استقبال

Esteghbâl is one of the most visible markers of Iranian hospitality. When a guest is expected, the host does not wait at the table. They go to the door, often outside the apartment building, sometimes down to the street if the guest is important or elderly. To not perform esteghbâl when someone arrives is a quiet insult. The reverse ritual, بدرقه (badrage), is walking the guest to the door, to the street, to the car when they leave. Both bookend a visit. Iranians read these moves as a measure of how the host actually feels about the guest.