Iran's early recordings revive forgotten sound heritage

A visitor tries out installations set up with a series of sound-producing devices and mechanisms at an exhibition entitled 'Iran's Sound Scene' in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 4, 2025. A visitor tries out an installation set up with a series of sound-producing devices and mechanisms at an exhibition entitled 'Iran's Sound Scene' in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 4, 2025.

In a century-old building in Tehran, Saeed Anvarinejad turned the dial of a vintage radio to tune into some of Iran's earliest recorded sounds, some serving as reminders of the seismic changes that shaped the country's history.