Older Varzeshkar -Athlete- training with a pair of meels at Poolad Zurkhaneh Inside Bazaar, Shiraz, IRAN - 05/01/2017. Pahlevani and Zurkhaneh are traditional athletics originally used to train warriors. It combines martial arts, gymnastics, strength exercising and music. Recognized by UNESCO, it mixes elements of Zoroastrianism, Mithraism and Gnosticism with the spirituality of Shia Islam and Sufism. Practiced in a domed building called Zurkhaneh, the training sessions consist of ritual gymnastics and end up with a form of grappling called Koshti Pahlevani. The government promotes the sports as a symbol of Iranian pride and culture, which also explains why Iranians are regular winners at international wrestling and weight-lifting events. Credit : Francois-Olivier DOMMERGUES/SIPA//DOMMERGUESFO_20170105.IRN.013