The White Goddesses: Iran's One and Only

Mention Iranian women (Iran) and the first image that comes to mind is probably a young woman in a black “chador” (Chador) that covers her body completely, because under the Sharia rules on dress for Iranian women at present, there are penalties if they do not wear a headscarf and loose clothing. It is also believed that black expresses the identity of Shia Islam (Shia) and the culture here. So why do the women of the town of Varzaneh (Varzaneh) wear white chadors? It is debated. It may be because the main occupation of Varzaneh's people is cotton growing, so white chadors woven from cotton are cheaper than other fabrics... or because Varzaneh lies in an arid landscape, and not far away is the Varzaneh Desert (Varzaneh Desert), one of Iran's famous tourist sites, so a black chador could not withstand the scorching sun... or it may be because this area originally followed Zoroastrianism (Zoroastrianism) before Islam arrived, as suggested by some ancient sites in Varzaneh and the surrounding area. In addition, the local dialect uses the Middle Persian of the Zoroastrians (Zoroaster) of the Sasanian (Sasanian) era, just like the Zoroastrians of Yazd (Yazd)... and the original Zoroastrian religious garments are white for both men and women. This may be a remaining influence of Zoroastrianism in this land. Although the white chador is a striking hallmark of Varzaneh women, this dress culture is being shaken by the tastes of young girls who now wear other styles of chador that are more comfortable and fashionable than the traditional white cotton. Still, every year on 27 September, World Tourism Day on the international calendar, Varzaneh women gather in white chadors and give gifts to the girls who keep the tradition, to encourage them and in the hope that Varzaneh will keep its nickname “the whitest town in Iran” for a long time to come. See a photo of Iranian women in white chadors walking beside women in the black chadors we are all familiar with, in the comments. #TWCIranClassic#TWCTravel