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P H O T O S A N D E S S AY B YJ E R E M Y S U Y K E R

Iran’s House of Strength

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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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.

The master—the morshed—summons his flock.

In the time of the Persian Empire, zurkhanehs were dedicated places to train men as warriors and to in-still 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 pre-serve this heritage and to pass it onto future generations.

TEHRAN—The Talachi zurkhaneh is nestled in the Imamzadeh Yahya neigh-borhood, 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 peo-ple haunting its streets.

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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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 foreign-ers. But with the help of an Iranian friend and a little patience, it’s possible to approach these people and be accepted among them.

Prayer and strength—two pillars of the zurkhaneh.

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In unison, more or less.

Zurkhanehs are holy places for the athletes practicing varzesh-e pahlevani, an ancient sport combining body-building, moving skills, music, dramatic art, and reli-gious 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 pahl-evani ceremonial rites.

Young and old gather round now.

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Fathers and sons.

Big weights for big men—and a pint-sized introduction.

have known each other for years and feel at ease expressing themselves inside the zurkhaneh. Their cultural and social back-grounds suggest that they are inclined to share the regime’s values. Undoubt-edly, they hold in admiration the Ayatol-lah 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.

But any political con-versations end as soon as the morshed (guide) begins to play. As master of cer-emony, the morshed sits overlooking the group, he bangs upon the zarb (drum) and conduct the rhythmic music. The ath-letes 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 train-ing, notably using a pair of mil (wooden clubs), sang (metal shields), and a kab-badeh (bow made of iron with metal rings and coin-like 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 jug-gling, which are intended to build strength as well as reinforce the virtues of sportsmanship, modesty, humbleness, and all while avoiding arrogance.

Traditionally, the zur-khaneh demand no payment from their athletes and instead depend on public donations. In return, the zurkhaneh provide commu-nity services and protection. All those who attend are strong believers in Allah and praise him and the Proph-et Mohammad repeat-edly during each session.

Training at Talachi zurkhaneh usu-ally 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 ses-sion they sit together and drink tea. The zurkhaneh plays an important social role for these men; it’s a place to discuss poli-tics, religion, and soccer. Most athletes

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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 spiri-tuality of Shia Islam and Sufism. This un-usual 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 wres-tling. This is where a group of men per-petuate 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 post-men, butchers, shopkeepers or taxi drivers.

Politics takes a back seat to rhythm and strength.

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But when they enter a zur-khaneh, 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 cul-ture and its strong legacy in modern Iran. l

A little-known slice of Iran—a muscular history.