Today's Takht-e Jamshid...

...or Persepolis - City of Persians - is obviously Tehran. Around 15-milion-people busy centre of Iranian economy, transport, education... well, almost everything, it's one of the most depressing places I've ever been to.

You can see women wearing scarves other than black, something uncommon in different parts of Iran, but the city itself is designed to subdue people's minds. To make them not want to laugh.

The colours of the cars in the streets are decided by the government - the names are Dull Grey, Boring Dirty White and Depressing Navy Blue That's Suspiciously Close To Brown. You don't see much greenery in public. The metro with clean, almost sterile, walkways layed out with dark grey stone slabs, narrow and low, is the perfect place to get claustrophobia.

And then there's the behaviour control. Although I did once see a couple holding hands (in an empty, short passage) if you go out in the evening to Baam e Tehran - a hill north of the city, a romantic viewpoint overlooking Tehran you'll see a police car with a searchlight scanning the bushes - guess what for. Ensie, a tiny, dark-haired girl with huge black eyes says passionately "You can't imagine what it's like, to live in constant fear. Everyday". Well, I can't.