No Tampering With Nostalgic Naderi Cafe

Plans to change the outdoor area of Naderi Café and Hotel, Tehran's only nationally inscribed cafe, were scuttled, thanks to the timely action of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and municipal officials.  

Late last week, unofficial reports said the owners of the property intend to divide the cafe's garden by building a wall.

As the news spread, patrols from the district municipality and the Protection Unit of ICHHTO were immediately dispatched to scout the area and report any tampering with the property, ISNA reported.

On Thursday, Rajabali Khosroabadi, director of the provincial ICHHTO, visited the cafe to ensure no damage has been inflicted and later declared that no construction is underway in any part of Naderi Cafe.  

"In a telephone conversation with the owners' agent, I have warned that any tampering is legally prohibited and restorative measures must be conducted under the supervision of ICHHTO," he said.

According to Hassan Khalilabadi, a member of the Social and Cultural Commission at Tehran's City Council, the cafe's garden has two owners, the café and hotel is owned by Mardiras Pashaei while the southern wing belongs to the Executive Headquarters for Implementing Imam Khomeini's Directive (aka Setad), a state-owned enterprise under the direct control of the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

"The Setad intended to separate the parts under its ownership from the rest of the garden," Khalilabadi told ILNA.

However, Setad has denied the claims, maintaining that it is the owner of the adjacent property and not parts of the cafe's outdoor area.

Speaking to ISNA, Hojjat Niki-Maleki, director of public relations at Setad, said reports about "the separation of the area by building a wall or even moving a single brick of the café" are utterly false.

"The cafe's proprietors recently expressed willingness to buy the adjacent property, so it was put up for auction," he said, adding that Setad would not have done so had the owner not shown interest.

The claim has not been confirmed by the owner.

Following the recent controversy, the property was removed from Setad's auction list.

"Even if adverts of the auction are published in Saturday's papers, the proposals will not be reviewed," he reassured.

In any case, both the cafe's area and its buffer zone are secure.  

Located in present-day Jomhouri Street, Naderi is one of the oldest cafes in the capital dating back nearly a century, on top of which stands a namesake hotel.

Naderi Cafe and Hotel were built in 1927 by an Armenian immigrant called Khachik Madikians. It was a popular hangout of literary people and intellectuals to whom it owns much of its fame.