Category Archives: Travel

Photo gallery: Bisutun Inscription – Iranian Rosetta Stone from 522BC in a 116 hectar UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Bisutun Inscription (Behistun Inscription) is a multi-lingual inscription located on Mount Bisutun in the Kermanshah Province of Iran, near the city of Kermanshah in western Iran.

Authored by Darius the Great sometime between his coronation as king of the Persian Empire in the summer of 522 BC and his death in autumn of 486 BC, the inscription includes three versions of the same text, written in three different cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian (a later form of Akkadian). In effect, then, the inscription is to cuneiform what the Rosetta Stone is to Egyptian hieroglyphs: the document most crucial in the decipherment of a previously lost script.

The inscription is approximately 15 metres high by 25 metres wide and 100 metres up a limestone cliff from an ancient road connecting the capitals of Babylonia and Media (Babylon and Ecbatana, respectively). The Old Persian text contains 414 lines in five columns; the Elamite text includes 593 lines in eight columns, and the Babylonian text is in 112 lines.

The monument suffered some damage from Allied soldiers using it for target practice in World War II, during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.


In 1999, Iranian archeologists began the documentation and assessment of damages to the site incurred during the 20th century. Malieh Mehdiabadi, who was project manager for the effort, described a photogrammetric process by which two-dimensional photos were taken of the inscriptions using two cameras and later transmuted into 3-D images.

In recent years, Iranian archaeologists have been undertaking conservation works. The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. In 2012, the Bisotun Cultural Heritage Center organized an international effort to re-examine the inscription.

The site covers an area of 116 hectares. Archeological evidence indicates that this region became a human shelter 40,000 years ago. There are 18 historical monuments other than the inscription of Darius the Great in the Behistun complex that have been registered in the Iranian national list of historical sites.

Sources: Tasnim News | Photos, Wikipedia | Behistun Inscription

Photo Series: Winter in Iran – Masuleh, Gilan Province

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Beautiful pictures of Masuleh covered in snow:

For more detailed information about Masuleh and its unique architecture:
The other Iran | Iran’s Gilan Province: Masuleh Village

Source: Mehr News Agency | Photos

Iran’s Isfahan Province: Kashan – Fin Garden Series (Photo gallery)

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The tradition and style in the design of Persian Gardens has influenced the design of gardens from Andalusia to India and beyond. Unesco declared the Fin Garden in Kashan a World Heritage Site on July 18, 2012.

Beautiful ceiling – Fin Garden in Kashan, Iran

Related post about Bagh-e Fin (Fin Garden) with background information and more photos:
Kashan – Fin Garden Series

Source: Wikipedia | Persian Gardens

Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province: Saholan Cave

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Ghar Saholan is located in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, near to the village of Saholan that lies some 43 Kilometres east of the city of Mahabad. Situated in a small hill of limestone the cave has two entrances at an altitude of 1,780m. The cave has a total surveyed (mapped) passage length of 771.1m and a vertical range of 45.8m.

Geomorphological evidence within the cave would strongly suggest that it has been formed under phreatic conditions by still water and not by flowing water. Originally the cave would have been completely flooded. In the latter stages in its development the water levels have dropped to create airspace within the chambers and passages and further passage enlargement would have been stimulated by the gentle rising and falling of the water table and subsequent water level. Throughout the cave there are horizontal ledges of calcite deposits along the walls that are indicative of former (higher) water levels.

Sources: Tasnim News | Photos, www.caving-in-iran.org

Iran’s Kerman Province: Mahan – Shazdeh Garden (Photos)

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The tradition and style in the design of Persian Gardens has influenced the design of gardens from Andalusia to India and beyond.

Shazdeh Garden meaning Prince’s Garden (in Persian: Bagh-e Shazdeh) is a historical Persian garden located 6km away from the city of Mahan in Kerman province, Iran. It is a rectangular green oasis surrounded by brown desert and a good example of Persians gardens that take advantage of suitable natural climate.

It was built originally for Mohammad Hasan Khan Qajar Sardari Iravani ca. 1850 and was extended ca. 1870 by the governor of Kerman, Abdolhamid Mirza Naserodoleh, during the eleven years of his governorship in the Qajar dynasty. Its location was selected strategically as it was placed on the way between the Bam Citadel and Kerman.

The construction was left unfinished, due to the death of Abdolhamid Mirza in the early 1890s. It is rumored that upon hearing the news of the Governor’s death, the masons immediately abandoned their work and as a result the main entrance still shows some unfinished areas.

Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA
Shazdeh Garden (Bagh-e Shazdeh) in Mahan, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo: IRNA

Shazdeh Garden is a rectangular shaped, 5.5 hectares areal surrounded by a wall. It consists of an entrance structure and gate at the lower end and a residential structure (once the summer palace of a now unknown prince) at the upper end. The distance between these two buildings has a collection of pools ornamented with water fountains. There are pavilions and a central canal. The residence is now mostly derelict but partly converted to a nice restaurant. The design looks best in an aerial photograph.

The garden itself consists of a variety of pine, cedar, elm, buttonwood and fruit trees which benefit from the appropriate soil, light breezes and qanat[1] water which enables such an environment in contrast to the dry surroundings.

The water enters the Garden at the upper end and while irrigating the trees and plants along its way, flows down through a series of steps and falls. On the two ends of the water path – meaning at the main entrance and the residential structure – there’s a pool that collects and subsequently redistributes the water. All together from top to bottom there are eight levels/falls along the water path.

In 1991, the premises were completely renovated due to the commemoration ceremony of Khaju Kermani. A traditional guesthouse has been constructed in the city center for tourists and visitors.

Some damage to the Garden was caused as a result of Kerman’s 2004 earthquake. In 2005 experts of the Research Center for Historical Sites and Structures were preparing documents to register Shazdeh Garden, amongst other gardens under the denomination “The Persian Garden”, on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was finally inscribed in June of 2011.

Remark
[1] Qanat (also known as kariz or karez): The development of qanats probably began about 2.500 or 3.000 years ago in Iran and the technology spread eastward to Afghanistan and westward to Egypt. It is an ancient type of water-supply system, developed and still used in arid regions of the world. A qanat taps underground mountain water sources trapped in and beneath the upper reaches of alluvial fans and channels the water downhill through a series of gently sloping tunnels, often several kilometres long, to the places where it is needed for irrigation and domestic use. Although new qanats are seldom built today, many old qanats are still used in Iran and Afghanistan, chiefly for irrigation. (Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Sources: Wikipedia | Shazdeh Garden, Iran Tour Online, Historical Iranian sites and people | Shazdeh Garden, Wikimedia | Shazdeh Garden, IRNA | Photos, Wikipedia | Persian Gardens

Photo gallery: Winter in Iran – Khalkhal-Asalem region

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Khalkhal, with a population of 38,521 (2006), is the capital of Khalkhal County, in Ardabil Province, Iran. Asalem is a city in Talesh County, Gilan Province, Iran. Its population is 3,347 (2006). The road from Asalem to Khalkhal is known for its beautiful landscapes. This region, not far from the Caspian Sea, attracts many visitors every year.

Tasnim News Agency on December 26 dedicated its Iran’s Beauties in Photos section to pictures from winter in the northern part of Iran. Take a look:

Sources: Wikipedia | Asalem, Wikipedia | Khalkhal, Iran Front Page

Iran’s Tehran Province: Tochal Complex (Photos)

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Young woman snowboarding in Tochal, Iran

Young woman snowboarding in Tochal, Iran

Tochal Complex is located in Velenjak, North of Tehran, Iran and consists of many recreational and sports facilities.

The Tochal Telecabin Project started in 1974 and has been open to the public since 1978. It starts at the Velenjak valley in north of Tehran at an altitude of 1900m. and ends at the last station at an altitude of 3740m, near the main ridge of Mount Tochal. This 7500m long gondola lift is used for accessing ski resorts and other recreational centres on the mountain to enjoy this area’s beautiful landscape, mountain fresh air and a multitude of fresh water springs.

The gondola lift has four stations:
Station 1 is at an elevation of 1900m and located at the beginning of Velenjak valley (end of Velenjak Street). Parking, inns and some other facilities are available.
Station 2 is at 2400m and has very limited facilities.
Station 5 is at 2935 m. There is a restaurant and a rescue centre. This station is also accessible through several climbing paths like Shirpala shelter, Osoon valley and Palang-chal shelter. In order to get to Station 7 you have to change here.
Station 7 is at 3740 m. and very close to the Tochal main ridge. It is the last station of the gondola lift. This station is in the middle of the Tochal ski slope. The Tochal main peak is a 30-minute walk from this point. This station is also reachable from Hezar-cham climbing path from Station 5.

