Western Iran اﯾران ﻏرﺑﯽ

Home , Atrium (architecture), Kangavar, Kermanshah, Lavandevil, Lobby (room), Mehmaan khana

0 200 km Western Iran WESTERN IRAN 0 120 miles To Quba (90km) Ceasefire Line ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﻏﺮﺑﯽ Kura Iÿdîr YEREVAN Aÿrî NARORNO River Mt Ararat (Aÿrî Daÿî) KARABAGH ARMENIA Khankandi BAKU To Erzurum (5137m) (Stepanakert) (120km) Doÿubayazit AZERBAIJAN A Z E R B A I J A N Gürbulak Sangar NAKHCHIVAN Goris From paddy fields to blizzards to the original Garden of Eden, this region will shatter your Bazargan Pars Maku Nakhchivan Kapan River Abad City Battle Site Agarak preconceptions of Iran. Standing at the frontiers with Mesopotamia and Turkey, western Shot Culfa Aras Eskanlu Chaldoran Qareh Kalisa Kordasht Meghri Khudaferin C A S P I A N Lake Bastam Jolfa Iran has witnessed many of civilisation’s great empires, fortunes oscillating between trading Qareh Qarachilar Tatvan WESTERN IRAN Van Van Ziya'eddin Ushtebin S E A Hadiy Kaleybar glories and military decimation. The deeply hospitable region lacks the iconic gem-city sites Khoy St Shahr Duzal Razi Stephanos Norduz Babak Lankaran To Elazîÿ Hošap Castle of central Iran so it’s often skipped by first-time Western visitors. But that makes it all the Castle Tasuj Marand Meshgin (300km) Salmas Payam Shahr Astara Khah Ahar T U R K E Y Haftevan Sufiyan Ardabil more appealing for those who relish delving a little deeper and being the ‘only tourist’. Mamakan Takhti Tabriz Alvares Astara To Šanlîurfa Mingöl Lake Mt Sabalan Lavandevil Osku (350km) Esendere Sero Orumiyeh (4811m) Sara'eyn Fandoqlu Khotbeh Sara Azar Kandovan Sarab Lisar Hakkari Western Iran is a linguistic and cultural patchwork: Kurds predominate in Kordestan and Shahr Bostanabad Hashtpar Orumiyeh Aziz Mt Sahand Khal Khal Asalem WESTERN IRAN Bridge under Yüksekova Abad (3707m) Kivi Kermanshah provinces; Lors in Ilam and Lorestan; Arabs inhabit southern Khuzestan; Talesh Bandar-e construction Hashtrud Punel Rezvanshahr Golmankhaneh Bonab Maraqeh Mianeh Hashtjin Bandar-e Anzali and Gilaki are the traditional languages of Gilan (the southwest Caspian hinterland); and Azaris Somaeh- Oshnaviyeh Rasht Kiyashahr Astaneh-ye Hasanlu Aqkand Diz Sara Mt Seyah (3578m) Miyando'ab Langarud Ashrafiyeh whose language is more Turkish than Persian, predominate in the rest of the northwest. In the Naqadeh Masuleh Fuman Lahijan Rudsar Piranshahr Fakhrigah Qal'eh Shahin Shikhlar Rudkhan Jawardeh Chaboksar most remote regions, and more generally in Kurdish towns, traditional dress is still worn. Mahabad Dezh Rudbar Ramsar Mosul Dandy Tonekabon Bukan Takht-e Zanjan Gilvar Manjil Abbasabad Soleiman Loshan Chalus The chapter starts by the Turkish border. It loops around Lake Orumiyeh to Tabriz, con- Arbil Karaftu Takab Hir Saqqez Qom Soltaniyeh Razmiyan Yuj Noshahr Sardasht Caves Choqa Qazvin Alamut Kelar- Marz- tinues through the Azari heartlands to Ardabil and down the Caspian coast via Rasht to Sojas dasht anabad Baneh Ghydar Abhar Divandareh Hesar Gachsar Dizin Garmab Takestan Chalus. After Qazvin, Soltaniyeh and Zanjan we consider the central mountains, Kordestan Bijar To Sari See Enlargement Kharaqan Ab Karaj Kirkuk Towers (216km) and the historical cities of Kermanshah and Hamadan before descending the former ‘Royal Marivan Katalekhor Garm Caves Buin TEHRAN I R A Q Sanandaj Gol Ali Sadr Avaj Road’ towards ancient Shush, Shushtar and Choqa Zanbil. Tappeh Caves Hejib Paveh Negel Palangan Kamyaran Qorveh Bahar To Sonqor Lalejin Saveh Mashhad Javanrud (910km) Qasr-e- Taq-e Hamadan HIGHLIGHTS Shirin Ravansar Bostan Asadabad Komijan Khosravi Sar-e-Pol-e Zahab Sahneh Tuyserkan ὄ Kangavar Qom Lake Jouker Hike between flower-filled valleys and snowcapped peaks amid the ruined 12th-century Kerend Eslam Bisotun Nushijan Namak Abad Harsin Malayer Saruq Gilan-e Kermanshah Castles of the Assassins ( p182 ) Nahavand Garb Nurabad Arak Delijan Challenge Iran’s desert image in the paddy fields Borujerd Kashan Alashtar and forests of Gilan that lead to the delightful Ilam Kuhdasht Jolfa Khorramabad Dorud Aras River Valley To Amman BAGHDAD Lumar Khomein stepped village of Masuleh ( p171 ) (Jordan, 680km); Azna Babak Castle Bisheh Aligudarz To Yazd Aleppo (Syria, 700km) Darb-e- Golpayegan Mehran Sepid Dasht Astaneh (327km)ὄ From Jolfa ( p156 ) explore ancient churches, mud- Khonsar Kandovan Tigris Mt Oshturan walled castles and grand canyons along the biblical Masuleh (4070m) Karbala Talezang Z Daran Aras River Valley ( p157) River Dehloran ar Takht-e dko s Soleiman Castles of the Dez Dam uh Mountain Assassins Al Kut Andimeshk Esfahan Stagger up to Babak Castle (p159 ), the dramatic Dezful Chelgerd To Yazd Howraman Bin Jafar Shahr-e Kord emotional heart of Azarbayjan Shush (280km) 0 20 km Farsan Shushtar 0 12 miles Haft Masjed-i Venture into Howraman (p194 ), a magical, rarely Tappeh Ardal Marivan Soleiman Qomsheh Zarivar Izeh visited valley of traditional Kurdish villages Lake Choqa Karun Dehdej Borujen Zanbil Susangerd Baghmalek To Shiraz Be awed by lonely Choqa Zanbil’s ( p215 ) massive, Euphrates River (367km) Dezli Biyakara Ahvaz brick ziggurat which somehow managed to get Ramhormoz Semirom River Sh ver ‘lost’ for 2500 years Choqa Zanbil (A a Ri Kurmai tt r al Landeh v un Howraman-at a - r nd A Cross sparsely populated mountainscapes from Zan- Takht r Shadegan Dehdasht Kamala -r ab Ka Yasuj jan to reach the ruins of Takht-e Soleiman (p187 ), Al-Basra ud) Selin Belbär Khorramshahr Bandar-e Behbahan history’s foremost Zoroastrian temple complex Halabja Nodesheh Nvin Abadan Imam Khomeini Dogonbadan Nosud Fars Hajij Potter about between the fairy-chimney homes of Ura Nur Abad Kandovan ( p155 ), Iran’s mini-Cappadocia Paveh To Kuwait PERSIAN GULF To Shiraz (123km); City (80km) Bushehr (161km) © Lonely Planet Publications 134 lonelyplanet.com WESTERN IRAN 135

