Iran

Postcards from Ian & Justine

Iran holds one of the world's great civilizations — ancient cities, magnificent ruins, and a culture stretching back millennia to the height of the Persian Empire. It also holds one of the most misunderstood reputations in the West.

Ian Wright and Justine Shapiro have both been there — and they've seen very different Irans.

Ian traveled to Iran in 1998 for Globe Trekker, journeying from the capital of Tehran to the Alborz Mountains to ski at Dizin, then on to the Caspian coast where he fished for sturgeon and sampled caviar. From there he made his way to Esfahan, dazzled by its famed mosques, before heading to Shiraz to explore Persepolis — an ancient ceremonial capital constructed around 515 B.C. Along the way, he wrestled with descendants of Genghis Khan's Mongolian warriors and explored the Citadel at Bam.

Nearly a decade later, Justine returned — not as a traveler, but as a filmmaker and a mother. Her 2007 documentary Our Summer in Tehran brought her and her six-year-old son into the private homes of Iranian families, revealing a side of the country few outsiders ever see.

Two visits. Two perspectives. This POSTCARD takes you far beyond the headlines.