a quick but amazing time in iran

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Now we are in the Islamic Republic of Iran...and absolutely out of europe and into a whole new world!
As like most countries i haven't been to before...i didn't know what to expect from Iran...but just wanted approach it with an open mind to learn as much as possible! I had heard Iran was a beautiful country with very kind people! but also knew this was a country where the rights of men and women are far from being equal and I would have to wear a scarf to cover my hair. Now most the news we get in the media about Iran tends to be about nuclear testing, human rights abuses and also protests from the recent elections! so I was excited and about travelling through Iran and also facinated about the people and learning about this historically and culturally rich country!

The border crossing into Iran was pretty straight forward. After being stamped out of Turkey (in which I think we all pooled together in the minivan to pay the police not to search the minivan we were in) we then were pretty much taken to front of the line to be stamped into Iran. We then got taken into another room to register and sign in...they took our temperature (for swine flu), asked where we were going, asked if we were going to Tehran and then sent us to another room to get finger printed (they told us they had to fingerprint everyone who travels into Asia from Europe)...and they only fingerprinted Jean...because I guess at this point I stop being an individual and am only seen as his wife??? then after changing some cash and getting a bit confused with the big numbers (1 turkish lira= about 6800 iranian rial or 1euro= about 14000 rial) and realising we had lost an hour and half in the time different we got a lift with a man from the minibus we took from Turkey. It was getting late so instead of trying to do the 300km or so to get to Tabriz the first main city he offered us to stay in his home in a town not too far from the Turkey and Azerbajan borders. We met his beautiful family in his very swishy house...and then found out he was a cigarette smuggler...making some very good money...hence the big flashy house!

After a slightly uncomfortable situation and gaining a bit of insight into this male dominated society...we made a quick departure at about 4am and headed to Tabriz to see one of the biggest cities in Iran and meet our couchsurfing host here, Masoud. Masoud kindly met us and picked us up where we were dropped off and then treated us to a nice Iranian breakfast in his apartment...yummy bread, cream, honey. After catching up on a bit of sleep during the day we went out with Masoud to check out a local Tabriz shopping area and a beautiful park lit up with some cool lights 😊

In Tabriz we checked out the very old cool bazaar! Supposed to be one of the biggest in Iran...but most cities we found had really big bazaars. Checking out the little alleys of the bazaar and different little shops was cool. Tabriz is quite well know for their carpets...we saw many beautiful carpet shops and got whisked away by a keen english speaking carpet seller...who just wanted to talk over tea...and also sell us a few carpets! There were many interesting shops selling so many different things in this bazaar. The character on the faces of many of the shop owners was quite amazing and watching general interaction was quite cool too.

Another interesting thing we found was that everything in Iran is Made in Iran! They do everything here its quite amazing!

In the market we soon learnt 2 important things about money in Iran. Becasue the currency is so big, they have another measurement apart from rial. They use toman...(which is 10 rial)... in most places when they talk about prices they will use toman...something we soon worked out when someone told us somethings was 400 but then asked us for 4000 rial... whoops...handy thing to work out.
The other thing...which was quite important for us was that although there are many banks and ATMs in Iran, none will accept foreign cards. Banks will also not accept travellers cheques...so for us it was super lucky that we carrying some US dollars...however not enough to last the 3-4 weeks we wanted to spent in Iran! There are no western union branches either and we were told that it was possible to do an international bank transfer to their central bank but would take a few days to arrange. We later also found out that you could find some carpet sellers with credit card facilities who you could access cash though...but a little too late...oh well.

We had also wanted to apply for my Indian visa in Iran (so would need more cash) and also needed to extend our visas from the 15 days we were orignially given (so would need more cash). Anyway after umming and arring almost an entire night, coming up with many different options we decided we would try live on the cash we had, only spend 2 weeks in Iran, apply for my indian visa in Pakistan and then come back to Iran another time...you can't see everything anyway!