0 200 km Western Iran WESTERN IRAN 0 120 miles To Quba (90km) Ceasefire Line ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﻏﺮﺑﯽ Kura Iÿdîr YEREVAN Aÿrî NARORNO River Mt Ararat (Aÿrî Daÿî) KARABAGH ARMENIA Khankandi BAKU To Erzurum (5137m) (Stepanakert) (120km) Doÿubayazit AZERBAIJAN A Z E R B A I J A N Gürbulak Sangar NAKHCHIVAN Goris From paddy fields to blizzards to the original Garden of Eden, this region will shatter your Bazargan Pars Maku Nakhchivan Kapan River Abad City Battle Site Agarak preconceptions of Iran. Standing at the frontiers with Mesopotamia and Turkey, western Shot Culfa Aras Eskanlu Chaldoran Qareh Kalisa Kordasht Meghri Khudaferin C A S P I A N Lake Bastam Jolfa Iran has witnessed many of civilisation’s great empires, fortunes oscillating between trading Qareh Qarachilar Tatvan WESTERN IRAN Van Van Ziya'eddin Ushtebin S E A Hadiy Kaleybar glories and military decimation. The deeply hospitable region lacks the iconic gem-city sites Khoy St Shahr Duzal Razi Stephanos Norduz Babak Lankaran To Elazîÿ Hošap Castle of central Iran so it’s often skipped by first-time Western visitors. But that makes it all the Castle Tasuj Marand Meshgin (300km) Salmas Payam Shahr Astara Khah Ahar T U R K E Y Haftevan Sufiyan Ardabil more appealing for those who relish delving a little deeper and being the ‘only tourist’. Mamakan Takhti Tabriz Alvares Astara To Šanlîurfa Mingöl Lake Mt Sabalan Lavandevil Osku (350km) Esendere Sero Orumiyeh (4811m) Sara'eyn Fandoqlu Khotbeh Sara Azar Kandovan Sarab Lisar Hakkari Western Iran is a linguistic and cultural patchwork: Kurds predominate in Kordestan and Shahr Bostanabad Hashtpar Orumiyeh Aziz Mt Sahand Khal Khal Asalem WESTERN IRAN Bridge under Yüksekova Abad (3707m) Kivi Kermanshah provinces; Lors in Ilam and Lorestan; Arabs inhabit southern Khuzestan; Talesh Bandar-e construction Hashtrud Punel Rezvanshahr Golmankhaneh Bonab Maraqeh Mianeh Hashtjin Bandar-e Anzali and Gilaki are the traditional languages of Gilan (the southwest Caspian hinterland); and Azaris Somaeh- Oshnaviyeh Rasht Kiyashahr Astaneh-ye Hasanlu Aqkand Diz Sara Mt Seyah (3578m) Miyando'ab Langarud Ashrafiyeh whose language is more Turkish than Persian, predominate in the rest of the northwest. In the Naqadeh Masuleh Fuman Lahijan Rudsar Piranshahr Fakhrigah Qal'eh Shahin Shikhlar Rudkhan Jawardeh Chaboksar most remote regions, and more generally in Kurdish towns, traditional dress is still worn. Mahabad Dezh Rudbar Ramsar Mosul Dandy Tonekabon Bukan Takht-e Zanjan Gilvar Manjil Abbasabad Soleiman Loshan Chalus The chapter starts by the Turkish border. It loops around Lake Orumiyeh to Tabriz, con- Arbil Karaftu Takab Hir Saqqez Qom Soltaniyeh Razmiyan Yuj Noshahr Sardasht Caves Choqa Qazvin Alamut Kelar- Marz- tinues through the Azari heartlands to Ardabil and down the Caspian coast via Rasht to Sojas dasht anabad Baneh Ghydar Abhar Divandareh Hesar Gachsar Dizin Garmab Takestan Chalus. After Qazvin, Soltaniyeh and Zanjan we consider the central mountains, Kordestan Bijar To Sari See Enlargement Kharaqan Ab Karaj Kirkuk Towers (216km) and the historical cities of Kermanshah and Hamadan before descending the former ‘Royal Marivan Katalekhor Garm Caves Buin TEHRAN I R A Q Sanandaj Gol Ali Sadr Avaj Road’ towards ancient Shush, Shushtar and Choqa Zanbil. Tappeh Caves Hejib Paveh Negel Palangan Kamyaran Qorveh Bahar To Sonqor Lalejin Saveh Mashhad Javanrud (910km) Qasr-e- Taq-e Hamadan HIGHLIGHTS Shirin Ravansar Bostan Asadabad Komijan Khosravi Sar-e-Pol-e Zahab Sahneh Tuyserkan ὄ Kangavar Qom Lake Jouker Hike between flower-filled valleys and snowcapped peaks amid the ruined 12th-century Kerend Eslam Bisotun Nushijan Namak Abad Harsin Malayer Saruq Gilan-e Kermanshah Castles of the Assassins ( p182 ) Nahavand Garb Nurabad Arak Delijan Challenge Iran’s desert image in the paddy fields Borujerd Kashan Alashtar and forests of Gilan that lead to the delightful Ilam Kuhdasht Jolfa Khorramabad Dorud Aras River Valley To Amman BAGHDAD Lumar Khomein stepped village of Masuleh ( p171 ) (Jordan, 680km); Azna Babak Castle Bisheh Aligudarz To Yazd Aleppo (Syria, 700km) Darb-e- Golpayegan Mehran Sepid Dasht Astaneh (327km)ὄ From Jolfa ( p156 ) explore ancient churches, mud- Khonsar Kandovan Tigris Mt Oshturan walled castles and grand canyons along the biblical Masuleh (4070m) Karbala Talezang Z Daran Aras River Valley ( p157) River Dehloran ar Takht-e dko s Soleiman Castles of the Dez Dam uh Mountain Assassins Al Kut Andimeshk Esfahan Stagger up to Babak Castle (p159 ), the dramatic Dezful Chelgerd To Yazd Howraman Bin Jafar Shahr-e Kord emotional heart of Azarbayjan Shush (280km) 0 20 km Farsan Shushtar 0 12 miles Haft Masjed-i Venture into Howraman (p194 ), a magical, rarely Tappeh Ardal Marivan Soleiman Qomsheh Zarivar Izeh visited valley of traditional Kurdish villages Lake Choqa Karun Dehdej Borujen Zanbil Susangerd Baghmalek To Shiraz Be awed by lonely Choqa Zanbil’s ( p215 ) massive, Euphrates River (367km) Dezli Biyakara Ahvaz brick ziggurat which somehow managed to get Ramhormoz Semirom River Sh ver ‘lost’ for 2500 years Choqa Zanbil (A a Ri Kurmai tt r al Landeh v un Howraman-at a - r nd A Cross sparsely populated mountainscapes from Zan- Takht r Shadegan Dehdasht Kamala -r ab Ka Yasuj jan to reach the ruins of Takht-e Soleiman (p187 ), Al-Basra ud) Selin Belbär Khorramshahr Bandar-e Behbahan history’s foremost Zoroastrian temple complex Halabja Nodesheh Nvin Abadan Imam Khomeini Dogonbadan Nosud Fars Hajij Potter about between the fairy-chimney homes of Ura Nur Abad Kandovan ( p155 ), Iran’s mini-Cappadocia Paveh To Kuwait PERSIAN GULF To Shiraz (123km); City (80km) Bushehr (161km) WESTERN IRAN 2058; ImamSt;dm/twIR20,000/40,000) skills andchanges money. is excited hismodestEnglish toshowoff period followingthedeathof NadirShah inthechaoticgained semi-independence one of manyAzerbaijanikhanates that the Ottoman-Persian frontier,Maku was Long akey fortress guarding andcitadel old Armenianchurch of Qareh Kalisa. forvisitingthe and makes base asensible tral Maku hasahandfulof minorsights Boxed into asoaringrockycanyon, cen- x MAKU ( facesthebasic stand the outer bordergate. Here thetaxi/savari the immigrationposts,village endsat houette of MtArarat.About 2kmshort of stripfiredstraight towardsthestrikingsil- tels line Bazargan’s ImamSt,agun-barrel repairCar yards,shops andninecheap ho- x BAZARGAN 136 of Ararat. ing withchurch-like niches andfineviews passingly interesting Urartiancave-dwell- north towardsSangarpast Maku road,amuddy2kmtrackleads ask waymore fromforeigners. with squattoilets. east, issomewhatbetter andhasbathrooms x Ten kilometres alongtheBazargan– Locals payIR10,000toMaku buttaxis else inIranexcept Orumiyeh, Turkish liraare effectively worthless. freelance tricksters outsideormore safely askhoteliers inBazargan village. Beware thatanywhere euros. They won’tchangeUKpoundsnorTurkish liraforwhich you’llhave toriskthescam-a-lot officer. The bankwithintheIran-sidecustomsbuilding offers fullrialrates forUSdollarsand one hour,20minutes) leave at12.30am,3pmand4.30pm. cheap hotels. WestboundbusesfromDo A from the junction ofA from thejunction 40km eastinDo just 600mfrom are 2kmabove Bazargan village,IR2000/1000(plusIR1000forbags)byshared taxi/minibus. They’re Travelling solo,crossinghere underanhour. usuallytakes The hill-top CROSSING THETURKISHBORDERAT BAZARGAN at sorting outmotorists’ borderformality problems. at sorting 0462 /pop39,600 0462 WESTERNIRAN••Bazargan 337 2435;ImamSt;twIR130,000) ğ r Well-connected Tabriz guide-fixer Arriving inIranduringofficehoursyou’re tobewelcomedbyacharming Iraniantourist likely Eastbound fromDo ı dolmu ş lar wait).That’s aboutfive minutes’ walkfromDo ğ Gürbulak ubayaz ğ Hotel Jafapoor Hotel ğ ubayaz r ı ı and Sehiltik Sts, 100m east of the Karahan Petrol station(where Ofisi andSehiltikSts,100meastoftheKarahan t famousforits1784I inTurkey (nofacilities).The nearest Turkish-side accommodationis Farhad Dameh ,

whose owner whose ı 300m further t to Gürbulak take adolmu t toGürbulaktake Hotel Hamid Hotel ﺑﺎﺯﺭﮔﺎﻥ Hossein Ravaniyar

