withdrew from the Iran Deal. In the weeks before, I had read questions in various online forums about people who were unsure whether or not it was safe to visit Iran during the time when he was supposed to make his announcement. Well, I guess there’s your answer.
Old door on Valiasr Street around Tajrish
Conquering Valiasr
We had planned some breaks along the way, and those who felt tired stopped as they pleased and took the bus up to meet us at the next stop. Our break at Mellat Park was one of those Tehran moments that I’ll never forget. As we munched on some light, energy-dense snacks, I looked around and took it all in: clear, sunny weather with rain clouds over the northern mountains, families and friends out for a walk, elderly men and women sitting on the benches chatting. One guy had the right idea taking a nap under the warm blanket of the sun. Everyone looked like they didn’t have a care in the world. And I couldn’t help but imagine the dark cloud that is CNN casting a shadow over this lovely scene by showing a vastly different reality on TV at that very moment (I was unfortunately later proven all too correct).
Valiasr Street Art
If you ever take this walk (or even part of it), I suggest you have a camera on hand. There are all sorts of cool art, graffiti, and officially commissioned wall paintings to make this street beautiful. But one of my favorite parts is the stairs. When I first posted these pictures on Instagram when I made my “Mirzaye Shirazi to Vanak” walk, I was shocked at just how many people were unaware of them.
My other two favorite staircases are the blue-tiled Khosrow and Shirin staircase (the Persian version of Romeo and Juliet) and the rose staircase. There’s also “the Alice in Wonderland clocks”, the sculptures around the parks, the light poles whose bottoms had been painted to look like apartment buildings, and the wall paintings by local artists, which tend to change every Nowruz. A recent addition I noticed was the fact that the electricity boxes were now covered in prints of mosaic tiles and Persian miniatures (if only people would stop being jerks and ripping pieces of them off).
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- Sculpture in front of Mellat Park
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- Rose staircase on Valiasr
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- Khosrow and Shirin staircase on Valiasr
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- Sculpture in front of Saei Park
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- Sculpture in front of Saei Park
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- “Alice in Wonderland” clocks of Valiasr
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- Art on Valiasr
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- Mellat Park
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- Street art by artist Black Hand
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- Street art on Valiasr
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- Valiasr Staircae
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- Wall art
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- Wall art Valiasr
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- Decoration on electricity boxes
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- Street art by Nafir
So at long last, I was able to cross “Conquer Valiasr” off #myTehranBucketList. I have to admit that after starting at the Valiasr Street, District 11 street sign, nothing gave me a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction than when I stood under the sign in Tajrish that said: Valiasr Street, District 1. I had officially made it! I plan on doing it again, only this time, I’ll be sure to go downhill!
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