After a few days in Tabriz we decided to head for the Kurdistan mountains. So after spending an afternoon and evening in 2 buses we arrived in Sanadaj, the capital of Kurdistan. The 2nd bus was quite a moment for me and one I will remember in Iran... as a young woman on the bus who could speak a bit of english came and spoke to me! Yeah...after about 4 or 5 days in Iran it was probably the 1st person who actually spoke directly to me...and also a woman who was quite open and could have a nice conversation with! Nashmil was the name of this beautiful woman and I will remember her smiling face 😊 and kindness! We talked about the sitaution in Iran, especailly for women, religeon, the scarf, ecomomics and differences within Iran.

When we reached Sanandaj it was pretty late almost midnight. We went to one hotel with some nice guys Jean met on the bus...was given what we considered to be an absolutely rediculous price for a room and then went to another and got something for roughly $US10 for the night...then we get taken to the hotels laundry room and see them set up some blankets on the floor of the room and get told this is our room. They told us they were full and that for 10 bucks this is what you get! Considering it was about midnight we tried to bargin him down with no luck and decided to stay there for the night. We went out to grab something to eat and also see if we could find another place to stay. We met some nice young guys on the street and asked them if they knew of any cheap hotels in the town and then over the next 45 minutes or so walked from hotel to hotel (of which there were many) to which they all said they were full. We randomly met another young guy whose name was Omid, who told us he was a tourist guide and we said we said we'd give him a call the next day. So after a late bean dinner we went back to the hotel and slept in the laundry that night!

The next morning Jean met the day manager of the hotel, who obviously knew we had paid too much to sleep in the laundry room and gave us a nice Iranian breakfast. We called Omit the tourist guide who came to meet us and siad he could help us with information on the buses and mini buses to go to some villages in Kurdistan we wanted to visit. Omit was very helpful and said he did not charge money as a tourist guide, although later told us that many people gave him foreign money as a gift and being a tourist guide was a good business for him! After using the internet for a bit and discovering that not only do websites like Utube not work but Skype also does not work in Iran we headed for the bus station to find minivan to the village Horaman. Omit asked us a few times if we wanted to go by taxi, saying to was easier but we wanted to go by local transport. He then said he would gow ith us as he didn't think we would be able to get where we wanted as we did not speak any Kurdish. After a few conversations with different people and cups of tea we found the minivan we would take. Omit inisted on joining us to make sure we got there ok...which we welcomed him, however made it clear we could not pay him any money for coming with us. So off we set...the three of us in a minibus on a journey into the Kurdish hills 😊

The journey was quite amazing and beautiful...a little bit slow...as we winded through the hills and valleys of Kurdistan. We stopped at a town after a few hours where we were told there may or may not be a minibus coming to go to Horaman. There were many people that were willing to take us...but for a price which was too much. Hitching in Iran sometimes means paying. So after waiting around a bit we found a car passing that could take us and we were able to bargin the price down to something reasonable. The got in this mans jeep and enjoyed an amazing journey though some beautiful mountains and then entered into snow capped mountains and then went through the snow! Was quite magic to see the scenery change like that and the snow falling around us. After a few pit stops in a some places and a stop for pray time we arrive in Horaman just as it was getting dark and raining. The village is set on a mountain and is very beautiful...the houses have flat rooves which for a footpath for the house above (if that makes sense?) We headed up towards the mosque where Omit said we would be able to sleep the night for small fee. As we headed up Omit needed a reminder of where the mosque was exactly and we stopped at a house who invited us in for tea. The family of this house was a young man (about 22 yrs old), his young wife, young 2yr old daughter, his father. It was so nice to get out of the rain and have some tea and some walnuts in front of a heater! We were soon joined by neighbours and other friends from the village. We were invited to spend dinner with the family and also spend the night at their house. Spending time with this young family was really nice and very genuine! It was quite lucky we had Omit with us as he translated many things and allowed us to speak more in depth abotu things we otherwise could not. Alhtough Omit spoke Kurdish the people of Horman speak a different dialect of Kurdish (sometimes completely different for some words). We learnt that Kurdistan has various dialects, some very specific to certain villages of the region. After some nice conversation and learning a bit more about Horaman village we shared a very delicous dinner, watched a wedding video, saw a bit of an old Australian drama on their TV dubbed in Farsi, danced Kurdish dance, spoke some english some new friends with their english book, shared some pics, leanrt Iran was about 20 minute walk over the mountain, vistited the mosque the whole village had redone and more cups of tea...we slept well that night after a very beautiful day 😊 The next monring we awoke to one of the most beautiful views outside I've woken up to...beautiful majestic snow capped mountains around the village...was a very amazing sight!