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ş ı ak Pa t to Erzerum (17YTL, fourhours)viaA t toErzerum (17YTL, seum north of ChaharaSq. grey gates of acliniconTaleqani St,just theunmarked through garden accessed around balconies,hiddenawayinaruined a century-oldmansionwithfiligree wrap- north fromChaharaSq. minute hike onsteps andfootpaths directly overhang. Fineviewsjustifythesweaty25- cupped beneathanimpressively huge cliff ofand aseries degradedbrick h It’s set in a walled orchard at the base of inawalledorchard atthebase It’s set fully over-the-top mirror-tiled atrium. fruitmuralsaretacky aroundawonder- set furnished roomswithcolourful,quaintly al-Din(1896–1907).Eclectically Muzaffar sardar former crumblingremnantsThe sad, of OldMaku’s Sights feenet DadePardazan little ChaharaSqoncentralImamSt. Shops andallhotels are within500mof &Information Orientation century later. wasonly finallyabolishedathe khanate rejoiningin 1749.Although Iranin1829, is 3kmsoutheast. Tourist Inn,400mwest.Thebusterminal & 3-5pmTue-Sun) The attractive The celebrated butempty 10am-last customer) ş a palace.

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citadel (minibus; 3YTL, 25minutes, last5pm) (minibus; 3YTL, 324 3719;admissionIR4000; ğ ubayaz leaduptothe wasoriginallybuiltforthe immigration posts ı t’s littlebusterminal and isalmostopposite the

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60,000) stairs shared toiletsare outof action. one showerhaslimited availability andup- ment understands alittleEnglish, butthe offerings. Roomsare wellkept andmanage- is themostinvitingof Maku’s cheap several charge IR1500. of ChaharaSqfromwhich yellowsavaris the mainBazargan road,about7kmwest are backed byarugged chasm. It’s2km off timelesshay-toppedmudhouseswhose appealing, tree-dappled Juqvillage Baqcheh lonelyplanet.com Qareh Kalisa Kalisa Qareh plainwithin,Splendid outside,though Kalisa Qareh Ziya’eddin forpublictransporttoKhoy. fromMakutaxi thenjumpingoutatQareh consider charteringdoran andBastam, a To conveniently visitQareh Kalisa, Chal- AROUND MAKU depart fromTaleqani StatChaharaSq. savaris toBazargan (IR2500) (IR5000). Rare (IR8000) andQarehvia Khoy Ziya’eddin Orumiyeh (IR12,000,4½hours), hourly four hours, sixdaily,lastat1.30pm),and (IR65,000, three daily),Tabriz (IR12,000, runtoTehranFrom themainterminal buses &Away There Getting Alvand Hotel Sleeping &Eating first Christian nation(AD 301). Thaddaeus’ twist, Armenia later becamethe world’s his 3000converts inAD66.Inacurious king reacted bykillinghimand massacring tle toosuccessful and thejealousArmenian Thaddaeus’preachingthe case, proved alit- ers thathe oth- he camewithapostleStBartholomew, founded achurch here inAD43.Somesay Thaddaeus (akaTatavoos) whosupposedly ye Tadi (Church of StThaddaeus) churches. It’salternatively knownasKalisa- of is thebestmaintained allIran’smedieval Decent ifhaphazardrestaurant. with hotshower,squattoiletandtowels. rooms are byfarMaku’s classiestoption, paintthe Imam St.Despite alittlepeeling a green three-storey wellbackoff blockset p 3212; fax3223184;tw/steUS$20/30,winterUS$16/24; Makoo Tourist Inn Tourist Makoo ) Appealinglyquiet,theTouristInnis Justwestof ChaharaSq,the Alvand was (Black Church;admissionIR3000;

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ﻗﺮﻩ 322

cluding waitingtime. IR120,000 return fromMaku viaShot in- no publictransport.Taxis fromMaku ask flower-filled meadowsinspring.There’s greenrolling aridhillsthatturnintobright the quietShot–Chaldoran road.Thiscrosses Kurdishvillage,genically 8kmoff low-rise nomads forcenturiestocome. leavingestan, theemptiedlandtograzing across much of westAzarbayjanandKord- agriculturalsettlements icy thatdevastated battle wasfollowedbyascorched-earth pol- gled secret weapon,thecannon.Thepivotal newfan- 26,000 died,cutdownbySelim’s Of 27,000Iraniansoldiers aphenomenal army atChaldoran Ismail’s formerlyinvinciblePersian-Azari defeated SafavidGrim devastatingly Shah the In 1514theOttomanforcesof Selim Chaldoran ( forehand the through dates varyandare announcedshortlybe- brilliant three-day summerpilgrimage; are heldduringa only Christianservices the leftof themaindoorifit’slocked. The surround thechurch site. Ringthebellto from thechunky fortress-style wallsthat bestobserved angels, kingsandcrosses, withsaints, was added.Thisisrichly carved when themainbeige-white stonesection was much restored andenlarged in1810 dates from1319–29.Thechurchsection smaller black-and-white-striped chapel here grave athissupposed inAD371. memory wasrevived withachapel built cially renamed littlemarket nowoffi- a scraggy town,itself from 6km (IR10,000bytaxi) quaint Jala Ashaqi village. That’saround sian army’shaplesscommander. It’sbeyond Sadraddin,thePer- of astatue Seyid stands domed tombtowerbuiltin2003.Infront commemorated byanimpressive brick- but it’sslow andpainfully potholed. Bazargan–Chaldoran roadviaKalisa Kandi, from Maku toQareh Kalisa. Maps show a charterto combineChaldoran withataxi Cheshmeh andQareh Ziya’eddin. It’sbetter statue ofstatue Shah Ismail ridesarearing horse. x Qareh Kalisa istucked behindaphoto- ChaldoranChangi Mostly rebuilt after anearthquake, the Savaris runinfrequently Siyah between 0411-555 3532;[email protected]) WESTERN IRAN •• Around Maku WESTERN IRAN••AroundMaku Chaldoran , the lonely battlefield, is , thelonelybattlefield,is

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 2058; ImamSt;dm/twIR20,000/40,000) skills andchanges money. is excited hismodestEnglish toshowoff period followingthedeathof NadirShah inthechaoticgained semi-independence one of manyAzerbaijanikhanates that the Ottoman-Persian frontier,Maku was Long akey fortress guarding andcitadel old Armenianchurch of Qareh Kalisa. forvisitingthe and makes base asensible tral Maku hasahandfulof minorsights Boxed into asoaringrockycanyon, cen- x MAKU ( facesthebasic stand the outer bordergate. Here thetaxi/savari the immigrationposts,village endsat houette of MtArarat.About 2kmshort of stripfiredstraight towardsthestrikingsil- tels line Bazargan’s ImamSt,agun-barrel repairCar yards,shops andninecheap ho- x BAZARGAN 136 of Ararat. ing withchurch-like niches andfineviews passingly interesting Urartiancave-dwell- north towardsSangarpast Maku road,amuddy2kmtrackleads ask waymore fromforeigners. with squattoilets. east, issomewhatbetter andhasbathrooms x Ten kilometres alongtheBazargan– Locals payIR10,000toMaku buttaxis else inIranexcept Orumiyeh, Turkish liraare effectively worthless. freelance tricksters outsideormore safely askhoteliers inBazargan village. Beware thatanywhere euros. They won’tchangeUKpoundsnorTurkish liraforwhich you’llhave toriskthescam-a-lot officer. The bankwithintheIran-sidecustomsbuilding offers fullrialrates forUSdollarsand one hour,20minutes) leave at12.30am,3pmand4.30pm. cheap hotels. WestboundbusesfromDo A from the junction ofA from thejunction 40km eastinDo just 600mfrom are 2kmabove Bazargan village,IR2000/1000(plusIR1000forbags)byshared taxi/minibus. They’re Travelling solo,crossinghere underanhour. usuallytakes The hill-top CROSSING THETURKISHBORDERAT BAZARGAN at sorting outmotorists’ borderformality problems. at sorting 0462 /pop39,600 0462 WESTERNIRAN••Bazargan 337 2435;ImamSt;twIR130,000) ğ r Well-connected Tabriz guide-fixer Arriving inIranduringofficehoursyou’re tobewelcomedbyacharming Iraniantourist likely Eastbound fromDo ı dolmu ş lar wait).That’s aboutfive minutes’ walkfromDo ğ Gürbulak ubayaz ğ Hotel Jafapoor Hotel ğ ubayaz r ı ı and Sehiltik Sts, 100m east of the Karahan Petrol station(where Ofisi andSehiltikSts,100meastoftheKarahan t famousforits1784I inTurkey (nofacilities).The nearest Turkish-side accommodationis Farhad Dameh ,