Tochal Skiing Resort is one of the popular recreational places in Tehran. The main ski slopes are located in Station 7:
Peak: This 1200m slope starts from the foot of Tochal (at 3850m) and ends at the hotel (3550m). There is one Doppelmayr chairlift and one teleski for transferring skiers and a half pipe. Because of the height of the ski slope in station 7 (more than 3500m above sea level), similar to the Alvares Ski Resort in Sabalan, Ardabil Province, Iran, these slopes are covered with snow for more than 8 months during the year.
Western Foothill: This slope is located on the western foothill of the Tochal Mountain. The length of the ski slope is 900m, having its peak at 3750m above sea level and its lowest spot at Tochal Hotel (3550m above sea level). A Poma chairlift is built in this slope for skiers.

Sources: Wikipedia | Tochal Complex, Mehr News Agency | Photos, ISNA | Photos, Tasnim News Agency | Photos

Iran’s Gilan Province: Masuleh Village

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Masuleh is a village in Gilan Province, Iran, founded in the 10th century AD. Historical names for the city include Masalar and Khortab. It has 554 inhabitants (as of 2006). The native people of Masuleh speak Talysh.

Masuleh is near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, approximately 60km southwest of Rasht and 32km west of Fuman. It is 1.050m above sea level in the Alborz (or Elburz), surrounded by forest from valley to mount. The village itself has a difference in elevation of 100 meters. Fog is the predominant weather feature.

Masouheh-Rood-Khan is the river passing through the city, with a waterfall located just 200 meters away from the village. Many other springs are found nearby.

The  architecture in Masuleh is unique. The buildings have been built into the mountain and are interconnected. Courtyards and roofs both serve as pedestrian areas similar to streets. Masuleh does not allow any motor vehicles to enter, due to its unique layout popularly known as “the yard of the building above is the roof of the building below”.

Yellow clay coats the exterior of most buildings in Masuleh. This allows for better visibility in the fog. Buildings are mostly two stories (1st floor and ‘ground’ floor) made of adobe, rods and bole. A small living room, big guest room, winter room, hall, WC and balcony are usually found in 1st floor. A cold closet, barn and stable are located on the floor below, which are connected to the upper floor by several narrow steps inside the building.

Although it has been written that the community was established around 10 AD, the first village of Masuleh was established around 1006 AD, 6 km northwest of the current city, and it is called Old-Masuleh (Kohneh Masuleh in Persian). People moved from Old-Masuleh to the current city because of pestilence and attacks from neighbouring communities.

There are four main local communities at the city named: “Maza-var” (meaning beside the Mosque) at the south, “Khana-var” (beside homes) at the East, “Kasha-sar” (stretched on top) at the North, and, “Assa-mahala” (Assad community) at the West. Apparently, down town is the Market (Bazaar) area and also the main mosque of the city built in 969 AD.

Sources: Wikipedia | Masuleh, Wikicommons | Masouleh, Mehr News | Photos, IRNA | Photos

Iran’s Fars Province: Margoon Waterfall

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Margoon (Margun) Waterfall (in Farsi: Abshare Margoon) is located in the Fars Province of Iran near the city of Sepidan, in the village Margoon, 48 kilometers far from the city Ardakan.

Its name means in Persian “snake like”. This waterfall is the main attractive of the Abshare Margoon protected area. It falls from the heart of a rocky mountain and has about 70m height and 100m width. It is one of the largest and most beautiful waterfalls in Iran. The area is mountainous and has an elevation of over 2.200m above sea level.

The weather is cold between November and April and in winter parts of the waterfall often freezes. Most tourists visit this area in the hot months of the year, when the temperature is 40°C in most of the country but hardly reaches 25°C at Abshare Margoon. Besides visiting the waterfall there are several activities to enjoy in this area: mountain climbing, rock climbing, camping, landscape photography etc.

As Abshare Margoon lies within the Zagros Mountain range, it has diverse flora and fauna. Oak is the main plant of the forests of the area and brown bear, Persian leopard, wolf, fox, wild boar, wild goat and porcupine are some of its fauna.

Sources:
wikivoyage
sh.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
Tasnim News

Photo Series: Autumn in Iran – Gorgan’s Alang Darreh Park, Golestan Province

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Gorgan is the capital of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies approximately 400km to the north east of Tehran and some 30km away from the Caspian Sea. It has a population of ca. 270.000 inhabitants. Some 150 km (93 mi) east of Gorgan is the Golestan National Park.

The city was named Hyrcania in ancient Greek records, the equivalent of the local name Varkâna “Land of the Wolves” in Old Persian. Although modern Gorgan is only a city and county sharing the same name, ancient Hyrcania was the name of a greater region on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (encompassing all of the present day Golestan province, as well as some eastern parts of the Mazandaran province, and some southern parts of the present day Republic of Turkmenistan). Until 1937 the city used to be known as Astarabad.

Only 5km southwest from Gorgan, covering an area of approximately 185 hectares is Alangdareh Park. These beautiful autumn pictures were taken there.

In general, Golestan has a moderate and humid climate known as “the moderate Caspian climate.” There exist three different climates in the region: plain moderate, mountainous, and semi-arid. Gorgan valley has a semi-arid climate.

Gorgan (as well as the whole Golestan province) has a world-famous carpet and rug industry, made by Turkmen. The patterns of these carpets are derived from the ancient Persian city of Bukhara, which is now in Uzbekistan. Jajim carpets are also crafted in this province.

Sources: Wikipedia | Gorgan, Mehr News Agency | Photos

Business Insider – Jewish Australian writer Ben Winsor about visiting Iran

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There's a lot to see in Tehran, but make sure you get out to see the Darband waterfalls and the nearby ski resorts, all popular with the locals.

There’s a lot to see in Tehran, but make sure you get out to see the Darband waterfalls and the nearby ski resorts, all popular with the locals.

While Iran is seen by some in the West as a country full of crazy fundamentalists hell-bent on America’s nuclear destruction, the reality you’ll see inside the country couldn’t be further from the truth.
…
The fact is, the majority of the Iranian public love Westerners — Americans in particular — making Iran one of the safest countries on our list even for female travelers. Opinion polls show the majority of Iranians hold a favorable opinion of Americans, making Iran second only to Israel as the most supportive population in the Middle East.

The Azadi tower (freedom tower) is an impressive gateway to the city, built to symbolize 2,500 years of Persian culture.

The Azadi tower (freedom tower) is an impressive gateway to the city, built to symbolize 2,500 years of Persian culture.To travel as a Westerner is to be routinely stopped on the street and welcomed by curious and generous Iranians. When I was there last summer I was constantly offered with cold drinks, invited to parties, and given free tours by locals.

 

There is a ton to see there: cheap ski resorts in the Alborz mountains north of Tehran, ancient clay-baked mosques in Kashan, the stunning central square of Isfahan, the Tatooine-like ruins of Na’in, and the ancient ruins of Persepolis near Shiraz.

While Western sanctions mean you can’t use your Visa or MasterCard in the country, you won’t have to take much cash. All expenses — including transport, food, and accommodation — amounted to less than $200 for my 11-day trip last year. 

Inexpensive, air conditioned buses run frequently between most cities, and a full falafel sandwich will often only set you back 25 cents. There’s amazing rosewater ice cream almost everywhere in summer for about 10 cents a cone.

persepolisJohn Moore/GettyPersepolis, literally “city of the Persians,” was the capital of the first Persian empire 2,500 years ago.

Iran is safe for female travelers. Iranian women dress fashionably, and the level of respect on the streets could be considered high even by Western standards. However, it is mandatory to wear a headscarf in public at all times. Headscarves are skimpy, colorful, and barely attached in Tehran, but in regional areas more conservative coverings are the norm.

Nain Na'in IranThe old city of the tiny town of Na’in.

Source:

Nellie’s Journey to Iran: from Persian architecture to outstanding hospitality

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Posing with friendly Iranians

Photo Highlights of Iran: from Persian Architecture to Outstanding Hospitality
By Nellie Huang

I’ve just completed my Silk Road journey through Central Asia with Oasis Overland. Our trip started in Kyrgyzstan and we traveled through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and ended in Turkey. During this overland trip, we spent just under three weeks traversing through Iran, from the eastern corner to the western edge. It was the highlight of our trip and I hope these photos will show you what an amazing country it is.

