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Sites of Disremembering: Narrative Tactics of Remembering the Past in Qasr and Heshmatieh Neighborhoods of Tehran

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2025

Shamin Golrokh Open the ORCID record for Shamin Golrokh [Opens in a new window]  and
Maryam Saedi
Shamin Golrokh*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Urban Planning, School of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Saedi
Affiliation:
Faculty of Urban Planning, School of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Shamin Golrokh; Email: sh.golrokh@ut.ac.ir
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Abstract

By applying narrative inquiry and cartographic reconfiguration of two significantly transformed neighborhoods, Qasr and Heshmatieh, in Tehran, in this study we analyze the practice of remembering within the context of memory politics. We aim to critically examine how residents of these neighborhoods, situated near major state security and military facilities, alter their recollections of the past. Inspired by de Certeau's concepts of strategy and tactics, the analysis seeks to identify the narrative tactics employed by interviewees to interpret the often imposed transformations of the area. Our findings underscore the process of “disremembering” as a hallmark of the transformation, perpetuated through constant “replacements.” Furthermore, they highlight four layers of transformation in the area, discussed within the framework of significant literature on Tehran's spatial transformation.

Keywords

De Certeaunarrative tacticspolitics of memoryrememberingTehran
Type
Article
Information
Iranian Studies , First View , pp. 1 - 26
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Association for Iranian Studies

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