Translated by : Samira Hadanzadeh
Source: Rasekhoon.net







 

Farahzad, popular as a walking trail until only a few decades ago, has converted to one of the main leisure resorts in Tehran.
The restaurants with gardens decorated with covered tables are so popular in there that you could hardly ever find a spot for parking your car. Getting a safe and easy parking lot is a challenge in itself but it's all worth the visit.
Farahzad is made up of 3 neighborhoods: upper Farahzad, north of Yadegar-e imam highway, lower Farahzad, south of Yadegar-e Imam highway, and Imamzadeh.
The north side of Farahzad locality ends up on the slopes of Alborz mountain range . 1,800 m above sea level, it is located in the north of Tehran. Its west side extends to a valley and river which starts on the Alborz slopes and leads up to Yadegar-e imam highway, setting limits for the neighborhood. On the east side, too, Golpad Street and the old road of Imamzadeh Davud as well as the borders between the residential townships and the hills overlooking the area of Farahzad are recognized as its east borders.
Among the old places in the north of the capital, it is accessible through Yadegar-e Imam highway, Farahzad road and the boulevard of Shahrak-e Gharb.
Decades ago, it welcomed the citizens thanks to its rich berry gardens.
In the past, it was a village on the way to Imamzadeh Davud and in the course of time it developed into a neighborhood in the capital.
Although some mistakenly think that the name Farahzad has been given to this place since it enjoys exhilarating and intoxicating weather; Farah means happy. The name is also attributed to Farah, Mohammad Reza Shah's wife. However, its original name, Farehzad, comes from the fact that it contained water and that's why it is considered “great provisions for a journey".
According to Abbas Ighbal , Farahzad is another village on the northwest of Tehran between Tajrish and Kan. Its name is also mentioned in Manteghat Altalebiyah as Farzad whose correct spelling is Farehzad. Later on it evolved to Farahzad which is a place of birth and happiness.
The village was considered a region with a pleasant and nice climate and a high percentage of its locals are the old residents of the village. After development of the city of Tehran several ethnic groups migrated there.
Currently, it has a population of about 20,000 which apart from the indigenous people it also includes the ethnic groups like Ghuchani, Turk, Ghazvini and so on.

Old tourism

In the good old days, a large crowd of Tehran's residents retreated into Farahzad to escape from the heat. They would rent a house or a garden to reside and even some would set up tents in the open space and spend their summer holidays there.
What has made it stick in the mind of the old Tehrani is that it is placed on the way to Imamzadeh Davud. It used to be the main station for the pilgrims. They spent night in the place and headed off to the shrine renting a donkey or mule.
The temporary migration of the Tehrani and functioning as a station boomed its tradesmen transactions.
Therefore, summertime was when they made lots of money and it encouraged floods of migrating groups to settle there permanently. Compared to other villages in Shemiran like Ahar and Shokrab, whose dead-end roads didn't allow them to receive migrators and which were mainly inhabited by people of the same race, Farahzad is unique indeed.

Farahzad nights

On summer nights, Farahzad hosts people who withdraw from the city and its stress to experience a tranquil and free environment. The area is filled with tea houses and traditional restaurants and unlike other resorts in the north of Tehran such as Dar band and Darakeh it has no mountain with almost no intact nature.
After Yadegar-e Imam highway, you will reach Farahzad Street with colorful signs directing you to restaurants, coffee shops and hookah shops. Street vendors on both sides of the street spread their stuff for selling.
In front of each restaurant, the youth invite the guests inside and direct the cars to park. Most nights its streets are packed with the cars of the teens and families who go there to spend their leisure time and that’s why there is always a heavy traffic.
Almost all cafes and traditional restaurants in Tehran have long stood on the slope of Alborz mountains thanks to the nice weather, mountaineering routes and pilgrim sites.
Haj Akbar talks of the old owners of restaurants in Farahzas and says," Farahzad has long been receiving floods of pilgrims and travellers as it stands on the way to Imamzadeh Davud' s shrine.
The restaurants were few in the past and most walnut and berry gardens are now replaced by restaurants; the remains of the trees still exist. It is called Farahzad since it was lined with trees and enjoyed a nice climate.
Many have ruined the gardens to build restaurants which stretch up to the square of Farahzad. In fact, the traditional context of the village starts from the square where you can only see the locals.
The dishes offered in restaurants are Kebabs, chicken, Dizi, a special Persian cuisine made with peas, beans, pieces of meat, onions, and spices served with bread, and giblets roasted on barbecues.
No sign of modern fast foods whatsoever.