After another yummy breakfast we set off for the day...to the next village Hajcic. We had decided we would walk and if a ride came we would try hitch a ride. They told us that Hajcic was probably about 7-8hr walk away so we tried to set off early to make it before dark. As we were leaving the village we saw the big military compound at the start of the village (which we had not seen the day before). I guess becasue they were really bored they decided to ask many questions and do what they said was the official thing and what they had to do. The asked to see our passports and Omit's ID card. We gave them our passports and they took them away to photocopy. It was qutie funny when then came back with a photocopy of the passport photopage and the page of my passport with entry stamps for Thailand! They then asked me where these stamps were for Iran! We then showed them the page of our passports which had our Iran visa and entry stamp...so they went to photocopy this! They then wanted to search our bags. And then after some more questions for Omit and more waiting they let us go our way 😊 We walked for a bit past the village and down the road passing curious onlookers! It was a beautiful place to be walking and we spotted a town where we could stop for lunch! We found a small shortcut down a hill...and then as luck would have it spotted a minivan coming down the road! The minivan was going to pass by Hajcic...so we jumped in the minivan and took another amazing journey through the hills of Kurdistan! We stopped at a big waterfall before arriving on the road outside Hajcic village. We walked into the village where Omit had a friend and went to this man's workshop for making traditional shoes. We were invited to stay at this man house...where again we were treated to a yummy lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon discovering this small village that sits in the mountain side! The village was smaller than Horaman and had its own special feel and the people were very welcoming and friendly! We had another beautiful dinner and then I spent some time with the girls in the house watching TV while Jean spent some time with Omit and his friend disucussing Islam and religeon! I slept with the girls in the girls room that night and again the next morning was treated to a yummy breakfast before heading off towards Paveh! A bit of light rain decided to join us so we put on our rain jackets but we were lucky before long to get a ride in the back of a ute that was going to Paveh! The ride was quite amazing on the road they were still building...the view of the road ahead was quite insane up the mountain and next to some huge drops! He stopped us in a town where we didn't have to wait too long till we got a ride with a bodybuilder the rest of the way to Paveh!

When we got to Paveh we got a minibus to Kermashah where we wanted to spend the night! The bus trip was another amazing one as we left the village and mountains and reached flat plains of green fields! We arrived in a raining Kermansah and after walking a bit found a slightly crustly but cheap hotel! We met Mohummad as we were leaving an internet place who invited us to his house to met his wife. The both spoke great english and his wife was quite happy use the english she had learnt about 2-3 years ago for the first time! The newly married couple invited us into their home and we shared dinner and enjoyed nice company. His wife Arezo was also the first woman we had met in Iran who worked full time! The general sitaution we had found was that woman after marriage stayed at home and looked after the kids! So it was quite refreshing to meet this couple! The next day they took us to visit the historical sites, Taq e Bostan and the Biston. We then said a warm goodbye to Kermanshah that night and headed on the bus towards Esfahan another historically famous city of Iran.

We arrived in Esfahan really early in the morning and arriving at the bus station you could realise it was a city organsied for tourists with all signs at the bus station translated in English as well. We took a bus to a hostel where I experienced the men and women seperation...men at the front of the bus women in the back. The bus was absolutely packed and one young woman who obviously noticed I looked a bit forign and confused, waved me onto the bus through the back doors 😊 After a few people got off I realised that the bus was actually physically seperated into a front and back with a seat running right across the back of the men's section! We found a hostel...which did not have double rooms, only twin rooms! and then headed out to explore this much talked about city! We passed the park with the dinosaurs and then reached a square which had a nice park area, 2 beautiful mosques, a palace and many tourist shops! We ate ice cream, wrote some postcards, then lost them...then later found them in a tree! Afterwards we checked out the bazaar...which was huge! Many different small streets leading to other small streets! It was so much in this bazaar!

