Wednesday 17th April, 2019
Once we had completed the formalities at the border, made our way towards Takht-e-Soleyman, (near the town of Takab) the first site we wanted to visit on the way to Tehran.
We stopped for the night in the small town of Shahin Dezh where we found a small family run hotel in a back alley thanks to the help of locals who guided us there. Later, whilst having dinner, a couple even offered us to stay at their home. Not unusual in Iran where hospitality is second nature and visitors are treated as special guests.
Thursday 18th April, 2019
Takht-e-Soleyman, world Heritage site dating from the Sassanian period was a ritual center for the Zoroastrian followers and hosted the temple of Adur Gushnaps- the fire of the warriors- which was one of the three most sacred fire temples of the Sasanid Empire.After the Mongol invasion, Abaqa Khan displaced the inhabitants and built a pleasure palace on the site shortly after his accession to the throne in 1265.
The site sits at 2,200m on an outcrop of limestone built up by the sediments of the overflowing water of a thermal spring-lake ( 21C)
Not far fromTakt-e-Soleyman( 3km) stands the hollow mountain known as Zendan-e Soleyman; the “Prison Mountain” a dormant volcano. it is 107 m high with an enormous crater 65 m wide and 80 m deep. This crater would have originally been filled with water from the spring still flowing at the bottom but is now partially blocked by the sediments. Don’t look down if you suffer from vertigo !
We are now in iranian Kurdistan and most men ( and young boys) wear the traditional baggy trousers with a cloth belt around the waist. As we drove through a small village, Paul stopped to take some pictures and the men invited us to have tea. We sat on breeze blocks outside a shop they were fixing and the owner brought us some tea, a glass of hot milk and bread. Neighbours dropped by too and said hello but women kept their distance and were watching from across the road. After a while I went to greet them and manage to have some basic exchange in Farsi.
Drove to Zanjan, passing beautiful scenery, high mountain range and wide valleys with old mud houses in typical villages.
Friday 19th April, 2019
We stopped at Soltaniyeh, just off the motorway on the way to Tehran.
Soltaniyeh ( the “Imperial”) is a a UNESCO world heritage site and was built between 1302 to 1312. It has the worls’oldest double-shell dome. The estimated 200 ton dome stands 49m tall and is currently undergoing extensive renovation with scaffolding blocking the way. However you can climb to the gallery at the base of the dome, where some superb mosaics remain.
We were dreading the drive into Tehran as our satnav does not cover Iran but it went fairly smoothly thanks to the app MAPS.ME which took us right to our friends’ flat. At last we had made it! As promised we were back in Tehran.
As an aside, driving here is manic, forget any rules, the strongest and boldest goes first! People pass on either side of you, make a 2 lane-road a four lane one , cut through incoming traffic etc….
Saturday 20th April- Sunday 21st April, 2019
Spent a couple of days relaxing with our friends, went to Si Tir street, one of the oldest streets in Tehran, now popular in the evenings for food street stalls with singers and traditional dancers performing and people just having a good time. On the way there, people were giving sweets , cakes, ice creams to passers by, in celebration of the following day’s holiday.
Sunday was a national holiday ( birth of the 12th Imam) and we went to a park in the northern suburbs with our friends and their family. We enjoyed chicken kebabs on the open fire, washed down with doughr ( yoghurt drink) and tea.
Monday 22nd April, 2019
Went to the Turkmenistan Embassy near Tajrish Square in North Tehran to apply for our transit visa. We will pick it up in Mashhad ( fingers crossed!) Walked around Tajrish for a while then back to the center and visited the Carpet Museum. Exhibits divided by region and informative explananations in english.
