# The REAL IRAN



## storms991 (Mar 28, 2006)

aliendroid said:


> I've seen pictures of Tehran on the news here in the USA, looks like some of these pictures, but not from the street level except one time there was a shot of a gas station. Tehran has buildings, roads, parks, no surprise, I doubt anyone in the west expected Tehran to have mud huts with straw roofs and dirt roads.


You can never be so sure, a couple days ago, somebody asked me whether people live in Nigeria.


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## wicca13 (Jun 23, 2006)

unbelivible, iran is totally different from waht i thought, that is incredible! Nice plances, nice cities, great!


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## ab041937 (Jul 7, 2005)

storms991 said:


> You can never be so sure, a couple days ago, somebody asked me whether people live in Nigeria.


Human ignorance always keeps raising the bar. I am damn sure that 'somebody' never ever heard of internet.


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## MBM (Jul 8, 2006)

Nice, and modern city Here in Slovenia we know that Iran is not dirty and badly developed country, because a lot of Slovenian construction companies (ex YUGOSLAVIA) were building power plants, highways, other infrastructure in Iran.

Best wishes! 

p.s.: I hope that people will realize, that Iran is no threat for the World!


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

I would love to go to Iran if only they did not execute homosexuals. Just got back from Chicago where I met some very friendly Iranian cab drivers which gave me some interesting persepectives on their native country.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

"My god, is this Vancouver? Nope, it's Iran."

In Vancouver you can shoot heroin into your veins and smoke marijuana and not get executed for doing so. Stoning in Canada does not involve getting boulders thrown at your head.


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## ZOHAR (Jul 16, 2005)

nice pics!


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## MikeVegas (Sep 12, 2002)

Guy in the red snowsuit is hot.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

By BaRrZaKh

Northern Iran region along Caspain sea. There are numerous villa cities around it which form a vacation region for the people of Tehran.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Moved Over


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## mobyhead (Aug 7, 2006)

philadweller said:


> "My god, is this Vancouver? Nope, it's Iran."
> 
> In Vancouver you can shoot heroin into your veins and smoke marijuana and not get executed for doing so. Stoning in Canada does not involve getting boulders thrown at your head.


Sad but true. hno:


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

By Gilgamesh

Of all the traditional and unspoiled mountain villages in the Caspian Province of Gilan, Masuleh is the most beautiful. It was founded in the 10th century CE.

The village is 1 050 meters above sea level in the Alborz mountain range, near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The village itself has a difference in elevation of 100 meters formed by several irregular levels of terraced cream houses, that appears to have grown out of its surroundings. The flat roof of each level of houses forms a pathway for the level above.

Masouleh is approximately 60 km southwest of Rasht and 25 km west of Fuman. 

The climate Is bitterly cold in winter, with snow sometimes reaching three meters deep, but the climate in summer is extremely pleasant and bracing.

Fog is the predominate weather feature of Masouleh.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Moved over


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Kashan, the city of 1001 nights


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## jmancuso (Jan 9, 2003)

fantastic shots. iran is a country i'd love to visit. someday.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

*The Real Iran*

Thanks for all the pretty photos. I am more than intriqued by such a fine looking country. However, this is what really happens to gay people. Iran may be modern looking and seemingly "Western" but the politics are straight out of WWII Germany. Do you really want to visit a country where 16 and 17 year old gays get hung in public? How terrifying. I would have been killed years ago.








Ciao boys.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

moved


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

philadweller said:


> Thanks for all the pretty photos. I am more than intriqued by such a fine looking country. However, this is what really happens to gay people. Iran may be modern looking and seemingly "Western" but the politics are straight out of WWII Germany. Do you really want to visit a country where 16 and 17 year old gays get hung in public? How terrifying. I would have been killed years ago.


As for that matter the stupid government officials don’t just go and execute any one who is gay. If they catch them in the scene of doing the ****** they’ll catch them.

