THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by %. K. De Witt 



RELIGIOUS PROCESSION OX THE IOTH OF MOHARRAM, THE GREATEST ANNIVERSARY 



OF THE PERSIAN YEAR 



Moharram, the first month of the Mohammedan year, is for the Persian Shia Mohamme- 

 dans a month of mourning. The procession shown in the illustration commemorates the 

 death of Hosein, son of Ali and Fatima and grandson of Mohammed, who was barbarously 

 slain while attempting to gain the caliphate. This anniversary is observed with a vast amount 

 of mourning and a sort of Persian passion play. Crude floats depict the scenes of the 

 tragedy, and effigies on biers represent the torso and gory head of the murdered Hosein. 



of the people, and that the new and more 

 penetrating Western civilization has had 

 time, as yet, merely to touch the surface. 

 The streets and bazaars of Teheran are 

 picturesque examples of all the stages in 

 the transformation which is now taking 

 place. 



WHERE MOTOR CAR MEETS CAM El, 



A luxurious motor car dodges a camel 

 or two and a drove of donkeys laden with 

 charcoal or street refuse, and draws up 

 at the main entrance of the Hotel de 

 Paris on Ala-ed-Dowleh Avenue. The 

 distinguished occupants descend and 

 make an unceremonious break for the 

 doorway ; but before they can reach its 

 protective shelter they must run the 

 gauntlet of a swarm of indescribably 

 filthy professional beggars, who claw at 

 their garments and wail for alms in the 



name of the Prophet or the Holy Virgin. 

 Or perhaps a fawning creature, clutch- 

 ing at the bridle of a patient ass draped 

 with a dubious collection of Persian rugs, 

 waylays the party and calls upon the 

 Sahib to note the quality of his rare as- 

 sortment of antique carpets. 



The corner, on this avenue, at the 

 southeastern end of the stately British 

 Legation garden, is also a favorite haunt 

 of the proletariat ; for the location has 

 two indispensable requirements for com- 

 fortable outdoor Persian existence — an 

 abundance of shade, where a perspiring 

 pedestrian can squat to munch a refresh- 

 ing cucumber on a scorching midsummer 

 afternoon, and a warm south wall, where 

 even in crisp January a tormented citizen 

 can pause and leisurely remove his upper 

 garment to pursue the elusive ceremonies 

 of the chase. 



