A gathering was held here in Tehran in assessment of the history of a Tehran neighborhood called Moniriyeh in the presence of a number of leading archaeologists and historians.
The gathering was put together by the Institute of Architectural and Civil Oral History of the Contemporary Era.
The institute was formed in 2011 by a number of interested researchers of architecture and civilization. The institute has so far conducted various projects and has organized over 100 gatherings in the presence of senior architecture scholars of the country.
The institute has in fact made itself committed to conducting oral history projects with regards to the history of cities of Iran and is still in its incipience.
One of the activities pursued by the institute is an oral history project of the families and individuals living in the neighborhood. Gathering information about the old Tehran and learning about old time habits of the people are among the project goals.
The history of archeology in Tehran abounds with untold stories; stories that are sometimes reflected in a book or the title of a neighborhood. Moniriyeh is a neighborhood in Tehran with its story.
An issue the institute had to deal with during the project in Moniriyeh was that most of the female interviewees shied away from cameras because of their strong religious beliefs.
The oral history of Golestan Palace is another project that the institute has conducted. The palace was registered in the UNESCO last year.
The building was repaired in 1972 which is of great significance to the course of the project because the institute could contact some of those who were in contact with the repairing.
Dr. Mohammad Amin Mir-Fendereski is the focus of another project by the institute. He was a major architectural figure in Iran. To complete the project, his acquaintances were contacted for interviews. The project findings are to be released in three books.
Translated by: Abbas Hajihashemi
