Streets of Iranian Village Named after Literary Masterpieces
A village in west-central Iran has gained fame not only for its pleasant weather, but also for its people, who love reading and doing cultural activities.
A neighbourhood named “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” a best-selling novel written by Gabriel García Márquez.
The Tajabad Sofla (Rasoolabad) village is located in the town of Bahar in Hamadan province. The village lies near the road from Hamadan to Kermanshah.
A library there with some 6,000 volumes of books together with villagers’ enthusiasm for reading prompted the idea of naming alleys and passageways in the village after books written by globally recognized figures. The idea was warmly welcomed by locals, and 30 alleys and passageways in the village were named after prominent figures.
The names were chosen based on the environment of the village as well as people’s vote.
What follows are IRNA’s photos of the street and alley signs:
“The Alchemist” is a novel by Paulo Coelho. The reason why it was chosen as the name of this street is because a clinic is located on this street, which is in conformity with the name of the book.more
“The Book of Kings” by renowned Iranian poet Ferdowsi. This street was named after Ferdowsi’s magnum opus because it is the most central main street in the village. The Book of Kings is also the centerpiece of the Persian language.more
This neighbourhood is named “On Top of the High Mountain,” one of the famous works of renowned Iranian poet Mehdi Akhavan Saless, because most people living in the locality are tall and also respect mountains.more
“Torrents of Spring” is a novel written by Ivan Turgenev. Three months a year, this street is filled with flood waters which may deluge the yards of houses.
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren was a Swedish writer of books for children and young adults. Her books have been translated into 85 languages and published in more than 100 countries. This part of the village was named so upon the suggestion of Sweden.more
“The Book of Prayers” by the Persian Sufi Khajeh Abdollah Ansari. The reason why this street is named so is because there is a mosque on this street.
Mahur is one of the seven Dastgahs of Persian music. The reason behind naming this street so is that it leads to mountains and a river.
“Zaniar” means “wise.” It is the name of the library of the village because two benevolent villagers have donated 3,000 square metres of land for the construction of the library and cultural activities.more
This alley is named “Rahab,” which means “water canal” in Persian. This alley leads to one of the qanats (underground aqueduct) of the village.
“The Canon of Medicine” written by prominent Iranian physician-philosopher Avicenna is name of this street where a clinic is located.
A neighbourhood named “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” a best-selling novel written by Gabriel García Márquez.
Gulshan-e Raz” is a collection of poems by Iranian Sufi Mahmoud Shabestari. Villagers voted to name this street after this mystic literary work.
“One Thousand Nights and One Night” is a famous story in the Orient. This is story is so long as this street is, and that is why the street is named after it.
This street is named after American writer Stephen King’s “The Green Mile” as it leads to farms and two rivers.
“Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi” is a collection of poems by renowned Iranian poet Rumi. As this area in the village is lush with green trees and crossed by a river, it is named after Rumi’s unique literary work.more
“And Quiet Flows the Don” is an epic novel in four volumes by Russian writer Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov. The Don is the name of one of Russia’s famous rivers. A river also passes by this street in the village, so it is named after that novel.more
“The Little Prince,” a novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and the most famous children’s book in the world. Children in the village chose the name for this alley.
“Golestan” by prominent Iranian poet and writer Saadi was the name chosen by children in the village.
“The Conference of Birds” is a collection of poems by Iranian poet Attar of Nishapur. This part of the village was named after this literary work in an opinion poll conducted among locals.
“Rudaki” also known as “Adam of Poets” was a renowned Iranian literary figure. This street was named Rudaki via an opinion poll conducted among villagers.
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