Mention Iran and many think of burkha-clad women, burning flags and war. But these stereotypes can’t be further from the truth.

For those who are curious and open to new discoveries, Iran is packed full of surprises. It is a relatively safe country to visit and there’s so much to see and do in terms of historical and cultural sights: wander through the thousand-year-old ancient city of Persepolis, get lost in the mud-brick alleys of Yazd, contemplate in the beautiful turquoise-domed mosques that dot Esfahan, meet locals in the gardens surrounding Shiraz and pray with thousands of pilgrims at the country’s holiest city Mashad. The Islamic Republic has an extremely rich cultural heritage and its attractions can definitely rival those of world-famous tourist destinations. Best of all, you won’t find hordes of tourists here. It won’t take you long to question how such a charming country can be portrayed in such a negative light by the media.

Beyond the stereotypes is a country desperate to been seen for what it is, rather than what it is depicted to be. The Iranians are undoubtedly the friendliest people I’ve ever met in the world. Travelers will often find themselves getting invited to stranger’s homes, being treated to endless flow of tea from a shop vendor and getting a free ride from helpful drivers along the way. Locals tend to come up to you, ask where you’re from and genuinely want to get to know you. I’ve always agreed with the saying “it’s the people that makes a place”. It can’t be more true here in Iran where experiences with locals truly live the longest in your memory.

While traveling in Iran, the two topics that most find impossible to escape are religion and politics. These are complex issues that aren’t black or white, but as I discovered, if you’re respectful of their opinions, the Iranians will be more than happy to discuss them with you. It’s also important to note that the government’s views may not be in line with what average Iranians think. Regardless, if you do choose to travel here, a journey to Iran will certainly change your perspective of the country, and perhaps, the world.

Natural Landscapes and Ancient Cities

The abandoned mud brick city of Kharanaq: In the abandoned mud-brick city of Kharanaq, we got lost amidst the alleys and crumbling paths that overlooked this beautiful valley.

The abandoned mud brick city of Kharanaq


The rock cut temples of Naqsh-e-Rostam: Right at the outskirts of Shiraz, we stumbled upon the spectacular rock tomb of Naqsh-e-Rostam. The ragged cliffs that the tombs are carved into remind me of those in Wadi Rum, Jordan.

The rock cut temples of Naqsh-e-Rostam


Persian Architecture

Amir Chakhmagh: Amir Chakhmagh in is an iconic landmark in Yazd and while it’s now nothing more than a gate (the rest of the building is gone), the unique architecture still makes it quite an impressive sight.

A gate in Yazd


Royal Palace in Shiraz: The interior of Persian buildings is often just as impressive. This photo shows the interior of the Royal Palace in Shiraz, characterized by arches, spiraled columns and carvings.

Inside a palace in Shiraz


Iranian Way of Life

Colorful spices in the bazaar of Shiraz: Bazaars are an important part of Iranian life. They trace their roots back to the Silk Road days and even until today, Iranians are still known to be excellent traders and businessmen. Spices are of course a common sight in the bazaars.

Colorful spices in the bazaar of Shiraz
Friendly students in Tehran: The Iranians are exceptionally warm and friendly, with many people stopping to strike up a conversation with us seeing that we’re foreigners. I met this bunch of students at the Golestan Palace in Tehran and they were all excited to practice their English with me.

Friendly students in Tehran

More pictures of Nelly’s Journey:
http://www.wildjunket.com/2014/10/22/photo-highlights-iran/

About Nellie Huang: Nellie is a professional travel writer and editor with an eye for adventure and a love for the unknown. Originally from Singapore, she pursued an Engineering degree and spent her days dreaming of travel – the day after graduation, she packed her bags and headed off to experience the world.

She then spent the next few years working as a teacher, translator and project analyst. With sheer will and hard work, she eventually found her way into travel writing and fulfilled her lifetime dream.

Her work has since been published in numerous publications including National Geographic Intelligent Travel, CNN, BBC Travel, Travel+Leisure Asia, Wend, Women Adventure Magazine, Food&Travel, International Lifestyle, TNT Magazine, and Explorer, amongst others. Click to see her portfolio.

She is also a contributing guidebook author of VIVA Travel Guide Guatemala (1st Edition) and writer for World Travel Guides.

Iran’s Gilan Province: Roudkhan Castle

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The medieval Rudkhan Castle (Ghale Roodkhan) is located 25km southwest of the city of Fooman in Iran’s Gilan Province in the heart of the forest. Made from brick and stone, the castle covers 50,000 square meters and is 900 meters above sea level. Its architects have benefited from natural mountainous features in the construction of the fort. It is built on two tips of a mount with a total of 65 towers surrounding it, while the walls run 1,500 meters in length. 42 towers still stand intact. It is a military complex which had been constructed during the Seljuk Dynasty by followers of the Ismaili sect. The castle sits at the two peaks of a mountain at elevations of 715meters and 670meters, with an area of 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres). The Rudkhan Castle River originates in the surrounding heights and flows from south to north. It takes around two hours to cross a mountainous winding route with dense forests. To reach this castle people walk a three kilometer distance on foot, then climb around 2,000 steps. The first thing that one notices about the castle is its big entrance gate.

Sources: Wikipedia | Rudkhan Castle, Wikimedia Commons’ media related to Rudkhan Castle, wiseitinerary.blogspot.de, Mehr News Agency | Photos, Press TV

1001 Libraries to see before you die!

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The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Public Libraries Section together with the IFLA Library Buildings and Equipment Section launched in Lyon at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress a project called 1001 libraries to see before you die.

This online initiative aims to bring together best practice examples of public library buildings and spaces from around the world. The libraries can be nominated for different criteria – the library building, the location, the innovative programs or the community engagement.

Currently the list is holding two Iranian libraries: the Astan Quds Razavi Library in Mashhad and the Bazar Library in Tehran.

Mashhad’s Astan Quds Razavi Library has been selected by the Open Education Database (OEDB) among the 20 Libraries that have changed the world in 2012 and three of the collections preserved in the central library are registered in the list of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Tehran’s Bazar Library was chosen for its historical building which belonged to a relative of Naseruddin Shah dating back to 150 years.

More information: https://1001libraries.wordpress.com/category/iran/

Astan Quds Razavi Library in Mashhad
Astan Quds Razavi Library in Mashhad
Bazar Library in Tehran
Bazar Library in Tehran
Bazar Library in Tehran

Iran’s Isfahan Province: Kashan – Boroujerdi House Series

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Boroujerdi's House in Kashan, Iran

Boroujerdi’s House in Kashan, Iran

The Boroujerdi House (in Persian: Khaneh-ye Boroujerdi-ha) is a historic house in Kashan, Esfahan Province, Iran that is nowadays open to the public as a museum.

It was built in 1857 for the bride of Haji Mehdi Boroujerdi, a welthy merchant, by architect Ustad Ali Maryam. The bride came from the affluent Tabatabaei family, for whom Ali Maryam had built the Tabatabaei House some years earlier and the condition set for the marriage was the construction of a house as beautiful as the Tabatabaei House.

Considered a true masterpiece of Persian traditional residential architecture, it took eighteen years to build using 25 workers, painters and architects.

Kashan

Wind towers of the Boroujerdi’s House in Kashan, Iran

The House, famous for its atypical shaped wind towers made of stone, brick, sun baked bricks and a composition of clay, straw and mortar, has three entrances and consists of a rectangular beautiful courtyard, delightful plaster and stucco works of fruits and flowers and wall paintings by the royal painter Kamal-ol-Molk and three 40 meter tall wind towers which help to cool the house to unusually cool temperatures.

The entrance to the building is in the form of an octagonal vestibule with multilateral skylights in the ceiling. Near the entrance is a five-door chamber with intricate plasterwork. Following a narrow corridor, a vast rectangular courtyard opens up. The courtyard has a pool and is flanked by trees and flowerbeds. Also in the vicinity of the corridor is a reception area sandwiched in between two rooms. Due to the high amount of sunlight these two rooms receive, they were mostly utilized during the winter months.

In the east and northeast area of the property lie the kitchen, rooms and stairways to the basement. The wind towers allowed for the basements to consistently benefit from a flow of cool air. On the southern side is a large covered hall adorned with many reliefs, artistic carvings and meshed windows which was the main area for various celebrations. It consists of a raised platform on its far side and would normally be reserved for the more important guests.

