Unique Experiences in My City, Tehran

Unique Experiences in My City, Tehran

Recently, I have become interested in sharing unique experiences of my city through Google Maps. I believe each city has its own unique spirit and elements coming from its culture and history!
You can have a burger or go to the movies anywhere around the world, and these are almost the same everywhere. I think these global experiences that you can have anywhere else cannot be considered as the attractions of your city. As a Google guide, I believe I should pay attention to the exclusive experiences of my city. So I am going to show you some examples of uniqueness in my city, Tehran. In this post, I would like to introduce a restaurant to you where you can have a traditional Iranian breakfast, a gym to watch ancient Iranian sport and a place to have an Iranian traditional massage. These are the experiences you may not find easily outside my region

Having Kale-Pacheh in Ofogh Restaurant

The most traditional Iranian breakfast dish is Kale-Pacheh which is served in special restaurants early in the morning. It is made of sheep’s entire head and its hooves. It may look disgusting, but it is delicious. Eating Kale-Pacheh has three stages! First crumbling up the bread to add into the broth and eating the mixture, second eating the meat with bread and the last stage is drinking a cup of strong tea. If you are visiting Tehran, don’t forget to try Kale-Pacheh. The best Kale-Pahceh I’ve ever had in Tehran is served in OFOGH restaurant which is located in Yousef-Abad district.

Watching Iranian Ancient Sport at ZurKhane

ZurKhane is a traditional Iranian gymnasium which is often decorated like a shrine in which “Varzesh-Bastani” (ancient Iranian sport) is practiced. A group of men stand around a circular pit and perform strength-training rituals. Around athletes is a platform for the audience where I sat down and took photos. Athletes synchronize their movements with a drumbeat and the words of a leader. There are a few Zurkhanes left in Tehran, and their number is decreasing. The one I visited is 40 years old and Located inside the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences of Tehran University (North Kargar Street).

Taking a Bath and Getting Massage at Bab-Homayoun Public bathhouse

Decades ago, before modern life, people went to public bathhouses not only to wash but also to talk about different aspects of life such as politics, economy and the latest news. In the past, the number of bathhouses was much more than today, but many of them are no longer used or have been converted to museums or restaurants. Now There are few active public bathhouses like Bab-Homayoun in Tehran. It is located near Grand Bazaar of Tehran and is constructed 225 years ago.
Bab-Homayoun public bathhouse consists of two main parts: the dressing hall and the bathing hall. As I entered, I was welcomed by one of the bathhouse workers, Emad. He helped me take my dresses off and gave me a special bathing cloth called “Long” to wear. A masseur (called “Dallak” in Persian) is responsible for helping you wash and giving you Iranian style massage. The type of massage you get here is not the ordinary soft one you might get in other places. It is somehow tough and aggressive! You May get a mini heart attack while getting the massage! After washing and massage process, a cup of Iranian tea was served for me! My suggestion; Don’t miss the chance of taking a bath at this 225-year-old bathhouse and getting an Iranian massage while you are in Tehran!