A young generation of Iranians are reclaiming their country in a seemingly simple yet powerfully profound manner: by connecting with nature. Exploring the land armed with nothing but a backpack filled with basic camping gear, young Iranians embrace a newfound freedom of expression as they traverse their country’s mountain passes, salt deserts, and islands for the first time.
In a country where the law determines dress, restricts unmarried couples from sharing a hotel room, and ban citizens from walking their pets to discourage ownership of domestic animals, outdoor life offers a potent, albeit temporary, relief from the stresses and restrictions of city life and law. In outdoor spaces, unencumbered by authoritative scrutiny, unmarried couples share camping tents, women take off their headscarves, and unleashed dogs run free. It is a joyful picture of momentarily unbounded liberation.
But even this fleeting freedom is under threat. Since 2022, Iranian authorities have clamped down hard, clearing out popular camping sites across Iran. Morality police roam the streets, enforcing strict dress codes and administering hefty fines to groups of travelers who drink, dance, and sing in public spaces.
But Iranians continue to defy such restrictions. Their outdoor pursuits are a way actively to embody certain freedoms and to imagine new futures, however uncertain. The same dreams of freedom and independence that inspired the 1979 revolution continue to play out in such quiet acts of youthful defiance.