whose owner whose ı 300m further t to Gürbulak take adolmu t toGürbulaktake Hotel Hamid Hotel ﺑﺎﺯﺭﮔﺎﻥ Hossein Ravaniyar

( x ﻣﺎﻛﻮ ğ ubayaz 337 , a

wwiaoeln.o; p149 ) (www.iranoverland.com; ( (military governor) (military of Qajar Shah ş x

(Imam St;internetperhrIR8000; Baqcheh JuqPalace Mu- is experienced lonelyplanet.com Abu Fazl Mosque Kola Ferangi fortifications ğ

h ( r h ı (5YTL, (5YTL, 9am-1pm 24hr) Cof- is

60,000) stairs shared toiletsare outof action. one showerhaslimited availability andup- ment understands alittleEnglish, butthe offerings. Roomsare wellkept andmanage- is themostinvitingof Maku’s cheap several charge IR1500. of ChaharaSqfromwhich yellowsavaris the mainBazargan road,about7kmwest are backed byarugged chasm. It’s2km off timelesshay-toppedmudhouseswhose appealing, tree-dappled Juqvillage Baqcheh lonelyplanet.com Qareh Kalisa Kalisa Qareh plainwithin,Splendid outside,though Kalisa Qareh Ziya’eddin forpublictransporttoKhoy. fromMakutaxi thenjumpingoutatQareh consider charteringdoran andBastam, a To conveniently visitQareh Kalisa, Chal- AROUND MAKU depart fromTaleqani StatChaharaSq. savaris toBazargan (IR2500) (IR5000). Rare (IR8000) andQarehvia Khoy Ziya’eddin Orumiyeh (IR12,000,4½hours), hourly four hours, sixdaily,lastat1.30pm),and (IR65,000, three daily),Tabriz (IR12,000, runtoTehranFrom themainterminal buses &Away There Getting Alvand Hotel Sleeping &Eating ers thathe oth- he camewithapostleStBartholomew, founded achurch here inAD43.Somesay Thaddaeus (akaTatavoos) whosupposedly ye Tadi (Church of StThaddaeus) churches. It’salternatively knownasKalisa- of is thebestmaintained allIran’smedieval first Christian nation(AD 301). Thaddaeus’ twist, Armenia later becamethe world’s his 3000converts inAD66.Inacurious king reacted bykillinghimand massacring tle toosuccessful and thejealousArmenian Thaddaeus’preachingthe case, proved alit- Decent ifhaphazardrestaurant. with hotshower,squattoiletandtowels. rooms are byfarMaku’s classiestoption, paintthe Imam St.Despite alittlepeeling a green three-storey wellbackoff blockset p 3212; fax3223184;tw/steUS$20/30,winterUS$16/24; Makoo Tourist Inn Tourist Makoo ) Appealinglyquiet,theTouristInnis Justwestof ChaharaSq,the Alvand was (Black Church;admissionIR3000;

( x St Bartholomew. Whatever StBartholomew. 322 3491;ImamSt;s/twIR45,000/

(Mehmansara Jahangardi; Jahangardi; (Mehmansara ﻛﻠﻴﺴﺎ h

for St x 24hr)

ﻗﺮﻩ 322

(Chaldiran, Chaldran). Armenian Prelacy Office Armenian Prelacy , where apredictable Siyah Cheshmeh Siyah in Tabriz. ﭼﺎﻟﺪﻭﺭﺍﻥ 137

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN opposite theconspicuous blue-and-white more central internet cafés.Unsignedbut passing several dreary Sq (Kesharvaz) Kuchari SttoGumsal Sqthencontinuesas This runswesttoBasij Sts allintersect withcommercialImam St. (east), Shari’ati (north)andTaleqani (south) Sq,EnqelabAt centralImamKhomeini &Information Orientation Christiancentre.important with which itshares a long historyasan appealing thanmuch bigger Orumiyeh, ismorenot worthalengthydetour,Khoy spurofan important thesilkroute. While minesthatmadeit was namedforthesalt Occupied sinceMedian times, (Salt) Khoy x KHOY Ziya’eddin. Bazargan road,3kmnortheastof Qareh passing transportpicksuponthemain Qareh Ziya’eddin.ForMaku andTabriz, areminutes) toKhoy frequent fromcentral ‘7.5km’). thesignpostsays (though city limitsturnwestandcontinueabout6km Chaldoran roadthenattheQareh Ziya’eddin 1½ hours toexplore). Ifdrivingtake the around per hourwaitingtime(you’llneed utes). wantIR30,000eacheddin taxis way(15min- archaeology department. are froma2004reconstruction bythe atthehill’sbase near thetinysettlement that themostobviousrock-block ‘walls’ lovely viewsintothevalleybeyond.Note looks like aBronze-Age helipad.There are minute scramble, thesummitreveals what toheaven.a veritable stairway After a30- teeter uptheedge of aprecipice forming Along withslitheringsheep-paths, these intotherockaround685–645BC. carved sionally visible,erodedsteps were probably agesheer excites you,reflect thattheocca- simply asteep unfenced rockyhill,butif impressive. much. It’s That’snotsaying isprobably themost(aka Rusai-Urutur) Of Iran’smanyUrartiansites, Bastam pop 24,000 Ziya’eddin Bastam &Qareh 138 per hrIR6000; Buses (IR5000)andsavaris (IR12,000,50 Buses From unexcitinglow-rise Qareh 0461 /pop179,000 WESTERNIRAN••Khoy Arrange areturn rideorpayIR15,000 h Eyvan Coffeenet 10am-midnight) ﺑﺴﻄﺎﻡ

isapproximately ﻭ

(Taleqani St; internet St;internet (Taleqani ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ

ﺿﻴﺎء Ziya’- ﺧﻮﻯ

ﻗﺮﻩ

Church former citywall. that constitutes thelastremnant of Khoy’s lions and-white stonearch withtwocarved Perastori Park atthe Taleqani Stashort blockeast.Itemerges into meini Sq.Thelong vendors’ justmetres stalls fromImamKho- walls. Theentranceishiddenbehindstreet- passagesup through inthesuper-thick hrab. Ask beshown nicelyandyoumight It claimstohave theworld’slargest mi- edificeofIlkhanid unadornedbrickwork. The huge Sights yond. Sq andtheSalmasbusterminal, 2kmbe- south of SqpassingValiasr ImamKhomeini Sadaratbuilding.TaleqaniBank Stcontinues short taxi hop northeast of Gumsal Sq. hopnortheastof Sq. short taxi Gumsal St,a unpromising backalleysoff 22Bahman boxed(see text, below),it’shiddenawayin Named foracelebrated 13th-centurydervish or hanginglike deflated oldpartyballoons. manyareing animalhorns,though missing unique forbeingencrusted withprotrud- door (usuallylocked). motifsover1730s. Noticecarved thewestern wereupper bricksections rebuilt inthe dates fromthe4thcentury,though posedly windows suggesting afortifiedpast.Itsup- not especiallybeautiful,withnarrowslit admission byrequest) The squat,stone-based cubeof The 300-year-old spiritual discovery. His merely the firststep inapersonal journeyof out thatreligion isnotan endinitself, often topoint withhumourShamswaskeen the BaptistwastoChristianity.Bravely and Sufi historyasJesus’encounter withJohn with Rumi was arguably assignificantto Tabrizi whosebriefrelationship (1244–46) Shams One suchwasdervish-philosopher duced otherinspirationalMuslimthinkers. stony faced,don’tbeputoff. Iranhaspro- IslamalittleIf youfindKhomeini-style TABRIZI SHAMS middle way oftheBuddha. Path ally translated as Bank Melli mightbemore accurate, echoingthe (Kalisa Sorop Serkis; GumsalSq) SoropSerkis; (Kalisa Motalleb Khan Mosque Motalleb Khan