There is a veryyyyy huuuuuuuuuuge gay population in Tehran but if you keep your life private then the government won’t figure about you. Actually I know of many gays in Tehran who throw parties and socialize freely together and those execution cases are soooo rare and being gay in Tehran is not as bad as it seems and could be a lot f fun when you meet other gay people through internet or in parties.
So even if you are gay and you visit Tehran no one ever hurts you in any way unless one would be stupid enough to engage in **** acts in public places.
It really sucks that such great people are under control of this extremist and sad regime.

Also if you could kindly remove those pix that would be great since they are very disturbing.

Thank you


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## BaRrZaKh (Jul 15, 2007)

Thank you alitezar for posting those pictures here


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Edit


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

More Tehran Shots




















































































































































































Central Tehran and Milad Tower in background


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Tehran at night

To the East










West










North












South










Mt. Damavand, north of the city, the highest point in middle east 










Villages in the heart of Alborz mountains near Tehran. Very peaceful and beautiful 










Tehran seen from the Alborz mountains










Tehran International Tower










What a cool shot


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Moved over due to over load

This is Kish Island of Iran. A very beautiful place in Persian Gulf. This place is a must see and the main vacation spot for all the Persians and majority of tourists that visit Iran. It is only 1 hour 20 minutes flight from Tehran. In this Island there are lots of luxurious beautiful hotels and resorts and world class shopping malls, architecture and amenities. Also they have some historic parts in the island too. Kish is always under construction making place for greater things to come in it. I should warn you taht it can be very humid and hot in summer time but it's one of the most fascinating places that I have ever been too and if you ever go to iran you should visit this place.
Enjoy :cheers:


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Due to stupid governmnet regiulatiosn women can't wear bathing suits except in women only beach areas.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Tourists watch folk dancers in a mall on Kish Island.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)




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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)




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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)




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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)




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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)




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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

By Shugs Kish Island Hotels

*Darius Grand Hotel* 




































































































More details and pics about this simply amazing hotel here

*Hotel Maryam*


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## Istanbullu (May 20, 2004)

Tehran has some nice highrises... kay: 

great pics..


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## Metsada (Oct 22, 2006)

Even my father liked these pictures .. if he likes something it must be really beautiful


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

^^ Thank you and I'm glad he liked them too


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Istanbullu said:


> Tehran has some nice highrises... kay:
> 
> great pics..


Thank you


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

rekec(SLO) said:


> Nice, and modern city Here in Slovenia we know that Iran is not dirty and badly developed country, because a lot of Slovenian construction companies (ex YUGOSLAVIA) were building power plants, highways, other infrastructure in Iran.
> 
> Best wishes!
> 
> p.s.: I hope that people will realize, that Iran is no threat for the World!


Thanks very much for your comment


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

ab041937 said:


> I am a little disappointed since this isn't how I pictured Iran. I was hoping to see more of Persian architecture. But, nevertheless, beautiful city indeed.


Tehran is a very modern city and does not have amny historic sites , but I am posting all sort of pictures from historic sites here too


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

ZOHAR said:


> nice pics!


Thanks Z


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

jmancuso said:


> fantastic shots. iran is a country i'd love to visit. someday.



It's a very safe coutry for all tourists and there is so much to do and see that even onemonth won't give you enough time.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Edit


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## Simpl3_ccs (Jul 20, 2005)

alitezar said:


> Some pix of Tehran
> 
> 
> 
> ...


WOW IS VERY BEAUTIFUL  I LIKE GO TO TEHERAN


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## dreamtime07 (Jun 23, 2007)

alitezar said:


> By Gilgamesh


Is this really in Iran? Rice fields? can't believe it lol.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

^^ Yes, All the rice fields are located in northern part of Iran along Caspian Sea. It's a very green area filled with forests and has got humid weather. Good for growing rice. You can see that region pix in prior pages.


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

Dr.Mesofius said:


> Does anyone else find that Iranians have overly strict/serious faces? Especially males.


No, I just look at the females and they usually have a "please sleep with me face"....or so I hope. :cheers:


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## Doukan (Apr 12, 2007)

Iran looks way more beautiful than how western media shows it!!!!


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## UrbanImpact (Jan 10, 2005)

Doukan said:


> Iran looks way more beautiful than how western media shows it!!!!


