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, , just over the border from . 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 : 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 . 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 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 to attend mass. Kerman is famous for its long history and strong cultural heritage. The city is home to many historic 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. 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 that take advantage of suitable natural climate. Next we headed to the Shrine of Nematollah Vali.

Dome interior of the Shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali left and the tiled exterior right.

A historical adobe complex, the shrine contains the of Shah Nematollah Vali (c. 1330–1431), the renowned Persian Sufi mystic and poet from the 14th and 15th . He is revered by Sunni as a saint and by the Ni'matullāhī , 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 AD and may have been a Zoroastrian building. It is remarkable because it is constructed of stone rather than the more usual brick. The is located in the old center of city of Kerman, Iran. The complex is composed of a school, a square, a , a bathhouse, a water reservoir, a mint, a and a . The Ganjali Khan Complex was built by 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 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 . 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 ". 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 . 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 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 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 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. Takhte-Jamshid, left Persia was conquered by the Arabs, but they did not lose their language or their identity. Ethnic Persians make up 60 percent of modern Iran, and modern Persian is the official language. But with history and culture this rich, it is to no surprise that Persians want to be distinguished from others including their Arab neighbors. After the Arab invasion in 651 Islam did eventually displace the native Zoroastrian religion. However, the Persians held onto their identity through their language, literature, and arts. Many Zoroastrian Persians who refused to convert to Islam, fled to India. Persians, because of their background and Zoroastrian past developed a different culture from Arab counterpart. The confusion between the Arabs and Persians seems to arise from their shared religion of Islam. Islam is not a nation, nor is it an ethnic group. It is solely a religion. Much like African Americans and Japanese can be Christian, Persians and Arabs can be Muslim. Islam has two branches Shia and Sunni. The cause of this division is said to happen after the prophet the original leader of Islam passed away in 632. ``The ones that consider the Prophet Mohammad’s main followers as their next leader and the ones that wanted his bloodline, his cousin and son- in-law Ali, to rule over Muslims. The first group of followers is called the Sunni, and the second group is Shia. Nowadays the official religion of Iran is Shia, but Sunni is practice in a few places. Most Persians, including most Iranians, practice Shia branch of Islam. Shia followers are a small group in Islam world and are considered minority (about 10%, of Muslims worldwide). Most Shias today live in Iran, Pakistan, India, and Iraq, and they adhere to Twelve Shiism – the belief that twelve , appointed divinely, descended from Ali. in fact don’t consider Iranians ‘true’ Muslims because they do some rituals so differently than Sunni Muslims Arab do. Even though the main religion in Iran is the , there are a few smaller religious groups: For example, the Sunni Islam is the religion undertaken by the Kurdish in the west, the Turkmens, and the Arabs in the southern part of Iran. Apart from these, there are also a handful of faith groups around the country, including Christianity, Bahai’at, Judaism and . Even though Arabs invaded Persia (Iran) and many Persians had to change their religion, Iranian kept most of their Zoroastrian tradition and ceremonies and still celebrates them. At the time of Arabs ruling Persia, Persians had to choose whether they wanted to accept a new culture, change their language to and religion to Islam. Persians did everything to maintain their language when Egypt and other countries from north of Africa started to speak Arabic. Persians pride themselves that they fought to remain as Persians, not Arabs. An example of Persian dance is shown below left.