Another day in Esfahan and we went towards the riverside and walked along the sidewalk...checked out the cool bridges and the equally as cool public exercise equipment along the way. We then visited an Armenian church on the other side of the river which had some amazing painting covering the walls and ceiling inside! Another night and another night bus would take us to another popular tourist city Yazd!

We arrived in Yazd close to midnight and was welcomed by another couchsurfing host we were able to find in this city. He took us into a hotel...which had us a bit confused...but he told us he was the night watchman and that it is a safer way to do couchsurfing in Iran as we are staying in an actual hotel. The hotel was a converted old house and very beautiful. We had a small room with a mattress which was perfect. Balal told us the owner of the hotel is very nice and easy going and is happy to welcome couchsurfers! We met also that night a german couple, also couchsurfers who had been travelling around central asia for almost a year. They had come through Pakistan (our next stop) so was handy and really nice to share the night sharing stories with them.

Yazd is quite an old amazing city filled with old mud houses and buildings. It is also quite religeous...so for women...many in black and in the full burka. Yazd is a cool city to just head out on foot and explore! We went first to see a Zorastrian Fire temple...which is a sacred flame which has been burning for the last 3000 years! This was the original religeon of this area...In Zorastrian religeon fire together with clean water is an agent of ritual purity. There are also numerous amazing mosques to check out...including one we saw which was quite amazing with its glass and crystal work and had a shrine inside. Another quick day in Yazd and we checked out the otherside from the place we were staying and found streets of old houses and old buildings which we would have loved to explore a bit more! Many of the old traditional houses have been converted to hotels or restaurants, some just for display which we were able to have a look in one. Check out the pics to see more!

That night we took another night bus to Zahiden close to the Pakistan border where we took an early morning taxi to the border to cross into Pakistan!

Wow ...so thanks if you got to the end of this. I found the 2 weeks we spent in Iran very interesting and found the society quite complex and intense in different ways. The experience was very quick, but made me think about a lot of different things that make and mould societies and individuals...some of which I've tried to share in this blog. But overall the people are very lovely and kind. They are very helpful...at times they have an overbearing need to help which was also quite frustrating as well (sounds crazy hey!). They are very interested in foreigners, especailly english speaking ones! However for me as an asian background female, its was quite an interesting experience. In some places I felt for women the scarf was also an invisibility cloth...which hid women from society. In many places, especially in the country side we would see groups of boys playing but it was difficult to see little girls in the street...probably because they are at home with their mothers. Many times people we met would only speak to Jean...even females...assuming I could not speak english. The other thing is we did not visit Tehran, their capital and most populous city with about 12 million people. From what some people said Tehran is quite an open city and for Iran is probably where any change with system, customs and society is going to happen. We chose not to visit Tehran because there were other places we prefered to spent time in...however if you had some time I think it could be an interesting place to learn about things in Iran. The situation with relationships between a man and woman is also quite complicated. We got told by one guy that the police came knocking on his door and beat him when they found him with his girlfriend at his home. However speaking to someone else they said doesn't have anything to do with the law, however it is more the parents and their reliegous beliefs and customs. I spoke to one sad woman who was a bit heartbroken because the guy she was seeing and loved was not accepted by her parents...her parents forbade this relationship and becasue of this the guy said he did not want to cause trouble and stopped communicating with this woman...leaving her heartbroken. However her way of looking at it is...if god can help her she will be able to see this guy again!

