Iran - Andrew Burke [234]
Beyond Ardashir’s Palace is his city, Gur (N 28°51’2.66”, E 52°31’58.52”), which in its current form is an archaeologist’s dream, but requires plenty of imagination. With its perfectly circular plan, divided into equal sectors and separated by high walls, Gur was a hugely ambitious town-planning feat. The only existing building is the 30m-high ‘minaret’ that marked the centre of the circle. Gur is about 3km along the sealed road between Firuz Abad and Ardashir’s Palace.
Sleeping
The only place to stay in Firuz is the overpriced Firooz Abad Tourist Inn (Mehmunsara Jahangardi; 622 3699; s/d US$25/35; ); most people wisely take a day trip from Shiraz.
Getting There & Away
Minibuses run from Shiraz’s Carandish terminal to Firuz Abad (IR10,000, 2½ hours) several times a day, or take a savari (IR18,000, 80 minutes). Returning, the last savari leaves about 7pm. For Qal’eh-e Doktar, ask to get off when you see the overhead footbridge. Returning by savari you’ll need to go to Firuz Abad, as they will be full when they pass Qal’eh-e Doktar. Or you could hitch. Alternatively, take a tour or driver Click here.
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KAZERUN & BISHAPUR
Just off the ancient royal road between Shiraz and Bushehr are the small but fascinating ruins of another two ancient cities: Kazerun and, about 25km to the west, Bishapur. At Kazerun (the name comes from an ancient word meaning ‘people who wash cotton clothes’) there are several Sassanian-era bas-reliefs most interesting to archaeologists for their unique inscriptions.
Bishapur (admission IR3000; 8am-4pm, to 5pm summer), or ‘Shapur’s City’, is better. It was the grand capital of possibly the greatest of the Sassannian kings, Shapur I. Shapur and his armies defeated the Romans three times, and much of Bishapur was built by Romans taken captive after their Emperor Valerian was defeated in AD 260; he lived his final years a captive at Bishapur. The site has been partly excavated, revealing the enormous Palace of Shapur and nearby Anahita’s Temple, where a stairway leads underground to a pool around which the faithful once walked and prayed. Some fine Irano-Roman mosaics remain, but the best are now in the Louvre.
The city was originally approached along the Shapur River in the steep-sided Chogan Gorge. A short walk from Bishapur, its rocky walls bear six large bas-reliefs commemorating, among other historical moments, Shapur’s investiture as king and his victory over Roman invaders. The deep groove running through the reliefs was caused by a powerful flood in the 1960s; the groove marks the high-water mark.
About 4km along the gorge is the Tang-e Chogan (Shapur Cave) and its awesome 7m-high Statue of Shapur I, one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Iran. Getting to the cave is easiest on a taxi tour, but you could walk the 5km or so from Shapur. Take the road along the river for about 4km to a village on your left, where one of the villagers will probably offer to lead you up the steep ascent to the cave (start very early in summer). A tip is appreciated.
Getting to Bishapur is easiest by charter taxi (at least IR200,000 from Shiraz), but public transport is viable with an early start. Take the bus to Kazerun from the Amir Kabir terminal in Shiraz (IR10,000, 2½ hours) or from Bushehr, or a savari. From Shiraz, keep an eye out en route for the 15-arch Karim Khan Bridge, a Zand-era bridge about 40km west of Shiraz.
Alternatively, take a guided tour; Click here for guides and drivers.
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Persian Gulf
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BUSHEHR
FROM BUSHEHR TO BANDAR-E LENGEH
KISH ISLAND
BANDAR-E LENGEH
BANDAR ABBAS
QESHM ISLAND
HORMOZ ISLAND
MINAB
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Whether you’re watching the sun set over the Gulf, scrambling over the ruins of the Portuguese castle at Hormoz, or just dropping down several gears to the ultra-relaxed pace this region operates, you can’t escape the fact that the Persian Gulf offers a different experience to the rest of Iran. There’s the geographical