Living in the United States........I can tell you that in the news here they usually show areas where Ahmadinejad makes speaches, nuclear sites, Tehran (especially areas with anti-American propaganda), and areas around the Iraqi border. However, ever since the dresscode crackdown........they have shown some of the wealthier areas in the media. What I'm trying to say is that the media doesn't portray it as a shithole place, but it does portray the government and the radicals as dangerous (our government isn't recieved well either through the media.... beacause we can speak freely). Anyways.............great pictures.


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## BaRrZaKh (Jul 15, 2007)

Ramsar


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Lovely pictures Barzakh. thank you


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## BaRrZaKh (Jul 15, 2007)

alitezar said:


> Lovely pictures Barzakh. thank you


you are welcome Alitezar!!


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## BaRrZaKh (Jul 15, 2007)




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## Dr.Jerdo (Nov 10, 2007)

I love Iran, it is an highly civilized country, with a great culture, clever, modern, young. I do not know how does it feels to live under religious laws, but surely freedom is something more than freedom of choice. I dream of a 'third way' country where values are not imposed by force nore choosed by chance..
I wish every european will come to know Iran better than they actually do.


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## melbstud (Mar 26, 2008)

I love Tehran I have been many times and the western media really is full of shit, nice city and country in all to be honest.


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## Viriatuus (Dec 3, 2007)

Great pictures of Iran but still no Zagros Mountains, no Isfahan, no Tabriz, no Mashahad, no Qom (sorry for any errors...)... couldn't you post some pictures of these places?


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## Aryamehr (Jul 8, 2008)

Iranians and Iran are good.
Islamic Republic and the current government are not.

May Iran once again rise to be as great as we were back in 1970s under the leadership of His Imperial Majesty. Back then, the GDP was so much more than what it is now.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Are the men allowed to wear the scarves too? Are there drag queens in Tehran?
Looks like a really bustling city. I love the trees that line the city streets.

Do the women have to wear the scarves during sex?


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## Marco Polo (Oct 14, 2002)

Cut it out. Let's try to be serious here and not offensive. If you have some serious questions, then ask.

I went on holidays to Iran a couple of years ago. I think for a guy it is easy to travel there, even very independently. I found the country beautiful but very, very strict. It seemed to me that if young people could have their free say, most of them (though not all) would like to have a more relaxed atmosphere and more freedom from strict religious and political dogma. 

I spoke to many people - they simply approach you everywhere. They want to talk, they are curious about the world but at the same time they are afraid to talk freely.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

"Cut it out. Let's try to be serious here and not offensive. If you have some serious questions, then ask.

I went on holidays to Iran a couple of years ago. I think for a guy it is easy to travel there, even very independently. I found the country beautiful but very, very strict. It seemed to me that if young people could have their free say, most of them (though not all) would like to have a more relaxed atmosphere and more freedom from strict religious and political dogma. 

I spoke to many people - they simply approach you everywhere. They want to talk, they are curious about the world but at the same time they are afraid to talk freely."

Are all Aussies as uptight as you? Loosen up bro. I was serious with what I said. I am curious to know if there are drag queens in Iran and if they have to wear scarves.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Looks so westernized, but like America there are some laws which are brutal to humanity.
The Netherlands should be governing the world.


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## Libra (Jun 3, 2006)

philadweller said:


> Are the men allowed to wear the scarves too? Are there drag queens in Tehran?
> Looks like a really bustling city. I love the trees that line the city streets.
> 
> Do the women have to wear the scarves during sex?


First question: yes
Second question: yes
Third question:No

These are really random questions btw lol

And you went to Iran? When and where did you go? Tell more about your trip.


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## Marco Polo (Oct 14, 2002)

Libra - he was just quoting me.

The trip took place in April 2001 (i.e. just before 9 / 11).
I flew to Baku, Azerbaijan, and took a bus all the way to Teheran. At the border between Azerbaijan and Iran, all the ladies on the bus (even Azeri) put their scarves on. We were definitely entering a different zone, I thought.