Anyway I found Iran a very interesting, enjoyable and beautiful country to visit. Sorry if anything I have written in here does not appear to be correct...I haven't had a chance to do much other reading about Iran or Islam...I am only writing from my expereince and from what people we met told us....now onto Pakistan!!!


en francais

�onc nous voila dans le pays de khomeini le grand ayatollah au visage de bandit!!! impressionant? non a part peut etre la frontiere et le grand poster du meme bandit et de son compagnon mr khameini!!! enfin bon pas 1 tourist a mile lieues a la ronde et une queue d'une 50ene de turques et iraniens!!! ooops on nous fait signe de passe devant tout le monde!!!! merci bonjour ca va mr de la police politique iranienne? il check nos visas et avec un visage glabre nous envoi vers un autre bureau!!! bla bla bla on nous tamponne et hop un peu de liras turques contre des tomans iraniens!!!
�h quelle belle aventure commence!!! un iranien nous prend en stop jusqu'a sa maison pres de la frontiere azerbaijanaise!!! en fait c'est un mec de la mafia kurde qui fait du marche noir de cigarette entre l'irak, l'iran et la turquie!!! tout ca pour financer le party et les milices pkk qui luttent pour un kurdistan libre en turquie et iran!!! a paremment le business marche super cool!!! plus de 500000 dollards par mois de benef!!!! la belle vie quoi hey!!! donc on passe la nuit chez lui et le matin de tres bonne heure il nous amene a tabriz a plus de 200 bornes de la!!! merci ca fait quand meme un sacre detour non!!!
Juste une aparte pour dire que dans beaucoup de pays muslims ou nous sommes alle, les gens on une facon de recevoir l'etrange, qui devrait etre enseignee en europe et dans beaucoup de pays dits occidentaux aussi!!! tout est plein d'humilite, d'aide et de devouement a 100%!!(MISSING)!! l'islam le vrai est une belle religion ou tout le monde a sa place et toutes formes de pensees aussi, meme l'alcool!!! arretons de penser le contraire et arretez de regarder le 13h ou le 20h ils y raconte que des conneries racistes et pro americaines!!! oui bin laden est un connard a la solde de la cia et oui les wahabites sont des fascistes retrogrades, mais ils ne sont qu'une poignee!!! enfin bon soyons desinvolte n'ayons l'air de rien et respectons ceux qui on envie de croire a un dieu qui existe pour certains et qui n'existe pas pour d'autres!!!
Nous voila donc arrive a tabriz ville connue pour son grand marche couvert vieux comme les rue et pour avoir ete une halte majeur sur la route de la soie des venitiens!!! pour nous c'est le 2eme couchsurfing experience avec mr massood un jeune etudiant iranien aux racines azerbaijanaises de bakou!!! bon petit dejeune fait de dates de feta de pita et de yogurt!!! puis les jours ce passent au travers des minuscules ruelles du grand bazzar, aux couleurs chatoyantes et aux parfuns d'epices exotiques, de thes et de diverse denrees!!! c'est la decouverte aussi de la societe iranienne!!! beaucoup d'aprioris tombent rapidement concernant la liberte d’expression et la facon dont les femmes se vetissent!!! Pratiquement pas de burqua et le foulard ne couvre qu’une petite partie des cheveux!!! Les gens critiquent ouvertement amenidjad le president iranien, et traite le gouvernement de corrompu et de lache!!! Jamais par contre personne ne critiquera Khomeini, devant nous en tout cas!!! Mais par contre tous les autre ayatollas y passent et se font descendre en fleche!!!
L’iran est un pays tres riche avec son petrole, son gaz, son cuivre, ses pierre precieuse...etc!!! pourtant beaucoup de gens vivent pauvrement et les infrastructures du pays sont mal adaptees, voir inexistantes!!! Les gens en ont marre et veulent du changement meme si il doivent y perdre leurs vies!!! Un mot qui revient souvent dans les villes c’est “ revolution”!!!
On quitte Tabriz après 4 jours et en route pour la capital du Kurdistan iranien Sanandaj!!! Un peu bete quand meme car une partie du voyage ce fait de nuit a travers les montagnes kurds donc impossible de voir les beau paysages!!! Enfin bon on peu pas tout avoir non plus hein 😊!!! La mission c’est trouver un hotel et il est minuit!!! Un type sympa encore 1, nous aide et après negociation on trouve un coin dans la chaufferie d’1 hotel pour 10$!!! En premier je pense que le mec deconne mais non c’est bien ca chaufferie pour 10$ ou rien du tout!!! Donc on prend car dehors ca caille et on est super creve!!!
Reveille le matin et depart vers les montagnes du Kurdistan a la frontier entre l’irak et l’iran!!! Gros pot on rencontre mr Omit qui decide de devenir notre guide, tout en lui precisant que quoiqu’il arrive c’est du gratuit!!! C’est cool avec lui alors en avant!!! Mini van puis jeep vers l’inconnu!!! Arrivee au village d’ hewraman au coeur des montagnes!!! Pour la petite histoire les horomanis sont des kurdes mais avec un langage tres different des autres kurdes et des uses et coutumes differentes aussi!!! Toutes les maisons sont construites sur un versant avec tout en bas la riviere et sur le versant d’en face les chanps en terrace et au dessus la neige et les hauts sommets separant l’iran de l’irak!!! On est accueilli super bien par une famille du village, qui nous fait une bonne bouffe!!! On dance, on rie et on visite la mosquee locale!!! Un super moment simple et rafraichissant!!! Le lendemain depart a pied pour un autre village, mais après quelques kms on trouve un mini van qui nous y amene!!! La route est magnifique mais completement defoncees et tres dangeureuse!!! Donc arrivee a Hadjitsh petit village a 3 kms de l’irak!!! Acceuilli encore extraodinairement par un type qui essaye quand meme de me convertir a l’islam, après que je lui est dis que je n’avais pas de religion!!! Bonne discussion et plein de belles etoiles dans le ciel pur!!! Le lendemain pluie et froid mais pas grave on ce casse quand meme a pied!!! Une camionette s’arrete et on monte a l’arriere!!! Les paysages sont magnifiques, un peu comme ceux du Nepal!!! Quel beau cadeau la nature quand meme hein!!!
Voila après 3 jours passes dans le pays horomani au Kurdistan, on quitte mr Omit et on decide de descendre vers le chaud et aussi de se rapprocher du Pakistan!!! Donc en premier, arret a Kermanshah une ville tres ancienne avec ses deux sites archeologiques de Taq e Bostan et Bistun aux alentours!!! Hotel miteux hors de prix et rencontre comme ca avec mr Mohamed qui nous invite le lendemain a visiter ces 2 sites!!! Donc voila en route pour de nouvelles aventures !!!Tres interressant de voire toutes ces sculptures faites a flan de montagne!!! et toute premiere fois de voir l'ecriture cuneiforme!!!

