Iran: A Persian Odyssey - home from Tehran via Ayatollah Khomeini Mausoleum

at the Ayatollah Khomeini Mausoleum Tehran

We are in Tehran and about to go home after a fantastic tour of Iran over the last 11 days - and how much we have seen - described in the last several blogs.

Smog is bad across the mountains this morning – by 9am they are practically obscured. We see on BBC World News that on the recent Day of Cyrus there was a huge disturbance at Pasargadae around his tomb - a nationalistic demonstration which we visited only the other day – all tour groups had to be kept away as 1000s converged and local guards couldn’t cope – but seemingly all went off without any obvious extreme violence. How lucky we were able to visit when we did.

The smog today has affected my chest badly and I cannot actually now wait to get out of the city. Before we left the hotel I went up to the 13^th floor for the advertised view from the Chinese restaurant there but cannot get out of the lift lobby as the doors into the restaurant with the views is locked. 

inside the Ayatollah Khomeini Mausoleum Tehran

The hotel advertises a garden – this must be the public Laleh gardens just up the road to the left from the entrance. I stroll up there and it is quite a large area with map at entrance but I do not have the time to fully explore. Others said it was very pleasant and relaxing among trees once one was away from the rather urbanised entrance.  

Suitcases checked and loaded on the bus - we are soon on our way to the airport via the Ayatollah Khomeini Memorial. We pass by the American Embassy building – scene of the American hostage crisis when the Embassy staff were held hostage for 444 days from October 1979. It is now an exhibition hall and the Swiss embassy is responsible for the American Embassy at the moment. The British Embassy only opened quite recently – hence enabling our own visit.  

Driving through the streets it is noticeable that the many small shops on which the Iranians seem to very much depend are grouped by product – thus there are concentrations of shops selling shoes, brass ware, musical instruments, bread, meat, hardware, building materials, wheelbarrows and so on… 

Ayatollah Khomeini Mausoleum

At the Ayatollah Khomeini Memorial we girls all enter to the left – where we have to take off shoes at the edge of the carpet and put on chadors – it is very difficult to get the hang of these – the ladies there smilingly help us put them on, quite amused probably at our clumsiness. Cell phone cameras are allowed but not other cameras – it is difficult anyway to take a photo and hold on to the chador at the same time!! We meet the men inside, who have their own entrance to the right of the shrine – they are shoeless but no special dress otherwise required for them – they are amused by the ethereal group of white chador clad womenfolk drifting over towards them across the carpets.  

the blood fountain at Behesht-e Zahra (cemetery)

Once outside again we see the blood fountain - red water symbolising the death of the many soldiers who were killed in the Iran Iraq war as well as those killed in the 1978 demonstrations against the Pahlavi regime - and the campsite of tents for the many pilgrims who come here to pay their respects.  

Back on the bus we make our presentations to the driver and Ali – who have looked after us so very well throughout our trip. 

So to the airport – a train line is being built alongside the road to the airport from the city – this should go some way to relieve the traffic pressure on this extremely busy route.   

All in all it was a wonderful trip and I would love to go again to see so much more that we didn't have enough time for in 11 days.

Before taking a break for a while from posting here - until the next pilgrimage perhaps - I would like to thank Rachel and McCabe Pilgrimages for such a well organised trip, the Revd. Canon Adrian Slade who made such a good job of leading and spiritually guiding us, our excellent local guide Ali with his encyclopaedic knowledge of just about anything we wanted to know, and our driver who transported us safely and cheerfully throughout the journey, always there to meet us and look after us and give us another picnic! And thank you to all my fellow pilgrims for being such good company. 

So where shall I be going next? Any ideas welcome and I would love your comments on any of my blogs to date. 

I wish all my readers a very happy New Year. May there be more peace for everyone in 2017.

Iran: A Persian Odyssey - a full day in Esfahan

the breathtaking Naqsh-e Jashan Square Isfahan

Surely the most beautiful city in the world? 