The most important holiday in Iran is Norooz which marks the first day Persian New Year. Yalda is one of the most ancient Persian festivals celebrated by Iranians which marks the longest night of the year. Neither of these festivals and ceremonies is celebrated in Arab countries. Unlike most nations, Arabs do not celebrate their new year! Eid al-Fitr (a religious ceremony) is the most important holiday celebrated in Arab countries or “Arab World”. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of . Ramadan is a holy month in which Muslims fast. Eid al-Adha (also known as “Festival of Sacrifice”) is the second most important Islamic holiday. It is celebrated by Muslims all over the world. From Yazd we headed to Tehran, capital of Iran. Tehran is the capital of Iran and . With a population of around 8.7 million in the city and 15 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia, and has the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East (after Cairo). It is ranked 24th in the world by the population of its metropolitan area. Tehran is home to many historical collections, including the royal complexes of Golestan, Sa'dabad, and Niavaran, where the two last dynasties of the former Imperial State of Iran were seated. Tehran's most famous landmarks include the , a memorial built under the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah of the in 1971 to mark the 2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran, and the , the world's sixth-tallest self-supporting tower which was completed in 2007. The , a newly built landmark, was completed in 2014. Tehran Skyline view Tehran has an international airport ( Khomeini Airport), a domestic airport (Mehrabad Airport), a central railway station, the rapid transit system of Tehran Metro, a bus rapid transit system, trolleybuses, and a large network of highways. According to the Global Destinations Cities Index in 2016, Tehran is among the top ten fastest growing destinations. Up until the 1870s, Tehran consisted of a walled citadel, a roofed bazaar, and the three main neighborhoods of Udlajan, Chale-Meydan, and Sangelaj, where the majority resided. The first development plan of Tehran in 1855 emphasized the traditional spatial structure. Architecture, however, found an eclectic expression to reflect the new lifestyle. The 1878 development plan of Tehran included new city walls, in the form of a perfect octagon with an area of 7.34 square miles, which mimicked the Renaissance cities of Europe. The growing social awareness of civil rights resulted in the Constitutional Revolution and the first constitution of Iran in 1906. On June 2, 1907, the parliament passed a law on local governance known as the Baladie, providing a detailed outline on issues such as the role of councils within the city, the members' qualifications, the election process, and the requirements to be entitled to vote. A coupe occurred in July 1909. As a result, the monarch was exiled and replaced with his son Ahmad, and the parliament was re- established. After World War I, the constituent assembly elected Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty as the new monarch, who immediately suspended the Baladie law of 1907, replacing the decentralized and autonomous city councils with centralist approaches of governance and planning. From the 1920s to the 1930s, under the rule of Reza Shah, the city was essentially rebuilt from scratch. Modern buildings influenced by classical , particularly the building of the National Bank, the Police Headquarters, the Telegraph Office, and the Military Academy replaced older buildings.. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Tehran was rapidly developed under the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah. Modern buildings altered the face of Tehran and ambitious projects were envisioned for the following decades. Eventually, the whole plan was marginalized by the 1979 Revolution and the subsequent Iran–Iraq War. The Azadi Tower was built in 1971. Tehran's most famous landmark, the Azadi Tower, was built by the order of the Shah in 1971. Formerly known as the Shahyad Tower, it was built in commemoration of the 2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran. During the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War, Tehran was the target of repeated Scud missile attacks and airstrikes. The 435-meter-high Milad Tower, which was part of the proposed development projects in pre-revolutionary Iran, was completed in 2007, and has then become a famous landmark of Tehran. The 270-meter pedestrian overpass of Tabiat Bridge was completed in 2014. After visiting the tower, we also saw some other important sites.

Tehran's , below, left Tehran's Greek Orthodox Church of Virgin Mary, below right

Saint Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, below left St. Joseph Assyrian Catholic (Chaldean) Church, Tehran, below right.

The Cathedral of the Consolata, below left, also called the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Tehran. The cathedral is located near the Italian embassy in Tehran. It is the main church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ispahan, which was created in 1629 by Pope Urban VIII. We were able to spend some time here in prayer. The (Below right, is located in Tehran, Iran. It is an institution formed of two complexes; the Museum of Ancient Iran and the Museum of Islamic Archaeology and Art of Iran, which were opened in 1937 and 1972, respectively. We enjoyed preserved ancient and medieval Iranian antiquities, including pottery vessels, metal objects, textile remains, and some rare books and coins. The (left) is the former royal Qajar complex. One of the oldest historic monuments in the city of Tehran, and of world heritage status, the Golestan Palace belongs to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran's "citadel). It consists of gardens, royal buildings, and collections of Iranian crafts and European presents from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Tabi'at Bridge, (right ) is the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran, Iran. The 890 foot bridge connects two public parks — Taleghani Park and Abo-Atash Park — by spanning Modarres Expressway, one of the main highways in northern Tehran. The word tabiat means "nature" in the Persian language. Although we saw the bridge from a distance, we didn’t have time to visit either park or cross the bridge. Leaving Tehran, we headed to Kermāshān, which is in the western part of Iran. In 2019 the population was estimated at 1,046,000. Most of 's population speaks Southern Kurdish, and the city is the largest Kurdish-speaking city in Iran. Kermanshah has a moderate and mountainous climate. Most of the inhabitants of Kermanshah are Shia Muslims, but there are also Sunni Muslims. Because of its antiquity, attractive landscapes, rich culture and Neolithic villages, Kermanshah is considered one of the cradles of prehistoric cultures. According to archaeological surveys and excavation(left), the Kermanshah area has been occupied by prehistoric people since the Lower Paleolithic period, and continued till late Pleistocene period. The Lower Paleolithic evidence consists of some hand axes found in the Gakia area to the east of the city. Archaeological excavations in late 1940s in the Bisitun cave, where the first Neanderthal remain of Iran was discovered by Carleton S. Coon. Neanderthal Man existed in the Kermanshah region during this period and the only discovered skeletal remains of this early human in Iran was found in three caves and rock shelter situated in Kermanshah province. The region was also one of the first places in which human settlements were established between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. This is about the same time that the first potteries pertaining to Iran were made nearby. In May 2009, , the head of Archeology Research Center of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization announced that the one of the oldest prehistoric village in the Middle East dating back to 9800 B.P., was discovered in the area. Remains of later village occupations and early Bronze Age are found in a number of mound sites in the city itself. Temple of Anahita on the left as the patron yazata of the Sassanian dynasty behind Emperor Khosrau Parviz with Ahura Mazda presenting the diadem of sovereignty on the right. Taq-e Bostan below right.

