Iran - Andrew Burke [139]
Return to beginning of chapter
QAZVIN
0281 / pop 342,000
Qazvin is famed for carpets and seedless grapes. The city was once capital of all Iran and has a considerable sprinkling of minor sights, but for most Western travellers its foremost role is as a launch point for excursions to the famous Castles of the Assassins in the marvellous Alamut Valley.
History
Founded by the Sassanian king Shapur I in the 3rd century AD, Qazvin prospered under the Seljuk rulers, who erected many fine buildings. It had a second, much later burst of prominence when the second Safavid shah, Tahmasp I (r 1524–76), transferred the Persian capital here from Tabriz. A great patron of the arts, his ambitious architectural plan for Qazvin proved to be only a dress rehearsal for Esfahan, where his successor, Shah Abbas I, set up court in 1598.
Orientation
The city centre is Azadi Sq, widely known as Sabz Meydan. The bazaar and alleys to its southeast are the most atmospheric areas for random strolling.
Information
INTERNET ACCESS
All charge IR6000 per hour.
Coffeenet Setayesh ( 332 0571; Ayatollah Khamenei Blvd)
Coffeenet Yahoo (Khayyam St; 9am-11pm Sat-Thu, 11am-11pm Fri)
Parsee Coffeenet ( 223 0119; Tous Deadend, off Khayyam St; 9am-midnight)
Shahbda Coffeenet ( 223 9093; Modarres Blvd; 9.30am-10pm Sat-Thu, 10am-11pm Fri)
MONEY
Sharifi Exchange (Ferdosi St; 9am-1pm & 5-8pm Sat-Thu)
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist information booth ( 335 4708; www.qazvintourism.com; Naderi St; 8am-12.30pm & 5-7pm Sat-Thu) Facing the historic Rah Kushk Gate, this is one of Iran’s most professional tourist information offices, offering great free maps and useful brochures (partly in English). It can arrange guides to get you into normally closed architectural curiosities and has masses more detailed information available, if you ask the right questions.
Sights
CHEHEL SOTUN
When Qazvin took its turn as Iran’s capital, this attractive, colonnaded cube was Shah Tahmasp’s royal palace. Built in 1510, it was greatly remodelled in the Qajar era. Set in the town’s little central park it looks especially photogenic at night, with its delicate balustrades floodlit and its back-lit coloured-glass windows glowing through the foliage. Inside is a new calligraphy museum ( 223 3320; admission IR2000; 9am-1pm & 5-8.30pm).
QAZVIN MUSEUM
This spacious modern museum ( 223 4935; Helel-e-Ahmar St; admission IR3000; 9am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm winter, 9am-12.30pm & 5-7.30pm summer, closed Mon) predominantly features 19th-century decorative arts but the bottom floor has some 3000-year-old bronzes and ceramics from the Alamut Valley.
MOSQUES
Built in 1115, but extensively remodelled in the early 17th century, the Jameh Mosque has huge iwans and a fine marble mihrab. The very appealing Qajar-era Nabi (Shah) Mosque with its Mogul-style topknots also has an impressively expansive courtyard.
Aminiha Hosseiniyeh
Tucked away in a walled rose garden is the well-preserved 1773 Aminiha Hosseiniyeh (Molavi St at Amin Deadend; admission IR5000; 9am-1pm & 5-8pm). It’s a private mansion that doesn’t look much from outside, but has a splendidly gaudy wood, glass and mirror interior and a refreshingly cool, brick vaulted basement. A great place to unwind and write up your diary in peace.
Imamzadeh-ye Hossein
This large, well-proportioned shrine has a Qajar façade, a 16th-century blue dome and plenty of new mirror tiling. It commemorates a son of Imam Reza and is convivially set in a big fountain courtyard surrounded