Tehran – December 2007
The flight from London left over 40 minutes late but we made up about 20 en-route. The crew were the worst I’ve ever come across & it has to be said that BMI Business Class was pretty hopeless, but it was a full flight…
Arriving at Tehran was a bit unnerving – first off the plane – down the air bridge and then – nothing – just a long empty, silent corridor – glass on the left hand side so you could see the outside world – but walled on the right so you couldn’t see the planes. It’s quite a nice new terminal – just very austere. So, off I trundled – eventually got to immigration – there were about 6 or 7 Turkish guys in front of me in the “foreigners” queue – but other than waiting for them it was very straightforward – then down the escalator to the baggage hall. Didn’t have too long to wait for the bag but the guy at customs kept asking “what is it?” – after about 3 or 4 goes at this he changed to “what’s in it?” – that was easy – then the bag went through a scanner & away I went. Did you know there’s no landing card to fill in? Top marks for that…
My guide & driver were waiting & we drove into Tehran – which, let me tell you, is a treat. Not. The highway was ok but once in the city it is just bedlam – they’ve virtually abandoned traffic lights – only a very few junctions still seem to have them – and traffic, mopeds & pedestrians just weave in and out – but the traffic moves so slowly that there seem to be very few accidents – I think I’ve seen 3 minor bumps in 5 days, which is pretty amazing all things considered – those theories about there being order in chaos must be correct…
I visited the National Museum, the Golestan Palace, the Sa’d Abad Museum and the Tehran bazaar. The bazaar is huge…
Getting out of Tehran is a relief – most of the traffic runs on leaded fuel and the most popular car is the Peykan – basically the Hillman Hunter from around 1969. In addition they build Peugeot 405’s & 206’s over here – including a 206 saloon – which you don’t see in Europe. The other popular car is the local version of the Kia Pride (saloon & hatch). The atmosphere is heavy with fumes and a layer of smog hangs over the city – which is home to 12 or 14 million people depending on which guide book you read.
Shiraz
We flew from Tehran (my guide is with me all the time) to Shiraz – which was pretty straightforward. The Iranians aren’t overly fond of queuing – so getting the tickets was interesting. Security was straightforward. The plane was a Fokker 100.
Shiraz was warmer – about 8 degrees & still sunny – not that Tehran was that cold, really. So far in Shiraz I’ve seen a couple of memorials to a couple of dead poets, the Nasir-ol-molk Mosque – the closest I’ve so far seen to anything in Uzbekistan – the Mausoleum of Shah-e Cheragh – where I was allowed into the mosque itself – spectacular – mirrored tiles everywhere – just amazing and of course the bazaar. The bazaar is smaller than Tehran’s and it is easier to navigate (well, my guide got us “lost” a few times) – and there’s a nice sort of jewellery section. The mannequins in the fashion section are odd in that the heads are sliced through – perhaps to make them indeterminate – anyway, I suggested they were Americans – which made the stall holders titter – but my guide said it was more likely that they were English, which I thought was harsh…
We went to Persepolis – the ancient Persian city that was destroyed in 330BC by Alexander the Great. Cheers Alex. Despite all the hype – there isn’t actually that much to see as so much as has been destroyed – what Alexander started, time & countless looters have finished off. But for any of it to remain after 2,300 years is amazing and so it is definitely worth visiting. Nearby is Naqshe-rostam where the rock tombs of Darius the Great, Xerxes and two other kings are – and they are quite impressive…
So far it’s all been pretty easy. Not had any trouble at all – though I wasn’t really expecting any, actually. The food has been a bit disappointing – I was hoping for lovely fresh herbs and vegetables- but it’s mostly been kebabs – lots of salad & fresh fruit, though – oh, and soft drinks & tea…
The hubbly-bubbly pipe has recently been banned (my guide seemed unaware of this) – so no trying that then…
We went to the cinema, in Shiraz, and saw a romantic comedy that was reasonably easy to follow & vaguely amusing. Talking through the film & the making & receiving of calls appear to be mandatory. We had an ice cream – more sort of water ice – wait, more sort of iced play-doh – weird & not really any flavour. I also had some white noodles – like white chocolate vermicelli or white hundreds & thousands – again no real flavour & these came in lemon flavoured water ice – a speciality of Shiraz apparently but not one to race there for – or, indeed, race back…
Yazd
The drive out of Shiraz to Yazd followed the main road to Esfehan that we’d taken to Persepolis – but went on beyond there with our first stop at Pasargadae – begun in 546 BC its main feature is the tomb of Cyrus – but really, there’s not much there and what there is, is scattered eerily over quite a large plain. It seems that Pasargadae was abandoned once Persepolis was built – started some 28 years later – and of course has been looted over time. We then stopped at Abarqu to see a large ice-house and a 4,000 year-old Cypress tree…
It wasn’t until we were about 30 minutes out of Abarqu & turned off at Dheshir in the direction of Taft and Yazd that the journey became more interesting. Away from the plains we climbed up into the hills and mountains – really lovely terrain – brilliantly lit in the cold December sun and the higher hills & mountains dusted in snow that looked for all the world like icing sugar. This is a drive everyone must do – just wonderful – of course it all comes to an end as you enter Taft (dull) and 10 km later Yazd.