(Enqelab St) isaroofless 13th-century The Third Line Darvazeh Sangi Darvazeh Shams Tabrizi Minaret vaulted bazaar vaulted Khatesevom changes money. lonelyplanet.com . But is curiousif

isgener- The Third (Taleqani St; (Taleqani parallels , ablack- St Sarkis St Sarkis is Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book mansar (Shalmanseer) III (r 859–824 BC). III(r859–824 BC). (Shalmanseer) mansar nian incursions under Assyrian king Sal- was foundedasa bulwarkagainstBabylo- Keleshan village. 600m-long orchard thelaneto trackoff by a in afield5kmfromSalmasaccessed Today thesite isamere muddymound (7th millenniumBC). civilisations settled oneofHill) oncehoused theworld’sfirst 60,000) IR5000; provides toiletpaper. OKrestaurant. minibar, excellenthotshowers andeven unusually wellequippedroomsincluding ern yetcosy,thissuper-clean placehas kitchen. thecentral through hot showerisaccessed with shared cleansquats.Asingleshared three-decent-enough andfive-bed dorms (Imam St)andjuicebars (Shari’ati St). rear curtains. unmarked upstairs through section house the Azarbayjanhasaratherappealingtea- St (paralleltoShari’ati, oneblockeast), abis Hotel Sepid Hotel Sleeping &Eating lonelyplanet.com the little utes) departingfromacrosstheroad.Use Archaeologists suggest that x SALMAS (IR7000) leave the 5.15am to4.30pmOrumiyeh-bound buses Monday, WednesdayandSaturday.From Tehran–Khoy on (IR306,000)operate flights &Away There Getting St) Valiasr Sq. theOrumiyehterminal and way between canbedisturbing.It’shalf- noise Traffic shared squattoiletisdesignated forwomen. thisbasiccrash-pad.One what humanise Plants andcreepers onupperstairs some- and Qareh Ziya’eddin(savari IR12,000). IR7100/30,000), Marand (savari IR15,000) northeast of centre, forTabriz (bus/savari 0351; fax2440352;EnqelabSt;s/twUS$23/35) Known to the Medes as Zarvand, Known totheMedes asZarvand, Salmas Azarbayjan Hotel Amir Hotel There are centralpatisseries several Khoy Tourist Inn Tourist Khoy with Salmassavaris (IR9000,45min- 0443 /pop75,000 (kababshops)onShahid Samadzade Womenwillfeel outof placeinthe h 8am-9pm)

Tabriz terminal ( x

( ( x x 222 4234;Taleqani St;dm/trIR20,000/ Oneof three simple (Mehmansara Jahangardi; Jahangardi; (Mehmansara 222 3839;Valiasr St;trIR63,000) 222 9800; kababs IR4000,qalyan 222 9800;kababs Salmas terminal

(Nasrolahi Sq) (Nasrolahi Gül Tappeh

ﺳﻠﻤﺎﺱ Mod- (Taleqani (Taleqani , 2km x (Ash kab- 244

Jameh Mosque. amid mud-walledorchards, hasanhistoric with minerals.Bypassed rage blush whileinlandaridmountains OrumiyehappearsLake like mi- adistant passing through-buses. bandi) abouts onthenewbypassroad relevant round- (IR10,000, onehour)use (IR25,000, 2½hours) andOrumiyeh (IR9000,45minutes), Tabrizto Khoy EO bolshie drivers who wantdouble. Walking per person/car locals battlewith buteven (45 minutes) shouldcostIR10,000/40,000 to Orumiyeh From theborder gate, taxis its border-crossing towardsVan in Turkey. drop of butismostlyhandyfor mountains Minuscule village hasaterrific back- Sero SERO Mellat Park (enroute toHaftevan). the busterminal) andakitschy shaped brickminarets (visibleapproaching 1957 processing town.Mildcuriositiesincludethe it’s anunremarkable apple-andpumpkin- history toamassive 1930earthquake. Today tral Salmaslostmostvisibleremnants of its of Haftevan’s newmosque). (towards thespace-ship-stylesilver domes block furthersouthalongthemainroad at thegreen-trimmed onesmall shop-house garden. IbrahimAbdinzade hasthekey: ask wobbly polygonaltowerlocked inafenced 17th-century spiritualcentre.ian Catholic) Itsarchetypal (4km south)remains aChaldean(ieAssyr- Turkish invasionof 1915,nearby Christian centre. ravaged Although bythe Albania, Salmaslater becameamajor turning ontheSalmas–Orumiyeh road). 14kmsouthof thecity(facingSero cliff Takhti Khan PersiansSassanid staked aclaimwiththe terminal terminal the andOrumiyeh use toKhoy minibuses Ferdosi and AllahSqs.NoEnglishsign. room. Enter besidethepizzeriabetween and toiletabove anold-fashioned dining roomswithshowerhas clean,acceptable Glimpsed fromtheSalmas–TabrizGlimpsed road, Hotel Noor Hotel Known asShahpur underthePahlavis, cen- Influenced byArmeniaandCaucasian Long-distance services plusoccasional services Long-distance Imam HassanMosque where passengers alsojumpaboard (Basij Mustazafin St) (Basij Mustazafin royal inscription carved intoa royalinscriptioncarved

( WESTERN IRAN••Salmas x church 524 5070;ImamSt;twIR120,000) isastonecubewith withoddlybulbous- . However, savaris. However, Tasuj giant teapot giant , hidden Haftevan (kamer- ﺳﺮﻭ 139 in in

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN opposite theconspicuous blue-and-white Ziya’eddin. Bazargan road,3kmnortheastof Qareh passing transportpicksuponthemain Qareh Ziya’eddin.ForMaku andTabriz, areminutes) toKhoy frequent fromcentral ‘7.5km’). thesignpostsays (though city limitsturnwestandcontinueabout6km Chaldoran roadthenattheQareh Ziya’eddin 1½ hours toexplore). Ifdrivingtake the around per hourwaitingtime(you’llneed utes). wantIR30,000eacheddin taxis way(15min- more central internet cafés.Unsignedbut passing several dreary Sq (Kesharvaz) Kuchari SttoGumsal Sqthencontinuesas This runswesttoBasij Sts allintersect withcommercialImam St. (east), Shari’ati (north)andTaleqani (south) Sq,EnqelabAt centralImamKhomeini &Information Orientation Christiancentre.important with which itshares a long historyasan appealing thanmuch bigger Orumiyeh, ismorenot worthalengthydetour,Khoy spurofan important thesilkroute. While minesthatmadeit was namedforthesalt Occupied sinceMedian times, (Salt) Khoy x KHOY archaeology department. are froma2004reconstruction bythe atthehill’sbase near thetinysettlement that themostobviousrock-block ‘walls’ lovely viewsintothevalleybeyond.Note looks like aBronze-Age helipad.There are minute scramble, thesummitreveals what toheaven.a veritable stairway After a30- teeter uptheedge of aprecipice forming Along withslitheringsheep-paths, these intotherockaround685–645BC. carved sionally visible,erodedsteps were probably agesheer excites you,reflect thattheocca- simply asteep unfenced rockyhill,butif impressive. much. It’s That’snotsaying isprobably themost(aka Rusai-Urutur) Of Iran’smanyUrartiansites, Bastam pop 24,000 Ziya’eddin Bastam &Qareh 138 per hrIR6000; Buses (IR5000)andsavaris (IR12,000,50 Buses From unexciting low-rise From unexcitinglow-rise Qareh 0461 /pop179,000 WESTERNIRAN••Khoy Arrange areturn rideorpayIR15,000 h Eyvan Coffeenet 10am-midnight) ﺑﺴﻄﺎﻡ

isapproximately ﻭ

(Taleqani St; internet St;internet (Taleqani ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ

