Some very quick impressions about Iran: Bloody hot (she says with a beetroot-coloured face)! Women at both extremes – those who cover up completely with a black Chador, and those who flaunt as much as possible the restrictions they are currently placed under (the headscarf is meant to cover all hair). Water fountains everywhere in […]
Looking out the window at Iran Read More »
One of the key considerations when heading to Iran is the strictly enforced dress code in place there. By law (not just for religious reasons), men must wear long pants, women must wear long pants/skirts/dresses that cover the ankles, long sleeves (at least ¾ length) and a headscarf that covers their hair. In addition, if a
After almost 2 months together, I finally said goodbye to the MAdventure group and headed off on my own – catching the train from Yazd to Tehran. You can’t actually buy train tickets from outside of Iran, yet all the recommendations say to book it in advance, so I was very thankful that I managed
Yazd to Tehran – Iran Read More »
All the way along the Silk Road we’d heard small bits and pieces about Zoroastrianism – the ancient religion that dominated Central Asia and Iran before the rise of Islam. Starting around 1,000 – 1,500BC, it was the first religion to posit an omnipotent, invisible God, who asked that followers pray in the direction of
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My last destination with the MAdventure group was Yazd – a desert town renowned for its well-preserved, mud-brick architecture and fascinating “Badgirs” (wind-catchers). I didn’t think it was possible to get hotter than Esfahan and Persepolis, but I was absolutely wrong. Yazd is something else in the heat stakes – 43 degrees for the duration
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For many people, the highlights of Iran (apart from the people) are the mosques and medrassahs and the blue tiles that adorn such buildings. However, much of this architecture was built after Timur (Tamerlane) cut swathes through the region, and given that he had his capital in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) the most impressive examples are actually
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I started my Day 2 in Esfahan (see here for Day 1) wandering around the parklands that border the River Zayendeh. Then, after my aborted attempt at visiting the Shah Mosque, I decided that I’d make my way out to the largest mosque in Iran, the Jameh Mosque of Esfahan (the main mosque in each town is called
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The first few days in Iran were spent driving and then hanging out in Masuleh. After all the time and expense to finally get to Iran, none of us had any clue why we spent so long in Masuleh – after all, there was nothing to do there except relax and enjoy the slightly cooler
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