New Tehran fire temple?

"A magnificent plot of land in Tehran has been dedicated by its donors for the creation of a fire temple and a Zoroastrian cultural complex,” notes Parviz Varjavand in a message to zchamber@yahoogroups.com. "The temple aspect of the design is being downplayed in order not to attract negative attention to it, but it is there and very much the reason for the whole complex being built around it,” he adds.

The land for this project, 15,000 square meters in the best part of Tehran, is worth at least 75 million US dollars, states Varjavand. It appears that the Tehran Zoroastrian Anjuman has organized a design competition inviting local talent to participate.

Varjavand suggests that the worldwide community participate, notably a developer group like India’s Shapoorji Pallonji which has created landmarks in the Middle East, to ensure that the project is "geared for greatness instead of mediocrity.”