Taq-e Bostan est un site sassanide des IVe et VIe siècles, comprenant deux grottes sculptées (taq : voute ; arche, bostan : jardin) et un bas-relief, à côté d'une source.
La fonction du site est inconnue, mais la présence d'une enceinte antique délimitant un large enclos, encore partiellement visible aujourd'hui, et les représentations de chasses royales suggèrent qu'il s'agissait d'un paradeisos, ou terrain de chasse royal. Ce terme grec, signifiant jardin, provient du vieux persan paradaiza, enclos, et a donné paradis en français.
La qualité des sculptures est variable, mais l'ensemble contient au moins un chef-d'œuvre de l'art sassanide, la chasse au sanglier, et une spectaculaire et originale statue équestre ; les statues de la grotte principale sont en haut-relief, presque de la ronde-bosse, une technique peu usitée sous les Sassanides. On a supposé que le programme architectural du site devait inclure une troisième grotte à gauche pour respecter l'harmonie, mais plus d'un siècle séparant déjà la construction des deux grottes, c'est peu envisageable. Certains spécialistes, se basant sur la présence d'Anahita et de la source proche, estiment que l'ensemble de Taq-e Bostan est un édifice religieux, mais d'autres pensent plutôt que la prédominance des symboles royaux comme le diadème montre une intention plus terre-à-terre d'exaltation de l'image royale.
La première sculpture, un bas-relief d'investiture conventionnel, a été réalisée sous le règne d'Ardachîr II (379-383). C'est à partir de son successeur Shapur III (383-388) que le programme architectural innove avec la construction de la petite grotte. Mais la réalisation majeure, la grotte principale, est datée de la fin des Sassanides, sous le règne de Khosro II (590-628), à moins que ce ne soit Péroz Ier (459-484) qui est représenté.
Après la conquête arabe, on n'a plus réalisé de bas-relief royaux en Iran. Il faudra attendre la dynastie des Qajars, qui se voulait dans la continuité des dynasties iraniennes antiques, pour que cette tradition soit reprise. Le gouverneur local a ainsi fait graver un bas-relief le représentant à l'intérieur de la grotte principale, en 1822.
Le toponyme de Taq-e Bostan, comme de très nombreux autres sites de la province de Kermanshah, est issu de la légende kurde de Khosrow et Shirin, mise en poème par Nizami : les grottes auraient été sculptées par Farhad, l'amant malheureux de la belle Shirin. (wikipedia)