Our first full day in Esfahan or Isfahan.

inside the Vank Cathedral

First we go across the river to the Armenian quarter and see the All Saviours’ or Vank Armenian Cathedral (Vank means monastery or convent in Armenian) dedicated to St Joseph of Arimathea. After the Ottoman War of 1603-05 Armenian immigrants settled here in search of a new life under the Safavid King Shah Abbas I and established this Cathedral, one of the first churches in Esfahan. Construction began around 1606, and was completed with major alterations to design between 1655 and 1664. 

The wall and ceiling paintings are fabulous, described well here 

Edict to protect rights of Armenian
Christians

Inside the Vank Cathedral

The adjoining museum is equally superb and both totally absorbed our attention – in the museum we marvelled at the ancient documents, including the 1606 edict of Shah Abbas I establishing New Jolfa and prohibiting interference with, or the persecution of, Armenians and their property and affairs in the district.

Christian Gospel written on parchment 1329 

There are hundreds of handwritten books stored here and we saw beautifully illustrated bibles and Korans, the first book printed in Iran with an old printing press also on display, a variety of objects related to Armenian community in Isfahan such as Safavid costumes, tapestries, paintings, (including Mt Ararat and the Armenian Church on the island in Lake Van, both of which were seen on my pilgrimage to SE Turkey ) embroidery, and other ethnological displays related to Armenian culture and religion, a very moving wall display of the Armenian Genocide, the world's smallest prayer book, in 7 languages, casks for Holy Relics, and all needed quite a while to truly appreciate. 

A visit to a real Iranian coffee shop next was a great treat - especially as we all had a huge chocolate cake to share!

drawing a miniature freehand

window display of camel bone miniatures

Our next stop, suitably refreshed, is to a miniatures workshop – the expert who displays his wares to us here has 40 years’ experience and gives us some information on the different materials in use – ivory (now forbidden of course), camel bone (next best – retains colour for 100 – 200 years), plastic (not so good!), and cow bone which cracks quickly. Therefore when buying these miniatures, we are warned, beware the material used and make sure we know what we are buying to avoid later disappointment. The special pens he uses are made of cat hair, and colours used are mostly natural, for example from pistachios, walnuts and pomegranates.

We walk through the bazaar to lunch – at the Partikan Hotel - and this is very good indeed. They make a special dish for me, I think it is butternut squash in a sweet sour thick sauce with the usual salad but all very freshly prepared. The meat looked like haggis but was rated highly by the meat eaters – there is jelly, water melon and cream custard for a sweet finish to the meal. It is all very good with slick service and rated highly by us all.

inside the Masjed-e Imam

inside the double dome of the Masjed-e Imam

At the Masjed-e Imam Ali treats us to more of his moving singing beneath the epicentre of the double dome structure of the great prayer hall - there is a great echo here - and explains the theory behind the construction. The inner dome is weight bearing - at its apex there is a 14 metre gap between the inner and outer dome, the latter with a more bulbous external profile which stands 54 m high. The courtyard is offset 45 degrees from the main entrance so that it can face Mecca without spoiling the appearance of the entrance on the main square. 

In a further courtyard behind the building we enjoy a question and answer session with a Mullah.

opportunity for discussions with a Mullah

block printing in Esfahan

various traditional blocks for the printing
process

So onward through the bazaar - to a linen shop and a demonstration of linen block-printing– where we watch the process and I buy a very pretty cushion cover.

At the Romano restaurant in the evening we enjoy the usual soup, followed by a very good, fresh and plentiful salad, and the main course was lion fish from the Persian Gulf, with a sesame chicken and prawns. It was beautifully presented, as was my veggie dish which was moulded vegetables and very tasty. All good quality but huge portions. The bread was very good, the service friendly. There was fruit to finish – like a smooth skinned orange. We were not entirely sure what it was. 

attractive veggie choice at the Romano Restaurant

Lion fish at Romano Restaurant

Iran: A Persian Odyssey - the road to Yazd

ceiling at the Saadi Tomb

We are leaving Shiraz today and have a long journey to Yazd - but first we stop on the outskirts of Shiraz to visit the Tomb of Muslah al-Din Saadi set in its own lovely gardens.

