Pigeon Towers of Iran (Classic)

As we approach Valentine’s Day, Atlas Obscura co-host Kelly McEvers shares two stories about a state that has a special place in her heart: New Mexico. The Chile Pepper Institute was produced by Baudelaire Ceus, and The Lightning Field was produced by Chris Naka and Manolo Morale ...  Show more

Centralia, Pennsylvania also attained a sort of cult favorite status -- often discussed a place you cannot and should not visit. But in this episode, writer and friend of the show Colin Dickey has a different take on this ghost town. He says Centralia is thriving and has a new lu ...  Show more

Once considered noble and heroic, pigeons are now viewed as an urban nuisance — one that costs cities millions of dollars a year. Zachary Crockett tosses some crumbs.

In this collection, a heavy package returns to sender and starts to smell. Something is happening to all the pigeons. And, a hot air balloon flies across the sky with no one in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds force and the Basij militias are back in the news due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. What are they, how do they operate and how have they become so influential? In this episode, we look at the origins, the branding and the ...  Show more

The fall of Assad in Syria is a disaster for Iran, so much so that people are beginning to ask if this might finally be the moment when Iran’s pro-democracy movement breaks through. This is the story of one activist’s 25 year fight against the Islamic regime in Iran, a story of c ...  Show more