Iran - Andrew Burke [176]
Getting There & Away
Helpful English-speaking Tayareh Travel Agency ( 222 9849; fax 222 6108; tayareh_travelagency@yahoo.com; Azadegan St; 8am-1pm & 5-9pm Sat-Thu) sells air tickets including to Tehran (IR332,000, frequent), Esfahan (IR315,000, daily), Shiraz (IR315,000, twice weekly), Kuwait (one way/return IR660,000/1,094,000, weekly) and Dubai (one way/return IR762,000/1,277,500, four weekly).
You can get to Shush (IR6000, two hours) and virtually anywhere else in Iran from the big main bus terminal (Andimeshk Rd) 5km west of centre up Enqelab St. Andimeshk savaris/minibuses (IR25,000/7500) depart from a hidden yard 200m further north. Dezful buses (IR15,000, 1¾ hours) use a different yard 100m to the southeast of the main terminal across Enqelab St.
Buses for Shushtar (IR5000, 1½ hours) use Istgah Shushtar (Pasdaran Blvd) way across town, 4km northeast of centre (halfway to the airport). Call 447 2020 for a taxi.
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AROUND AHVAZ
From Khorramshahr, 125km south, Valfarje-8 Shipping ( 336 7116) sails to Kuwait at least weekly. Dusty Shalamcheh, west of Khorramshahr, is the official crossing point for Basra in Iraq for those with suicidal self-confidence. Wreckage still litters surrounding tracts of land devastated in the Iran–Iraq War.
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Central Iran
* * *
QOM
KASHAN
AROUND KASHAN
ESFAHAN
ESFAHAN TO SHIRAZ VIA THE ZAGROS MOUNTAINS
INTO THE DESERT
YAZD
AROUND YAZD
ABARQU
SHIRAZ
PERSEPOLIS
NAQSH-E ROSTAM & NAQSH-E RAJAB
PASARGADAE
BAVANAT
FIRUZ ABAD
KAZERUN & BISHAPUR
* * *
Ever since Cyrus the Great’s dramatic rise from provincial overlord to ruler of the largest empire on earth, central Iran has been something of a showcase for the region’s greatest civilisations. The unrelenting splendour and majesty of Esfahan, the refined elegance of Shiraz and the mud-brick antiquity of Yazd, Abyaneh and Kharanaq are a fascinating contrast, representing the fusion over 2500 years of myriad cultures and starkly different terrains. Then, of course, there’s that monumental expression of artistic harmony commissioned by Darius I – Persepolis.
With so much on offer, it’s no surprise that the towns of Iran’s central provinces are where you’ll probably spend the most time. But it’s not just about ticking off the popular sights, because central Iran has many an unsung gem. Kashan, with its splendid mosques, gardens and magnificently restored traditional houses, is one. If you want to get off the beaten track there’s the desert oasis of Garmeh, the cave village of of Garmeh, caravanserai stops such as Zein-o-din and Toudeshk, or the chance to camp with nomads in the Zagros Mountains.
Central Iran’s people are as diverse as the places they live. In Qom they’re conservative and religious, Shirazis are laid-back and fun-loving, and the Qashqa’i and Bakhtiari nomads live a lifestyle dictated by nature. Often you will experience the region’s cultural richness and physical beauty in combination: sitting in the garden of Hafez’s tomb discussing the ways of the world with a Shirazi medical student, perhaps; watching a nomad woman make yogurt by hand; or drinking tea with a carpet salesman in Esfahan’s Imam Sq. Whatever it is you happen upon, central Iran is a place you’ll remember for a long time.
* * *
HIGHLIGHTS
Watch the sun set over Esfahan’s many-splendoured Imam Square from the rooftop Qeysarieh Tea Shop
Sit on the hill behind the sublime Persepolis, just soaking it all up
Haggle over a carpet or kilim in the vaulted arcades of Esfahan’s Bazar-e Bozorg or Imam Square
Lose yourself in the historic laneways of Yazd, and find yourself in a traditional