Blogs from South, Iran, Middle East - page 4

Wake up at 0530, couple of hours until breakfast! Enjoy a communal breakfast with Javier, a Turkish guy and a Persian couple who live in France. Nice way to begin, and this breakfast has got watermelon, and the best feta to date. Head off before 0830, the Mosque-e Molk is supposed to open then. It is less than 5 mins down the road. Javier was there yesterday afternoon but is also keen to see the morning light. This has been on my list since planning the trip to Iran- I have been anticipating the light and colour for months and months. We get there, pay the 50 000 IRR ($1.80) and head in. The central entrance courtyard and algal green pool is just beautiful, there is restoration work going on at the southern end. The tiles ... read more

While Europeans were swinging from the trees and bashing each other with clubs, there was the Persian empire. At its height, it spanned India in the east to Bulgaria (just north of Greece for the geographically inept). It was huge, extremely cultured and civilized. The Persians were known for being benevolent invaders, choosing not to oppress and not to integrate, but rather respect and maintain cultural identity where possible. For those of you that are familiar with the biblical stories, King Darius (Daniel and the lions den), King Cyrus (the king who let Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem's walls) and King Xerxes (the king in Esther), I'm sure you have noticed that the kings were benevolent. The Persians also perfected the postal system and were able to deliver mail from India to Europe in fifteen days (mail from ... read more

Nasir ol-Molk Mosque is a traditional mosque in Shiraz, Iran. The Winter Prayer Hall is extremely photogenic in the morning when sunlight streams throughthe stained-glass windows.... read more

Tehran to Hamadan and Kermanshah, and onto Shiraz Well your now reading the ramblings of one pissed off little vegemite. For the Rome and Phoenix connections: when we were kids there was an advert on TV for Vegemite (similar to Marmite – Americans – google it). The theme of the advert was kids running around to a jingle – we’re happy little vegemites. Anyway why am I pissed – tell you later. I have to catch up on two days, so here goes. Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September: We left Tehran heading for Hamadan about the same as driving from Canberra to Sydney. Again, as Saturday was an odd day, we had to taxi to Emir’s car. Once there we picked our way through the Tehran traffic and headed sort of ... read more

Ancient Persepolis - the heart of ancient Persia - today’s Iran. Towering columns, massive gateways, monumental staircases and exquisite reliefs. Its almost impossible to imagine these ruins in their former splendor. And to imagine the proud empire that held the Greeks at bay for so very long. It started in the 7th century BC with Persepolis being constructed in the early 500 BCs. At its height, the Persian Empire stretched from India to Europe’s Danube River. It had the first postal system in the world with paved roads stretching from one end to the other to speed the mail on its way. The famed King Cyrus perhaps established the humane and inclusive policies that brought those conquered by the Persian Empire into the empire not as conquered, but as integral parts of the fabric that was ... read more