Teheran was fascinating. I did the usual: 
- the former US Embassy,
- the palace of the Shah (riveting - all the art and architecture and western gardens), 
- the huge cementary of Iran/Iraq war (1 million graves!!! - I was so moved, there were mothers tending to the graves of their sons there and offering food / snacks to me, not being able to communicate, just showing the pain of horrific loss in their eyes - it is so universal I thought, this is such a common denominator of humanity, there is no way you can misunderstand that),
- the mountains in the north part of the city (by funicular - splendid vistas),
- many parks and several mosques,
- tried the new metro system - very efficient,
- I even went to a hammam (wow, a great experience).

Took a trip to Persepolis, what a treat, especially if you know that the Shah organised that huge coronation event there!!! 

Then I flew to Esfahan - saw the main beautiful square and the Armenian district. There, in some restaurant I spoke to a big fan of Gougoush (never heard of her before). The next day he gave a bootleg CD of her music (I understand that she was a darling of the Shah and a liberated singer, so she is not welcome in the Islamic Republic). I still occasionally listen to that CD. NICE!

Then on to Shiraz - the home of THE poet (not sure about his name anymore, Tariq?). The place was sweet.

Then went overland all the way to the Persian Gulf, Bushere. The place is not great, but swimming in the warm sea was a treat. Well, this is where the Iranian police picked me up from a remote empty beach and drove me into a huge complex. There, they started a gruelling, long interrogation. They wanted to know the motives of my trip there - apparently there are no tourists in that part of Iran. They even brought some Russian guy to ask me if I know certain people (he produced a list). SURREAL !!! It was also rather scary. Noone knew I was there, I had my camera with all my photos of Iran on me, etc... Only then did I found out about the nuclear facility being built by the Russians. And I WAS ACTUALLY IN IT!!!!! Well, they drove me back to the beach after some 3 hours - obviously comfortable with my surprise and explanation. In the last few years whenever I hear of the nuclear facility in Iran, I smile but a touch of horror.

From there I went back to Teheran and on to Ardabil. From Ardabil back by bus to Baku.

All in all, the trip was great and I met many, MANY wonderful and kind people. The coffee was supreme, the domestic flights were cheap (and by Boeing 727, a rarity these days). The traffic was crazy though and I had a few near misses in my taxis.....


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## Libra (Jun 3, 2006)

Fascinating trip. Thanks 

Iran keeps changing (even in the past seven years) in both good and bad ways.

Hopefully one day you can return to see Iran when this government doesn't exist anymore.


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## karim aboussir (Dec 4, 2006)

I would love to visit it would be nice to get rid of that horrible gov the people culture the country is so beautiful


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Looks very good. And with another government one of my top destinations to travel to!


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## asif iqbal (Sep 3, 2006)

Skyline_FFM said:


> Looks very good. And with another government one of my top destinations to travel to!


I dont think you should put travels off to countrys just because of thier goverments! :cheers:


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Depends on the govenrment.


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## love leeds (Aug 31, 2006)

with all this talk about how the goverment needs changing my reply to that you will need to change the iranians first because as you can all remember, it was the people of iran who went to the streets and kicked the shah out of power, 
i don't support, not even one percent the iranian goverment niether am i against it because at the end of the day the people chose it and i'm not iranian either.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Beautiful country


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## BaRrZaKh (Jul 15, 2007)

Rudkhan castle in northern Iran!


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## TEHR_IR (Mar 1, 2008)

Azadi Tower 50m


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## noonghandi (Jul 2, 2008)

May I suggest that since there is another Tehran thread, make this thread more of the rest of Iran, all other shahrestans.
Thank you very much.


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## DzD1358 (Apr 24, 2007)

Very nice thread keep going guys!


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

^^ Thanks 



noonghandi said:


> May I suggest that since there is another Tehran thread, make this thread more of the rest of Iran, all other shahrestans.
> Thank you very much.



That’s a great idea.

May be TEHR-IR, Barzakh & who ever else who has time can post pix from various parts of Iran here since the Tehran thread is already keeping me busy.

Thanks


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## TEHR_IR (Mar 1, 2008)




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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Very very nice indeed! And it has so many facettes, from the coldest snowy winters up to the hottest driest summers you can find everything in Iran!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Awesome pics


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

The biggest Tehran pano ever! Impressive:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/185421046/sizes/o/


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