Saadi poetry panel from The Rose Garden

Our guide has a beautiful singing voice and treats us to his interpretation of some of the poet's verses which are portrayed in colourful tiles on the walls in the mausoleum. One is a panel of prose from Golestan or The Rose Garden, written in 1257, one of Saadi's major poetic works. The Rose Garden is a collection of stories and wisdom in eight chapters, with each section representing a flower of the garden. It is still very popular among Iranians and our guide will readily quote and explain passages from the poem which is full of moral guidance.  

the gardens at the Saadi Tomb

Another popular quote from the poet, inspired by his own unhappy marriage, goes thus: "A good wife comes with a good man to dwell - she soon converts his earthly heaven to hell."

There is a man meditating by a pool in the grounds - it is all very peaceful and I would have liked time there myself to savour the peace and quiet.

The loos here are modern and clean - a rare treat here!

We now have a three hour drive to our restaurant for lunch on the way to Yazd - passing Persepolis on the way.

Seat belts are only compulsory here on the main roads out of town and we are told there are police checks on this. Our coach stops to pay a toll, due also from lorries, but from which the cars seem exempt. We have a fascinating lecture on education through Iranian history, from c. 550 BC onwards, to while away the journey - but I cannot take my eyes away from the scenes which unfold through the window on our way - there are so many interesting sights. We follow the 55N towards Esfahan and Tehran but turn off later to the east at Surmaq towards Yazd.

scenery on road to Yazd

It's 24 degrees outside - pleasantly warm for me given the dry heat - with none of the humidity that often makes UK summer heat so unpleasant. The message scrolling across the information bar at the front of the coach includes a safety message about seat belts and a blessing for our journey in the name of Muhammed - also reminding us that bottled water is freely available in the fridge by the back door. We need to drink plenty to avoid dehydration.

A village in the distance prominently flies a huge black flag - we see many of these on our journey - they are marking the mourning month of Moharram, a full 28 days each year commemorating the tragic death of the third Imam, Hossein. This year it covers the month of October - the dates change annually. 

There are still many nomadic settlements dotted around near the road - no doubt they are here to help with the vegetable harvesting. A few rather grand villas in their own green compounds are in stark contrast to the dusty looking sandy coloured stone villages we pass and the nomads' tented settlements.

marble quarry

We're now on a high plain - with the road following the course of a dried out river for some time. There are many concrete irrigation channels here set into the fields - with sluice gate controls - perhaps fed by the new controversial Sivand dam nearby (see 5th December post).

There are a few donkeys - not so common in this part of the world - and most farm compounds seem to have a collection of old tractors and combine harvesters and other farm implements. We still climb, and come above the agricultural zone into a rocky terrain criss-crossed with rough side roads and tracks.

The mountains here are rich in minerals and there is much quarrying activity. We pass a very large marble mine for which the region is famous - as reflected in the wonderful and extensive marble tiling and walls and floors we see in many of the buildings we visit.

At midday we arrive at our turn off towards Yazd, stopping soon for a loo break by a rather magnificent mosque in a small village. 

fresh bread on the bus

Ali buys some fabulous fresh bread in the local shop and we tear and share it on the coach. It is lovely. It is still an hour before lunch and we welcome the stop and the refreshments. We continue to drive further north west and higher into the mountains. The terrain becomes increasingly bleak and barren and villages are few and far between here. We are now 195 km from Shiraz. For a long while we drive through very arid scrubland - but multicoloured rock faces look rich with minerals - looking like the multi spice "cakes" for sale in the spice shops in the Esfahan bazaar we will visit later in the week. A magnificent jagged mountain chain looms out of the haze of dust and heat on our left. The road is very long and straight ahead of us.

A lonely man is litter picking into a large yellow sack seemingly a long way from anywhere. I can only guess that he is finding something with a recyclable value.

snow melt area in otherwise barren landscape

There is much snow up in this area in the winter and the snow melt catchment areas show green and lush, where many fruit trees are cultivated - peach, mango, cherry, pomegranate, grapes, almonds, apples … Otherwise the area is quite barren.

Hunters from Shiraz have decimated the wild life in this area and the countryside to our left is now designated a National Park.

We stop to eat somewhere on the road around Faragheh to Abarkuh but I am not sure where. 

