Blogs from Shiraz, South, Iran, Middle East - page 4

"Iran? But it's dangerous there!" That was the common response I got when I told people that I will be visiting Iran, or land of Aryans. The truth cannot be any further from that statement. True, some people do support Ahmadenijad. True, by law women do have to cover their hair. Certain stereotypes about the government and religious rules are evident, but my encounters with Iranians and the ancient culture have to be some of the most eye opening, refreshing, and engaging. Yesterday, south eastern Iran saw another suicide bombing. Sunni extremists attacked a Revolutionary Guard facility. The region that boarders Pakistan is constantly turbulent, with government trying to combat drug dealers and extremists. Still, it is life as usual for Iranians, as they are used to this type of conflict, a situation that I was ... read more

Dzis od rana wcielalysmy sie w muzulmanki. Poszlismy do najwietszego meczetu, gdzie aby wejsc potrzebowalysmy zawinac sie w wygladajace jak przescieradla czadory od stop do glow. Bylo osbne wejscie meskie i osobne damskie, w okienku dostawalo sie przescieradlo i w pelnym rynsztunku dopiero mozna bylo wejsc do srodka - a tam wielki dziedziniec, fontanna, rodzaj parku polaczonego z domem kultury. Po placu chodzily strazniczki cale na czarno z takimi naelektryzowanymi szczoteczkami do kyrzu, ktorymi smyraly sie po twarzy. Nie wiem, czy faktycznie mialy za zadanie wycierac jakies kurze, czy tylko te szczoteczki dzierzyly niczym berla - znak kobiecego miejsca. Raz sie prtzydaly, zwrocily mamie uwage, ze za duzo wlosow wystaje jej spod przescieradla. W srodku poszczegolnych meczetow troche klimat bazaru czy poczekalni - dziewczyny pisza smsy (nam nie pozwolono wniesc aparatu), dzieci biegaja, ... read more

Pierwsze moje spotkanie z Iranem, a wlasciwie z jego polska emanacja pod postacia ambasady mialo miejsce, gdy w koncu doczekalismy sie na pozwolenie z teheranskiego ministerstwa, zeby nam widali wize. Do dzis nie wiem, jakie to wlasciwie bylo ministerstwo, ale wyglada na to, ze juz samo slowo na "M" otwiera wiele drzwi. Zanim przyszlo nasze pozwolenie, probowalam sie do ambasady / wydzialu konsularnego przez kilka dni bezskutecznie dodzwonic. Ambasada miesci sie na cichej uliczce Saskiej Kepy, w jej srodku panuje rozgardiasz, ktory ukrywany jest pod pozorami remontu. Moj zolty plaszcz i glosny smiech (nerwowy) kolidowaly z zakurzona atmosfera biurowosci. Osoba odpowiedzialna za wydawanie wiz byla akurat na urloie, wiec formularze i zdjecia przyjela od nas jej kolezanka - w przepisowej chustce na glowie i tunice z dlugim rekawem zapietej pod szyje. Zeby tylko przypadkiem jakiegos bezbron ... read more

Just getting to Iran has been the biggest challenge of this little sojourn. With visas required for the four of the countries I intended to visit this time round the visa chase before departure was a little insane. As soon as the passport came back it was off to another consulate. All in a set sequence as some of the visas were valid for three months from the time they were issued. Add to this was the last minute decision to go to Iran due to Dubai looking way too expensive for a week (even if the Rugby Sevens were on) and there being a cheap airfare to Shiraz. So one month out my passport headed off to the Iranian Embassy in Canberra with the hope that it would make it back before I left. Two ... read more

Here in Shiraz, the city of the poet Hafez, wine, grapes and poetry, nightingales and roses; the people are even friendlier and more relaxed than elsewhere in Iran. They pride themselves on their liberal attitudes and sophisticated way of living. Shiraz is most famous for the ancient site of Persepolis which is nearby. Someone who will remain nameless, and should know better, said ‘Oh you saw the film in Iran, I wouldn’t have thought they would show it there!’ They have shown the film a few times in Tehran apparently, so that is a small victory. But no, I saw the ancient Achaemenid site, one of the most complete sites from this area of the world. It was started by Darius the Great in 518BC as a summer palace for ritual purposes, where the many peoples ... read more