Afshin Namiranian announced that, after 17 years and numerous challenges, the Kaykhosravi Building has finally been completed under the 45th term of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association’s management.
Afshin Namiranian, head of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association, stated: “we are all guests of Mehrbanoo, Mehrdokht, Kaykhosrow, and Bahman Kaykhosravi. This project has taken 16 or 17 years to reach completion.” He then shared some background on the building’s history.
According to Namiranian, Bahman Kaykhosravi, the father of Mehrdokht and the martyr of Jang Kaykhosrow Kaykhosravi, purchased this land from Rostam Guiv on Azar 13, 1334 (December 13, 1955), with an area of 393.5 square meters at the price of 1,180 tomans. Bahman and his wife lived there with their children for many years until Bahman Kaykhosravi passed away in the late 1940s.
Namiranian continued, “I think all those living in Tehran Pars know Mehrdokht Kaykhosravi and Keykhosrow Keykhosravi, a war martyr, she was a beloved teacher at Master Khodabakhsh primary school, admired by everyone.”
Mehrdokht Kaykhosravi fell ill in 1376 (1997). At that time, she wrote a letter to Tehran Zoroastrian Association, informing her intention to donate this building to the association. Mehrdokht Kaykhosravi passed away on Aban 21, 1377 (November 12, 1998), and tomorrow marks the 26th anniversary of her passing. In their last years, Mehrbanoo and her husband Manuchehr Mehrshahi, resided in Yazd, anticipating that the Association would proceed with construction. Mehrbanoo’s brother, a longtime resident in Marker complex, managed this property after the association approved taking possession of it in 1378 (1999). Mehrabanoo passed away on Bahman 21, 1391 (February 10, 2013), and in 1386 (2007), the association committed to rebuilding this location. This site, once a large two-story house, was officially acquired on Amordad 27, 1386 (August 18, 2007), marking the start of construction in the latter half of that year.
Afshin Namiranian, head of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association, expressed gratitude for those who supported the association in this project. “From now on, I will mention many individuals who contributed to the construction of this building. While I cannot name everyone, I would like to acknowledge a few.” Namiranian highlighted Zoroastrian activist Shahriar Joybanpour, who facilitated the building permit. After the permit was secured, the construction commenced, with Babak Shahriari among those involved in the initial stages. Namiranian added, “The main construction work on this property began in 1386 (2007).”
Afshin Namiranian pointed out that foundation material and the iron needed for Khaykhosravi building were sourced from materials previously lying in Grand Adorian Fire Temple, owned by the Sirous Yeganegi Foundation. The Siros Yeganegi Foundation also contributed to the cost of the building’s beams. Construction initially progressed gradually until 2008, but due to a lack of funds, work halted in 2010. Namiranian attributes this interruption to the Tehran Zoroastrian Association’s simultaneous decision to demolish and rebuild four buildings. With all four structures demolished, the association prioritized completing the other three buildings first, effectively pausing work on the Kaykhosravi Building in 1387 (2008). From 1387 (2008) to 1392 (2013), Engineer Orangi managed the project under the association’s direction.
Regarding the association’s challenging decision to resume work, Namiranian explained, “In 2016, we faced two options: either to demolish the building and not rebuild, or to proceed gradually. Engineer Bahman Timsari chose the latter, allowing construction to advance in stages. However, financial constraints led to further delays.” When the Kharman Guiv Building was completed in 2022 (1401), construction on the Kaykhosravi Building resumed under the 44th term of the association’s leadership. Now, in 2024 (1403), the building’s construction is finally complete.
Afshin Namiranian added, “The fact is, the association has managed four major demolition and renovation projects over the past twenty years, putting considerable strain on our resources. This building marks the last of these projects. Every extra income the association generated went toward constructing and completing these buildings. While we’re pleased to have four new income-generating properties, over the past 14 to 15 years, the Tehran Zoroastrian Association has, of necessity, been less focused on its core duties. I hope that, with these projects completed, we can now allocate funds to cultural initiatives.”
