The Art of Zurhane On the top floor above a nearby a 900-year-old reservoir in Yazd, we attended a performance of the art of Zurhane, a type of martial arts and exercise or training system established at least a…
Iran Travelogue # 13 – Caravanserai in Yazd
Caravanserai in Yazd We arrived in Yazd to find a remarkable metropolis where we stayed in a caravanserai or traveler’s inn. Caravanserais were first built around 150. “A caravanserai was a roadside inn where travelers or caravans could…
Iran Travelogue # 12 – Naqsh-e Rostam, the City of Tombs
Nasqsh-e Rostam From Shiraz, we drove a short distance to Naqsh-e Rostam (Naqsh-e Rustam), the magnificent rock tombs of four ancient kings—Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I and Xerxes I. According to UNESCO Nasqsh-e Rostam is “An ensemble of historic,…
Iran Travelogue # 10 – Touring Shiraz
Shiraz – City of Poets and Flowers Some of the sites in Shiraz we took in included the Citadel of Karim Kahn with its Statue Room. “Shiraz is known as the city of poets, literature, and flowers. It is also…
Iran Travelogue # 11 – Persepolis, the City of the Persians
Persepolis – the City of the Ancient Persians Leaving Shiraz and heading for Yazd, we made two memorable stops. The first is probably the most famous historical site in all of Iran: Persepolis (the City of the Persians,…
Iran Travelogue # 9 – Shiraz, the City of Nightingales
The start of our road trip began in Shiraz We flew south one hour from the capital of Tehran to Shiraz (the City of Nightingales) where we met our next driver, Shahrouch, a 25-year-old amiable young man who spoke very…
Iran Travelogue # 7 – What Women Wear in Iran
Yes, I had to wear a scarf at all times outside our hotel room (which, after three weeks, I found very confining); but otherwise, there were no limits on what we could say, where we could go or what we…
Iran Travelogue # 8 – Traveling in Iran
Traveling in Iran Traveling in Iran: driving throughout the country on Iranian superhighways was a dream. While they are called “freeways,” these toll roads are as modern as the best interstate highways in the U.S. And they are all well-marked,…
Iran Travelogue # 6 – The City of Tehran and Hookahs
Tehran and Hookahs The third night we went to an elaborately tiled and designed Middle Eastern restaurant where almost everyone was smoking a hookah, what you might recognize as a Persian water-pipe. The hookah is a waterpipe used to smoke tobacco. The…
Iran Travelogue # 5 – Touring Tehran, The Grand Bazaar & Other Landmarks
Touring Tehran – Visiting The Grand Bazaar While touring Tehran one of the highlights was visiting The Grand Bazaar: “Located at the Arg Square in Southern Tehran, the bazaar is split into several corridors over 10 km (just over 6.2 miles)…