ﺿﻴﺎء Ziya’- ﺧﻮﻯ

ﻗﺮﻩ

Church former city wall. former citywall. that constitutes thelastremnant of Khoy’s lions and-white stonearch withtwocarved Perastori Park atthe Taleqani Stashort blockeast.Itemerges into meini Sq.Thelong vendors’ justmetres stalls fromImamKho- walls. Theentranceishiddenbehindstreet- passagesup through inthesuper-thick hrab. Ask beshown nicelyandyoumight It claimstohave theworld’slargest mi- edificeofIlkhanid unadornedbrickwork. The huge Sights yond. Sq andtheSalmasbusterminal, 2kmbe- south of SqpassingValiasr ImamKhomeini Sadaratbuilding.TaleqaniBank Stcontinues short taxi hop northeast of Gumsal Sq. hopnortheastof Sq. short taxi Gumsal St,a unpromising backalleysoff 22Bahman boxed(see text, below),it’shiddenawayin Named foracelebrated 13th-centurydervish or hanginglike deflated oldpartyballoons. manyareing animalhorns,though missing unique forbeingencrusted withprotrud- door (usuallylocked). motifsover1730s. Noticecarved thewestern wereupper bricksections rebuilt inthe dates fromthe4thcentury,though posedly windows suggesting afortifiedpast.Itsup- not especiallybeautiful,withnarrowslit admission byrequest) The squat,stone-based cubeof The 300-year-old spiritual discovery. His merely the firststep inapersonal journeyof out thatreligion isnotan endinitself, often topoint withhumourShamswaskeen the BaptistwastoChristianity.Bravely and Sufi historyasJesus’encounter withJohn with Rumi was arguably assignificantto Tabrizi whosebriefrelationship (1244–46) Shams One suchwasdervish-philosopher duced otherinspirationalMuslimthinkers. stony faced,don’tbeputoff. Iranhaspro- IslamalittleIf youfindKhomeini-style TABRIZI SHAMS middle way oftheBuddha. Path ally translated as Bank Melli mightbemore accurate, echoingthe (Kalisa Sorop Serkis; GumsalSq) SoropSerkis; (Kalisa Motalleb Khan Mosque Motalleb Khan

(Enqelab St) isaroofless 13th-century The Third Line Darvazeh Sangi Darvazeh Shams Tabrizi Minaret vaulted bazaar vaulted Khatesevom changes money. lonelyplanet.com . But is curiousif

isgener- The Third (Taleqani St; (Taleqani parallels , ablack- St Sarkis St Sarkis is Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book mansar (Shalmanseer) III (r 859–824 BC). III(r859–824 BC). (Shalmanseer) mansar nian incursions under Assyrian king Sal- was foundedasa bulwarkagainstBabylo- Keleshan village. 600m-long orchard thelaneto trackoff by a in afield5kmfromSalmasaccessed Today thesite isamere muddymound (7th millenniumBC). civilisations settled oneofHill) oncehoused theworld’sfirst IR5000; 60,000) provides toiletpaper. OKrestaurant. minibar, excellenthotshowers andeven unusually wellequippedroomsincluding ern yetcosy,thissuper-clean placehas kitchen. thecentral through hot showerisaccessed with shared cleansquats.Asingleshared three-decent-enough andfive-bed dorms (Imam St)andjuicebars (Shari’ati St). rear curtains. unmarked upstairs through section house the Azarbayjanhasaratherappealingtea- St (paralleltoShari’ati, oneblockeast), abis Hotel Sepid Hotel Sleeping &Eating lonelyplanet.com Archaeologists suggest that x SALMAS the little utes) departingfromacrosstheroad.Use St) (IR7000) leave the 5.15am to4.30pmOrumiyeh-bound buses Monday, WednesdayandSaturday.From Tehran–Khoy on (IR306,000)operate flights &Away There Getting Valiasr Sq. theOrumiyehterminal and way between canbedisturbing.It’shalf- noise Traffic shared squattoiletisdesignated forwomen. thisbasiccrash-pad.One what humanise Plants andcreepers onupperstairs some- and Qareh Ziya’eddin(savari IR12,000). IR7100/30,000), Marand (savari IR15,000) northeast of centre, forTabriz (bus/savari 0351; fax2440352;EnqelabSt;s/twUS$23/35) Known to the Medes as Zarvand, Known totheMedes asZarvand, Salmas Azarbayjan Hotel Amir Hotel There are centralpatisseries several Khoy Tourist Inn Tourist Khoy with Salmassavaris (IR9000,45min- 0443 /pop75,000 (kababshops)onShahid Samadzade Womenwillfeel outof placeinthe h 8am-9pm)

Tabriz terminal ( x

(Nasrolahi Sq) (Nasrolahi Gül Tappeh

ﺳﻠﻤﺎﺱ Mod- (Taleqani (Taleqani , 2km x (Ash kab- 244

( WESTERN IRAN••Salmas x church 524 5070;ImamSt;twIR120,000) isastonecubewith withoddlybulbous- . However, savaris. However, Tasuj giant teapot giant , hidden Haftevan (kamer- ﺳﺮﻭ 139 in in

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN retreated and todaysixdifferent Christian Christians returnedescapee whentheTurks wereof who stayed those slaughtered. Some on theArmenians of eastern Turkey. Most repeat thebutchery thattheyhadperpetrated fearing thatinvadingOttomanTurkscould wisely from Orumiyeh, SalmasandKhoy, 1918 mostof theChristianpopulationfled both sidesandorchards were In devastated. Ubayd Allah.Christianswere massacred by terattack Kurdishnationalistleader Sheikh Persian armystormedOrumiyeh tocoun- bedeclared.Armenian state In1880the possible lossof territory shouldaChristian- initially ledbyKurdish groupsfearing the backlash againstallnon-Muslims.Thiswas missionary activitiesresulted inaharsh overzealous foreign Protestant andCatholic inthe19thcentury community. However, local AzariMuslimsandathrivingJewish rians) lived harmoniouslyhere alongside deans, Armenians,Assyrians andNesto- centuries variousChristiangroups(Chal- torically prosperous‘Gardenof Persia’. For Bountiful orchards madeOrumiyeh thehis- History sights. must-see a large, historiccitybutoffers deeply no stop enroute tosoutheastern Turkey. It’s Orumiyeh (Urmia,Urumiyeh) isalogical Known asRezayehduringthePahlavi era, x ORUMIYEH Gonbadchay Valley branches northviathepicturesque upper if somewhatdegradedroadtoS get aminibusis6kmeastwhere thesc asthenearestaway isariskyruse placeto 140 Turizm magnificent ruinsofHo Vangölü 3½hours)approximately Turizm hourlypassingthe runYüksekova–Van buses(YTL10, dolmu This CROSSING THETURKISHBORDERAT SERO Turkish timeis1½hoursearlierthanIran’s,halfanhourinsummer. is 40kmawayinYüksekova. dollars) atthebankwithinIran-sidecustomsbuilding. The nearest Turkish-side accommo dation lira (IR6300)andworseonesforUSdollars(IR8000).Getbetter rates inOrumiyehor(foreuros- connections.cross earlytoensure Freelance transport moneychangersoffer poorrates forTurkish buildings onapretty mountainroad.Procedures are relatively easyforindividualsbutit’swiseto 0441 /pop623,000 WESTERNIRAN••Orumiyeh border post ş

(minibus; YTL5, 45minutes) tillaround6pm:ignore blatantlylyingdenialsoftaxidrivers. (minibus;YTL5, ( x 0432-216 3073;cnrMara , Mingöl

( h 8am-10.30pm, Irantime) and ş ap Castle inGüzelsu village(64kmbefore Van). IncentralVan, Van Erçi Mamakan ş & Cumhuriyet Sts) &Cumhuriyet ş

