Blue Mosque, Iran, 1999
Photograph by Alexandra Avakian
A tranquil reflecting pool mirrors a blue-tiled mosque in Iran. An Islamic republic since the country's autocratic monarchy was overthrown in 1978, Iran is ruled by a supreme religious leadership that controls most aspects of Iranian society. But a youthful populace—70 percent of Iranians are under 30—with increasing access to Western media is beginning to push against its boundaries.