L’inscription de Behistun (ou Béhistoun ou Bisistun) est une inscription monumentale décrivant les conquetes de Darius 1er. Le texte lui-même est une déclaration de Darius Ier de Perse, écrit trois fois en trois écritures et langues différentes : deux langues côte à côte, vieux-persan et élamite, et akkadien au-dessus d’elles. Darius a régné sur l’Empire perse de -521 à -486.
Vers 515, il relate en un long récit son accession au trône face à l’usurpateur Smerdis de Perse ainsi que ses guerres victorieuses suivantes et la répression de la rébellion.L’inscription, d’approximativement 15 mètres de haut et 25 mètres de large, se trouve à 100 mètres au-dessus de la route antique reliant les capitales de Babylone en Babylonie et d’Ecbatane de l’Empire mède. Elle est extrêmement peu accessible, la montagne ayant été arasée pour rendre l’inscription plus évidente après gravure. Le texte en vieux persan contient 414 lignes en cinq colonnes; le texte élamite comprend 593 lignes en huit colonnes et le texte akkadien en comporte 112. L’inscription a été illustrée d’un bas-relief représentant Darius, deux domestiques, grandeur nature et dix personnages hauts d’un mètre représentant les peuples conquis. Le dieu Ahura Mazda flotte au-dessus, donnant sa bénédiction au roi. (wikipedia)

Le cunéiforme est issu du plus ancien système d'écriture au monde, mis au point en basse Mésopotamie entre 3400 et 3200 avant J.-C. Au départ linéaire, cette écriture est progressivement devenue cunéiforme. Le nom cunéiforme signifie « en forme de coins » (latin cuneus), à cause de la forme du stylet utilisé (mais on parle souvent de « clou »). Le cunéiforme était principalement écrit avec un calame en roseau sur des tablettes d'argile. Il est à base phonogrammique, mais comprend également de nombreux logogrammes.
À partir de son foyer sud-mésopotamien où vivait le peuple qui en est probablement le créateur, les Sumériens, le système d'écriture cunéiforme est adapté dans d'autres langues, à commencer par l'akkadien parlé en Mésopotamie, puis des langues d'autres peuples du Proche-Orient ancien (élamite, hittite, hourrite entre autres), et il est le système dominant dans ces régions pendant tout le IIe millénaire av. J.-C. Il décline lentement par la suite, avant de se replier sur son foyer de Mésopotamie méridionale où il disparaît aux débuts de notre ère. (wikipedia)

Depart vers Ispahan une des plus belle ville de la perse ancienne!!! Voyage de nuit et arrivee de tres bonne heure et ca caille!!! Snif snif snif pas grave on se trouve une guest house bien sympa et on se tappe un bon breakfast!!! Pendant les 2 jours qui suivent on part a la decouverte de la ville et de ses secrets!!! Probablement les plus belles mosquees que j’ai jamais vu!!! Toutes hornees de mozaiques hyper compliquees et colorees!!! Bazzars immences remplis de milliers d’echoppes!!! Boulangerie traditionelles ou l’on nous offre de la pita et des beaux vrais sourirs!!! La cathedrale armenienne de Vank aux icons dorees et aux fresques chatoyantes!!! Ispahan est tres belles allez la visiter 😊!!!
Nous avons plus que quelques jours sur notre visa de 15jrs,alors on decide de faire l’impasse sur Shiraz, et on se casse vers Yazd haut lieu du zoroastisme en iran!!!

