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POR T FOLI O
IR A N
P OR T F OL IO
Iran’s House of Strength
P H O T O S A N D E S S AY B Y
JEREMY SUYKER
The weight lifters of the Talachi
zurkhaneh gather each evening after
work to train, converse, and preserve
an ancient Persian heritage.
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In the time of the Persian Empire, zurkhanehs were
dedicated places to train men as warriors and to instill in them a sense of national pride in anticipation
of upcoming battles. Today, no more than 500 of these
traditional training rooms remain in Iran, fewer than
20 in Tehran. Local athletes have taken action to preserve this heritage and to pass it onto future generations.
T
EHRAN—The Talachi zurkhaneh is
nestled in the Imamzadeh Yahya neighborhood, behind Tehran’s Grand Bazaar
(the world’s largest) in the southern part of the
city. Mostly conservative and deeply religious,
it is somewhat paradoxically considered dodgy
due to the increasing number of depraved people haunting its streets.
The master—the morshed—summons his flock.
This generation—and the next—gather before their workout
for a group photo that will take its proud position on the wall
of their zurkhaneh.
Jeremy Suyker is a Paris-based photographer who spent months in Iran chronicling the
confluence of Persian history, contemporary culture, and the hidden communities that
preserve their paradoxes.
Sex workers age with dignity in Casa Xochiquetzal.
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Prayer and strength—two pillars
of the zurkhaneh.
One freezing winter’s night, down a remote and narrow back alley,
loud sounds of drums and a metallic roar erupt from a non-descript house.
Its unmarked door gives way to the surreal world of the zurkhaneh. Such
places—reserved exclusively for men—are not easily accessed by foreigners. But with the help of an Iranian friend and a little patience, it’s possible
to approach these people and be accepted among them.
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Young and old gather
round now.
In unison,
more or less.
Zurkhanehs are holy places for the athletes practicing
varzesh-e pahlevani, an ancient sport combining bodybuilding, moving skills, music, dramatic art, and religious worship. In this centuries-old ritual, men perform
rhythmic movements with great passion, using tools
that symbolically represent ancient weapons. At first,
their strong devotion might seem overdone, but it soon
becomes clear that it is a fundamental aspect of the pahlevani ceremonial rites.
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Training at Talachi zurkhaneh usually starts after 6 P.M. This is when the
participants finish work and meet at the
gym. Pahlevani operates very much like a
ritual ceremony. The athletes remove their
shoes and wash their hands when entering
the training room. And before each session they sit together and drink tea. The
zurkhaneh plays an important social role
for these men; it’s a place to discuss politics, religion, and soccer. Most athletes
IR A N
have known each other for years and feel
at ease expressing themselves inside the
zurkhaneh. Their cultural and social backgrounds suggest that they are inclined
to share the regime’s values. Undoubtedly, they hold in admiration the Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic
Republic, and respect his moral heritage.
And like the majority of Iranians, they
look forward to ending the sanctions that
are weakening the country’s economy.
Big weights for big men—and a pint-sized introduction.
Fathers and sons.
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But any political conversations end as soon as
the morshed (guide) begins
to play. As master of ceremony, the morshed sits
overlooking the group,
he bangs upon the zarb
(drum) and conduct the
rhythmic music. The athletes then enter the arena
and start moving in unison
to his drumbeats.
The main portion of a
varzesh-e pahlevani session is
dedicated to weight training, notably using a pair
of mil (wooden clubs), sang
(metal shields), and a kabbadeh (bow made of iron
with metal rings and coinlike pieces hanging from
its body). Each such piece
weighs some 44 pounds.
This part of the training
is followed by exercises
like Sufi whirling and juggling, which are intended
to build strength as well
as reinforce the virtues of
sportsmanship, modesty,
humbleness, and all while
avoiding arrogance.
Traditionally, the zurkhaneh demand no payment
from their athletes and
instead depend on public
donations. In return, the
zurkhaneh provide community services and protection.
All those who attend are
strong believers in Allah and
praise him and the Prophet Mohammad repeatedly during each session.
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They also pray for the good health of each
participant and his family, regardless of his
social rank, wealth, or religion. Indeed,
varzesh-e pahlevani itself fuses elements of
pre-Islamic Persian culture with the spirituality of Shia Islam and Sufism. This unusual religious blend is a reflection of the
great mix of ethnic groups, languages, and
cultures that coexist within Iranian society.
Talachi zurkhaneh is far more than a
theatrical center for synchronized wrestling. This is where a group of men perpetuate a sacred heritage they pass onto
future generations—as it has been passed
on to each of them. Indeed, fathers, as
“masters,” transmit skills and manners
to their sons, as well as essential moral
values. Most of these athletes are simple
men living ordinary lives. They are postmen, butchers, shopkeepers or taxi drivers.
Politics takes a back seat to rhythm and strength.
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But when they enter a zurkhaneh, a transformation takes
place. They become fighters,
singers, worshipers and poets.
This gripping metamorphosis
can also be seen as an echo of
the remaining pre-Islamic culture and its strong legacy in
modern Iran. l
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A little-known slice of Iran—a muscular history.
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