Source: Historical Iranian sites and people | Boroujerdi House

Iran’s Razavi Khorasan Province: Shamkhal Canyon

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Somewhere not far from the border between Iran and Turkmenistan there is a huge and unbelievably beautiful valley called Shamkhal. The name comes from a village near that. It is located in west northern of Quchan. It is about 18 km long; going through many springs and falls within rocky walls which in some parts are 200 meters high.

Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)
Shamkhal Valley near Quchan, Razavi Khorasan Province (Photo credit: irpedia.com)

Source: Irpedia | Photos of Iran | Shamkhal Valley

Iran’s Isfahan Province: Kashan – Fin Garden Series

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Fin Garden in Kashan, Esfahan Province, Iran

Fin Garden in Kashan, Esfahan Province

The tradition and style in the design of Persian Gardens has influenced the design of gardens from Andalusia to India and beyond.

Fin Garden, or Bagh-e Fin, located in Kashan, Iran, is a historical Persian garden. It contains Kashan’s Fin Bath, where the reformist Qajarid chancellor, Amir Kabir, was murdered by an assassin sent by King Nasereddin Shah in 1852. Completed in 1590, the Fin Garden is the oldest extant garden in Iran. Unesco declared the garden a World Heritage Site.

The origins of the garden may be anterior to the Safavid period but the settlements of the garden in its present form were built under the reign of Abbas I of Persia (1571-1629), as a traditional bagh near the village of Fin, located a few miles southwest of Kashan.

The garden covers 2.3 hectares with a main yard surrounded by ramparts with four circular towers. In keeping with many of the Persian gardens of this era, the Fin Garden employs many water features.

These were fed from a spring on a hillside behind the garden, and the water pressure was such that a large number of circulating pools and fountains could be constructed without the need for mechanical pumps.

The garden contains numerous cypress trees and combines architectural features of the Safavid, Zandiyeh and Qajar periods.

Source: Wikipedia | Fin Garden, Wikipedia | Persian Gardens

Fin Garden (or Bagh-e Fin) in Kashan, Esfahan Province, Iran

Fin Garden (or Bagh-e Fin) in Kashan, Esfahan Province

Fin Garden in Kashan, Esfahan Province

Fin Garden in Kashan, Esfahan Province

Cycling 2000 kilometers through Iran and some practical considerations

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Iran, Gonbad-e Sultanieh, a spectacular 14th century domed mausoleum

Iran, Gonbad-e Sultanieh, a spectacular 14th century domed mausoleum

Probably if I were to sum up my experience in Iran in couple of words it would be exactly like this day has been, great people but a lot of traffic.
…
After a quick search and a phone call I’m able to finally find Hashem’s house and what follows is an evening filled with the incredible hospitality the Iranian people are known for. Dinner with the family and with the neighboring relatives, with traditional dishes and with the crusty rice which I haven’t encountered before or after Iran, and most of all with genuine curiosity about how life is in other countries and in other parts of the world.

Before travelling through Iran I read stories about the Iranian hospitality and after almost a month of travelling through Iran I can only confirm it. The Iranians are also over polite between themselves, and it’s customary to refuse something 3 times just to be sure that an offer is genuine, but somehow when foreigners are involved this is combined with a genuine curiosity and with trying to somehow mend the bad image Iran has at a personal level. I have been asked countless times by locals what I think about Iran and about Iranians after travelling through the country and just as many times I’ve answered that I think that the Iranians are more or less incredible. There have been countless situations when complete strangers spent time and/or money to help with whatever problems I was facing. This of course doesn’t mean that everything is rose and perfect but the percentage of people doing seems to be way higher than in other countries.

Temperature wise in April it really changed a lot and there was a cold spell which brought temperatures way bellow freezing in the area around Tabriz only to encounter summer like temperatures in the the desert after Teheran. On the other hand I wouldn’t chose another time to cross it as I’m not a big fan of the 40 degree temperatures which define the summer in Iran.

And now for some more practical informations

1. Visas (Iran and onward travel)

Probably the easiest place to obtain the Iranian Visa is Trabzon in Turkey, but for more information the caravanistan section is also very helpful. From Iran I picked up visas for Uzbekistan and for Turkmenistan (in that order). The Uzbek visa took 1 day with a letter of invitation and for the Turkem visa I applied for it in Teheran and I picked it up one week later in Mashad.

2. Money (what the hell is a tumen?)

Iran can be a confusing country and the subject of money is no exception. The first thing you become when you enter Iran is a millionaire as in 2014 the exchange rate was around one dollar to 30000 Rial. The best place to exchange money I think is at exchange booths at bazars, banks will exchange at the official rate which is considerably lower. But then when you start spending it you discover that almost everthing is handled in tumens, 1 tumen beeing equal to 10 Rial. It takes a bit to get used to it especially when you add in consideration the fact that all the prices are written using Arabic characters.

3. Prices.

When comming from Turkey Iran is a pretty cheap country and when you get over the fact that paper notes just keep flying away (keep in mind that they still have a 500 Rial note which is worth around 0.016 dollars) and when you consider that you do get invited a lot Iran has been quite cheap to travel through. Food seemed to be almost half of what it was in Turkey, with restaurant meals starting at 2-3 dollars and alternatively buying food for one day from a shop for a bit more than that. On the other hand there isn’t much diversity regarding things you buy in small shops. A night in a cheap guesthouse / hotel was a bit less than 10 dollars.

4. People.

 As I’ve said before the people are incredibly warm, curios and welcoming and they would be the main reason why I would visit this country once again. Just as an example, after being stopped by the police for a checkup after leaving Hashem’s house he came to the police station with me and tried to help as a translator, spending quite a bit of time in the process. Somehow the Iranians didn’t seem to be as conservative as the Turkish people (at least in the eastern part of Turkey), and even though religion is important there is quite a bit of difference between the laws and what the people think about them.

5. Mobile and Internet.

Yes there is internet, yes all social media is officially banned but everyone still has access to them using vpn’s. While in Iran I bought a cheapish sim card for my phone from Hamrah-e-Avvall, after trying an Irancell sim card which didn’t work and which seemed to be restricted for phones manufactured for Iran. I haven’t tried internet cafes but when I had access to an internet connection is was generally pretty slow.

5. Places.

Iran’s culture and history is amazing and my only regret is that I didn’t have enough time to take a detour in the southern and central part of the country. But from the places which I did see one there were a couple of places and moments which became stuck in my mind. Riding my bicycle through the narrow alleyways of the Tabriz bazar after all the shops were closed was one of them, and the entire place seemed to be taken from the tales of the “One thousand and one nights”. The huge dome of Soltanyeh on a crisp spring day was another one, together with the old caravan-sarais from the barren desert east of Teheran.

And now in short, 2200 kilometers in photos.

Heading towards the stormy border of Iran.

Heading towards the stormy border of Iran.

The first morning in Iran.

The first morning in Iran.

Winter on the iranian plateau

Winter on the Iranian plateau

Endless wheat fields in the middle of the desert.

Endless wheat fields in the middle of the desert.

After 230 kilometers through the desert with almost no villages in between.

After 230 kilometers through the desert with almost no villages in between.

One of the restored caravan-serais.

One of the restored caravan-serais.

Semna ale primaveri.

Semna ale primaveri.

The pilgrimage complex from Mashad, one of Iran's religious centers.

The pilgrimage complex from Mashad, one of Iran’s religious centers.

About the Author: http://www.diaconescuradu.com/en/about-me

Source: http://www.diaconescuradu.com/en/cycling-2000-kilometers-iran-practical-considerations

Jewish Australian Ben Winsor: Truth about Iran – Facts that may surprise westerners

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mosque in iran

Isfahan Iran, Naghsh-e Jahan Square

Since the Iranian revolution and hostage crisis of 1979, Iran has had antagonistic relations with the U.S. and other Western nations, with little official communication between heads of state, fierce rhetoric on opposing sides, and increasing sanctions.

Given this history, it’s not surprising that many Westerners fail to appreciate ways in which Iran is a relatively advanced and even liberal state.

It certainly took me by surprise when I traveled there last year.
…

A Positive Opinion Of Westerners

Opinion polls show the majority of Iranians hold a favorable opinion of Americans, making Iran second only to Israel as the most supportive country in the Middle East.

To travel as a Westerner in Iran is to be routinely stopped on the street and welcomed by curious and generous strangers. You will be given cool drinks, invited to parties, and offered free tours of anything nearby.

