I've ever visited.

We're in Iran — here to learn, to understand, and to make some friends. Thanks for joining us.

Like most Americans, I know almost nothing about Iran. For me, this is a journey of discovery.

What are my hopes? To enjoy a rich and fascinating culture,

to get to know a nation that's a leader in its corner of the world —

and has been for 2500 years, and to better understand the

70 million people who call this place home.

We'll show the splendid monuments of Iran's rich and glorious past,

discuss the 20th century story of this perplexing nation, and experience Iranian life today

in its giant metropolis,

historic capital, and a countryside village...

["Salaam"]

Most important, we'll meet and talk with the people whose government

so exasperates America.

["situation is open.."]

We'll go to Friday prayers in a leading mosque,

consider the challenges confronting Iran's youth,

enjoy the hospitality of a family dinner

and survive the crazy Tehran traffic

before experiencing the tranquility of rural life and

meeting joyful school kids on a field trip.

Iran, twice the size of France, sits in an increasingly important corner of Asia-surrounded

by

Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

We start in the capital, Tehran, follow an ancient trade route

south to the village of Abyaneh, to Esfahan, to Shiraz,

and then finish at Persepolis.

Every country, including our own, limits access to foreign film crews.

We're here in Iran with the permission of the Iranian government.

And we're working within the limits it sets

as we explore this complex society.

Knowing we're here to explore social and cultural dimensions

rather than contentious political issues, the Iranian government is allowing our work.

It believes the Western media has given Iran an unfair image.

They gave us our visas provided we respect its limits as enforced by our guide.

His job: keep us safe, manage the complicated permissions,

and keep an eye on what we're shooting.

Tehran, a youthful, noisy capital city, is the modern heart of this country.

It's a smoggy, mile high metropolis.

With a teeming population of about ten million, its apartment blocks stretch far into the

surrounding mountains.

Traffic is notorious here. My first impression: wild drivers.

But after surviving my first day: I realized they were experts at keeping things moving.

Many major streets actually intersect without the help of traffic lights.

It's different...but it seems to work.

Two wheels are faster than four. Helmet laws are generally ignored.

As a matter of fact...sometimes the direction of traffic is ignored as well.

To cross town quickly, motorcycle taxis are a blessing. But wear that helmet.

I'd rather leave a little paint on passing buses than a piece of scalp.

Pedestrians fend for themselves.

Negotiating traffic as you cross the street is a life skill here.

Locals say it's like "going to Chechnya."

Immersed in the commotion of a busy work day —

apart from the chador-covered women and lack of Western fast food chains —

Tehran seemed much like any city in the developing world.

If you need to get somewhere in a hurry — or if your motorcycle taxi is under some big

bus —

thank goodness for the subway.

Tehran's thriving subway moves over a million people a day.

This subway system is really as good as anything I've seen in Europe.

Of Iran's 70 million people, well over half are under the age of 30.

While there are plenty of minorities, the Persian population dominates.

The local ethnicity reflects the turmoil of this country's long history.

You'll find people with Greek, Arab, Turk, Mongol, Kurdish and Azerbaijani heritage.

Iranians are not Arabs and they don't speak Arabic.

This is an important issue with the people of Iran.

They are Persians and they speak Farsi.

Faces seem to tell a story and are quick to smile...especially when they see a film crew

from the USA.

Actually, we found that the easiest way to get a smile was to tell people where we're

from.

Rick: I'm from the United States... Man 1: Oh, you're from the United States...Ok.

Man 2: America? Wow! Rick: Yeah, it's true, it's actually true.

Woman: I love you, America. Rick: Thank you, that's nice to hear.

I was impressed by how the people we met were curious and eager to talk.

Young educated people are internet savvy and well-informed about the West.

They generally spoke some English. Anywhere foreigners went, signs were bi-lingual: Farsi

for locals...and English for everyone else.

The script looks Arabic to me, but I learned — like the language — it's Farsi.

The numbers, however, are the same as those used in the Arab world.

Another communication challenge: people here have to deal with different calendars: Persian

and Muslim (for local affairs),

Western (for dealing with the outside world).

What year is it? Well it depends:

After Mohammad — about 1390 years ago,

after Christ — two thousand and some years ago.

And all this complexity is the result of a long and tumultuous history.

The National Museum of Iran helps to give an appreciation of this country's rich heritage.

At first I was disappointed by what seemed like a humble collection for such a great

culture.

Then I learned that most of its treasures were destroyed or looted by invaders and much

of what survived was taken away to the great museums in the West.

The collection starts in prehistoric times, back when nomadic hunters were becoming farmers.

