Dear friends, extended community, and supporters, please scroll down for an update.

My name is Katayoun, and I am a DJ, archivist, and collector of Iranian music.

My heart is aching - 111 records from my years-long collection of rare Iranian music are stuck at the Iran-Turkey border and are at risk of being permanently confiscated by the Turkish government. These records are more than music; they preserve irreplaceable cultural history. Every donation can help save them, and sharing this message can make a huge difference.

I went back and forth about whether to ask for help, but I’ve realized that reaching out is the only way to resolve this urgent situation, which comes with a significant financial burden. These records were originally brought out of Iran during a period of war to protect them, and now they face a new threat at the border.

This collection represents a lifetime of passion, research, and care. Each record tells a story of Iran’s rich musical heritage, and many are rare or impossible to replace. I have spent years searching for them, traveling, connecting with people, building relationships, and using my own savings to preserve this cultural treasure. The thought of losing any of these records is heartbreaking—it would feel like losing not only my time and effort but a part of history and Iran’s collective heritage.

In 2025, I had planned to spend an extended period in Iran with my family and manage the collection, but instability and war made that impossible. After the 12-day war, I was able to bring a portion of the collection out. However, much of it still remains inside Iran, at risk due to the ongoing conflict. Communication with people inside Iran has become extremely difficult, and shipping or air mail is virtually impossible.

Since January, Iran has experienced great upheaval, drastically reducing flights and exit options. At the end of January, an Iranian-Dutch friend of mine left Iran overland in a last-minute decision. He attempted to bring 110 of my 7-inch records and 1 12-inch record in his suitcase. Unfortunately, at the Turkey border, he was held up, and the records were confiscated and placed in a depot, where they can only be held for three months.

Initially, we hoped my friend could return to the depot and bring the records back to Iran, but with the ongoing war, that is no longer a safe or viable option. We explored alternatives, including transferring power of attorney to someone else to retrieve the records, but the bureaucratic and legal hurdles are too high, and sending them back into a war zone carries immense risk.

The only viable solution now is for me to travel to Turkey with my friend to begin the declaration process to officially bring the records into Turkey. This is a costly and complex bureaucratic procedure, with potential legal fees, but it is the only way to prevent my collection from being confiscated permanently.

This is not easy for me to ask, but these records are irreplaceable and deeply personal. They represent years of dedication and a connection to the soul of Iran’s music and culture. Losing them would be devastating—not just for me, but for anyone who cherishes this heritage. Despite the time, effort, and complex coordination required with Turkish authorities—with the invaluable help of Turkish friends—I am fully committed to saving and protecting these records.

How Your Support Will Be Used:

• Travel costs to Turkey: 500 euros
• Depot fees for storage: 350 euros
• Declaration and legal costs, which I could have circumvented entirely had this situation been different: 1,500–3,000 euros

Every contribution, no matter the size, helps. Sharing this message is also an enormous help. Your support can save these precious cultural treasures and protect a part of Iranian history.

Any remaining funds will be donated to the Iranians for Peace collective, which supports ordinary, working-class Iranians facing dire conditions due to the war.

Thank you for your time to read this, and for standing with me during this difficult time. Press the green ‘Nu Doneren’ button. Gofundme (US based platform) didn't allow me to make this funding request, hence I had to go with a Dutch platform. Thank you steunactie <3

With love and gratiude,

Katayoun

This is an update as well as a call to reshare this crowdfunding. You can click the link in bio on IG in case you like to read the original message for this crowdfunding. 

Apologies for the delayed update. First of all, I want to thank everyone who donated. Many of you I know from real life or online, some gave anonymously, and others were kind strangers. I’m very grateful for your generosity and hope to thank each of you individually over time.

In the last week of March, I travelled via Istanbul to the border with a friend who had authorization (for my records) to help declare the 111 items and bring them into Turkey. I stayed there for four intense days trying to get the declaration process resolved.

Despite repeated efforts, including appeals and a visit to the director’s office at the Gürbulak border, I was ultimately not allowed to complete the declaration. It was an extremely stressful situation, made worse by earlier information from a depot employee who, through a Turkish friend in Amsterdam, had suggested the process would be just costly. Instead, every step revealed inconsistency and a lack of clear procedure or pricing. At one point, we were told it could cost up to €3,000 unless receipts were presented, which I had. Still, I was left in limbo: either proceed without knowing the cost or risk losing the records entirely as the three-month depot deadline was closing in. To make things worse, a Turkish lawyer had even been told in March that the records had already been confiscated. That was the moment I felt I had no choice but to go there myself.

One painful complication was that because the official receipt listed 100 items, only 100 would be released and 11 were missing. I discovered this during a video call with a depot worker and our translator while I was still at the border. It was another difficult moment.

The discussion in the director’s office on site was focused on how to handle the 100 stored items through customs and logistics. There was real uncertainty about whether the goods needed to be declared in Iran (?) or could be processed locally, and how the customs approval process could even be initiated. Required paperwork and reference numbers were reviewed, but between the protocol of airport customs and the overland warehouse, and different managers, there were conflicting interpretations and no unified answer.

Even though I was not allowed to complete the declaration, I’m still glad I went. In the end they granted an extension of the depot period, which gave me just enough time to arrange the return of the records to Iran. I can now say they reached Tehran this week.

After returning from Turkey, we had to immediately put together an alternative plan to avoid further delays or the risk of more loss or confiscation. My friend, who originally transported the records into Turkey, had to travel back again and coordinate with an Iranian woman in Istanbul. She was given power of attorney and for a fee drove the records across the border into Iran. From there someone travelled from Tehran to the Turkish border and carried them onward back to Tehran. It became a complex, expensive and exhausting chain of coordination involving multiple people and border crossings. The reason my friend did not cross back himself relates to his dual nationality and the risks that can come with it, especially in politically sensitive moments. 

Because of these additional steps and the platform’s percentage, I increased the goal to €4,500. The first trip cost around €2,500 with unexpected expenses including expensive taxis and a translator at the border. The second trip was about €2000. I also helped cover the time for my Turkish friend in Amsterdam, who repeatedly assisted with early morning coordination with the border office as they would only respond then. My friend who had authorization and carried out both trips did not accept payment for his time, though I covered all travel expenses.

I feel deep relief that the records are now back in Tehran, but also a lingering sense of urgency and uncertainty. I don’t yet have a clear plan for retrieving them as everything now depends on the situation there. Still, I’m grateful that 100 out of 111 records were saved. That feels significant, especially given how close I came to losing everything.

This entire process has been far more intense than I ever expected, filled with long stretches of uncertainty, moments of stress, illness, exhaustion, and constant decision making under pressure. And still, somehow, things moved forward. Despite all, I was moved to see how the initial €3,000 goal was reached within two working days. It really meant a lot to receive that kind of support from you, especially as I had no expectation as to whether this would work. I’m grateful that my situation resonated, and for all your kind wishes.

Therefore, through all of it, I can’t thank you enough. I hope I can cover the last stretch. 

With love and gratitude,
Katayoun