ﺍﺭﻭﻣﻴﻪ ( almas x . enic, enic, , called 0438-351 4193) Esendere alsooffers a9.30amdirect bustoOrumiyeh. maps (IR7000). excellent city Small bookshopstocking 8.30am-noon Fri) speaking tourist informationofficeisbesidethemuseum. tourist speaking h tion here, someEnglishspoken. Sat-Thu, Good internetconnec- 10am-1pm&4.30-8pmFri) upmarket quarter. thecity’smost back tothenorththrough Partmuseum. Stdoubles wayOstadan Qoyum junctionaround3kmbeyondthe as DaneshkadehSt,continueswesttoPol-e- St,unanimouslyknown qelab Sq.Beheshti and Kashani StformaTatattractive En- The maincommercialstreets ImamAve Orientation cluding clandestineconverts fromIslam). tion hasdwindledtoanestimated 4000(ex- Scandinavia, non-Muslimpopula- thetotal tinual exodusof emigrantstotheUSand faiths remain active. withacon- However, Christians, According tolocalAssyrian Orthodox CHURCHES Sights Consulate Turkish Telephone office Talanet Nashreruz Ferhangi Miras Moneychanger Jahan Bank Melli Aynet Information h many currencies includingTurkish lira. h h 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) West Azarbayjan’s keen English- 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) keen WestAzarbayjan’s 9am-noon Sun-Thu) Very security-conscious. 9.30am-1pm &4-7pmSun-Thu) Instantexchangefor 8am-11pm Sat-Thu, 10am-10pmFri) operates aregular Yüksekova–Esendere (Tarzi St;internetperhrIR6000; (Tarzi (Danesh [Kashtghar] St;perhrIR6000; (Danesh [Kashtghar] in Turkey, consistsofjustafew lonely (Tarzi St; (Tarzi (Kashani St) (Kashani St Mary’s ( x (Imam Ave; (Imam ( h x 340 7040; Daneshkadeh St; 340 7040;Daneshkadeh (

8am-noon &4-7.30pmSat-Thu, (Kalisa Neneh Mariyam; off Kalisa off Kalisa NenehMariyam; (Kalisa x 222 8970; Daneshkadeh St; 222 8970;Daneshkadeh

222 2255;AtaeeSt; h

7am-7pm) lonelyplanet.com h 9am-9pm Vangölü ὈὈ ὈὈ lonelyplanet.com 4 6 1 3 2 5 Raja'i Blvd ORUMIYEH 5 Border, 55km) To Sero(Turkish

Mirza Shirazi St Azadi Sq 33 Bari Resort(65km); To Airport(10km); Some MinorRoadsNotDepicted

Salmas (90km) Marsarjis Church(Sir,8.6km);

Azerbaijan Hospital(1.8km); Band (9km);Shahrchay Ave Amiri M Pol-e-Qoyum (3km); Laleh Hotel(2.9km); To IranAir(200m); AC

Dam (19km) Khorramshahr St Khorramshahr Crossroads Shohada

Valiasr

Kesra Blvd 15 Khordat St Khordat 15 Homafar St Sq 10 Enqelab

Sq Valiasr

Khayyam St Khayyam Blvd Tarzi St 12 SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION iyHl...... A5 City Hall...... Bank Melli...... Aynet...... Seh Gonbad...... Sardar Mosque...... St Mary'sChurch...... Orumiyeh Museum...... Jameh Mosque...... Armenian ProtestantChurch...... Turkish Consulate...... Telephone Office...... Talanet...... Post Office...... Nashreruz...... (see 1) Motahhari Hospital...... Miras Ferhangi...... (see12) Jahan Moneychanger......

2 Danesh (Kashtghar) St Sardaran Sardar CamiiLa Shohada 18 1

Daneshkadeh (Beheshti St) Sq 24 6 Kalisa La Kalisa

9 Madani St B

7 Imam Ave Khayyam 25 13 Sq 29

22 Ataee St Ataee Kashani St Kashani 20

St 16 Basiji 32

Motahhari Ave Motahhari Madani St 30 Khayyam

Parhizkar St 36 19 28

Bakeri St 3 23

Besat St Besat Ave 15 14 13 12 11 10 35 8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bazaar

C5 B4 B5 B6 C4 B5 C6 B5 B5 A4 C6 B4 B5 B5 Faqiyeh

Nehzat La Nehzat Sq St Mojahed Nobovvat ὈὈ

Stadium Abuzar St 11 SHOPPING EATING SLEEPING Pasargad Antiques...... (see19) Shemaran Restaurant...... Pizza 69...... (see24) Noghl Torabi...... Flamingo...... Urumia TouristInn...... Tak Setareh...... Reza Hotel...... Khorram Hotel...... Darya Hotel...... Ark Hotel...... Ana Hotel...... Janbazan Ave B4 Guds Hotel...... Jehad Mosque Azam 0 0 Sq 34

15 Taleqani St St 17

Rahnamae St WESTERN IRAN••Orumiyeh

Montazeri Shahr Chay River Chay Shahr

Modiriyat St TRANSPORT Vangölu...... (see 27) TBT...... Sq...... Sero Terminal...... Seiro Safar...... Golmankhaneh...... Iran Peyma...... Hamsafar...... Espoota Travel...... Bus Terminal...... Pezeshkin St C4 Shuttle TaxitoEnqelabSq&Kashani Shuttle TaxitoBusTerminal...... Savaris toBandar-e

4 Resalat Blvd Baba Sai St

Park Shahr Hosseyni Alley Dastqeyb Blvd Dastqeyb 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16

B6 B5 B5 C6 B4 C4 B4 B5 C3 B6 Vahdat St Vahdat Golmankhaneh, 17km) D 31 Chichest (Bandar-e Vahdat 0.5 miles Sq

Haft-e Tir Blvd

Shaltut Blvd Shaltut 17 Shahrivar Blvd To Flamingo To Mahabad

Golestan St 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 (120km) 1 km

141 B4 C4 A2 B4 D2 B4 B4 B6 D2

27 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN retreated and todaysixdifferent Christian Christians returnedescapee whentheTurks wereof who stayed those slaughtered. Some on theArmenians of eastern Turkey. Most repeat thebutchery thattheyhadperpetrated fearing thatinvadingOttomanTurkscould wisely from Orumiyeh, SalmasandKhoy, 1918 mostof theChristianpopulationfled both sidesandorchards were In devastated. Ubayd Allah.Christianswere massacred by terattack Kurdishnationalistleader Sheikh Persian armystormedOrumiyeh tocoun- bedeclared.Armenian state In1880the possible lossof territory shouldaChristian- initially ledbyKurdish groupsfearing the backlash againstallnon-Muslims.Thiswas missionary activitiesresulted inaharsh overzealous foreign Protestant andCatholic inthe19thcentury community. However, local AzariMuslimsandathrivingJewish rians) lived harmoniouslyhere alongside deans, Armenians,Assyrians andNesto- centuries variousChristiangroups(Chal- torically prosperous‘Gardenof Persia’. For Bountiful orchards madeOrumiyeh thehis- History sights. must-see a large, historiccitybutoffers deeply no stop enroute tosoutheastern Turkey. It’s Orumiyeh (Urmia,Urumiyeh) isalogical Known asRezayehduringthePahlavi era, x ORUMIYEH Gonbadchay Valley branches northviathepicturesque upper if somewhatdegradedroadtoS get aminibusis6kmeastwhere thesc asthenearestaway isariskyruse placeto 140 Turizm magnificent ruinsofHo Vangölü 3½hours)approximately Turizm hourlypassingthe runYüksekova–Van buses(YTL10, dolmu This CROSSING THETURKISHBORDERAT SERO Turkish timeis1½hoursearlierthanIran’s,halfanhourinsummer. is 40kmawayinYüksekova. dollars) atthebankwithinIran-sidecustomsbuilding. The nearest Turkish-side accommo dation lira (IR6300)andworseonesforUSdollars(IR8000).Getbetter rates inOrumiyehor(foreuros- connections.cross earlytoensure Freelance transport moneychangersoffer poorrates forTurkish buildings onapretty mountainroad.Procedures are relatively easyforindividualsbutit’swiseto 0441 /pop623,000 WESTERNIRAN••Orumiyeh border post ş

(minibus; YTL5, 45minutes) tillaround6pm:ignore blatantlylyingdenialsoftaxidrivers. (minibus;YTL5, ( x 0432-216 3073;cnrMara , Mingöl

( h 8am-10.30pm, Irantime) and ş ap Castle inGüzelsu village(64kmbefore Van). IncentralVan, Van Erçi Mamakan ş & Cumhuriyet Sts) &Cumhuriyet ş

