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Iran Today

Iran Today

Posted on June 23, 2009 | 0 Comments

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At the temporary grave of Ayatollah Khomeini,1989

Twenty years ago this month, in June 1989, I was in Iran photographing the mourning for Ayatollah Khomeini. Ten years ago I covered the reform movement when it was in power under President Mohammed Khatami. Iran has shifted from right to left and back again, but always within the context of an Islamic state. As I write this Iran is passing through dramatic social upheaval again with a moderate opposition movement taking to the streets to contest recent elections favoring the conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the conservatives crack down.

The stakes for the future of the Islamic Republic are high and the outcome is uncertain at this time. Read more about my experiences in Iran from my fall 2008 post: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/photography/windowsofthesoul/iran. And view my photos from Iran:

Men standing near a painting of Ayatollah Khomeini

Boy kissing a portrait of Ayatollah Khomeini

Blood of a sacrificed lamb streaks a north Tehran street on the day of mourning for Imam Hussain and the peak of the month of Muharram.

Imam Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

Actress on a movie set, Kish Island, Iran

Women weaving a rug, Heris, Iran

Young couple on Khajou Bridge, Isfahan, Iran

A 17-year-old Kurdish bride at Zarivar Lake, Iran

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About This Blog

Alexandra Avakian

As a young photojournalist Alexandra Avakian was fascinated with revolution and the fight for freedom—even dreaming, many times, that she worked in a strife-torn city. She has braved bullets and hostility to photograph stories of searing conflict and bring them to the world. Going far beyond the brief news reports that most of us see, Avakian shares a richer, wider view of the Muslim world through her extraordinary storytelling and photographs—all beautifully showcased in Windows of the Soul, and highlighted here in this blog.
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