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| DESTINATIONS
LIBRARY: No. 8 Iran Pictures © Bob Lee |
| In
October 2002 Bob Lee travelled to Iran with Persian Voyages of Dorking
(flying with Iranair) on a three week tour of the Mosques and Historical
Sites. Before leaving the UK he was somewhat apprehensive about how restrictive
living and travelling in an Islamic country was going to be – he need
not have worried…… There is the Islamic dress code to be respected which for men means long sleeved shirts and long trousers while for women trousers or an ankle length dress or skirt with thigh length top and a scarf to cover the hair. This hair covering seemed to be the most inconvenient and rather over-warm for the ladies in the party. Of course strictly no alcohol. I found the Iranians most friendly and interested in their visitors. The only contact with authority we had was when our drivers had to show their documents from time to time. |
| We flew to Shīrāz from where it is only a short drive to Persepolis. Alexander may have razed it to the ground but Persepolis is still a magnificent place. From the ‘Gate of all the Lands’ to the exquisitely detailed bas reliefs it is possible to spend many hours and many rolls of film. |  Persepolis – detail on capital |
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 Persepolis – bas relief - Apadana |
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 Persepolis – Gate of all the Lands |
 Persepolis |
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Leaving
the Zagros Mountains behind, a long journey across the desert on good
roads lead to Bam with its oleander and eucalyptus lined streets and
remains of an old walled town. |
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 The ruined town of Bam |
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North through fields of pistachio bushes to Yazd and its Zoroastrian Fire Temple and so to the unforgettable City of Isfāhan. The three nights I spent here were barely sufficient to glimpse even the main sights. The highlight of course must be the Imam Square laid out by Shah Abbas I in the early 17th century as a parade and polo ground. Now an open space with lawns and fountains it is surrounded by a covered market but dominated by three great buildings: |
 Yazd - Zoroastrian Fire Temple |
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 Isfāhan – dome of the Masjid-Imam |
The Ali Qapu from where the Shah viewed parades in the square, the Masjid-Imam with its superb tilework and, to my mind the most beautiful of all, the Masjid-i Shayk Lutfollah with its wonderful inner dome. It is of interest that since the square is aligned north-south the interiors of the two mosques are built at an angle in relation to their exteriors so that the prayer areas face Mecca. |
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 Isfāhan – dome of the Masjid-Imam |
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 Isfāhan – Masjid-i Shayk Lut Follah |
 Isfāhan – Masjid-i Shayk Lut Follah – interior of dome |
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| A visit to the Hasht Behest pavilion will dispel any thoughts that Islamic Art never portrays animal life. Lions, peacocks and other birds are prominent in the tile work above the windows. |  Isfāhan – tilework in Hasht Behest Pavilion |
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| Qom, the second
most sacred city in Iran, was the only place we, as non-Muslims, met any
restrictions. At the shrine of Fatima we were only allowed into the first
courtyard but not into the shrine itself – the women in the party having
to hire a chador even for this. And so back to Tehrān with its traffic and museums. The National Jewels Museum has some beautiful jewellery but also the ludicrous bejewelled Globe of the World where diamonds and rubies represent the land and emeralds the sea. The National Archaeological Museum shows how long a history Iran has. The Reza Abbasi Museum is definitely one to visit, rare gold and silver objects and wonderful examples of Islamic calligraphy and book illustrations. |
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 Countryside near Sari |
For
our final week the group headed north-east past a semi-excavated mound
where, it is said, Alexander told his troops they were going on to India
and not home. We were now entering a different Iran, one with trees,
rice fields and cattle. We spent a few days visiting the Khosh Yeylaq
and Golestan National Parks – ex royal hunting estates, with their flocks
of wild sheep and herds of deer. Bird-watchers would be delighted in
spring but autumn is not a good time for birds here with only a few
species to be seen. More successful was a visit to the Caspian Sea
coast near Sari. |
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Many
waders were spotted – avocets, spoonbills, egrets, etc but most impressive
were the large flocks of flamingos, while eagles and other birds of
prey quartered the groves of wild pomegranate trees on the edge of the
marshes. Being much nearer to Turkmenestan, in this part of Iran many people with mongoloid features were to be seen in the street markets while the women’s clothes were much more colourful. Some of the more out of the way archaeological sites required some perseverance to reach - one involved a detour over a 2,000m mountain ridge via a much zigzagged dirt road through a forest while on another occasion our party found itself standing in the middle of a soya bean field surrounded by broken bricks. |
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We now had
a long drive across the Alborz Mountains with a distant view of Damavand
(5,670m) for a final night in Tehrān before catching the early
morning flight home. |
 Khosh Yeylaq National Park |
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| A few helpful notes: | |
| General: | Iran has had a bad press in recent times but at the moment this is not justified. The present regime is fairly tolerant, perhaps as a result of pressure from the younger generation, especially the younger women. There is so much of interest, both natural and man-made and I would have no hesitation in returning. A few weeks without wine with dinner might even be a good thing! |
| Health and fitness: | Health hazards are as one might expect on any trip to a Middle
Eastern country – drink bottled water and take care with eating. Depending
on the time of year it is possible that malarial precautions may be needed
– check with your doctor’s surgery. The main risk to health seems to
be in crossing the road, especially in Tehrān where the traffic is
very heavy. Zebra crossings are merely street decorations! No great fitness was necessary on this trip but some stamina was required for taking in all the sites! However, because the distances between the places of interest were so great there was plenty of opportunity to relax on the coach. |
| Currency: | Credit cards are not, in general, accepted (except by carpet salesmen!) The preferred currency is the US Dollar which most of the larger tourist hotels will change but a much better rate is obtained at Tehrān Airport where, incidentally, caviar is much cheaper than in the UK! |
| Guidebooks: | I used the Bradt Guide to Iran by Patricia L Baker. |