https://boda.su/en/posts/id3151-poetry-sold-by-weight-in-tehran-a-myth-or-reality
Poetry Sold by Weight in Tehran: a myth or reality?
Do Tehran markets really sell poetry by the kilogram?
Poetry Sold by Weight in Tehran: a myth or reality?
We investigate the viral claim of poetry sold by weight in Tehran. From Book Garden to the bazaars, no proof emerges: a likely origin in manuscript recycling.
2025-12-13T04:18:26+03:00
2025-12-13T04:18:26+03:00
2025-12-13T04:18:26+03:00
An arresting story has been making the rounds online: somewhere in a Tehran market, the tale goes, you can buy not books but poems—sold, quite literally, by weight. The scene is vivid: a shopper steps up to a stall, and the seller scoops a pouch of verse as if measuring out fruit or spices. It has a certain Eastern charm, but a simple question lingers: does this idea rest on anything real?A city that truly prizes poetryTehran is a vast, bustling capital where reading and a love of literature occupy a special place. Poets are near-iconic figures, and people discuss verse as readily as the news. Many residents try their hand at writing, so an interest in poetry is woven into the fabric of the city.One of the key book destinations is the Tehran Book Garden. It is more than a store: a large cultural hub with exhibitions, festivals, and thousands of titles for sale. Everything feels modern and welcoming. Yet no one here weighs out poems—only regular books line the shelves.What about the bazaars?Tehran’s markets are many. The famous Grand Bazaar seems to offer almost everything, from spices to carpets, while more intimate spots like Tajrish Bazaar have their own rhythm. Still, guidebooks and local sources alike contain no trace of poetry as a commodity—certainly not sold by the gram.Now and then you might find stalls with old books or manuscripts, but that falls under the realm of antiques, not sacks of verse.Legend or a clever metaphor?Some Russian-language sites paint pictures of poetry markets where people could even barter a poem for a bottle of water. Look closely, though, and it reads like literary imagery rather than a pin you could drop on a Tehran map.No report, blog, or cultural write-up about the city has confirmed the existence of any such market.Could it exist somewhere after all?It’s easy to imagine poetry lovers gathering in a quiet side street, or an informal meeting of writers. Such events do happen in Iran: people read, debate, and swap books. But there is still no evidence that anyone, anywhere in the city, is literally selling poetry.According to the Turistas portal, the myth may trace back to a time when paper in Iran—including old manuscripts—was handed over for recycling by the kilogram. Perhaps forgotten poems were swept into those piles, and that prosaic detail gradually shifted into a romantic legend about poetry sold by weight.
poetry sold by weight, Tehran markets, Tehran Book Garden, Grand Bazaar, Tajrish Bazaar, urban legend, myth or reality, Iran literature, poems by the kilogram, fact-check, Persian poetry
2025
articles
Do Tehran markets really sell poetry by the kilogram?
We investigate the viral claim of poetry sold by weight in Tehran. From Book Garden to the bazaars, no proof emerges: a likely origin in manuscript recycling.
Generated by Dall-e
An arresting story has been making the rounds online: somewhere in a Tehran market, the tale goes, you can buy not books but poems—sold, quite literally, by weight. The scene is vivid: a shopper steps up to a stall, and the seller scoops a pouch of verse as if measuring out fruit or spices. It has a certain Eastern charm, but a simple question lingers: does this idea rest on anything real?
A city that truly prizes poetry
Tehran is a vast, bustling capital where reading and a love of literature occupy a special place. Poets are near-iconic figures, and people discuss verse as readily as the news. Many residents try their hand at writing, so an interest in poetry is woven into the fabric of the city.
One of the key book destinations is the Tehran Book Garden. It is more than a store: a large cultural hub with exhibitions, festivals, and thousands of titles for sale. Everything feels modern and welcoming. Yet no one here weighs out poems—only regular books line the shelves.
What about the bazaars?
Tehran’s markets are many. The famous Grand Bazaar seems to offer almost everything, from spices to carpets, while more intimate spots like Tajrish Bazaar have their own rhythm. Still, guidebooks and local sources alike contain no trace of poetry as a commodity—certainly not sold by the gram.
Now and then you might find stalls with old books or manuscripts, but that falls under the realm of antiques, not sacks of verse.
Legend or a clever metaphor?
Some Russian-language sites paint pictures of poetry markets where people could even barter a poem for a bottle of water. Look closely, though, and it reads like literary imagery rather than a pin you could drop on a Tehran map.
No report, blog, or cultural write-up about the city has confirmed the existence of any such market.
Could it exist somewhere after all?
It’s easy to imagine poetry lovers gathering in a quiet side street, or an informal meeting of writers. Such events do happen in Iran: people read, debate, and swap books. But there is still no evidence that anyone, anywhere in the city, is literally selling poetry.
According to the Turistas portal, the myth may trace back to a time when paper in Iran—including old manuscripts—was handed over for recycling by the kilogram. Perhaps forgotten poems were swept into those piles, and that prosaic detail gradually shifted into a romantic legend about poetry sold by weight.
