Iran - Andrew Burke [182]
Two of the highlights, a magnificent lustre mihrab and a carpet woven for the shah’s tomb, are in the National Museum of Iran.
Soltaniyeh Mosque
Lost in the midst of the labyrinthine bazaar is the Seljuk-era Soltaniyeh Mosque. The current structure was built in 1808 by Fath Ali Shah and now houses a madraseh, which is not open to women.
ALONG THE FIN ROAD
There are several sights worth a quick look on the road to Fin Garden. If you decide to walk, it’s all downhill if you start at Fin. Otherwise, jumping on and off buses is easy enough, or hire a taxi.
Imamzadeh-ye Abu Lolou
Off the left of the road as you come from Kashan, the Imamzadeh-ye Abu Lolou (Amir Kabir Rd; 9am-4pm) is the shrine to the man believed to be the assassin of Omar, the second Muslim caliph. It dates to the Seljuk or Mongol periods, though it has been heavily renovated since. The shrine is notable for its fine, slender dome.
Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim
The delightful Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim (Amir Kabir Rd; 9am-4pm) shrine was built in 1894 and boasts European-style painted ceilings, colourful tiles, tall minarets and a pretty courtyard. The conical, tiled roof is distinctive to this area and chances are you’ll have seen it on posters long before you arrive. It’s clearly visible from the main road to Fin.
Tappeh-ye Seyalk (Sialk)
One of the oldest and richest archaeological sites in central Iran, the Tappeh-ye Seyalk (Sialk, Seyalk Mound; off Amir Kabir Rd; 7.30am-sunset) has given up a plethora of interesting pottery pieces, metal tools and domestic implements made from stone, clay and bone. They date from as early as the 4th millennium BC. More significant, perhaps, is the structure itself – what is emerging from the dust is clearly a ziggurat (stepped pyramidal temple), and some Iranians are claiming this predates those of the Mesopotamians.
It is still a (seasonal) working dig and, while visitors are welcomed, there are few facilities. Most finds have been moved to museums, including the National Museum of Iran in Tehran and the Louvre in Paris. There’s no charge, but if you are shown around, a tip is appreciated.
Seyalk is halfway between Kashan and Fin – that’s 4.5km from either – on the north side of the road.
Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin (Fin Garden)
Designed for Shah Abbas I, Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin (Fin Garden; Amir Kabir Rd; admission IR5000; 8am-sunset) is a classical Persian vision of paradise and is renowned as one of the finest gardens in Iran. It’s famous for its spring water, which flows into the garden via the Lasegah, an octagonal pool behind the garden. From here the water, which has unusually high levels of mercury, is channelled through several pools and fountains, watering the garden’s orchards and tall trees, before continuing on down the road in jubs (canals, pronounced ‘joobs’).
At the centre of the garden is Shotorgalu-ye Safavi, Abbas’ two-storey pavilion. At the rear is the Shotorgalu-ye Qajari, built by the Qajars, with ornately painted ceilings and walls. Nearby is a delightful teahouse ( 8am-4pm, to 6pm summer), which sells cheap tea and kababs.
But it is the bathhouse that is most historically significant as the place where Iranian nationalist hero Amir Kabir was murdered. Mirza Taqi Khan, known as Amir Kabir, served as prime minister under Nasir od-Din Shah from 1848. He was a moderniser who instituted significant change, especially in the fields of education and administration. But his popularity proved unpopular in the royal court and the shah’s mother eventually persuaded her son that he had to go. Amir Kabir was imprisoned in Fin Garden and eventually murdered in the bathhouse, though some say he slashed his own wrists.
The gardens are in the village of Fin, 9km southwest of central Kashan at the end of Amir Kabir St. You can get here by shuttle taxi (IR2000), taxi dar baste (closed door; IR10,000) or minibus (IR500) from central Kashan.
Sleeping
Kashan has so few hotels and so little competition that the overall standard is shockingly low and value for money is poor. There is, however, some cause for