Iran - Andrew Burke [252]
The approach to Minab from Bandar Abbas is quite dramatic. As you enter town you’ll see the crumbling but picturesque Hazareh Castle competing for space on a hill with hundreds of mud-brick houses. It is believed that Minab was built by two sisters, Bibi Minoo and Bibi Nazanin, and the castle is known locally as Bibi Minoo – Bibi Nazanin’s castle long ago returned to dust. Traditional custom has couples from the town walk once around this fortress, in the company of their families, before taking their marriage vows.
Sleeping & Eating
Sadaf Hotel ( 222 5999; s/d IR115,000/177,000; ) The Sadaf has large, clean rooms that are both comfortable and fair value; with squat toilets and bathrooms. The restaurant serves tasty food, though it’s probably not quite good enough to warrant the prices. Sadaf is well signposted on the left about 500m before the main bridge into Minab arriving from Bandar.
Minab Inn ( 222 5863; fax 222 5322; Imam Khomeini St; r IR300,000; ) The location, about 2.5km past the main bridge as you come from Bandar, is a bit away from things, but the adjacent garden is pleasant and the rooms reasonable, though not much better than the Sadaf Hotel.
The restaurant is reliable if not exactly groundbreaking.
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The Thursday Market of MInab
Minab’s Thursday market (panjshambe bazar) is one of the most colourful and well-known in the country; it’s well worth timing your visit to include a Thursday. The main market is held on a patch of open ground along the banks of the seasonal Minab River 500m west (downstream) of the main bridge. Buyers and sellers come from surrounding villages, Bandar Abbas and sometimes further. You’ll see many women wearing the burqa Click here, as well as bright headscarves and pants.
The panjshambe bazar is actually three separate markets. In the main one you’ll find a motley array of makeshift stalls selling everything from fresh fruit, fish, vegetables and clothing to the distinctive zaribafi – a range of items made from local palm leaves including mats, fans, brooms and baskets – and the brocaded strips of cloth used by local women to adorn their clothing. Nearby is a livestock market, which is especially interesting early in the morning when the serious bargaining is done; and a small market for indigenous arts and crafts that is tucked away in the permanent bazaar.
Whether you’re there to buy or not, arrive as early as possible to avoid the heat and soak up the atmosphere – a cross between the colour and vibrancy of an African market and the more discreet smiles of an Iranian bazaar.
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Minab’s range of cuisines is limited, with pizza, sandwich and kabab accounting for something close to all the options. Shohada Sq has several eateries, plus a couple of good ice-cream shops.
Getting There & Away
Savaris to/from Bandar Abbas (IR18,000, 75 minutes, 97km) operate regularly from Esteghlal Sq, at the bazaar-end of the bridge into town, until after dark. If you’re heading to Jiroft, first take a savari to Rudan (IR10,000, one hour, 70km).
Big buses leave Minab for Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, Yazd and anywhere else en route. They fill up fast so try to book in advance at the bus office ( 10am-4pm), opposite and about 200m north of Sadaf Hotel. Even with a ticket, arrive early because services are oversold and competition for seats and luggage space is fierce. Bandar Abbas has more services.
If you’re heading to Sirjan, Kerman or Yazd, you could take a bus or savari to the big roundabout with the replica lenge as its centrepiece about 10km east of Bandar and connect with a passing bus.
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Southeastern Iran
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MEYMAND
SIRJAN
KERMAN
AROUND KERMAN
RAYEN
BAM
BAM TO MINAB
ZAHEDAN
ZABOL
KUH-E KHAJEH
MIRJAVEH
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This is frontier territory. And like the best frontiers it combines harsh landscapes, periodic banditry and warm welcomes to form a unique and exotic travelling experience. There are real dangers, so it’s important to read the boxed text before heading this way. The region stretches