Valiasr Street of Tehran (Fictional Narratives)

All the signs of a modern city appeared in Tehran during the 1300s (Iranian calendar). Cinemas, theaters, music halls, hotels, cafes, restaurants, shopping arcades, malls, parks, boulevards, and most importantly, the main and vital highways: the streets. The significance of the grand and lengthy street of Valiasr lies in the fundamental point that it invites the modern city citizen on a path full of images, colors, scents, and sounds to make and relive memories. This street has a history of a century and extends nearly twenty kilometers, connecting the southernmost square of Tehran to its northernmost square. The book “Valiasr Street of Tehran; Fictional Narratives” addresses the stories of this street from the perspective of the storytelling citizens of modern Tehran. Each story seems to encompass a part of this vast street, and together they create a multifaceted yet comprehensible and tangible image of one of the symbols of the collective memory of the people of Tehran. The stories in this book aim to rewrite the tales that have lingered in various corners of this street for a hundred years and were often hidden from sight by those in power for many reasons. Edited by Kaveh Fooladi Nasab, “Valiasr Street of Tehran; Fictional Narratives” brings these stories out from the hidden corners of this long street to revive the distorted collective memory and emphasize the role of collective heritage such as Valiasr Street in our understanding of ourselves and our culture.