During the Soviet period, relatives on either side could not visit each other, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Azerbaijan's emergence as a sovereign country, many family ties have been restored. Iran allows Azerbaijani citizens visa-free visits for 15 days. Photographer Famil Mahmudbeyli visited Iranian Astara to get a sense of life in and around the city.
Life On The Iranian Side Of Astara
The mirrored cities of Astara, on Iran's border with Azerbaijan, have been divided since 1828 when the Russian and Persian empires signed a peace treaty to end a two-year war. The Astara River separates the current Iranian and Azerbajani cities.
![Tofa Rizalizadeh is 70. She has five children and 11 grandchildren: "My husband gathered medlars [fruit] from different gardens when he was alive. Now, my grandchildren are gathering them, and I sell them for 200,000 [rials] per kilo [about $6].”](https://gdb.rferl.org/02dabfa2-3b57-4402-8225-52902069796a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Tofa Rizalizadeh is 70. She has five children and 11 grandchildren: "My husband gathered medlars [fruit] from different gardens when he was alive. Now, my grandchildren are gathering them, and I sell them for 200,000 [rials] per kilo [about $6].”
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Photos of girls who get high university entry test scores are displayed on a street in Astara.
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The school uniform for girls in Iranian Astara is a white hijab over a red pantsuit until seventh grade. After that, girls must wear a full black veil over all their clothes.
![Davud Ismayilzade, 61: “My father cultivated rice in a paddy until his death. We have several rice shops. I took over this business from him. My [foreign] clients are mostly from Dagestan [in Russia]. I am selling rice both wholesale and retail."](https://gdb.rferl.org/1f2e8e25-0eff-45d0-b577-8224143ff4e3_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Davud Ismayilzade, 61: “My father cultivated rice in a paddy until his death. We have several rice shops. I took over this business from him. My [foreign] clients are mostly from Dagestan [in Russia]. I am selling rice both wholesale and retail."