Essaqwand Rock Tombs, The Essaqwand Rock Tombs are three rock-hewn tombs located 25 km southwest of Harsin in Kermanshah Province, Iran. On top of the middle tomb there is a rock relief of a man with his profile toward the viewers. He is holding his hands in prayers in front of him. There is also a torch and a fire altar in front of him. Behind the fire altar there is another man, holding up something in his hands. The tombs have been attributed to different historical eras

including , Achaemenids, Seleucids and Parthians. Moaven al-molk (below left with picture of dome on right). On December 1, 1975 Tekyeh Moaven al-molk was recognized as National monument of Iran. It is well known for its exclusive tiling, picturing Islamic era Ghazi (warrior), and Iranian kings such as Achaemenid kings and . It has three main parts: , Zaeynabiya and Abbasiya. Museum of Anthropology of Kermanshah, and Clothes and Jewelry Museum of Kermanshah are in Abbasiya.

I for one am always amazed by the tile work done on the facades and interiors of many of the buildings we have seen on this trip!

We then left Iran for Iraq on Friday, heading directly for Ur, Iraq where Pope Francis would be conducting an outdoor interfaith prayer service Saturday morning. It seemed to be the most likely place we might get to see him in person since it was an outdoor venue. We arrived on Saturday morning before the interfaith event and were able to find a spot where we could hear and see his speech. UR is shown on the map below as a large purple blob (I am not much an artist with a mouse!).

Ur was an important Sumerian city-state in ancient Mesopotamia, located at the site of modern Tell el- Muqayyar . Although Ur was once a coastal city near the mouth of the Euphrates on the Persian Gulf, the coastline has shifted and the city is now well inland, on the south bank of the Euphrates, 9.9 miles from Nasiriyah in modern-day Iraq. The city dates from the Ubaid period circa 3800 BC, and is recorded in written history as a city-state from the 26th century BC, its first recorded king being Mesannepada. The city's patron deity was Nanna , the Sumerian and Akkadian moon god, and the name of the city is in origin derived from the god's name. UNUG, literally "the abode (UNUG) of Nanna". The site is marked by the partially restored ruins of the Ziggurat of Ur, which contained the shrine of Nanna, excavated in the 1930s. The temple was built in the BC, during the reign of Ur- Nammu and was reconstructed in the BC by Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon. The ruins cover an area of 3,900 feet. The city, said to have been planned by Ur-Nammu, was apparently divided into neighborhoods, with merchants living in one quarter, artisans in another. There were streets both wide and narrow, and open spaces for gatherings. Many structures for water resource management and flood control are in evidence. Houses were constructed from mudbricks and mud plaster. In major buildings, the masonry was strengthened with bitumen and reeds. For the most part, foundations are all that remain today. People were often buried (separately and alone; sometimes with jewelry, pots, and weapons) in chambers or shafts beneath the house floors. Ur was surrounded by sloping ramparts, bordered in some places by a brick wall. Elsewhere, buildings were integrated into the ramparts. The Euphrates River complemented these fortifications on the city's western side. Archaeological discoveries have shown unequivocally that Ur was a major Sumero-Akkadian urban center on the Mesopotamian plain. Especially the discovery of the Royal Tombs has confirmed its splendor. These tombs, which date to the Early Dynastic IIIa period (approximately in the 25th or 24th century BC), contained an immense treasure of luxury items made of precious metals and semi-precious stones imported from long distances. This wealth, unparalleled up to then, is a testimony of Ur's economic importance during the Early Bronze Age. Ur was a major port on the Persian Gulf, which extended much further inland than today, and the city controlled much of the trade into Mesopotamia. Ur is thought to be the city of Ur Kasdim mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the birthplace of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim patriarch Abraham , traditionally believed to have lived sometime in the BC. The biblical Ur is mentioned four times in the Torah or Old Testament, with the distinction "of the Kasdim/Kasdin"—traditionally rendered in English as "Ur of the Chaldees". The Chaldeans had settled in the vicinity by around 850 BC but were not extant anywhere in Mesopotamia during the 2nd millennium BC period when Abraham is traditionally held to have lived. The Chaldean dynasty did not rule Babylonia (and thus become the rulers of Ur) until the late BC and held power only until the mid-6th century BC. The name is found in Genesis 11:28, Genesis 11:31, and Genesis 15:7. In Nehemiah 9:7, a single passage mentioning Ur is a paraphrase of Genesis. More than 6,000 years ago, Ur emerged as one of the world’s first main urban centers and centuries later developed into the hub of the then global economy with its factories mass-producing carpets and wool clothing for export within Mesopotamia and abroad.

