Updated: 27 April 2018
For me, District 12 in southern Tehran is the real Tehran. If the rest of the city is black and white, District 12 is in color. And while Valiasr Avenue may be the capital’s spine, District 12 is its beating heart. There’s a world to explore down there and your whole imagination to get lost in as you contemplate the history that part of town has witnessed. And among the most intriguing parts is 30 Tir Street, chock full of culture, diverse places of worship, and more recently, food trucks.
30 Tir Street in Tehran
30 Tir (pronounced see-ye teer) corresponds with July 21 and is named after the date of the massive pro-Mossadegh uprising against the Shah in 1952 in which dozens of people were killed. This cobblestone street intersects Imam Khomeini Street between Imam Khomeini Square (better known as Toop Khuneh to the locals) and Hasan Abad Square. It continues north to Nofel Loshato Street near the Embassy of France, although once you pass the intersection of Jomhuri Avenue, the name mysteriously changes to Mirza Kuchak Khan (named after an early 20th century Gilani revolutionary).
Museum street
There’s a lot of culture to explore on and nearby this street. Most notably on 30 Tir is the National Museum of Iran, which explores 30,000 years of habitation in the region through primitive art, tools from the Stone Age, pottery, coins, remnants of Persepolis, and other excavated treasures. The imposing brick vault is a nod to Sassanian architecture, making it one of Tehran’s more interesting buildings.
Next door is the Museum of Islamic Art which normally houses art from throughout the Islamic period. Until June 8th, however, the ground floor is playing host to the “Louvre in Tehran,” the first large-scale exhibition in Iran by a major western museum. The exhibition includes selected pieces from the Louvre as well as a brilliant collection of director Abbas Kiarostami’s photography from the Louvre entitled “Look at Me”.
Up the street is the Glassware and Ceramics Museum of Iran which takes visitors through a chronological history starting with pottery from 4,000 BC and ending with modern glassware. The Qajar-era building was formerly the Egyptian Embassy until the mid-1970s and is noteworthy in and of itself.
The Glassware and Ceramics Museum is housed in a Qajar-era building
Just off 30 Tir on Imam Khomeini Street is the gorgeous gate of the National Garden (sar dar-e bâghe melli), a governmental compound where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Art, and Malek National Museum are located. Next door is the Post and Communications Museum exhibiting the history of Iran’s postal system. Behind that is Ebrat Museum, once a political prison. With not-so-subtle displays, the circular detention center is fascinating to say the least, but definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Entrance gate of Baghe Melli
Religious coexistence street
One of the most striking and curious features of 30 Tir Street is the fact that a synagogue, two churches, a mosque, and a Zoroastrian fire temple harmoniously coexist along this street. First is St. Peter’s Church where passersby like to Instagram themselves standing in front of the angel wings painted on the wall. Haim Synagogue is best known for hosting Polish Jewish refugees during the Second World War. As the number of refugees increased, a second Ashkenazi synagogue was built adjacent to it. It’s also considered the first synagogue to have been built in an urban area away from the others. Then there’s Hazrat Ebrahim Mosque, and although it’s not one of the more beautiful mosques Iran has to offer, it’s location on this particular street makes it special. Further up the street, you’ll find Holy Mary Church and the museum of Armenian history in the courtyard. Directly across the street from it is Adorian Fire Temple whose flame was brought from the temple in Yazd.
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- Haim Synagogue
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- Haim Synagogue
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- Holy Mary Church
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- Holy Mary Church
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- Lighting candles in Holy Mary Church
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- Holy Mary Church is reflected in the sign for Adorian Fire Temple
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- Adorian Fire Temple
Tehran’s food street
But the newest addition to 30 Tir Street is creating by far the most buzz: the food stalls and trucks. Yes, Tehran has jumped on the food truck craze! The stalls are usually there, but the trucks tend to line up in the evening hours when the street becomes jam-packed with locals looking for a bite to eat and a little people-watching. You can find everything from traditional Iranian dishes to western favorites, freshly squeezed fruit juices to coffee and tea (brewed in a samovar, of course).
Mirza ghasemi, a smoked eggplant dish from the north
The first time I ate there, I tried the mirzâ ghâsemi (a smoked eggplant dish from the north of Iran) made with lots of love by two friendly brothers and served with fresh barbari bread. I sat down at a table in front of their stall, and after a few minutes turned around to see what the hold up was. The mirzâ ghâsemi was already made, what was taking so long? That’s when I found one of the brothers attentively adding a design to it to perfect its presentation (and make his Gilani mama proud). I later asked one of them to introduce the food on camera, and though he was initially shy (especially to do it in English), I think he nailed it.
Unfortunately, that was the first and last time I saw the brothers there. Perhaps it’s just my own bad luck that I keep missing them, but every time I go back, I hope to be surprised. Their food was truly phenomenal.
These days, in an attempt to relive my unforgettable experience in Lashkar Abad in Ahvaz, my go-to is the spicy Ahvazi falafel stand whose busy vendor hands out samples to those in line. Not only is it the best falafel in Tehran in my opinion, the unruly line is also quite reminiscent of Lashkar Abad.
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- Juice stand on 30 Tir Street
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- 30 Tir Street
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- Ribs and tea on 30 Tir Street
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- Food stalls and trucks on 30 Tir Street in Tehran
Pass the food trucks and further up you’ll come across Reza Loghme (loghme means “bite” in Persian, as in “a bite to eat”). It serves kebab wraps with lots of torshi (pickled vegetables), but because I don’t eat meat, I can’t tell you how it is. I’ll let the line extending into the street with no clear beginning or end speak for it.
And across from the Glassware and Ceramics Museum, you’ll find one of Tehran’s oldest locales, the renowned Cafe Gol Rezaei, cafe of intellectuals. Full of character and history, you can expect homestyle cooking served alongside quirky decor including photos of famous faces. This atmosphere just begs for some deep, stimulating conversation. Not to be outshone by the more trendy eateries just a stone’s throw away, it’s the cherry on top of the 30 Tir Street experience.
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