4 Years In Tehran Jun 2026

By the second year, the "tourist" lens falls away. You stop seeing the smog and start seeing the architecture—the juxtaposition of Qajar-era brickwork and mid-century modern apartments.

You cannot survive 4 years without learning the basics. 4 Years In Tehran

As I reflect on my four-year experience in Tehran, I am reminded of the many lessons I learned and the takeaways that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Here are a few: By the second year, the "tourist" lens falls away

I watched the Iranian rial fall off a cliff. When I arrived, a fancy latte cost roughly 60,000 tomans. By year three, the same latte was 350,000 tomans. You carried bricks of cash in your backpack just to buy chicken. As I reflect on my four-year experience in

One of the highlights of my experience in Tehran was the opportunity to explore its rich cultural heritage. From the stunning Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site and former royal complex, to the National Museum of Iran, which houses an impressive collection of artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era, there was no shortage of historical and cultural sites to visit. The architecture of Tehran itself was a fascinating blend of modern styles and traditional designs, with beautifully tiled mosques and majestic, albeit sometimes crumbling, buildings that spoke to the city's past glories.

Setting the Scene Tehran, sprawling at the foot of the Alborz mountains, feels both metropolitan and contained by its geography. The city’s skyline is a mix of Soviet-era blocks, contemporary glass towers, and domed mosques; snow-capped peaks hover to the north and a haze-prone plain stretches beneath. Seasons mark daily life sharply—hot, dusty summers give way to brief, vivid springs; winters bring a damp cold and the occasional mountain snow that brightens the city.