A rural woman in northern Mazandaran Province hits a rug using a stick to remove dust from it as Noruz, the Iranian New Year, starting on March 21, is approaching.

In preparation for Noruz, nationwide Iranians spring-clean every nook and cranny of their homes.

The debris is swept away, carpets and curtains are washed, silverware is polished, and windows cleaned to a sparkle. The spring cleaning, known as Khouneh Tekouni in Persian, is proceeded by decorating the house with fragrant plants such as daffodils, hyacinths and roses. Mizan/ Behrouz Khosravi

AFM/MG