Iranian Madness

One of the interesting side-effect of the disillusion of the Islamic Revolution in the people of Iran is the tendency to return to ancient Persian roots.

Suffocated by centuries of Islamic domination that only partially managed to change the country’s culture, Persian roots survive and in some cases thrive. By far the most celebrated public holiday is not Eid (like in most other Muslim countries), but No-Rooz, the Persian new year festival, dating back to the Safavid Kingdom times and of Zoroastrian origin.

Another (slightly more radical) Zoroastrian feast is the so called Sadeh (the Sacred Fire Fest). Fire is a holy element in Zoroastrian belief (along with Water, Air and Earth, and numerous are the temples where fire is kept burning since centuries (the most famous one, depicted below, is in the city of Yazd).

Nowadays, the people of Iran are getting back to these old traditions, regardless of their religion. They are considered part of the pre-Islamic Persian culture, and thus worth preserving and cherishing.

It may be hard to believe if you have never visited the country, but Iran is indeed a largely secular society.

The fire temple in Yazd