Although the restaurant has a very unprepossessing interior and is geared for tour groups, locals also eat here and the food was very good, the service efficient and friendly. And they made me a lovely veggie dish of aubergine and potato stew, although from later experiences perhaps they just fished the meat out of it! Veggies beware! The low point of the meal was the pre-packaged plastic container of cabbage salad to start - very boring.

mosque along the way

There is another beautiful mosque in the middle of nowhere - 

inside the icetower

the icetower at Abarkuh

and we stop to see the ice tower in Abarkuh. These are large fire -brick domed constructions set deep into the ground and formerly used for ice storage, a version of our own English country estate icehouses. 

There are old caravanserai (inns with central courtyards built for travellers or caravans) along the route here approximately 30 km apart - to facilitate the change of horses and availability of refreshments for the postal service or Royal Road across the country which was introduced by Darius the Great - and was the world's first postal service! It later became part of the Silk Road. 

We drive through pistachio country and see many small pistachio tree plantations. 

Our guide tells us that the road to Yazd attracts camels out of the cold desert at night to the tarmac which has been warmed during the day and retains its heat. For this reason it can be very hazardous to drive at night - sand storms are another hazard.

The small bushes or Camel Thorn here are very slow growing, stabilise the sand, and can be 200 - 300 years old.

We are now going through miles of desert and its totally barren. At Dehshir we turn left towards Taft and approach a mountain range. 

picnic preparations

Soon we stop at the side of the road for another welcome picnic - the driver and guide Ali are really good at putting on these impromptu refreshment stops. They put up table and stools and a paper table cloth, serve coffee and tea from huge flasks filled up by the last hotel, and invariably supply delicious local cake and biscuit delicacies which they have bought along the way. Fabulous. Here we have a lovely mountain view but the road is fast, the litter horrible! Litter is a very real problem all along the open roads; a sad contrast with the pristine cleanliness of the towns and cities.

in the Lion Mountains

It's 4.30 and the sun is getting low in the sky. We climb up into the mountain range - the Lion Mountains - and my ears pop as we descend again - the sun makes gorgeous colours in the mountains as it sets. There are old Zoroastrian villages to the west of the road - they still have their fire towers and fire festivals take place every year in January apparently. 

Eagle Rock

The Lion Mountains separate Yazd from the scorching hot central desert where the temperature can climb into the 70s, so they are essential to keep Yazd significantly cooler, albeit still up to 50 degrees in the height of summer. The locals tend to have small houses here in the mountains to escape the worst of the summer temperatures. This is a big pomegranate and walnut growing area, with some saffron also. Chicken in walnut sauce is a popular dish here. The wildlife here is protected - wildgoats (I saw a small herd on the mountain side), hyena, wolves, foxes, cheetahs, vultures.

We pass Eagle Rock - some imagination is needed! And the mountain range is now very dramatic in the setting sun. The lights of Yazd appear in the distant haze and soon we are at our hotel. Yazd is at an altitude of 1125m and 677 km to Tehran.

for more on the poet Saadi see http://www.ircv.org/download/Sample_Beyond_Poetry.pdf and 

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/saadi/books/golestan_saadi.pdf 

traditional restaurant in Yazd

traditional restaurant in Yazd

 We enjoy our evening meal in a traditional restaurant in Yazd -  the Fahadan Mehr Hotel Restaurant - we are taken by coach - our poor driver after such a long day already - he is a hero! There is a parrot to welcome us!

Iran: A Persian Odyssey - Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam

three  of the four tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam

detail from panel at Naqsh-e Rostam

From Pasargadae we make our way to the Naqsh-e Rostam tombs near Persepolis - four dramatic Achaemenid Empire (550-330BCE) tombs carved high into the rock face above us (the name was given by locals - Naqsh means picture and Rostam was a legendary Persian warrior). The tombs are probably those of Darius II (died 405 BCE), Artaxerxes I (died 424 BCE), Darius the Great (died 484 BCE) and lastly, on the far right, Xerxes I (d. 465 BCE) or Xerxes II (d. 423 BCE). Below the tombs are 7 beautifully carved stone panels from the Sassanid period - (224 - 658 CE). These all need time - panels and tombs alike - to really study and interpret their full magnitude. It is altogether an incredible place, and one not to be missed on any tour. A pair of binoculars was a definite asset here to more fully appreciate the detail high above us.