Le zoroastrisme est la première religion monothéiste dont Ahura Mazdâ (pehlevi Ohrmazd) est le dieu, seul responsable de la mise en ordre du chaos initial, le créateur du ciel et de la Terre. Le zoroastrisme est une réforme du mazdéisme, réforme prophétisée par Zarathoustra, dont le nom a été transcrit Zoroastre par les Grecs (Ζωροάστρης, Zōroastrēs). Cette réforme, fondée au cours du Ier millénaire av. J.-C. dans l'actuel Kurdistan iranien (Iran occidental), est devenue la religion officielle des Perses sous la dynastie des Sassanides (224-651), jusqu'à ce que l'islam arrive.
Les zoroastriens respectent le feu comme symbole divin. Zoroastre prêchait un dualisme reposant sur la bataille entre le Bien et le Mal, la Lumière et les Ténèbres, dualisme présent dans l'islam chiite duodécimain. Le principe de Zoroastre est qu'il existe un esprit saint (Spenta Mainyu), fils de Ahura Mazdā, et un esprit mauvais (Angra Mainyu) (pehlevi Ahriman), esprit incréé, opposés car représentant le jour et la nuit, la vie et la mort. Ces deux esprits coexistent dans chacun des êtres vivants. (wikipedia)

Yazd est aussi fabuleuse!!! Une partie de sa vielle ville a ete d’ailleurs classee patrimoine mondiale par l’unesco!!! Palaces perses d’1 autre temps, ruelles arcboutees, vieux marche de l’or, systeme d’air conditione fait de tour de boue seichee vieux comme le monde!!! Un regal quoi!!! En plus on se fait acceuillir par notre ami mr Balal, dans son hotel palace digne des contes de mile et une nuit!!! Un super mec avec beaucoup de sensibilite et d’amour plein dans le Coeur!!! Merci mon pote!!!
Depart pour la frontier irano pakistanaise!!! 1 autre bus de nuit rempli de chercheurs de pierres precieuses!!! un dernier bout de chemin en taxi collectif vers la frontiere et le soleil qui se leve sur le desert mineral entre ces 2 pays!!!
Voila il est temps de quitter l’iran et c’est vraiment a regret car ce n’est pas 15 jrs qu’il faudrait mais 3 mois!!! Tant a voir et decouvrir et tellement de gens a rencontrer!!! Enfin bon ca vraiment donne envi d’y retourner 😊!!!

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Photos

bazargan
border turkey/iran

maku
snow snow and snow again!!! welcome to iran

poldatch
angela and skippy in iran

poldatch
traditional kurdistan dress

tabriz
breakfast at massod

tabrz
old bazaar

tabriz
the teashop

tabriz
tea maker

tabriz
old bazaar small wooden door

tabriz
bags of spices

tabriz to sanandaj
crops

sanandaj
from afrika to asia mercedes is the best!!!

kurdistan
look at his funny jacket m,ade of goat skin!!!

kurdistan
jeep trip

kurdistan
view of hewraman village

kurdistan
kurdish smiles:)

hadjitsh
a good dinner

hadjitsh
view of hadjitsh village

hadjitsh
shoe makers

hadjitsh
kurdish men chilling out

hadjitsh
new born calf

hadjitsh
walking under the rain

hadjitsh
old fort or house

kurdistan
mountain pass

kurdistan
hewraman

kurdistan
hewraman traditional food

kurdistan
girls dancing

kordistan
omit and angie at the back of a ute

kurdistan
bye bye bros

kurdistan
hewraman traditional house

kurdistan
some gas mate?

kurdistan
hewraman bread making

Comments

[Coco Natcchi]

awesome!!!
Wow bro,sis Have a great journey..take care!