This is how it looked when Jews still lived in Iran

A trip to Iran sounds like a distant dream. Sit down for a coffee in Tehran, visit one of the most important ancient sites in the Middle East, or go on a breathtaking trek in the mountains – areas that today have nuclear bunkers hidden in them. But it wasn’t always like that. Before the rise of the Ayatollah regime, Iran was a tourist destination that also attracted Israelis, who enjoyed the culture, the landscapes and the local hospitality. Today, in view of the security tensions and recent events, difficult questions arise: Will we get to see Iran return to the world? And what is its tourist potential and can it still be realized?

Following the war, the sky was completely closed, both in Israel and in Iran. The assassinations of the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, lead the entire world, and especially the Iranian people, to think about what is to come. Currently, similar to the situation in Israel, all flights have been stopped in Iran as well, there are no incoming or outgoing flights. “Actually, for 45 years there were no flights from Israel to Iran, and today, all flights from Israel are only to Iran,” Rani Amrani, manager of “Radio Ran” in Persian and a commentator on Iranian affairs, says with a laugh, who was born there and immigrated to Israel at the age of 17.

“Tourists who are currently in Iran can only leave by land from countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey,” Amrani notes. “For the sake of comparison, there aren’t many countries around Israel that are friendly for a land exit, but in Iran there are many more options.”

Who are the tourists who come to Iran in recent years despite the danger? According to Amrani, the number of Western tourists has decreased significantly. “There were cases when the regime arrested tourists it perceived as spies. They went to prison, and only then did the regime make deals with their countries to release them. This hurt tourism,” he explains. “Tourists from Germany, Italy and other countries have been warned not to come to Iran, because it is considered a dangerous country. Tourism in Iran is declining even though it has many places to travel.”

Amrani expands and says that only tourists from countries with good relations with Iran continued to arrive: “Travelers arrive from Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Arab countries. Especially from Iraq, many Shiites make a pilgrimage to their holy city of Mashhad. There are also tourists from China and Russia because of their close relations with Iran. The Iranians also will not dare to make kidnapping deals with Russia or China.”

When you think of Iran, associations of wars, nuclear power, dictatorship and violation of women’s rights immediately come to mind, but in the past it had a completely different image. Iran was considered a Western and modern country, which was visited by many travelers from all over the world, including Israel. “Tourism in Iran before the revolution was tremendous,” Amrani says. “The Shah of Iran tried to develop all the historical places and there are many of them. The landscapes are beautiful, the level of tourism was really high. Everything you see in Turkey today is ten times greater in Iran. This is a country where you can experience all four seasons at once: from snowy mountains to 40 degrees in the south.”

The ancient land of Iran is influenced by impressive historical sites such as Shiraz, Isfahan and Yazd, some of which are more than 3,000 years old. “People from all over the world would come to Iran. Besides industrial workers and civil servants from Israel, who participated in real estate, road and infrastructure projects, there were also many Israeli tourists,” says Amarni. “I remember once seeing a flyer that said ‘Trip to Tehran from Ben-Gurion. A few days in the most beautiful places’.

“There are modern tourist places in Iran like Tehran, which is a very big city, with lots of beautiful sites, buildings and parks,” says Amarni. “For example, the Azadi Tower, the tallest tower in Tehran. But the main tourism in Iran is archaeological and historical, just like in Greece, only that usually the sites in Iran are much bigger and more impressive. If we take the Acropolis in Greece, then in Iran there are places much bigger than it.”

Iran is also a popular destination for shopping enthusiasts, according to Amarni: “There are very large shopping malls. You have to remember that Iran is very progressive. Although the regime is extreme, the country itself has progressed nicely,” he says. “The Palladium Mall in Tehran, for example, is the largest mall in the Middle East. And in general, there are brands in Iran that don’t put any mall in Dubai to shame.”

Amarni also describes spectacular landscapes: “Iran has nature, perhaps one of the most beautiful in the world. North of Tehran there are high mountains, where you can ski even in the summer. They are so high that there is snow all year round. I remember as a child, that from every point in Tehran you can see the mountain. Iranians love nature, and there is another natural area in almost every district.” However, according to him, the regime has severely damaged the natural sites in recent years. “Unfortunately, because of the regime’s lack of hand, they built dams that prevented water from reaching very important places like the Isfahan Dam. The most beautiful place in the city was the Thirty-Three Arches Bridge, which stood in a central place over a beautiful stream. The regime dried up this huge stream, which was a wonderful tourist attraction. They damaged nature, and also one of the most beautiful historical sites in Iran and the most beautiful in Isfahan. It is very sad to see the big bridge standing in the center of the city, over a dry river”.

