Iran - Andrew Burke [208]
Hossain Bagharian ( 0913 352 0370) Hossain has been guiding for years and is a straight-shooter. He could talk under wet cement, so rest assured he’ll tell you everything he knows…and a bit more.
Massoud Jaladat ( 0913 352 4752; fravahar_m@yahoo.com) Massoud is the energy behind Fravihar Ecotours, a fledgling group of Yazdis running mainly desert tours. There are all sorts of reasonably priced options, mainly involving desert trekking; email or call for options and ask about the desert guide.
Mohsen Hajisaeed ( 0913 351 4460; yazdguide@yahoo.com) Young, highly organised Mohsen speaks excellent English, leads tours in Yazd, Kerman, Fars and Esfahan provinces (including Bavanat), and can arrange hotel discounts.
Keykhosro Lorian ( 0913 353 3343; mrlorian_tourdriver@yahoo.com) Mr Lorian is an English-speaking Zoroastrian driver who has excellent access to the Zoroastrian community.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
The following are good for plane and train tickets.
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THE BADGIRS OF YAZD
Any summer visitor to Yazd will understand immediately why the city’s roofscape is a forest of badgirs (windtowers or wind catchers). These ancient systems of natural air-conditioning are designed to catch even the lightest breeze and direct it to the rooms below. To appreciate the effect, just stand beneath one.
Badgirs range from standard two-sided versions to elaborate six-sided models and all but the simplest consist of at least four parts: the body or trunk that contains the shafts; air shelves that are used to catch some of the hot air and stop it entering the house; flaps to redirect the circulation of the wind; and the roof covering. The currents that enter the house often do so above a pool of cool water, thereby cooling the air, while the warm air continues its circular path, redirected upwards and out of the house through a different shaft. Genius! And while not quite as cold as modern air-con, the badgir is a whole lot healthier.
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Saadat Seyr Travel & Tour Agency ( 626 6599; saadatseyr@pishgaman.com; 21/1 Imamzadeh-ye Ja’far St; 7.30am-8pm Sat-Thu, 9am-noon Fri)
Silk Road Travel ( 626 7783; www.silkroadhotel.ir; 6th Alley, off Masjed-e Jameh St) Located in the Orient Hotel; has day trips and longer that are aimed at independent travellers. Reasonable value and well organised.
VISA EXTENSIONS
When the Tourist Police ( 621 4444; Heidarzadeh Coin Museum; 24hr) heard we were in town they came to tell us that extending visas in Yazd was easy, and promised that ‘if tourists have any problems, just call us and we’ll solve it’. Promises, promises. In fact, getting your visa extended here can take as long as a week. We travelled with one unfortunate guy who, when his passport still hadn’t been stamped six days after he submitted it, asked if he could leave town. Of course, they said, if you have any problem ‘just call us’. When the two of us were subsequently arrested (my guilt was apparently by association), the Yazd visa guys denied everything, and my travelling companion was put on the first bus back to Yazd. If you can’t avoid Yazd, the Tourist Police office deals with extensions (open 7am to noon Saturday to Thursday) and the Bank Melli Central Branch is the place to deposit your cash. They don’t promise 30-day extensions, however. See More Time, Please for details.
Sights
Old City
With its badgirs poking out of a baked-brown labyrinth of lanes, the old city of Yazd emerges like a phoenix from the desert – a very old phoenix. Yazd’s old city is one of the oldest towns on earth, according to Unesco, and is the perfect place to get a feel for the region’s rich history. Just about everything in the old city is made from sun-dried mud bricks, and the resulting brown skyline is dominated by tall badgirs on almost every rooftop (see the boxed text The Badgirs of Yazd, Click here). The residential quarters appear almost deserted because of the high walls, which shield the houses from the narrow and labyrinthine kuches that crisscross the town.
Follow the walking tour Click