Favorite haunt of youth and elderly

I go to a modern cafe on the street. Its customers are young boys and girls who almost know each other. They switch places every now and then and keep busy smoking hookahs and playing chess. The smoke has covered the whole place and the roar of crackles is heard occasionally. The music is of course an indispensable part of it all.
In traditional restaurants it's another story. Once you enter, you notice wooden boards, vases, and green lush trees as well as the pleasant sound of water.
Usually during the day the young couples and families chose to have meals in these restaurants. The older coffee shops are also places where the youth and the elderly hang out smoking hookahs. In front of them you can see barbecues to make kebabs and their smoke and mouthwatering smell have covered the whole street.
These compete with number one and modern restaurants.
The streets are lined with stands which offer the seasonal edibles like hot Baghali, cooked red-colored beets, Lavashak, dried extract of sour fruits, Aluche, made with plums, and walnut kernels.
Close to 2 o'clock a.m. the restaurants and cafes start closing gradually. Therefore, the crowd and noise are also over until the next day when the youth and families come over to have some peace and fun.

Its history

The first volume of Iran's gazetteer addresses Farahzad, which used to be only a village, this way:
It is a village belonging to the district of Shemiran, 9,000 Guz a length unit, west of Tajrish and 12,000 Gaz from Tehran. It is an area on the slope of mountain, cold, with a population of 1,200. Its water is supplied by a subterranean canal. Its products include grain, alfalfa and berry. The residents make their income by farming and stock breeding.
It contains a primary school and has driveways.
The alfalfa farm of Kahrizak is part of the village where the pilgrims rent donkeys and mules to take them the shrine of Imamzadeh Davud. In summer, the residents mainly raise domestic animals. 200 families come here from Tehran in summer renting houses or gardens and stay there.
Abbas Ighbal Ashtiyani writes down on Farahzad in his article entitled “lands and regions geography" published in Yadegar magazine, 1st year:
Farahzad is located northwest of Tehran between Tajrish and Kan. It's name is mentioned in the book" Montaghel Altalebiyah", but is referred to as "Farzad" whose old spelling is Farrahzad, with the stress on the second syllable."
Later on the stress on the second syllable was removed gradually in the public conversations and turned to Farah, an Arabic term. Farrahzad and Farzad then developed to Farahzad. The author of the book" Montaghel Altalebiyah" lists the names of a group of migrating Sadats, the descendants of imam Ali PBUH, who sought refuge in there and reside.

Imamzadehs in Farahzad

Farahzad, on the way to Imamzadeh Davud shrine, has long been welcoming pilgrims and travellers for other pilgrim sites:
1. Abu Abdollah Bin Hassan Almorteza Bin Mohammad Alhadi Bin Yahya Alghasim Alsi Bin Ibrahim Tabataba Bin Ismail Bin Ibrahim Bin Hasan Mosanna Bin Imam Hassan
2. Baday Alansab raises a guess that it's perhaps the burial place of Abutalib Muhammad.
3. Imamzadeh Hadi, Imamzadeh Davud's ancestor, is also buried there.

Farahzad's ownership

Mustofi Almamalik owned many lands around Tehran such as Behjat Abad, Yusuf Abad, Vanak, Farahzad, etc. About it Moayyer Almamalik writes:
Mustofi Almamalik was good at developing the areas and tried to build villages and subterranean canals. Hassan Abad, Yusuf Abad, Farahzad, etc. are among his works. Taken from Rejal-e Asr-e Naseri
Today, the lands in Farahzad are part of Tehran and over 20,000 people who are the migrant ethnic groups like Ghuchani, Turks, Ghazvini and so on reside in the area. It has now turned to 3 neighborhoods: Mahale Bala, the upper neighborhood, in the north of Yadegar-e imam highway, the lower one in its south, and the neighborhood of Imamzadeh Maesum Saleh in the south surrounding Imamzadeh.