Young Iranians get their hands on iPhones despite the sanctions, use VPN software to hack past their regime’s ban on Facebook, and watch American TV shows and movies online.

As reported in The Atlantic, a clear majority of Iranians want the current Iranian–U.S. nuclear talks to succeed. If talks fail, however, many expect that moderates like the current president would lose power to religious hardliners.
[…]
Related articles: https://theotheriran.com/tag/foreigners-in-iran/

Better Gender Equality Than Some Countries

Unlike in Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, women in Iran have the right to vote, drive, and travel alone. Women have served in parliament and in cabinet, though they are banned from running in presidential elections, and they attend universities, though some have restricted them from taking certain courses.

The issue of women’s rights highlights the conflict between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani — who is on the more moderate end of the country’s religious-conservative ruling clique — and the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On International Women’s Day in April, Rouhani spoke live on television and criticized those who consider women a threat, saying Iran had “a long way to go” and that he “will not accept the culture of sexual discrimination.”

Iranian mother, daughter and some christmas trees

Iranian mother, daughter and some christmas trees

Articles on Iranian women: https://theotheriran.com/tag/women/

Birth Control

After the Iran–Iraq war, when focus shifted from conflict to the economy in 1988, the same Ayatollah who legalized sex-changes issued a ruling making birth control free and widely available. He was convinced a high birth-rate would be bad for the economy.

With family planning sessions provided to all newlyweds, the birth-rate fell more than half, allowing parents to invest more in their children’s education and giving women the chance to gain ground in the workforce. More than 60% of Iranian university students are now women, with numbers even higher in some science and engineering courses, the BBC reported.
…

An American Ally?

Iran has found itself partially aligned with the West in fighting groups like the Taliban in Afghanistan, and jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

After 9/11, Iran supported overthrowing the Taliban in Afghanistan and assisted NATO with strategy and the formation of a new government.

Iran also had no great love for Iraq’s regime, having fought a brutal war against Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. Backed by the Reagan Administration at the time, Hussein used sarin gas and other chemical weapons  on thousands of Iranian soldiers.
…
The dynamic changed in 2013, however, when Iranians elected President Rouhani, a reformist who has staked his presidency on mending ties with America.

Iranian policy in Iraq has now also refocused with the rise of Sunni ISIS jihadists. Iran worries that ISIS is destabilizing the region and jeopardizing the current pro-Iranian governments in Iraq and Syria.

Kurds battling ISIS in northern Iraq report that Iran was the first country to respond when they requested support.

Related articles: https://theotheriran.com/tag/usa/

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-truth-about-iran-2014-9#ixzz3GW9CEQAj

Rayen Castle – more than 1000 year old adobe castle in Kerman, Iran

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Rayen Castle (in Persian Arg-e Rayen) is an adobe castle in Kerman Province, Iran. The medieval mudbrick city of Rayen is similar to the Arg-e Bam city which was destroyed in an earthquake in December 2003. Rayen displays all the architectural elements of a deserted citadel. It is extremely well preserved, despite numerous natural disasters that have destroyed similar structures nearby, and it is one of the most interesting sites in Iran.

Rayen Castle was inhabited until 150 years ago and, although believed to be at least 1,000 years old, may in fact have foundations from the pre-Islamic Sassanid era.

Adobe castle of Rayen Rayen Kerman Iran - arg-e-rayensh

Adobe castle of Rayen Rayen Kerman Iran – Arg-e-Rayensh

Adobe castle of Rayen Rayen Kerman Iran

Adobe castle of Rayen, Kerman, Iran

Source: Wikipedia | Rayen Castle

Also check this related post: The other Iran | Arg-é Bam

Photos: European tourists arrive in Isfahan by train for first time

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The group was composed of 65 tourists from Australia, France, Germany, Britain and Austria.
[…]
The tourists arrived in Iran on Oct 5 and after visiting Tehran, Yazd, Isfahan, Shiraz and Zanjan will leave for Turkey via Razi border.
[…]

Read more about the new “Orient Express” between Hungary and Iran:
https://theotheriran.com/2014/09/02/five-star-orient-express-to-link-hungary-and-iran/

Photos from their trip to the ruins of Persepolis (Persia’s capital 550-330 before Christ):

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC)

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC)

Tomb of Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC)

Tomb of Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC)

https://i0.wp.com/www.payvand.com/news/14/oct/European-tourists-in-Iran-6-HR.jpg

Read more about travelers in Iran: https://theotheriran.com/tag/foreigners-in-iran/

Nature photos from Iran: https://theotheriran.com/tag/nature/

Source: http://www.payvand.com/news/14/oct/1048.html

Iran traveller Mike Milotte: Don’t skip Tehran’s unmissable sights

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Tehran is the city travellers love to hate, with many avoiding a stay here altogether en route to Iran’s more popular tourist destinations. But as Mike Milotte discovers, the capital’s gorgeous galleries, sociable locals and exhilarating pace give it a beautiful side too.

Iranian friends and our guide/interpreter alike think we’re mad, but we persist with our plan to spend 10 days of our month-long visit to Iran in the polluted and architecturally unattractive capital, Tehran.

…
For my part, eleven museums, six art galleries and three bazaars later – not to mention two mountain trips, one cinema visit and a memorable night at home with a Tehrani family – I’m glad we persevered.
…
The plaza outside the main bazaar is a great spot for people-watching. The streets are teeming, not with mullahs or gun-toting police as I had anticipated, but with seemingly carefree shoppers, armed with mobile phones. There are lots of head-to-toe black chadors, but just as many women wear cheerful loose-fitting headscarves, tight jeans and dramatic makeup.

…
Meeting Tehranis is remarkably easy and richly rewarding. As we try to buy saffron, piled high at the very un-touristy Tajrish bazaar, a young woman asks in broken English if we need help. We get talking. ‘N’ is an artist, and one of her friends has an exhibition at the renowned Seyhoun art gallery. We’re invited along, and are soon chatting to half a dozen of the city’s brightest young painters, N’s friends, who excitedly show us their work on smart phones and tablets. We adjourn to a working studio, home to illicit life drawing classes, where we drink tea and leave with a fabulous landscape painting that will grace our living room.

…

Next day, in the unpeopled galleries of the Museum of Contemporary Art, a staff member tells us 3,000 works by western painters like Picasso, Van Gogh, Bacon, etc –  all deemed degenerate – languish in the basement while ‘safe’ Iranian art bedecks the walls. ‘That’s why no-one bothers coming,’ our informant asserts. Later, in the Carpet Museum next door, an attendant eagerly points out some 18th century Persian rugs depicting erotic imagery where more than female heads are laid bare. ‘How come they’re still on show?’ I ask. He just smiles back.

As the only foreigners in most of the places we visit, we are an endless source of interest to shyly curious Tehranis. One such encounter, during a lung-reviving mountain walk at Darband, ends with an invitation to dinner in the family home. The women all wear party dresses and have their heads and arms uncovered, illegal, even at home, when a male stranger is present. French wine and Russian vodka, smuggled from Iraq, are offered, and after an unforgettable meal of lamb with walnuts and pomegranate, we settle down to watch television.

An Iranian family go for a stroll in Tehran. Image by Amos Chapple / Lonely Planet Images / Getty

…

Zigzagging back to our hotel in a bone-shaking taxi without seatbelts, our driver, a talkatively wise man with reasonable English, points out ranks of enormous SUVs – gleaming Porsches, Mercs, BMWs and Audis – waiting for their owners to spill out of fashionable and expensive eateries in Tehran’s northside. ‘Sanctions’, he says, ‘have made a small number of businessmen with political friends fantastically rich.’

Am I imagining it, or is it beginning to feel more and more like home here?

A young couple admire the view of Tehran at dusk. Image by Amos Chapple / Lonely Planet Images / Getty

A young couple admire the view of Tehran at dusk. Image by Amos Chapple / Lonely Planet Images / Getty

Glass and Ceramics Museum 
Stunning artefacts from the 2nd millennium BC onwards, beautifully displayed and annotated. We were the only visitors which meant we could ooh and aah without embarrassment.

A display at the Glass and Ceramics Museum. Image by Mike Milotte / Lonely Planet

A display at Tehran’s Glass and Ceramics Museum. Image by Mike Milotte / Lonely Planet

Reza Abbasi Museum
The exhibits, starting from around 2000BC, are without exception quite exquisite – especially the gold work – and as few people seem to visit, you might have it entirely to yourself.

