Walk to Jerusalem Spring Week 5 We had another great week this week. We had 53 participants and walked 1072.5 miles! The map below shows our progress through the end of week five (purple line). At the end of week four we had arrived at Zahedan, Iran, just over the border from Pakistan. On Monday, March 1, we proceeded to trek across Iran, hoping to arrive in Iraq by Sunday. I had no idea when I planned this tour last November that the Pope would be in Iraq when we arrived, nor was I certain we would reach Iraq in time to see him in person but we did! A note about Persians versus Arabs: Iranians view themselves as Persian, not Arabs. Persia at one point was one of the greatest empires of all time (see map on page 2). From this great culture we gained beautiful art seen in the masterful woven Persian carpets, melodic poetic verse, and modern algebra. It is referred to as an “ancient” empire, but, in fact, some Persian practices, such as equal rights for men and women and the abolishment of slavery, were way ahead of their time. The Persian Solar calendar is one of the world’s most accurate calendar systems. Persians come from Iran while Arabs come from the Arabia Peninsula. The fall Persia’s great dynasty to Islamic control occurred from 633-656 AD. Since that time surrounding Arab nations have forced the former power to repeatedly restructure, changing former Persia into present day Iran. But with history and culture this rich, it is to no surprise that Persians want to be distinguished from others including their Arab neighbors. Our first stop was at Kerman. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in 221,389 households, making it the 10th most populous city of Iran. It is the largest and most developed city in Kerman Province and one of the most important cities in the southeast of Iran. We did look for a Catholic church here but were told we probably would have to go to Tehran to attend mass. Kerman is famous for its long history and strong cultural heritage. The city is home to many historic mosques and Zoroastrian fire temples. Kerman became the capital city of Iranian dynasties several times during its history. It is located on a large, flat plain, 500 miles south-east of Tehran, the capital of Iran. The city is surrounded by mountains. The economy of Kerman is mostly based on farming, notably nut farming and mining. Sarchashmeh Copper mine is the second biggest copper mine in the world after the one located in Chile. Pistachios are an important part of the economy in Kerman, with Kerman Province being the largest producer of pistachios in Iran and the world. Carpet weaving is one of the main industries of the city, and the carpets produced there are renowned internationally. Carpet weaving is a very old tradition in Kerman. The oldest carpet discovered in Kerman, dates from about 500 years ago. We visited some sites before we left the city. Shazdeh Garden meaning the Prince`s Garden in Mahan is a historical Persian garden. The garden is 13.5 acres with a rectangular shape and a wall around it. It consists of an entrance structure and gate at the lower end and a two-floor residential structure at the upper end. The garden is a fine example of Persian gardens that take advantage of suitable natural climate. Next we headed to the Shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali. Dome interior of the Shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali left and the tiled exterior dome right. A historical adobe complex, the shrine contains the mausoleum of Shah Nematollah Vali (c. 1330–1431), the renowned Persian Sufi mystic and poet from the 14th and 15th centuries. He is revered by Sunni Islam as a saint and by the Ni'matullāhī tariqa, who consider him their founder. We ten went to see Jabalieh or Rock Dome (below left), also known as the Gabri Dome. The dome, a place of historical importance in Iran. Its architectural affects have been inspired from the Sassanide period. It has an elevation of 1 mile above sea level. It is of octagonal design and comprises three floors crowned by a rather flat dome. It appears to predate the 2nd millennium AD and may have been a Zoroastrian building. It is remarkable because it is constructed of stone rather than the more usual brick. The Ganjali Khan Complex is located in the old center of city of Kerman, Iran. The complex is composed of a school, a square, a caravanserai, a bathhouse, a water reservoir, a mint, a mosque and a bazaar. The Ganjali Khan Complex was built by Ganj Ali Khan who governed Kerman, province from 1596 to 1621. Several inscriptions laid inside the complex indicate the exact date when these buildings were built. The complex covers an area of 2.78 square acres and is centered on a large public square. The complex was built in Isfahani style of architecture. Ganjali Khan Caravanserai, left The caravanserai is located on the east side of the Ganjali Square. The caravanserai has double-story halls centered four sides of an open courtyard. There is an octagonal fountain at the center of the courtyard. If you look carefully at the photo you can see the beautiful tile work that adorns the building. It has a small domed mosque at one corner. Interior photo of Mosque on right. From Kerman we headed to Yazd. At the 2011 census, the population was 529,673, and it is currently the 15th largest city in Iran. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Yazd means "clean" and "holy"; Yazd city means god city and holy land. Because of generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings, Yazd has a unique Persian architecture. It is nicknamed the "City of Windcatchers". It is also very well known for its Zoroastrian fire temples, cisterns, underground channels, Persian handicrafts, handwoven cloth , silk weaving, Persian cotton candy, and its time-honored confectioneries. Yazd is also known as City of Bicycles, because of its old history of bike riders, and the highest number of bicycles per capita in Iran. It is reported that bicycle culture in Iran originated in Yazd because of contact with European visitors and tourists in the last century. After the Arab conquest of Iran, many Zoroastrians migrated to Yazd from neighboring provinces. By paying a levy, Yazd could remain Zoroastrian even after its conquest, and Islam only gradually became the dominant religion in the city. Because of its remote desert location and the difficulty of access, Yazd remained mostly immune to large battles and the destruction and ravages of war. For instance, it was a haven for those fleeing from destruction in other parts of Persian Empire during the Mongol invasion. In 1272 it was visited by Marco Polo, who remarked on the city's fine silk-weaving industry. In the book The Travels of Marco Polo, he described Yazd in the following way: “It is a good and noble city and has a great amount of trade. They weave their quantities of a certain silk tissue known as Yasdi, which merchants carry into many quarters to dispose of. When you leave this city to travel further, you ride for seven days over great plains, finding harbor to receive you at three places only. There are many fine woods producing dates upon the way, such as one can easily ride through; and in them there is great sport to be had in hunting and hawking, there being partridges and quails and abundance of other game, so that the merchants who pass that way have plenty of diversion. There are also wild asses, handsome creatures. At the end of those seven marches over the plain, you come to a fine kingdom which is called Kerman.” The Fire Temple of Yazd is a Zoroastrian fire temple in Yazd, Iran. It enshrines the Atash Bahram, meaning “Victorious Fire”, dated to 470 AD. It is one of the nine Atash Bahrams, the only one of the highest grade fire in ancient Iran where Zoroastrians have practiced their religion since 400 BC; the other eight Atash Bahrams are in India According to Aga Rustam Noshiravan Belivani, of Sharifabad, the Anjuman-i Nasiri (elected Zoroastrian officials) opened the Yazd Atash Behram in the 1960s to non-Zoroastrian visitors. Seeing a few children, firebox in their hand, and their occasional naughtiness but with caution not to fall into the ground was a common sight in ancient Iran. The children who like fire were the heat and kindness of every family. At that time, there was no match or other instrument to make fire. Thus, in one place, a fire was always on so that the people can take an amount of fire daily to turn on the firebox of their house. “Kadeh” in Dari Persian language means house, and “Atashkadeh” means the house of fire. Veneration of fire has its roots in the older practice of keeping a hearth fire going especially in the cold winters on the steppes of Central Asia when the Indo Europeans led a nomadic life, and fire was a source of warmth, light, and comfort. The Iranians began calling fire the Atas Yazata (divinity) and began giving it offerings in return for its constant help. The ceremony accompanying recitation of the Yasna Haptanghaiti seems to originate in pre Zoroastrian times where priests offered libations to fire and water.