Tourists come to Iran for the history. But what they end up remembering best is the Iranian / Persian hospitality – the unfailing talent to shower the visitor with unsolicited kindness.

It has happened to Saeideh and me all over this country, in cities and villages. Over and over, we were invited into the homes of strangers for tea, food and even overnight stays.

I think of Iranian / Persian hospitality as weaponized hospitality. It draws on thousands of years of unquestioned presumption that the guest is a gift to be cherished and pampered.

The kindnesses, the pleasantries, the non-stop instinct to provide the guest – these are hard-wired in the Persian psyche.

We document just a few of experiences in these stories.