Iran is an extremely diverse country steeped in tradition with sometimes conflicting cultural mores. These images were taken in and around Mashhad, Iran's holiest and second largest city. My objective is simply to share what I saw, to give you an idea of what Iran and some of its people look like. From the desert countryside between Mashhad and neighboring Neishabur to the ancient small village of Kang where an elderly woman invited us into her home for tea.
Wandering through a mosque one afternoon just before prayer we witnessed detailed preparation and anticipation for the ceremonious affair. Piled up rugs were carried out to the open-air prayer space and unrolled. Curtains were hung to create separate worship spaces for men and women. Some commenced their own private ceremony while others milled about waiting for the Imam’s call. Women, children, young men, old men. These memories still stir a curious admiration for this ritual, however foreign it might be to Westerners. Which is probably why it stuck with me.
Visiting Iran was an amazing experience that I will never forget. A place that made me realize again, that people are just people no matter where they live or what religion they practice.