At times a visit to a cemetery helps people to pause for thought and take a break away from the humdrum of daily life. Zhiwaar Tour has organized a half-day visit to Doulab Cemetery, a historical graveyard on the eastern flank of Tehran.
The tour begins at 9:30 am and ends at 1 pm. The graves to be visited at the Doulab Catholic Cemetery include those belonging to the Poles in exodus, those whose lives were cut short during and after World War Two before they could return home.
Reports say 2,806 Polish refugees died within a few months after arriving in Iran and were buried in cities across the country. Their names and dates on their tombstones convey tragedies even to a visitor without knowledge of their pain and misery.
Other graves belong to Russian officers and unknown soldiers who fell in line of duty and were buried in mass graves.
Those laid to rest in the Catholic cemetery include citizens from Germany, the US, England, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria and Turkey as well as Iranian Assyrians.
In 2000, Doulab Cemetery was listed as a national heritage site by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
