{"id":6543,"date":"2016-07-02T11:31:17","date_gmt":"2016-07-02T11:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/?p=6543"},"modified":"2026-04-15T11:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T11:30:05","slug":"anthony-bourdain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/anthony-bourdain\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Bourdain on Iran&#8217;s Realities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>We are shocked and heartbroken in Iran over the news of Anthony Bourdain&#8217;s passing.&nbsp;Remembering his wonderful soul will forever remain in our hearts. May he rest in peace! <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/we-are-shocked-and-heartbroken-in-iran-over-the-news-of-anthony-bourdains-passing\/\">Read more&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What we saw, what we came back with, is a deeply confusing story. Because the Iran you see from the inside, once you walk the <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/5-best-city-walks-in-tehran\/\" title=\"5 Best City Walks in Tehran\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"112617\">streets of Tehran<\/a>, meet Iranians, is a very different place than the Iran we know from the news. He said to CNN on 2014&nbsp;when&nbsp;came back his trip to Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-6545 size-gallery\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Anthony-Bourdain.jpg\" alt=\"Anthony Bourdain In Iran\" class=\"wp-image-61932\" title=\"Anthony Bourdain In Iran\" srcset=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Anthony-Bourdain.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Anthony-Bourdain-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Anthony-Bourdain-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Anthony-Bourdain-627x470.jpg 627w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Anthony-Bourdain-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/iran-evisas\/\" title=\"Iran Eases Tourism with E-Visas\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"4835\">Anthony Bourdain<\/a> Parts Unknown: Iran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/anthony-bourdain\/#anthony-bourdain-in-iran\" >Anthony Bourdain in Iran<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/anthony-bourdain\/#iran-much-bigger-picture%e2%80%9d-than-what-you-see-on-tv\" >Iran&nbsp;much bigger picture\u201d than what you see on&nbsp;TV<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-anthony-bourdain-in-iran\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"anthony-bourdain-in-iran\"><\/span>Anthony Bourdain in Iran<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bourdain and his crew take their long-awaited inaugural trip to Iran exploring Tehran and <a href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/isfahan-travel-guide\/\">Isfahan<\/a>, and sites that include Imam Square, the Borje Milad, mosques, and ancient caravanserai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On July&nbsp;1, 2016&nbsp;when Travel + Leisure asked Bourdain what off-the-grid destination surprised him the most during his travels, he was quick to respond with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img width=\"980\" height=\"552\" title=\"Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown: Iran\" src=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1.jpg\" alt=\"Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown: Iran\" class=\"wp-image-6546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1.jpg 980w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1-780x439.jpg 780w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1-390x220.jpg 390w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1-705x397.jpg 705w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran1-450x253.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI was really knocked sideways by how well we were treated in Iran and how delicious the food was and how hospitable ordinary people were to us,\u201d he told T+L. He echoed this sentiment many times in his <em>Parts Unknown<\/em> episode to the Middle Eastern country, too.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-iran-nbsp-much-bigger-picture-than-what-you-see-on-nbsp-tv\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"iran-much-bigger-picture%e2%80%9d-than-what-you-see-on-tv\"><\/span>Iran&nbsp;much bigger picture\u201d than what you see on&nbsp;TV<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIran does not look, does not feel the way I expected,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.eater.com\/2014\/11\/3\/7135373\/parts-unknown-iran-just-the-one-liners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bourdain said<\/a> upon landing, noting that there\u2019s a \u201cmuch bigger picture\u201d than what you see on television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The warmth with which he was greeted by locals was completely unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI am so confused,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t supposed to be like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Many intrepid travelers are now discovering this beautiful country, which landed on the&nbsp;list of the year\u2019s best places to travel. Elaborate mosques, <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/top-5-cheap-hotels-in-kashan\/\" title=\"Top 5 Cheap Hotels in Kashan\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"112618\">contemporary art<\/a>, the gardens of Shiraz and (as Bourdain would tell you) the food \u2014 fluffy saffron rice and meatballs stuffed with eggs \u2014 are more accessible than ever thanks to improved relations with the U.S. and new-found political stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-watch-anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown-iran-2-november-2014\">Watch: Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown: Iran (2 November 2014)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Anthony Bourdain: Iran not what I expected (Parts Unknown)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ysYGCtGYGdc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For more insight from Bourdain \u2014 including the one hotel he could spend the rest of his life in (willingly) and the one dish worth traveling for \u2014 check out the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.travelandleisure.com\/articles\/anthony-bourdain-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">full interview with him<\/a>. And if you\u2019ve got Iran on your radar, here\u2019s everything you need to know about visiting the country.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-bottom kksr-disabled\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;6543&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this post&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;5\\\/5 - (20 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;16&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Anthony Bourdain on Iran\\u0026#039;s Realities&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;102.5&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 102.5px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 16px; height: 16px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 12.8px;\">\n            5\/5 - (20 votes)    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anthony Bourdain reveals the unexpected facets of Iran, challenging preconceptions and introducing the country&#8217;s broader narratives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,306,308],"tags":[16076,15868],"class_list":["post-6543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tourism-iran","category-culture","category-destinations","tag-anthony-bourdain","tag-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6543\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}