In the religious capital of Iran, the Islamic revolution still holds a powerful sway even as once-unthinkable signs of modernity creep into the city of Qom to challenge the faithful.
Qom, a couple of hours drive south of Tehran, is one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites, home to dozens of seminaries and many of its most prominent clerics, known as "sources of emulation".
It was here that the first tremors of the Islamic revolution were felt, back in 1963, when a rising star of the clerical establishment, Ruhollah Khomeini, made a fiery speech attacking the shah over his US-backed reform programme.
A year later, Ayatollah Khomeini gave another speech from his home against the granting of diplomatic immunity to US military personnel -- which he said reduced "the Iranian people to a level lower than that of an American dog".
Khomeini was sent into exile, but the uprising he set in motion would lead to his triumphant return in February 1979, the toppling of the shah and the establishment of the Islamic republic.
Today, his home and the peaceful courtyard where he delivered that sermon remain untouched.
"There's no doubt he had a strong charisma, but the main thing was that he spoke to everyone the same," said Mohammad Yazdi, a former student of Khomeini who now runs the house.
"He was always polite. If anyone asked him a question on his way to the mosque, he would stop and answer them."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content