Dowlatabad; The Little Iraq in Heart of Iranian Capital
Iraqi Arabs have formed a neighbourhood, called Dowlatabad, in the south of the Iranian capital of Tehran. The quarter, located in Shahr-e Rey, has gradually turned into a tourist attraction for those who want to taste Arabic dishes.
Dowlatabad is a neighbourhood with nice weather. It is full of trees and many consider it as the first town of Tehran.
Quds Street in this neighbourhood is one of the most crowded streets in this region, where the largest restaurant and Arabic fast food outlets can be found there. At the dusk, the number of people who come to the streets is getting bigger.
This is the Arab’s tradition to protect themselves from the heat by coming out in the evening. When you pass the neighbourhood, they all speak Arabic. It’s as if you are on one of the streets of Baghdad.
Dowlatabad’s crowded restaurants are well-known for their famous Arabic cuisine such as Shawarma, Kibbeh, Houmous, Samosa and Falafel. Their flavour is different from all falafels and fast foods in Tehran. In front of some of the restaurants there are tables and chairs, and elderly men in Dishdashas are drinking Arabic tea. Arabic tea is thicker than ordinary Iranian tea which the Tehranians are accustomed to. Arabic coffee is very thick too. These drinks will have different flavours alongside Lebanese and Arabic Baklavas. For this reason, next to these coffee shops and teahouses in this street, there are a lot of Baklava shops.
Arabian Baklava is one of the most famous sweets in the world. It is a popular sweet among Arab-speaking people of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq which is baked in different shapes and flavours.
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