Tehran alley named Panjshir
Panjshir, a province in Afghanistan has been under the global spotlight as it has become the last and only region in the country where a group of resistance fighters have stood up against the Taliban. Now, Tehran municipality has named one of the alleys in the city after Panjshir.
The alley named Panjshir is located in Dr. Mohammad Mosadeq Street, also known as Naft, in northern Tehran. The move has been widely welcomed by many Iranians and Afghans alike as many considered clear solidarity with those standing up against the Taliban.
Simultaneously with the latest developments in Afghanistan, several other streets and alleys in Tehran have taken the names of Afghan cities. In a central neighborhood of the city, two alleys have been named Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif, both located in Pakistan Street and taking their new names because of their vicinity to the Afghan Embassy.
In total, 18 streets and alleys have seen their names changed following a July decision by the Tehran City Council. Officials at the council decided to choose the names of the cities in today’s countries that were formerly part of ancient Iran. In line with that, names like Tbilisi, Samarkand, and Bokhara as well as Khujand have replaced the names of the blue rectangle-shaped signs erected on some alleys and streets.
By taking such a measure, Tehran officials hope to raise the locals’ attention to the important status of ancient Iranian civilization, while sending “an appropriate cultural message” to the countries whose cities’ names are read by the Tehranis each and every day.
