Iran - Andrew Burke [299]
The single-alley Safavid-era covered bazaar (6th Lane, Imam Khomeini St) starts about 300m further west.
SLEEPING & EATING
Just 30m north of Khayyam Sq, Hotel Kamalalmolk ( 224 4277; Modarres St; s/d/tr IR120,000/150,000/180,000) has five reasonably tasteful, en-suite rooms, the quieter back ones looking out across the brilliant little garden-café that is the place’s trump card. You’d never guess it was there from the uninteresting front restaurant section.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Mashhad savaris (IR20,000) and buses (IR6000, two hours) leave when full from Neishabur’s somewhat hidden main bus terminal (11th Alley, 22 Bahman St). That’s 2km northeast of Khayyam Sq. Minibuses for Qadamgah (IR1500, 25 minutes) leave sporadically from Bar Sq. Buses to Kashmar use a terminal that’s a circuitous 2km drive south of the train station (Jafari St), itself about 1km south of Imam Sq. Coming by Mashhad-bound train from Tehran you’ll arrive in Neishabur bright and early, allowing plenty of time for sightseeing before continuing to Mashhad the same day. However, getting train tickets FROM Neishabur can be tough.
Mashhad guide Vali Ansari Astaneh has pioneered a cross-mountain trip that allows a Mashhad–Tus–Neishabur–Mashhad loop by walking (around six hours) or using a 4WD (when conditions allow) between Zoshk and the attractive foothill village of Kharv near Qadamgah.
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MASHHAD TO SARAKHS
In spring, a miraculous green-grass fuzz dappled with red poppies enlivens the dusty badlands of the Mashhad–Sarakhs road (185km), providing April grazing for herds of sheep. Nomad shepherds’ tent-camps are easiest to spot after Mazdavand, where the road climbs an escarpment, then follows a crag-sided valley of saw-toothed geological uplifts.
In several rural villages, old mud houses consist of three or four adobe domes. A few such structures still exist in Sarakhs, but a more impressive collection at Abravan is easily spied north of the main road.
A 7km side trip from tiny Sholoq village (130km from Mashhad) reveals the evocatively lonely 1128 Robat Sharaf Caravanserai with twin courtyards and a far iwan retaining some fine stucco patterning and calligraphy. Deep pits in chambers on either side once held the water supply. Note that Sholoq has no taxis. You could try to engage a cranky old motorcycle (motor) but while IR10,000 might be the ‘fair price’ it’s a seller’s market and drivers ask a whopping IR100,000. We finally settled for IR30,000 return.
Renting a one-way Mashhad–Sarakhs savari dar baste (IR120,000) and paying a little extra for stops and side trips makes sense.
Sarakhs
0512 / pop 36,000
If heading for Merv and Mary, you can cross the Turkmenistan border in this strange, flat town where several redundantly large boulevards don’t seem to lead anywhere. A useful landmark west of the town centre is the new, dolphin-fronted Hotel Doosty ( 522 5518; Ghadir Sq; s/d/tr IR150,000/170,000/200,000; ) whose best rooms are a decent midrange deal and whose restaurant is excellent value (meals IR18,000). From here, Customs Blvd forks right (southeast) off the main road and leads after 800m to the border gate. The main road passes the bus terminal (150m beyond the Hotel Doosty) and savari stand (400m) before reaching Pasdaran St (800m). Turn left and follow that street northwest then north for 3km to see the 1356 Gonbad Sheikh Loghman Baba (donation appreciated; 5.30am-4.30pm) in a wheat-field to your right. That domed brick tomb-tower has a massive, shattered arch support tower and an impressively vast three-storey interior with sections of disintegrating stalactite vaulting held in place by wooden staves.
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CROSSING THE TURKMENISTAN BORDER AT SARAKHS
Using this border post ( 8am-4pm Iran Time, 9.30am-5.30pm Turkmen time) allows the shortest cut between