Life & Style | Travel
A coloured view of Iran
In Iran, each moment feels like the most memorable, not only for its grandeur but its soothing hospitality.
- By Adam Flinter, Web Editor
- Published: 00:04 August 2, 2008
- A griffin stands guard over the ancient city of Persepolis
- Image Credit: Adam Flinter/Gulf News
The thing that really struck me was the vivid colour scheme.
Magnificent velvet carpets of green stretching as far as the eye could see, the deep azure of the Safavidian architecture in the distance and the deep brown of the Zayandeh River snaking its way lazily through the tapestry.
Gazing down at the leafy landscape of the Iranian city of Esfahan after an exhausting climb up what amounted to a small mountain on the outskirts of the city, I couldn't help but be taken aback.
As I sat soaking in the view, I declared this was the best part of my trip to Iran.
Just 12 hours earlier, sipping tea and admiring the sunset bathing the imposing mosques of the same city in a warm orange glow, I had had exactly the same thought.
And, come to think of it, I had also done the same while wandering through the ruined magnificence of Persepolis, with eyes wide in awe at the beauty of the rainbow of light bleeding reverentially into the Nasir Al Molk Mosque in Shiraz through its stained-glass windows.
Wonders at every step
But that's exactly the kind of reaction Iran inspires. Almost every step offers something to take your breath away.
Every city, region and populace has its own characteristics. So, armed with a Lonely Planet, some good planning by companions and a helpful Dubai-based Iranian travel agent, we decided to see as many of them as possible in ten days.
A route taking in four cities, using the old-fashioned aeroplanes (yes, an internal Iranian flight), trains and automobiles, it was not a gentle introduction to Iran.
In the beginning, there were doubts.
The start of the adventure was shrouded in dark clouds. Literally.
As we approached Shiraz, the cloud cover was so low we couldn't see the ground until our aeroplane got within stretching distance of the tarmac.
Then we were dropped outside our luxury hotel — a grim-looking 1970s building.
It was at that point that it dawned on me how few Iranians spoke either English or even Arabic.
After a series of fierce gesticulations, we paid the taxi (inflation has hit Iran, too, and Western ATM and credits cards do not work here). This was going to be an interesting trip.
The instincts were veering towards the negative as I wished I had taken more cash and paid attention to the Farsi phrasebook one of my colleagues had earnestly studied.
Fortunately, my worst fears were eased when we stepped into the hotel to be greeted by the Iranian hospitality my friends had promised would greet me wherever I went.
Help guaranteed
Language barriers aside, Iranians are polite, courteous and go out of their way to be helpful.
“Which country are you from?'' and “Welcome to Iran'' became a familiar soundtrack to the journey. Hospitality became expected, not a rare privilege.
In Shiraz, one of the main highlights was undoubtedly the Nasir Al Molk Mosque, whose ornate vault ceilings and exquisite stained-glass windows bathe the visitor in a kaleidoscope of colour.
The tomb of Iranian poet Hafez is also situated in Shiraz, and no visit to the city would be complete without visiting the resting place to witness his devoted followers reciting his works in a serene yet understated setting.
Magnificent ruins
But as interesting (and smoggy) as Shiraz was, it is what was nearby that was whetting the appetite.
Bleary-eyed, we stumbled down to the lobby at an ungodly hour to squeeze into a car for the jewel in the Pars province crown — Persepolis.
Just 70km from Shiraz, Persepolis (or Takht-e Jamshid, as it is known locally) was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid period.
Built by Cyrus the Great some 2,500 years ago, the present-day ruins stand proudly as a testament to one of the truly great empires.
The already imposing city was enhanced by Darius the Great and his son Xerxes before the fall of the Achaemenidian Empire and the subsequent destruction (by accident or deliberately, depending on which historian you read) of the city by the Greek king Alexander the Great.
What is left of this city is still jaw-dropping, with perfectly preserved carvings adorning the main stairway and magnificent griffins and lions staring menacingly at visitors.
