The Shrine

The Imam Khomeini Airport is one hour from the city center of Tehran. On the way to the center I pass the huge Khomeini Shrine which is being completed at the time. The building is monumental, its size compares only to huge shopping centers in the West. Religious palaces versus cathedrals of consumerism could be the underlying notion here. 

The mayor of Tehran is building a large number of mosques all over the city and puts himself in a good position to succeed Achmadinejad as the new president in this year's election. Some people in Tehran hope for a change and go along with his aspirations.