12.6m high Zoroaster's shrine at Naqsh-e Rostam
its function a mystery

After an excellent buffet lunch at the Laneh-e Tavoos garden restaurant nearby, we are soon off to Persepolis, probably the most important ancient site in Iran for all those interested in the history of the Persian Empire. Founded by Darius the Great around 515 BCE, the Achaemenid Kings received their subjects and generally ran their empire from here. Then Alexander the Great came and burnt it all to the ground. The ruins are still exceptional.     

Of course by the time we arrived after all that we had already seen today it was early afternoon - our visit lasted from 2.30 until 5.30 - some say early morning is best for the light, but we benefited from less crowding and a lovely red colour to the ruins as the sun went down.

detail at Persepolis

We were only allowed to take the tiniest bags into the site, such as money and camera, and were advised to leave everything else in the coach, or bags must otherwise be left with security at the entrance.

part of the famous eastern Apadana staircase at Persepolis
this side  shows envoys from 23 subject nations bringing gifts

There is a good souvenir shop but I had left my money on the bus! And purchases have to be made on leaving the site, not before. So the shop actually missed out on our Rials which we are all itching to spend!


And the toilets at the entrance were pretty grim - even the local ladies and children thought so.

While most of the group went straight to the café on the site at the end of the trip, six of us climbed up to view at close hand one of the royal tombs high above the ruins. Not only was this interesting, but a fabulous panoramic view of the site was our reward. There are four royal tombs up here, two of which we can easily access, those of Artaxerxes II (d. 358 BCE) and Artaxerxes III (d. 338 BCE).  

panorama of Persepolis from royal tombs above

The drinks at the café nestling below us were very expensive when we clambered down to it, although it was a very pleasant place to sit and relax at the end of a hot day. The toilets at this end of the site were even grimmer than those in the car park at the entrance! But don't let that put any one off visiting such an incredible site.

As we leave many of the Iranian families were parking up at the side of the road and disappearing into the adjoining woods to picnic, lighting fires, spreading blankets out and no doubt cooking kebabs - a firm picnic favourite here. As I have said before, this is an Iranian passion. They will picnic just about anywhere, and in many places there are special shaded picnic shelters for the purpose. And they take all their litter away with them, leaving the place as clean as they found it.

an eagle griffin or Homa - auspicious bird - adopted
as symbol of Iranian National airline. 

It has been a very long day, but what a rewarding one! Tomorrow we are off on the long drive to Yazd for the famous Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, but first we will visit the Tomb of the Poet Saadi in its beautiful gardens and will be treated to some soulful singing from our guide...

For much further on information on Persepolis see:

http://www.iranchamber.com/history/persepolis/persepolis1.php

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/114
http://www.ancient.eu/persepolis/

heading home from Persepolis at day's end

Iran - A Persian Odyssey - Pasargadae

ice blocks for the fresh fish

Shiraz at 6am still sleeps - except for the solitary man with his broom sweeping the car park area at the front of the hotel. The roads are empty. A pink tinge glows over the mountains in front of the hotel, below a clear blue sky. It is going to be another lovely day. I am breakfasting early - in glorious peace after the unseemly and disorganized scrimmage between all the different tourist groups in the breakfast room yesterday. 

Shiraz - and indeed Iran - is full of tourist groups, mostly following much the same trail from South to North as ourselves - and mostly British, German, French and Australian it seems. And it is easy to see why - with so many wonderful experiences on offer in this beautiful, friendly and safe country. But this early in the morning the man who cooks the delicious filled omelettes to order is not yet at his station. Never mind - I value the quiet. 

the Quran Gate - new hotel looms above it!

Five minutes before we are due to leave at 7.30 for Pasargadae I spill cough mixture down the front of my clean shirt! I'm still suffering the after effects of a cold I picked up before leaving England. Thank goodness for lots of cold water and the hotel hairdryer! All is restored without having to change my clothes. We settle into our coach seats for the 100 km drive. I am happy to be given the opportunity to observe the general environment around us on the trip - all full of interest.

We are off today to the world heritage sites of Pasargadae and Persepolis.

