Iron Scars

This photo series offers a visual narrative of the harsh and scarred world of metalworking workshops—bending, machining, casting, and forging—in the heart of Khazaneh Bokharaei, Tehran. In this industrial and worn-out environment, people of all ages work side by side: children, young men, skilled craftsmen, and elderly workers, all caught in demanding and hazardous tasks.

The worn faces and calloused hands, the silence of iron broken by the sound of hammers, and brief moments of rest over tea and laughter are the images this series seeks to capture. Here, skill, resilience, camaraderie, and daily hardships intertwine, while the decayed walls of the workshops stand in contrast to the newly-built residential buildings, reflecting two different worlds within the same neighborhood.

These photos tell a human story of labor, friendship, and survival—a story that unfolds in the twists and turns of iron in these workshops.