This bronze plaque featuring Gilgamesh dates from about 1000 BC, a time when this region

was in the realm of Mesopotamia.

Then in about 500 BC, with the great kings Darius and Xerxes, the mighty Persian Empire

was established.

Their art glorified their kings and the notion of peace through strength.

Culture flourished and it was about this time that, with cuneiform, the Persian language

was first put into writing.

That first Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great from Greece.

Later, a second Persian Empire was conquered by Arabs. Then came invasions by Turks and

Mongols.

Finally, with the establishment of a Third Persian Empire in the 16th century, this culture

enjoyed a renaissance. While it's weathered wave after wave of conquerors, the essence

of today's Iranian culture is still rooted in that first Persian Empire from 2,500 years

ago.

Newsreel: Persia; At the turn of the century, a poor agricultural country, rich only in

legend and undeveloped natural resources...

In the 20th century, with the discovery of its vast oil reserves, Iran became entwined

with the West.

Newsreel: ...oil was struck at last and drilling commenced...

During WWII, Iran was a vital oil resource for the Allies. After the war Iran's young

shah, or king, Mohammed Reza Shah Palavi became more closely involved with the West. Oil flowed

easy and he was a friend of western oil companies. Then things changed...

Oil, again poses a threat to peace and the Middle East again becomes a trouble spot as

Iran's vast petroleum reserves aroused nationalists...

In 1951 the popular Prime Minister Mossadegh nationalized Iran's foreign-owned oil industry.

With the resulting turmoil, the shah was forced into exile. This is when the troubled relationship

between Iran and the United States began.

Every Iranian school kid knows the date: 1953. That's when the CIA engineered a coup that

over threw the democratically elected prime minister Mossadegh. He had angered the West

by nationalizing Iranian oil. So they installed the pro-Western shah instead.

Newsreel: Former premier Mossadegh's ruined house is a mute testimony to three days of

bloody rioting culminating in a military coup from which the one time dictator of Iran fled

for his life. The Shah who had fled to Rome comes home backed by General Zahedi military

strong-man who engineered his return to power. Iranian oil may again flow westward.

Back on the throne, the shah allowed Western oil companies to run Iran's oil industry again.

With the profits, he modernized the country. Through the 60s there was a return to stability

and the shah was a key American ally in the Middle East.

The shah ruled in royal opulence from grand palaces. He enjoyed summers in this one until

the late 1970's. Strolling through its fine rooms visitors are reminded how the shah lived

in extreme luxury. But his materialistic decadence and pro-Western policies offended Iran's conservatives

and alienated religious and political groups. Angry people hit the streets.

The unrest led to crackdowns by the shah's forces that tortured and killed thousands.

All of this emboldened a revolutionary movement and burned into the national psyche a fear

of American meddling in internal Iranian affairs.

After 25 years of the Shah's rule, the Islamic Revolution threw him out and brought Ayatollah

Khomeini back from exile. That Revolution and the Ayatollah established the Islamic

Republic which rules to this day.

Walking the streets here, I felt a disturbing presence of government. This is not a democracy.

In 1979 the new government brought Iran not freedom, but what they call a "Revolution

of Values" - it legislated morality such as no alcohol, and no casual sex. As far as many

parents are concerned here, it's family values.

Iran is ruled by a theocracy. They may have a president, but the top religious official,

a man called "the supreme leader" has the ultimate authority. His picture-not the president's--is

everywhere....

Religious offering boxes are on every street corner.... The days when the shah's men boasted

that mini-skirts in Tehran were shorter than those in Paris are clearly long gone. Women

must dress modestly and are segregated in places like classrooms and buses.....

And yet here in the Islamic Republic of Iran, to me, the atmosphere felt surprisingly secular

compared to other Muslim countries.

Skylines are not punctuated with minarets; I barely heard a call to prayer. Except for

women's dress codes and the lack of American products and advertising, life on the streets

here seemed much the same as in secular cities elsewhere in the developing world.

While relatively uncluttered with commercial advertising, there are plenty of billboards

and murals and they pack a powerful propaganda message.... Some religious murals are uplifting-this

one is a Shiite scripture claiming; the most caring help is to give good advice.

Yet others are troubling and hateful-this one condemns what's considered American Imperialism

with skulls and dropping bombs rather than stars and stripes. And this one glorifies

Hezbollah fighters and their struggle with Israel which many here consider Americas'

51st state. This mural honors a martyr-one of hundreds of thousands who died fighting

Saddam Hussein back in the 1980s.

These murals mix religion, patriotism, and a heritage of dealing with foreign intervention.