The Great Ziggurat temple in the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar province

Ur is where the wheel was invented, the Code of Hammurabi – or rule of law – was first established, and where oil was first burned as a source of energy. The ancient Iraqi city of, also called Tal al-Muqayer, has been considered one of the most important archaeological sites throughout history. In July 2016, UNESCO placed Ur on the World Heritage list

The stairs leading to the top of the Ziggurat temple.

Ur is one of several cities built by the Sumerians who made it the capital of their state. When they settled in southern Iraq around 3,500 BC, they surrounded it with walls and built markets, workshops, and agricultural villages inside. It spawned the development of primary commercial transport routes with other cities and nations of that time. Excavations in the early 1900s in Ur indicated its people lived a life of luxury as the city prospered in the growing and trading of wheat and barley. Excavations continue to this day as there are treasures still undiscovered that will provide further insight into one of the world’s first progressive cities. During the 2007 excavation season in the ancient city of Ur, archaeologists found about 100 tablet artefacts that included important ancient texts. When the texts were studied by helping the American University of Stony Brook, it was discovered that these tablets were a miniature library. about 45 of them were discovered. The Sumerians developed irrigation systems and grain cultivation, as well as invented writing used in ancient Mesopotamia and Persia. They also developed an algorithm on which time measurement is based to this day. Sumerian society recognized the mother’s leadership role in the family, and women commanded a high level of respect. Another cultural legacy of Sumerian civilization was poetry and pottery. British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley, who excavated in Ur in 1922, discovered a royal tomb that matches the Pharaonic ones in the pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The Sumerians were interested in building temples from mud and asphalt. An ancient Ziggurat, or terraced compound, still stands in Ur and is considered one of the oldest pyramids of Mesopotamia’s civilization. After touring the complex, we settled down to hear Pope Francis speak. Fortunately we were able to hear a translation in English from our cell phones during his speech. Pope Francis’ historic visit aimed to boost the morale of Iraq’s besieged Christian minority, which has dwindled in recent years amid wars and persecution, and to encourage religious coexistence between Muslims, Christians and other minorities. “The politicians need to promote the spirit of fraternal solidarity,” the pontiff said on Friday. “There is corruption, abuse of power, that is not the way. At the same time, you need to think of justice, transparency, to strengthen certain values, that is how credibility can grow so everyone, especially the young people, can have hope for the future.” Pope Francis condemned violent religious extremism Saturday during an interfaith prayer service at the site of the ancient city of Ur, where the Prophet Abraham is thought to have been born. "We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion," he told the congregation, which included members of religious minorities persecuted under the Islamic State group's three-year rule of much of across the country to northern Iraq. The pope urged Iraq’s Muslim and Christian religious leaders to put aside animosities and work together for peace and unity.

“This is true religiosity: to worship God and to love our neighbor,” he told the gathering. This is a picture of Pope Francis delivering his speech at Ur. The link below the picture is to an 18-minute video on YouTube provides an English translation as he speaks.

https://youtu.be/i0lMD8A49aU Next week we will head to Baghdad and then on to Jordan. Kathy Scharer Your Tour Director