Many Israelis who immigrated from Iran have vivid memories of the place they once called home. “Together with the Jewish community, we would go up to the mountains in the north of Tehran, to very beautiful places. On the Persian holiday that parallels Mimona, on the eighth day of Passover, all the Jewish families would go up to the mountains. There were restaurants on a beautiful stream inside the mountain, and the water would pass under your feet. The weather was always really good, even in the height of summer because the air is mountainous,” Rani Amarni recalled.

Maureen Fafar, an international singer, creator and bard who researches the sacred and sacred music of the Jews of Iran, immigrated to Israel as a child after the Islamic Revolution, but never forgot life in the country of her childhood: “We came up destitute, with only clothes and some music cassettes. We left the huge house we had in Isfahan, a four-story house, a huge yard, a pool, full of trees and vegetation,” she says.

“My mother had a stroke when we immigrated to Israel,” she remembers perfectly. “She had the feeling that she had arrived in a third world country or below. Iran was then already a crazy modern power. There were fashion brands that arrived in Israel only after 30 years, and people dressed in Iran like in magazines, the most haute couture. From revealing clothing to luxurious evening dresses. European fashion was really strong. Jacqueline Kennedy was a role model for them with her chic and princess style. There was a feeling of freedom and prosperity.”

When she is asked about the relationship between the Jews and the rest of Iran’s population, Farah talks about warm neighborly relations with the Muslims. “I had a special and beautiful childhood, and we were treated amazingly by the neighbors. My mother had many Muslim friends who would occasionally come to visit me and bring me gifts and sweets. There are all kinds of crazy Persian sweets that I remember.”

Then came the coup. The regime of the Ayatollahs came to power and Iran of the Shah ceased to exist. Everything changed from one end to the other, and the modern life that once characterized the country became more and more extreme. “When my mother had to go to the market and wrap herself in the black hijab, she already started to feel less safe,” says Fahar. “Extremist Islam rose because not everyone liked the modernization and westernization of Iran. There were opinions here and there. Those who were more religious and Islamic were afraid of the liberation of women. Many people found that women’s bikinis in the sea, for example, threatened their religious and national identity as a Muslim country.”

Even today, despite the many years and the physical distance, there are Jews left in Iran who continue to preserve their identity and heritage, in a small community completely cut off from Israel. But unlike other Jewish communities in the world, here the reality is particularly difficult and complex. “You will never feel safe in Iran. There is always anti-Semitism. The broadcasts of the Iranian Broadcasting Authority are anti-Israel 24 hours a day,” says Amarni. “In Iran there are no Jewish symbols on synagogues and it is impossible to tell that there is a synagogue there. Every precaution is taken there so that the Muslims are not harmed.” He adds and explains: “The Jews managed to pass a Halacha ruling in Iran, according to which being a Jew and being a Zionist are two separate things. They play on this to prevent pogroms. From the beginning of the war, the Jewish community announced that it supports the Iranian regime and condemns the crimes of Zionism. In my opinion, this is to get them to leave. It’s not because they hate us, but because they have to.”

With an extensive history spanning thousands of years, the Jews tell of quite a few important sites in Iran for the Jewish religion as well. “There is a tomb that is said to be the tomb of Mordechai and Esther. This is an important site for traditionalist Jews. There is also the tomb of the prophet Daniel, and of course ancient synagogues,” says Amarni and Nahadar adds: “The most amazing event I experienced in Iran was when I had the privilege of being at the tomb of Sarah Bat Asher, the daughter of Jacob our father. Some believe that she was granted eternal life. This is a pilgrimage site visited by both Gentiles and Muslims. And especially women. I remember myself crawling into the ancient burial cave. It’s like going to a temple full of candles.”

Along with the fear of what might happen now, hope arises. Maybe one day those Iranian Jews will be able to return to visit the land that left a mark on them. “I miss it. Israel is my country, but there is a curiosity and a longing to see what we left behind,” says Terah excitedly. “I can overcome the longing through music and art, but it’s like digging into a wound, and the more you do it, the more you realize how much you want more and miss.

“I’m sure that Israelis and people from all over the world will want to visit. Iran is very intriguing, despite the nuclear and the Ayatollahs. You have to remember that there are many sane and amazing people, intellectuals and artists. The culture, the people and the amazing tradition are currently held hostage by the government. There are huge communities of Iranian exiles in Germany, France, the USA and almost everywhere. Everyone is waiting for a second for someone to give them the green light to come back.”

For many who grew up there, Iran is not only a political symbol, it is also a living, personal and touching memory that still burns in the heart. “I really want to go back to visit. If the regime falls, I will cry with excitement,” says Amarni. “I am a Zionist and I love the Land of Israel, but there is nothing I can do. I was born and came from there, from the streets and the culture. If the regime falls, no one will go to Turkey, Greece or Dubai. The prices are much cheaper and I am sure that Israelis will love the country. I am sure that as soon as Iran is liberated and free, at least 60 percent of the world’s tourism will go there. This is a country that was closed to the world for 45 years, and when it opens its doors again, everyone They will come to see Iran.”