The roads are still quiet - how different from the motorways around my own home where they are already overcrowded nowadays at 5am! 

Huge blocks of ice are being delivered to a fish shop where they are cut up on the pavement before taking in to pack around the piles of fresh fish. 

onion pickers

On the Northern outskirts of Shiraz we drive past the Quran Gate (Darvazeh-e Quran), rebuilt in the 1950s by a local benefactor after the original 10th century gatehouse, built by Karim Khan Zand to house a Quran to bless departing travellers, had to make way for road expansion. This is next to the relative eyesore of the massive new 5* Shiraz Hotel. So we make it out of town on to the main highway. There is much money being spent here on new road construction. The mountainous landscape is barren and sandy.

Soon we see the bad litter on the roadside and in the laybys. This is such a contrast from the pristine litter free and clean town we have left. I'm dismayed and disillusioned.

nomads and goats

flock of Nomad goats on the road to Pasargadae

Then we drive into an altogether more green and fertile area - there are small pine tree plantations and green fields, workers sitting on rugs by the side of the road picnicking, perhaps breakfasting before they start work, picking the tomatoes which are ripe and bright red and truly delicious. Other crops include maize, sunflowers, sugar beet, cotton, cabbages, sack loads of onions and more. There is also wheat, being harvested by a small old combine harvester. The herds of goats find plenty left on the picked fields. A web of irrigation channels maintains the water supply to the crops but the river alongside the road is totally dry. Huge water melons are being sold out of the back of small lorries at the side of the road, small tents nearby which presumably provided overnight camping for the vendors. Four professional looking cyclists stop by the side of the road - a very rare sight indeed on these open main roads. 

camel for the tourists at Pasargadae

A large flock of sheep or goats is being herded along the side of the road by nomads, the settlements of khaki tents visible along the way. Our guide tells me that the government are trying to settle these nomadic tribes into more permanent accommodation but with limited success apparently. 

The mountain range here reminds me very much of the South East Turkey mountains close to the Syrian border which we visited back in 2013 on our Turkish pilgrimage.

We pass close to the Sivand Dam, started in 2007, the cause of much controversy and concern over its possible effects on the great monuments of Pasargadae and Persepolis, due to worries over flooding of these precious sites and also the effect of the increased humidity from the  reservoir on the life of the remains, particularly at Pasargadae.

relief detail at Pasargadae

So we arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the ancient Persian city of Pasargadae - capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great who had ordered its construction (559–530 BC) and where he is buried. The coach turns down a long tree lined avenue off the main road past a restaurant of same name, the road lined with pictures of martyrs from the Iran Iraq war.

This is a vast area of which little remains - it would have been very beautiful with irrigated gardens full of roses and trees and nightingales. Again I am reminded of the nightingales as we walked up to the monastery in SE Turkey close to the Syrian border in 2013. 

archaelogists at work Private Palace Pasargadae

We start with the gate house - and finish with the Private Palace, where archaeologists are hard at work. Then we make our way to what in the distance looks like a cement factory. It turns out to be what is locally known as Solomon's Prison - it seems no one knows its true purpose. There are a few theories including that it may be the tomb of Cambyses I father of Cyrus the Great.

Solomon's Prison

Encased in clever coloured scaffolding to blend in to its surroundings, plenty of small birds have made their home here but the guide cannot name them. Nearly 500 species of bird have been identified in Iran 1971 Ramsar Convention signed in Iran at Ramsar specifically for Wetlands conservation and the protection of birdlife but they haven't seemingly done very much lately to support its aims.

the citadel at Pasargadae

We then make our way by coach to the citadel fortification on the top of the hill. This would have been similar to the Athenian Acropolis in its structure and position. A few of us sprint up to the top for the views.

tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae

Our final stop here is to look more closely at the tomb of Cyrus the Great. During our visit to Iran there were protests at the Cyrus monument; but we managed to avoid them.

We leave the site past the Caravanserai of Mozaffari, built during the short lived Mozaffari dynasty 1314-1393 set up by a commander from the Mongol army who seized control over central Iran.

There is more detailed archaeological info to be found online

picnic set up in the shade at Pasargadae