Reading for Tehran Streets

Vitruvius, the Roman architect, first coined the word ‘street,’ and in his descriptions, divided urban sites into three categories: Tragic, Comic, and Satiric. In Tehran’s ongoing scenes of turmoil, street photography is more often seen as tragic rather than satiric. My relationship with the city is a complex process of continual re-engagement; merely moving through the streets, with and its ever-changing sights, scenes and characters, blends and overlaps the tragic and the comic, each ceaselessly fading away and being refreshed from moment to moment. I find shelter within the walls of my house, taking refuge from the sad turmoil of Tehran found at the heart of its streets. My imagination lies trapped, bound among the books covering my apartment walls.