After Shiraz, we boarded a flight to Esfahan and, reassured by the statistic that Iran Air has not lost a passenger to accident for a good two decades, I enjoyed the flight.
The taxi ride into the city really did not prepare us for Esfahan. It was the stereotypical Iran we had already come to know.
Battered old cars weaving in and out in a mechanical ballet, accompanied by a crescendo of honking horns.
But the freeway quickly gave way to the treeway — Esfahan was as green as Shiraz was grey.
Our hotel was also the real deal — a converted caravan serai that has been lovingly restored, it is one of the hottest spots in town among the young and the beautiful.
Leaving the bejewelled splendour of the hotel was tough but there were more wonders awaiting us.
We dipped into palaces, museums and parks as we wandered around the streets of this city of 1.3 million people.
We eventually found our way to what was the centre of the Esfahan universe, Imam Square. One of the largest public squares in the world, it's the perfect place to watch Esfahan in action, as all facets of local life seem to exist here.
I could have spent weeks in Esfahan, lazing by the river, drinking tea, watching the artists at work — but we had to move on.
This time by car, and though the 300km journey was uneventful, it did throw up more contrasts.
Eyeful of contrasts
Yazd was as conservative as Esfahan was liberal, as brown as the previous place was green.
Loosely tied headscarves gave way to fully covered black chadors. But the welcome was just as warm.
Yazd is famous for three things — as a major Zoroastrian seat, silk weaving and the traditional mud-and-straw buildings of the old town, crowned with dozens of wind towers.
The medieval Takyeh Amir Chakhmagh, an astonishing mud monument several hundred years old, was a stone's throw from our traditional courtyard-hotel setting.
This, in fact, was the perfect base to indulge in our favourite Iranian pastime — walking.
Winding streets punctuate the old town, allowing visitors to step back in time, away from traffic, pollution and modern life.
After Yazd came the train part of the journey. At Dh20 for a sleeper class, nine-hour journey to Tehran, it's no wonder Iranians love the railways.
Tehran is enormous and dirty but also has benefits, such as taxis with meters, cheap food and an efficient metro system.
For Dh1, I could make two return journeys around the city. And I took full advantage — getting lost, discovering new suburban neighbourhoods and parks and eating in local cafés.
One tip for the traveller though — get a taxi from Azadi station to the famous Azadi monument.
Aside from the hustle and bustle of big-city life, the colourful murals and the suicidal act of crossing streets, my favourite part was the Golestan Palace.
This oasis of calm in the middle of chaos was a Shah's palace, which featured a series of finely renovated buildings, ornate mirrored walls, art galleries and museums.
It also had a sedate centrepiece garden, where the exertions of my train journey caught up with me in the form of a nap under a tree.
Promise to return
My ten days seemed up in a wink. I had covered the best part of 1,000km but it still felt like a fleeting glimpse into a proud and fascinating country.
After I returned to Dubai, my friends wanted to know: “What was your favourite part?''
I smiled and said: “I'll tell you when I've seen it all.''
From Dubai, UAE
Emirates flies daily
Fare from: Dh1,890
Iran Air flies daily
Fare from: Dh840
Info courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata, telephone number 04-4298576
Getting there:
Sadaf Travel in the Iranian Club, Dubai 04 3366635 can help with hotel bookings, internal flights and visas
- Air Arabia operates a flight from Sharjah to Shiraz (Dh300 one way) and Emirates from Tehran to Dubai (Dh1,050 one way).
- Air Arabia also flies from Tehran to Sharjah.
- Iran Air and Aseman Iran Airlines fly from Dubai to Shiraz.
- Iran Air operates a flight from Shiraz to Esfahan (Dh145).
- The train journey from Yazd to Tehran (stopping at Qom) costs Dh20.
- A taxi from Esfahan to Yazd (300km) costs Dh240.
Staying there:
Adam Flinter stayed at the Homa Hotel in Shiraz (www.homahotels.com), the Abbasi Hotel in Esfahan (www.abbasihotel.com) and the Malek-o Tojjar Hotel in Yazd (www.malek-o-tojar.com)
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