Jameh Bazaar
A massive Asian flea market staged on Fridays only, when the main bazaar is closed. Come prepared to buy stuff you neither need nor want but will treasure for ever. Increase the pleasure by haggling hard.

Carpet Museum of Iran
Look out for two enormous carpets depicting (among others) Napoleon, and see if you can spot the difference in how he’s depicted. The carpets are beautiful but unlike its Turkish equivalent in Istanbul, this museum’s signage isn’t great.

Colourful detail in the Carpet Museum of Iran. Image by Mike Milotte / Lonely Planet

Colourful detail in the Carpet Museum of Iran. Image by Mike Milotte / Lonely Planet

Taxi ride across town
You’ll probably survive it, and you’ll certainly never forget it. Tehran traffic seems chaotic yet it flows smoothly. The secret is in the weaving and dodging performed by drivers who appear mad but who never lose their tempers, let alone their bumpers.
Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/iran/travel-tips-and-articles/tehrans-top-attractions#ixzz3CBhjP749

 

 

Iran’s Gilan Province: Photos (Part 1)

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More photos of Iran: http://comeseeiran.tumblr.com/

Gilan, Iran – Green valleys – Flowers in Talesh
Gilan, Iran – Green valleys
Gilan, Iran – Green valleys – Flowers
Gilan, Iran – Green valleys
Gilan, Iran – Green valleys – Horses
Gilan, Iran – Green Valleys – Village at Dawn

John Simpson: Iran is the most charming country on Earth

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For John Simpson, Iran’s incredible monuments, dazzling landscapes and hospitable people make it a holiday destination beyond compare.

Iran, Tehran, Golestan Palace

Iran, Tehran, Golestan Palace

…
Think of a country, largely cut off from the outside world, with a lovely dry climate, sophisticated and charming people, superb archaeological monuments, mountains, deserts, the Caspian Sea. If recent history had been different, it would be the India of the travel business, only without the beggars and the chaos. Iran is, quite simply, the most charming country I know.
…

What always strikes me in Iran is the normality of it. If you wandered down the street in Tehran – say Dr Fatemi Avenue, where the old and much-loved hotel, the Laleh, stands – you would find it suspended between West and East, between the modern and something altogether older and more attractive: the Persian past.

This is not Saudi Arabia: women drive cars, run businesses and often forget to cover their hair as they’re supposed to do.
…

I first became aware of this affection in the Eighties, when I ventured out to cover an anti-British demonstration in the city. I was a lot younger then, and accompanied by a charming, fatherly cameraman. The crowd pushed and shoved, and shouted “Marg bar Tacher” – “death to Thatcher”. I asked the cameraman to stand on a low wall and film me as I walked through the angry demonstrators. “I really don’t think you should do this, John,” he said, with a troubled look at the mob. But I’d seen it done before, by an American correspondent. I weaved my way through the crowd, smiling and explaining that I was a Brit, and they opened up a pathway for me, shaking hands and bowing.

I finally reached the ringmaster, a professional demonstrator who was beating his chest, the spittle shooting from his mouth in his anti-British fervour. “Welcome, welcome to Iran, sir,” he said, and actually kissed my hand. It went down well on the news that night, I promise you.
All right, you’re saying, that was decades ago. But, you see, Iran has been cut off from the West for so long since then that the longing for contact with westerners has actually grown. If you spend an evening wandering round Isfahan, the incomparable city of Shah Abbas on the Zayandeh River, with the distant foothills of the Zagros purple in the fading light, your main problem will be saying no to the kindly people picnicking in the parks and gardens who beg you to join them.
…

Iran is recommended by the Telegraph Travel team as one of the 20 top destinations to visit in 2014. For more on what’s on offer, read our guide to holidaying in Iran.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/travel/44626/john-simpson-iran-is-the-most-charming-country-on-earth.html

Other travel articles on Iran: https://theotheriran.com/tag/travel/

Series -Yazd, Iran: Tezerjan Glacier

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Yazd, Iran, Terzejan Glacier

Yazd, Iran, Terzejan Glacier

Yazd, Iran, Terzejan Glacier

Yazd, Iran, Terzejan Glacier

Yazd, Iran, Terzejan Glacier

Yazd, Iran, Terzejan Glacier

Tezerjan Glacier is a natural glacier on Shirkouh mountain and Tezerjan village is located on its foothill. ( Top of Tezerjan mountain is 4005m from the sea level). Not long ago, a great of ice and snow were carried 60km to Yazd on hot days during the year, using pack animals, in order to chill beverages, especially Yazdian Paloude (sweet beverage containing thin fibers of starch jelly), so Yazdian Paloude is related to this natural glacier.

http://yazdphoto.com/panoramic%20photography.htm

Series: Female British biker on Iranian roads – Photos

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road-to-yadz-me-on-bike

 bike-snow-alamut-valley

yadz-garden-window tehran-azadi-tower

persepolis-gates

yadz-mosque-tiling truck-youarevery-nice

Find the other parts of this Series (Story and Video) here: https://theotheriran.com/tag/travel/

Series: Female British biker on Iranian roads -Video

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Find other parts of this series and other travel posts here: https://theotheriran.com/tag/travel/

Series: Female British biker on Iranian roads

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This is what she writes on her blog:

In autumn 2013 and spring 2014 I spent two months riding 3000 miles around Iran. Of all my journeys, this is the one that has affected me most profoundly.

The popular image of Iran here in the West is of course, hardly welcoming, and I admit I set off with some trepidation – was it really wise for me to ride a motorcycle alone in this pariah nation of Islamic extremists, with all its gruesome facts and figures surrounding women’s rights, free speech and treatment of political prisoners?

But if I’ve learned anything from my travels it’s that a nation’s government and its people are entirely unconnected (I mean, really, would I want a foreigner to judge me on David Cameron’s actions?!). And as soon as I crossed the border it became apparent that the Iranian people were going to make me fall head over heels in love with their country.  I have never experienced such a warm welcome and effortless kindness and hospitality from a nation.

http://www.loisontheloose.com/my-adventures/iran/

The Telegraph writes:

“I was run off the road a lot of the time; at first I thought people were trying to mow me down, or Islamists; and it turned out they just wanted to give me bags of pomegranates.”
…

“You find that you just can’t eat any more food. It’s mad. I had heard Iranian hospitality was legendary, and it really is. There was none of the dour religiosity you usually hear about.”

Other aspects of the country have also given her a taste for more, including the “incredibly beautiful” architecture and mosaics of the mosques, striking modernist buildings such as the Azadi tower in Tehran, and the “unique” desert city of Yadz.

“My bike is still out there with some wonderful people I stayed with in Tehran,” she says. “I’m hoping to go back next year and visit the areas I missed.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/10462760/Iran-one-womans-solo-motorbike-tour.html#disqus_thread

‘Five-star’ Orient Express to link Hungary and Iran

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An Orient Express carriage, on which the new Hungary-Iran train styles itself (AFP)

An Orient Express carriage, on which the new Hungary-Iran train styles itself (AFP)

Railway enthusiasts with a taste for nostalgia will soon be able to indulge their Orient Express fantasies after Hungarian Railways said it was launching a luxury Budapest-Tehran train service.

With ticket prices of between 10,000 and 23,000 euros ($13,000-31,000) per person, guests will receive “five-star” treatment…

The first “Golden Eagle-Danube Express” train, which comprises 13 lavishly-decorated wood-panelled 1950s carriages and berths for about 70 guests, will set off from Budapest on October 15.

The two-week trip will cross Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, and take passengers through the ancient Iranian cities of Shiraz and Persepolis before reaching the capital Tehran.
…

“Nostalgia fans needn’t panic, another five trips are scheduled for 2015,” she said.

The last Orient Express – which traditionally linked Paris and Istanbul – ran in 2009, with the luxury Venice Simplon-Orient Express continuing to run services between London and Venice.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/five-star-orient-express-link-hungary-and-iran-759845650

 

The train is a joint venture between the Danube Express, the only private train in Central Europe to have en suite facilities, and the “rail-cruise” tour operator Golden Eagle Luxury Trains. It will travel through Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey before entering Iran, where five days will be spent exploring historic cities, World Heritage Sites and towns off the beaten track.

There will be two “Jewels of Persia” trips in 2014: eastbound departing on October 14, costing from £8,695 per person, and westbound on October 27, costing from £9,395, not including flights. Two more trips are being arranged for 2015. For details see danube-express.com; goldeneagleluxurytrains.com.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/10291133/All-aboard-the-first-private-train-to-Iran.html

Series American couple in Iran: Traveling to Iran as Americans

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Audrey hanging with a group of Iranian women in Masouleh.

