Iran - Andrew Burke [112]
The surprisingly comfortable Laleh Hotel ( 726 0386; ring road; s/d/tr US$30/35/40) has a façade like an upmarket Chinese restaurant. Rooms have leather seats, mirror-fronted desks and plenty of marble. But the highlight is a basement bath complex (admission IR10,000; 3-9pm for men) of saunas, drop pools and two 10m swimming pools. Open daytime for women by negotiation.
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AZARIS, AZERIS, AZERBAIJAN & AZəRBAYCAN
Although there’s an independent republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), the majority of Azerbaijanis actually live in Iran, where they make up at least 25% of the population. Iranian Azerbaijanis (Azaris) live mostly in the northwest where two provinces use the name Azarbayjan. Commonly called ‘Turks’ because of their Turkic dialect, Azaris are Shiite unlike the (predominantly Sunni) Turks of neighbouring Turkey. Despite spoil-sport attempts of Western intelligence agencies to stir up Azari separatist feelings, Azaris are very well integrated into Iranian society. Many Azari Iranians are prominent in Farsi literature, politics and the clerical world. The Safavid shahs were Azaris from Ardabil and supreme leader Ali Khamenei is himself ethnic Azari. Although mostly concentrated in northwest Iran, Azaris are famously active in commerce, so bazaars nationwide ring with their voluble voices. Iranian taxi drivers are often Azari so it’s always worth having an Azari greeting (kefez yakhtsede? or nijasan?) up your sleeve to impress. Answer yakhtse (good) in Tabriz, yakhshi in Ardabil. Thank you (very much) is (chokh) saghol.
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Savaris to Miyando’ab and Maraqeh leave from Mo’allem Sq, almost outside: marked by a conspicuous copper-coloured statue of Ohadie-e Maraqehi, that’s where the Maraqeh road meets the ring road 900m east of the Mehrabad Mosque.
Miyando’ab
0481 / pop 138,000
Miyando’ab is a potentially useful overnight stop en route to Takht-e Soleiman (via Shahin Dezh then Takab). The historic Mirza Rasoul Bridge sits at the southern city limits and is visible if you drive into town from Mahabad. The oldest mosque is Masjid Tag (alley off Shahrivar St). In the one-room museum ( 222 4917; Imam St Park; admission IR2000; 7.30am-3pm Sat-Thu, 9.30am-1pm Fri), look for the ancient little fertility goddess fondling her own breasts. Nearby Hotel Berenjian ( 222 4975; fax 222 7870; Imam St; s/tw/tr US$25/35/45) is well equipped and very central above a decent restaurant with English menus. Walk five minutes left then around the corner to find the appealing teahouse Molana (Shohoda St; qalyan IR7000; 9am-8.30pm) and helpful internet café AsooNet (Shohoda St; per hr IR6000; 10am-10.30pm).
Minibuses for Shahin Dezh (IR3000, 1¼ hours), Mahabad (IR1500, 35 minutes) and Maraqeh (IR3000, one hour) use the new terminal out in the northeastern city limits. Savaris to Maraqeh (IR15,000) use a more central departure point beside the bright-green ‘pincer’ clock tower, 1km up Imam St from Hotel Berenjian. Shuttle taxis to the terminal cost IR1500 from that clock tower.
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TABRIZ
0411 / pop 1,461,000
A fascinating bazaar, a deeply human heart and passionately helpful freelance guides make this gigantic, sprawling city a surprisingly positive introduction to Iran. It had a spell as the Iranian capital and has proven extremely influential in the country’s recent history. Sometimes stiflingly smoggy and hot in summer, it can be freezing cold in winter, but the Azari welcome is generally very warm any time of year. Don’t miss an excursion to Kandovan, Iran’s ‘Cappadocia’.
History
Biblical clues point to the Ajichay River