Namiranian continued, “Our vision is to see 20 Zoroastrian families residing in this building. To complete it, we secured a loan from a tenant and moved forward with construction. Initially, we estimated the cost and minimized expenses, committing only a quarter of the projected budget. However, by year’s end, we realized the funds would not suffice due to inflation. At the start of this year, we repeatedly reached out to the community for assistance, inviting ten contributors to help complete ten of the twenty units—but unfortunately, no one came forward.
“Given this, the association decided to mortgage the building to secure the necessary funds. We now have a tenant who has provided the required advance to complete the project and will also be paying rent under a one-year contract. Our hope is to repay the advance within the year, allowing us to fully reclaim all 20 units.”
“The second issue is that we must acknowledge that when tenants are charged a small rent by the landlord, they will never become homeowners. Therefore, we need to design a system that ensures young people don’t remain in community homes for too long. If we don’t do this, our youth may never have the opportunity to become homeowners. We must provide rent subsidies to young people, and I hope we can implement this.”
Afshin Namiranian expressed his gratitude to several individuals who contributed to the project, presenting them with gifts.
He specifically acknowledged Jamshid Foroughi, saying: “Engineer Foroughi has been one of the most important figures in this project from the very beginning. He has served as the supervising engineer since 1385 (2006) and designed the plans here, following all the regulations of that time.” Namiranian further explained that Foroughi had worked without taking any payment and that, because of his involvement, he had not been able to use his professional expertise elsewhere. “Engineer Foroughi served here selflessly,” he added. Namiranian also mentioned that Foroughi had expressed frustration several times about the slow progress of the work. “There was talk that if Engineer Foroughi had not cooperated with us, this building would have had to be demolished,” he noted.
Namiranian also acknowledged Vispa Sirousi, stating: “Since the beginning of 2016, Engineer Sirousi has been a reliable supervisor in municipal matters.” He added that Sirousi had worked without any expectation of reward or recognition until this year. Addressing those who may doubt the sincerity of these individuals’ efforts, Namiranian remarked:
“Some people find it hard to believe that others work selflessly because they feel those individuals don’t deserve it. Unfortunately, when someone works for the community, like John Wedel has, people often talk behind their backs. Vispa Sirousi devoted both his days and nights to this project over the past four or five years, much like he did for the Kharasheh Club building project. Engineer Foroughi and Sirousi were both acknowledged and thanked with a special offering.”
Afshin Namiranian also mentioned that this building project faced several challenges throughout its construction. However, in its final stages, Sasan Niknam, head of the Real Estate and Building Commission, worked tirelessly to push the project forward. Namiranian spoke highly of Niknam, saying, “He has the honor of being a member of the association, and everyone who holds this honor should work diligently.”
Namiranian also recognized Rostam Yazdani, who worked relentlessly on the project. “He was here day and night for the past year and a half,” Namiranian noted. Yazdani was also thanked with an offering for his dedication.
Lastly, Namiranian mentioned Farshoshter Mavandadi, acknowledging his hard work on the building project, though, unfortunately, he could not be present today.
Furthermore, the head of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association pointed out that the building is not yet fully completed and will take another two to three weeks to finish. However, there were several reasons for holding the celebration ceremony today: First, we needed to hand over the building to the tenant so they could begin their work while construction is still ongoing. The second reason is that tomorrow marks Mehrdokht Kaykhosravi ‘s birthday, and most importantly, we wanted to hold the Jashan celebration while the weather is still favorable, before the cold sets in.
He continued “Your efforts are appreciated, and we take it as a good omen that you accepted the Association’s invitation for joining in our celebration. Finally, after a long wait, the Kaykhosrow Kaykhosravi building has been opened. The association has successfully completed this project, and I hope the souls of the departed are pleased. We are also happy that this work was completed during the 45th term.”
The Jashan Khani ceremony for the opening of the Kaykhosrow Kaykhosravi building was held by Mehraban and Mehrdokht Kaykhosravi financial support on Friday, Aban 11, 1403 (November 1, 2024), with the recitation of the Jashan Avesta. The ceremony, which took place at 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the building, was led by Reverends Hormoz Khosrovani and Ardeshir Mehrabani, and was attended by fellow parishioners. The event extended until 11 a.m.
This building consists of five floors, each featuring four one-bedroom units, each measuring 50 square meters.