Audrey hanging with a group of Iranian women in Masouleh.

Traveling to Iran as an American citizen may sound complicated and dangerous. It’s not. We’re here to dispel the myths and answer the questions piling up in our inbox based on our visit to Iran just a few weeks ago.

Our aim in the following Q&A is to answer actual reader queries and to help demystify the process of traveling to Iran.

Are American citizens legally allowed to visit Iran?
Although the United States has imposed sanctions against Iran, there are currently no restrictions on American citizens visiting Iran as tourists. Currently, about 1,000-1,500 Americans visit Iran each year. […]

As an American, how will Iranians treat me?
Iranian people were often shocked to discover that we were American and that we were able to get a visa to their country. Once this fact set in, they often went over the top in welcoming us — everything from cordial greetings, to smiles, hugs, gifts and invitations to homes — especially when our guide was out of sight. We joke that it’s the closest we’ve felt to being rock stars.

Iranian University Students - Esfahan, Iran

Read the whole article if interested in details about getting a visa and organizing the trip:
Uncornered Market – Travel and Life Adventure | Traveling to Iran as Americans

Anyhow the blog is just great:
Uncornered Market – Travel and Life Adventure | Travel | Iran

Series American couple in Iran: Audry’s cites on Persepolis: Ancient Persia, Modern Lessons

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Although Persepolis is one of Iran’s top archeological and tourist sites, I was careful to keep my expectations in check before visiting. After all, what would remain of the 2,500 year-old capital of the Achaemenid Empire? Amidst crumbled columns, I found great detail that blew me away and a surprising connection to the present.

Gate of All Nations - Persepolis, Iran

Gate of All Nations – Persepolis, Iran

When I first entered Persepolis through the Gate of All Nations, I was struck by the scale of it all – the statues, the columns, the great stone. I tried to imagine the process of transporting the raw materials to this place, constructing the city and palace, and fashioning it all without the mechanical means we have today. […]

Persepolis eastern staircase leading to Apadana Palace, all 23 subject nations represented.

Persepolis eastern staircase leading to Apadana Palace, all 23 subject nations represented.

Like a camera lens, my eyes began to focus on stone-carved details — hair, faces, beards, hats, and clothes, gifts carried in hands. That you could still make out every curl in a beard, eyelash on a camel and softened skin of soldiers holding hands — 2,500 years later – struck me as truly spectacular. […]

And it went on like this, through the citizens of each member nation — Egyptians, Assyrians, Indians, Tajiks, and so on. Each was easily identifiable, their physical appearance and cultural trappings preserved in stone from 500 B.C. […]

It was the whole of these details that to me seemed to define the character of the Achaemenid Empire: a multi-ethnic ancient empire built on respecting – if not maintaining — the diversity of many cultures amidst a unifying loyalty to one king. […]

Persian and Median soldiers holding hands, leading the way to the king.

Persian and Median soldiers holding hands, leading the way to the king.

Cyrus the Great’s Human Rights Charter
While it was Darius the Great who built this palace at Persepolis, it was his father-in-law – Cyrus the Great – who attempted to set the foundation of mutual respect within the Achaemenid Empire. In his Babylon Cylinder (539 B.C.), Cyrus put forth some of the first recorded mentions of human rights, an expression of tolerance, and of religious, linguistic and racial equality across the empire.

History tells us that great civilizations have come and gone, risen and fallen, ascended and crumbled. The pity of the great Persian empire — 23 nations under one roof and the nascent echoes of human rights — was that a great man came and went well before his time. […]

Head over to: Uncornered Market – Travel and Life Adventure | Persepolis to see all photos, and read the whole text.

Series American couple in Iran: A Poem to the People

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Iranian Hospitality on Train from Iran

Iranian hospitality on train from Iran to Turkey

My heart sank as I watched the news from Iran this morning, scenes of the British Embassy being charged by an angry mob in Tehran. It saddens me – angers me, really – that narrow groups like this who define the world’s perception of Iran and the Iranian people are in reality such a small percentage of the country’s population.

My experience tells me they are the outliers, yet circumstances conspire to convince us on the outside to see them as the norm.

I thought back to all the people we met across Iran, from families in small mountain villages to shopkeepers on the busy streets of Tehran, virtually all of them welcoming us Americans – the supposed enemy — almost always with open arms and quite often bearing gifts. I remembered our conversations with Iranian people of all ages who longed for engagement — not only with us, but with the rest of the world.

I felt like yet another door closed on them today.

Continue to read the whole story here:
Uncornered Market – Travel and Life Adventure | Iran: A Poem to the People

Photos: Lahijan, in Gilan Province of Iran near the Caspian Sea

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Lahijan, Gilan Province, Northern Iran – Tea fields
Lahijan, Gilan Province, Northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea
Lahijan, Gilan Province, Northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea
Lahijan, Gilan Province, Northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea

Info about Lahijan: Wikipedia | Lahijan

Series: An American Couple in Iran

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Audrey and Dan at Persepolis

Audrey spoke to IranWire about how the country defied all her expectations:

What was your overriding impression of the country and its people?
We felt very welcome in Iran and were impressed by the level of hospitality shown by ordinary Iranians that we met on the streets, in markets, anywhere. Additionally, the ancient sites, the architecture and the deep history. […]

Where did you visit during your trip to Iran?
We spent the first two weeks on a small group tour with G Adventures where we visited Tehran, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Ahvaz and Susa, Shiraz (and Persepolis), Yazd, Esfahan, Abyaneh and back to Tehran. Then we had a private guide for a week where we visited Rasht, Massouleh, Ardabil, Tabriz, Kandovan and the St. Stephanos Church near Jolfa. […]

When you continued your travels, and eventually went back to the U.S., what was the most commonly asked question about your time in Iran?
“Was it safe for you?” Many Americans only see Iranians when they appear on the news, and this is usually during demonstrations or political speeches. They don’t realize that there is a whole other Iranian world outside of this. So we would surprise American friends and family when we joked that Iran was the place that we felt most like rock stars because of the kindness and attention we felt. We told stories of being invited to tea by strangers or people buying us gifts. […]

What was your favorite place in Iran? Do you have one memory that stands out for you?
Our top three places: Shiraz: Beautiful mosques and sights, and we found the people to be incredibly friendly and warm; Persepolis: Impressed not only by the engravings and ruins, but also the history and multiculturalism of the Persian Empire that we learned about while there; Northwestern Iran, especially Tabriz and the Armenian Monastery.

Continue to read the full article: IranWire | An American Couple in Iran

Iran’s Khar Turan 2nd largest biosphere reserve in world

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Khar Turan National Park, located southeast of the Iranian city of Shahrud, is believed to be the second largest biosphere reserve in the world. With an area of around 1.5 million hectares, it is the world’s second largest biosphere reserve after Africa’s Serengeti, says the park’s Chief Ranger Ali Akbar Ghorbanloo.

Shahrud’s Khar Turan, in the province of Semnan, is also home to the world’s last remaining Asiatic cheetah in captivity called Delbar (meaning enchanting in Persian).


Photos: A Lone Persian Cheetah at Turan National Park

The area has one of the richest diversities in terms of mammal species in the country, and has the largest population of onager in Iran as well as a good number of the two species of gazelles, wild sheep and wild goat, which ensure cheetah survival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fWzczAi_ss#t=23

TripAdvisor grants Certificate of Excellence to tomb of Persian Poet Hafez in Shiraz, Iran

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TripAdvisor, a U.S. travel website that provides directory information and reviews of travel-related content, has granted a Certificate of Excellence to the tomb of Hafez in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, Fars Province.


Tomb of Persian poet Hafez in Shiraz, Iran
(photo by Amir Hussain Zolfaghary)

Hafez was a Persian mystic and poet. He was born sometime between the years 1310 and 1337 in Shiraz, Medieval Persia. John Payne, who has translated the Diwan Hafez, regards Hafez as the greatest poet of the world. His lyrical poems, known as ghazals, are noted for their beauty and bring to fruition the love, mysticism, and early Sufi themes that had long pervaded Persian poetry. Moreover, his poetry possessed elements of modern surrealism.

The official document is awarded to the historical site for its beautiful architecture, its impressive atmosphere and the good behavior of the staff, the director of the Fars Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Department said in a press release on Friday.

