Iran - Andrew Burke [273]
Getting There & Away
Baladeh to Amol buses (IR12,000, two hours) leave at 9am and 1.30pm, with buses to Tehran (via Hardowrud) departing at the same times. The only public transport along the dramatic road via Pil is the daily Tehran–Yush bus leaving Tehran’s Chahara Sirus at 5am and returning from Yush around 10am. Rates offered by Baladeh’s taxi agency ( 422 3342; Nuri Blvd) include Yush (single/return IR20,000/30,000), Pol-e Zanguleh (IR120,000), Chalus (IR200,000) and Nur (IR140,000). Very sparse traffic makes hitch hiking unreliable.
Babol
0111 / pop 208,000
If passing through this busy commercial centre, you could visit Babol Museum ( 229 2877; Modarres St; admission IR2000; 8am-2pm & 4-8pm), an attractive colonial-style mansion containing a few ethnographic displays, antique saddles, and dervish paraphernalia. Marjan Hotel ( 225 0433; fax 225 2189; Keshvari Sq; s/d/tr/q US$30/40/47/54) is a well-tended midrange place, albeit with slightly ageing bathrooms. Eastbound savaris depart from outside once the Sari terminal (Qa’emshahr Blvd) closes after 6pm. Westbound, use Istgah Amol (Amol Hwy), 2km west of the centre.
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SARI
0151 / pop 262,000
Large but manageable and gently attractive, Sari spent much of the 1st millennium AD as the capital of Tabarestan. After losing ground to Amol, Sari returned to prominence following the building of the railway from Tehran, and became Mazandaran’s provincial capital in 1937.
Orientation
The town radiates out from Sa’at (Times) Sq, named for its whitewashed clock tower that looks particularly cute when floodlit at night. A few remnant gabled homes in traditional Mazandarani style (sofal) are to be found in nearby lanes.
Information
Arman Exchange (Farhang St; 9am-1.30pm & 4-7pm Sat-Thu) No-fuss moneychangers.
Bank Saderat (Imam Khomeini Sq; 9.30am-1.30pm Sat-Thu) Exchange desk.
Dorna Coffeenet (Sa’at Sq; per hr IR8000; 8am-10pm Sat-Thu, 4-10pm Fri) Faster internet connection than nearby Safanet across the square.
Gostar Danesh (Taleqani Blvd; per hr IR8000; 8am-9pm) Good connection; type to the sound of fizzing neon.
Post office (Enqelab St; 7.30am-2pm Sat-Wed, 7.30am-1pm Thu)
Roya Express ( 325 7720; Mohseni Alley; 8am-1pm & 4-8pm Sat-Thu) Laundry.
Sahanet ( 221 0978; Mofid Alley; per hr IR7000; 9am-10pm Sat-Thu, 4-10pm Fri) Downstairs with excellent internet connection.
Tourist information office(Edareh Miras Ferhangi; 229 1001; Jam-e Jam St; 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) Some guide pamphlets are available, mostly in Farsi.
Sights
TOMB TOWERS
Sari has three famous 15th-century brick tomb towers, all active places of worship. Tucked behind the bazaar, Imamzadeh-ye Yahya is a round Rhenish-looking tower onto which a discordant rectilinear new building has been carelessly appended. Within are monstrous chandeliers over a glassed-in sarcophagus. Just behind, Borj-e Soltan Zein-ol-Abedin has a square plan and more impressive exterior. Imamzadeh-ye Abbas, 2km east of central Sari, has fine inner doors, a wooden sarcophagus and an attendant to sprinkle you with rose water.
OTHER SIGHTS
The restored 125-year-old Khaneh Kolbadi (Ab-Anbarno Alley) is reminiscent of an 18th-century khan’s palace. Thick walls kept the lower floor warm in winter while the light, bright upper floor could be opened to through drafts for hot summers. Its orosi windows (wood-framed puzzles of multicoloured glass) supposedly disorientated mosquitoes. The building is slated to become a museum incorporating the historic Vasir-e Hamam (bathhouse) behind.
The unusual Jameh Mosque (in the bazaar area) has traditional Mazandarani tiled roofs, but from outside looks more like a medieval Italian prison.
Sleeping
Khazar Guest House ( 222 7231; Jomhuri-ye Eslami St; s/d/tr/q IR35,000/48,500/57,500/71,000) The backyard location looks initially pleasant but walls, ceilings and especially