In Yazd we visited the Zoroastrian Fire Temple – where the fire (or flame) has allegedly been burning since 476 AD – and just outside Yazd are the Towers of Silence – the ancient Zoroastrian burial sites – well, not burial sites exactly as they simply left the bodies out to be picked clean by birds (vultures in India; kites & ravens here) – not quite as daft as it may seem. Also, to them the four elements (air, earth, fire & water) are pure & shouldn’t be contaminated – and they believed that burying a body contaminates the earth. Nowadays they have no choice but wrap the bodies in cloth. Their god is Ahura Mazda (great name) (good cars) & it was one of the first mono-deity religions with the basic tenets of: think nicely; speak nicely; behave nicely.
The Jameh Mosque is spectacular with imposing twin 48m high minarets. The tile work is amazing – certainly worth seeing. The Anur Chakmaq complex is essentially a 3-storey facade – so a bit like the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur – but Islamic in design & decoration, obviously. We saw Alexander’s Prison – essentially a 15th century clerical school – so 1800 years too young for Alexander the Great – but it is believed that the school was built on the site of an old prison – stories & legends, eh? Today is Eid al Qadir (Eid) and so most of the shops are shut & the place is decorated with bunting & the flag of Iran. As a desert city there are lots of old adobe houses & windy little back streets – much like Bukhara – and it has lots of wind towers (badgirs) – an early form of air conditioning.
The hotel I’m staying in is an old house in one of the many back alleyways – it’s built around a courtyard & has recently been turned into a hotel. Lots of charm & character – unlike the Soviet-style monolith I stayed at in Shiraz…
Isfahan – New Year 2008
I stayed in Isfahan for New Year. The city was the capital of Persia during the Safavid dynasty and the centre built by Shah Abbas is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The highlight of the city is the Meidan Emam – a square in the centre of Isfahan and one of the largest city squares in the world. Built by the Safavid Shah Abbas in the early 17th century, it is an outstanding example of Persian architecture. The square is bordered by two-storey arcades and anchored on each side by four magnificent buildings: to the east, the Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque; to the west, the pavilion of Ali Qapu; to the north, the portico of Qeyssariyeh; and to the south, the Imam Mosque. The Imam Mosque, also known as the Royal or Shah Mosque, and the Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque are simply stunning. An Imam gave me an eight-sided stone, which was very sweet. A gift to an infidel – I carried it with me for years afterwards…
Qom
On the drive back to Tehran, we stopped in the holy city of Qom for a brief visit. The centre of Qom is lovely but the outskirts are grim. It snowed overnight and I was worried that my flight might get cancelled. I have never been so happy to get on a plane and fly home. The flight was dry until we left Iranian air space but once free of that I took advantage of the rose champagne on offer.
On the flight to Iran the women all disappeared to the toilets as we approached Iranian airspace to change out of western outfits and into traditional Islamic clothes. On the flight out it was the reverse, obviously.
Curiously, my flat in Maidenhead was searched a couple of times before I actually left for Iran. It was blithely conveyed to me that it wasn’t the British that had done it as I’d never have known about it and that it was probably “their lot”…