Mosayyeb Amiri added that a poll conducted by the website introduces Hafezieh (tomb of Hafez) as one of the top historical sites in the world.

http://www.payvand.com/news/14/jul/1072.html

Traditional Ice house in Abarqu, in central Iran

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Ice House in Abarqu, Iran

Ice House in Abarqu, Iran

ABARQU, IRAN – MAY 30: A tourist approaches a traditional ice house May 30, 2014 in Abarqu, in central Iran.

Other interesting photos: https://theotheriran.com/tag/photos/

Book from Female German Iran traveller Helena Henneken – THEY WOULD ROCK

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Have you ever stood on the “axis of evil?”
Taken a look around? And met people who live there? This book invites you to do so! A journey, 59 days in Iran. A woman with her backpack, cross-country.
Unexpected experiences, impressions, discoveries
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People, who tell “we are terrorists”-jokes – and spontaneously invite foreigners to stay with their families. People who seek an exchange with the world – even though they often disappear behind their country’s image.
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“If my people lived in another country, they would rock!” – that’s how a 16-year-old Iranian pictures the situation. Just one of several encounters: Helena Henneken has written a love-rock-song about the people she met in Iran.
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A colourful insight into the world behind the scarf. And a book that starts “from the back” – the Persian way around.


they would rock - 59 Tage Iran

More about the book: www.theywouldrock.com
Design: Frizzi Kurkhaus
Publishing house: GUDBERG
ISBN: 978-3-943061-36-9

http://www.helenahenneken.com/?page_id=806

Iran’s Isfahan Province: Kashan – Fin Garden Series

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Iran, Kashan Fin Garden

Fin Garden in Kashan, Iran

Iran’s 5200-year-old Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City) joins UNESCO World Heritage List

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The 5200-year-old Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City) located in southeastern Iran was registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on Sunday. The site was registered with no opposing vote during the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee …

https://i0.wp.com/www.payvand.com/news/14/jun/Shahr-e-Sukhteh--Burnt-City-ruins-Iran-1-HR.jpg
Located 57 kilometers from the Iranian town of Zabol in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, the Burnt City was excavated for the first time by the Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente (IsIAO) team led by Maurizio Tosi in 1967. […]

After a 19-year hiatus, a team led by Professor Seyyed Mansur Sajjadi began studies on the Burnt City and conducted 22 seasons of excavations at the site.

A 10-centimeter ruler with an accuracy of half a millimeter, an artificial eyeball, an earthenware bowl bearing the world’s oldest example of animation and many other artifacts have been discovered among the ruins of the city in the course of the 22 seasons of archaeological excavations conducted by Iranian teams. […]

An archaeological team, which will be led by Sajjadi, is scheduled to reconstruct the ancient society of the Burnt City during the new excavation season this year in October.

Sixteen Iranian ancient and historical sites have previously been registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

https://i0.wp.com/www.payvand.com/news/14/jun/Shahr-e-Sukhteh--Burnt-City-ruins-Iran-14-HR.jpg

More photos: Payvand News of Iran

Talesh in province Gilan

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Talesh Gilan Iran

Talesh Gilan Iran

Chabahar – Iran

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Iran – Kelardasht

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Iran – Kelardasht

Other photos from Iran: https://theotheriran.com/tag/photos/

German traveler Josh about Iran after Hitchhiking, Couchsurfing through the country

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This is what Josh writes about Iran and Iranians on his site:

 What is Iran like?

 Iran is full of terrorists and you will be shot right at the border because George W. Bush said so. BULLSHIT…

 Iran is the most inviting country in the world and its people the nicest I have ever met in my entire life. A Persian person is the perfect human being and makes us Europeans, Americans especially and perhaps Australians look like terrorists. I can vouch for that.

Every day I was invited by strangers to eat with them. They helped wherever they could and hosted me when I was lost in the middle of the night in the streets of Tabriz. Not a single time was I asked for money or anything. Even when I tried to force them to take my money or whatever they wouldn’t, I didn’t stand a chance.

I’m pointing this out because I’m tired of hearing how bad Iran and its people are. They aren’t terrorists, only bad politicans who don’t represent the majority of the Iranian folk. Not in my opinion anyway.

no.8 – What to see in Iran?

 You could spend months or maybe even years in Iran and you wouldn’t get bored. It is full of history and culture. For some people Iran may appear like a big desert but even the countryside has a lot to offer. Tabriz for example in the north, was Iran’s former capital. Not far from there you can find Lake Urmia, the biggest lake in the Middle East and the third largest saltlake in the world. Other attractions of course include Tehran, Iran’s massive capital and one of the largest cities on earth, the Caspian Sea and the former city of Persepolis.
tehran damavand mountains

Travel your way from north to south. Don’t miss out on Isfahan, Yazd and Shiraz. Isfahan especially caught my attention and I was stunned by its architecure. In the center of the city you will find the Naqsh-e Jahan square. It was so amazing that I sat there all day long and went for a little time travel back in the days when kings still ruled this amazing country. This square had such an impact on me and I won’t ever forget this special occasion.
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generally speaking, you will be surprised how easy it is to hitchhike in Turkey, Iran or Romania.

http://www.gotravelyourway.com/2013/07/25/the-how-to-hitchhike-to-iran-guide/#.U25nKaJmMek

Harvard Business Review: What It’s Like Being a Business Traveler in Iran

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With a sense that a new dialogue may be happening between this remarkable culture and the West, about a dozen CEOs from the U.S., U.K., and Canada with extensive experience in emerging markets persevered to take a closer look. […]

Throughout our ten days this month in Tehran, the religious center of Qom and historic Kashan, Isfahan, and Shiraz, little of what we experienced was expected. […]

We almost immediately learned that Iran is an astoundingly lovely place, with very little of the deep poverty one sees intertwined into the societies of most emerging markets. We visited some of the greatest historic and cultural centers we have ever seen. There is an excellent education system – their engineering, in particular, is globally competitive. We didn’t see a fraction of the religious tension we expected. Everywhere we went, people (especially young people) came up to us even on the streets, tourist spots and restaurants to say hello, to thank us for being there, to express affection. […]

Coke and Pepsi were everywhere. […]

Today, in a country of roughly 70 million, there is well over 100% mobile penetration – meaning many people have more than one “dumb” phone – but 3G is coming and their over 60% Internet penetration is rising (albeit service speed is slow by western standards.) […]

And despite the sanctions and difficulty in buying apps, we were told that there are some 6.5 million iPhones in the country. Despite government restrictions for access to social networks, every young person we saw has found works-arounds to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. […]

The new generations were born after the taking of our Embassy, so it’s not part of their world-view. They have little interest in their parents’ politics or religion, and in being told what to do.

Read the complete post here:
Harvard Business Review | What it’s like being a business traveler in Iran

Shiraz – Narenjestan e Ghavam

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Qavam House (also widely called “Narenjestan e Ghavam“) is a traditional and historical house in Shiraz, Iran.

It was built between 1879 and 1886[1] by Mirza Ibrahim Khan.

During the second Pahlavi era, the House became the headquarters of Pahlavi University‘s “Asia Institute”, directed by Arthur Upham Pope and Richard Nelson Frye. Frye and his family also lived in the house for a while.

The house today is a museum and is opened to the public.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qavam_House

 

Shiraz – typical atrium

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Tehran – Day Series

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Tehran, Iran

Esfahan – Ali Qapu Palace Music Room

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Ali Qapu (Âli Qapı from Ottoman Turkish High Porte) is a grand palace in Isfahan, Iran.

It is forty-eight meters high and there are seven floors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase. In the sixth floor music room, deep circular niches are found in the walls, having not only aesthetic value, but also acoustic.

The building, another wonderful Safavid edifice, was built by decree of Shah Abbas the Great in the early seventeenth century. It was here that the great monarch used to entertain noble visitors, and foreign ambassadors.

The chancellery was stationed on the first floor. On the sixth, the royal reception and banquets were held. The largest rooms are found on this floor. The stucco decoration of the banquet hall abounds in motif of various vessels and cups. The sixth floor was popularly called (the music room).

Here various ensembles performed music and sang songs. From the upper galleries, the Safavid ruler watched polo, maneuvers and the horse-racing opposite the square of Naqsh-i-Jahan.

Source: Wikipedia | Ali Qapu

Shiraz – Mausoleum of famous poet Saadi

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Shiraz, Iran – Mausoleum of famous poet Saadi