ﺍﺭﻭﻣﻴﻪ ( almas x . enic, enic, , called 0438-351 4193) Esendere alsooffers a9.30amdirect bustoOrumiyeh. maps (IR7000). excellent city Small bookshopstocking 8.30am-noon Fri) speaking tourist informationofficeisbesidethemuseum. tourist speaking h tion here, some English spoken. tion here, someEnglishspoken. Sat-Thu, Good internetconnec- 10am-1pm&4.30-8pmFri) many currencies includingTurkish lira. h upmarket quarter. thecity’smost back tothenorththrough Partmuseum. Stdoubles wayOstadan Qoyum junctionaround3kmbeyondthe as DaneshkadehSt,continueswesttoPol-e- St,unanimouslyknown qelab Sq.Beheshti and Kashani StformaTatattractive En- The maincommercialstreets ImamAve Orientation cluding clandestineconverts fromIslam). tion hasdwindledtoanestimated 4000(ex- Scandinavia, non-Muslimpopula- thetotal tinual exodusof emigrantstotheUSand faiths remain active. withacon- However, Christians, According tolocalAssyrian Orthodox CHURCHES Sights h Consulate Turkish Telephone office Talanet Nashreruz Ferhangi Miras Moneychanger Jahan Bank Melli Aynet Information h 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) West Azarbayjan’s keen English- 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) keen WestAzarbayjan’s 9.30am-1pm &4-7pmSun-Thu) Instantexchangefor 9am-noon Sun-Thu) Very security-conscious. 8am-11pm Sat-Thu, 10am-10pmFri) operates aregular Yüksekova–Esendere (Tarzi St;internetperhrIR6000; (Tarzi (Danesh [Kashtghar] St;perhrIR6000; (Danesh [Kashtghar] in Turkey, consistsofjustafew lonely (Tarzi St; (Tarzi (Kashani St) (Kashani St Mary’s ( x (Imam Ave; (Imam ( h x 340 7040; Daneshkadeh St; 340 7040;Daneshkadeh (

8am-noon &4-7.30pmSat-Thu, (Kalisa Neneh Mariyam; off Kalisa off Kalisa NenehMariyam; (Kalisa x 222 8970; Daneshkadeh St; 222 8970;Daneshkadeh 222 2255;AtaeeSt; h 7am-7pm) lonelyplanet.com h 9am-9pm Vangölü ὈὈ ὈὈ lonelyplanet.com 4 6 1 3 2 5 Raja'i Blvd ORUMIYEH 5 Border, 55km) To Sero(Turkish

Mirza Shirazi St Azadi Sq 33 Bari Resort(65km); To Airport(10km); Some MinorRoadsNotDepicted

Salmas (90km) Marsarjis Church(Sir,8.6km);

Azerbaijan Hospital(1.8km); Band (9km);Shahrchay Ave Amiri M Pol-e-Qoyum (3km); Laleh Hotel(2.9km); To IranAir(200m); AC

Dam (19km) Khorramshahr St Khorramshahr Crossroads Shohada

Valiasr

Kesra Blvd 15 Khordat St Khordat 15 Homafar St Sq 10 Enqelab

Sq Valiasr

2 Danesh (Kashtghar) St Sardaran Sardar CamiiLa Shohada 18 1

Daneshkadeh (Beheshti St) Sq 24 6 Kalisa La Kalisa

9 Madani St B

7 Imam Ave Khayyam 25 13 Sq 29

22 Ataee St Ataee Kashani St Kashani 20

St 16 Basiji 32

Motahhari Ave Motahhari Madani St 30 Khayyam

Parhizkar St 36 19 28

Bakeri St 3 23

Besat St Besat Ave 15 14 13 12 11 10 35 8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bazaar

C5 B4 B5 B6 C4 B5 C6 B5 B5 A4 C6 B4 B5 B5 Faqiyeh

Nehzat La Nehzat Sq St Mojahed Nobovvat ὈὈ

15 Taleqani St St 17

Rahnamae St WESTERN IRAN••Orumiyeh

Montazeri Shahr Chay River Chay Shahr

4 Resalat Blvd Baba Sai St

Park Shahr Hosseyni Alley Dastqeyb Blvd Dastqeyb 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16

B6 B5 B5 C6 B4 C4 B4 B5 C3 B6 Vahdat St Vahdat Golmankhaneh, 17km) D 31 Chichest (Bandar-e Vahdat 0.5 miles Sq

Haft-e Tir Blvd

Shaltut Blvd Shaltut 17 Shahrivar Blvd To Flamingo To Mahabad

Golestan St 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 (120km) 1 km

141 B4 C4 A2 B4 D2 B4 B4 B6 D2

27 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 8am-8pm Fri) the 1932European-style Police aggressively dissuadephotography of have life started fire asaSassanian temple. combined with makes apopularlocal weekend excursion Mosque butheavily restored.Seljuk-era The domed theinterestingBehind OTHER SIGHTS richly endowed Fronted by twostonerams,thissmallbut ORUMIYEH MUSEUM Lane; 142 admission IR3000; nearby Assyrian Protestant church that’svisiblefrom St Mary’s courtyardorwiththe inthesame taken toKiev. napped’ bySoviet troopsduringWWIIand his mummifiedbodywasapparently ‘kid- including thatof magusbut thesupposed fourantiquetombstones old. Itstillcontains really feelthe structure doesn’t that you’llsee church.world’s oldeststill-standing Infact in theprocess.This,theyclaim,makes itthe infant Jesus, inventing Christmaspresents togreet the who trotted acrosstoBethlehem Biblical magi,thepre-Islamic Persian priests St Thomasonthegravesite of oneof the simple Ask forkey-holder Wilsonatthedelightfully cave-like chambers feel genuinely ancient. renovation, thebare stonewallsof its twin Despite asomewhatheavy-handed 1987 hamlet of Orthodox atmospheric thananyof istheAssyrian these youth make theirnightly beautifully embossed withcharioteers.beautifully embossed golden chalice foundatHasanlu ( p144 ), catching exhibitisareplica of thepriceless cuneiform inscriptionstones.Itsmosteye- plays fabulouslyancientpottery andfine storey AD1115 Tucked awayinaquietmini-park,thetwo- what lookslike agiantperfumebottle-stopper. and clock-towerminaret surmounted by cornice, beautifullybrick-vaulted interior riverside in teahouses Shahrchay Dam Shahrchay Don’t confuse oldStMary’sDon’t confuse withthenew WESTERNIRAN••Orumiyeh h

shop-teahouse (Imam Ave) 8am-4pm oronrequest) Jameh Mosque Khayyam Street Khayyam besidethechurch. Marsarjis Church Marsarjis Sir (5.6kmfromPol-e-Qoyum). h Seh Gonbad Seh museum hasaQajar-style tri-lobed (19km from the museum) (19kmfromthe museum) 9am-1pm &4-7pmTue-Sun) chay

(tea IR2000;

(tea) atone of the ( bazaar h Band where Orumiyeh’s ( x city hall in the tiny hillside inthetinyhillside tomb tower might tombtowermight by request) passeggiata was foundedby (9km). 224 6520;BeheshtiSt; , thelarge brick- h

(Enqelab Sq) 4-8pm Sun-Thu, ispartly . More Sardar Sardar dis- . US$15/30) St; s/dUS$30/40) Orumiyeh. Parking costs IR10,000. town. Front-facing rooms looktowardsLake of Bandar-e 17kmfrom Golmankhaneh, style s lustre accommodationinaholiday-camp- s/tw IR150,000/200,000) toilet trIR175,000) s/twIR100,000/150,000,with IR85,000/125,000, withTV s/d US$55/80; sara Jahangardi; Recommended traveller favourite. and goodhotshowers withsoapandtowels. sometimes noisyroomshave Western loo ous owner,speaksgreat English.Neatif a pretty gooddealandKarim, thegregari- somewhat dowdy,theRezaisnonetheless pasazh upstairs withinashopping mosaferkhaneh 170,000/220,000; Guds Hotel Sleeping IR180,000/280,000/380,000) foreigners. cheaper renovated roomswithbathrooms.Many scheme clashes withpinktowelsinnewly shower andtoilet.Peaceful yetcentral. somewhat smallbutneatlytiledroomswith area decked withplasticfoliage leadsto hotel infacilities,price andanodyne could- emulates atypical midrange European chain- foreign tourists. Curiously Iranianspay20%more than expect fromtheratherupmarket entrance. if somewhatlessattractive thanyou’d in thewelcomingfoyer. and tear. There’s birdsongandabananapalm wooden wall-claddingandonlylimited wear nearly smartroomshave minibar,plastic- mosaferkhaneh lobby area. (a localformof backgammon) inthelittle tw/tr IR120,000/170,000) Imam Ave; s/tw/trIR60,000/90,000/120,000,withtoilet 450,000; Urumia Tourist Inn Urumia Tourist Ark Hotel Tak Setareh Khorram Hotel Khorram Ana Hotel Darya Hotel Flamingo-Chichest Reza Hotel Reza etting, 500m back from the sand-flats sand-flats etting, 500mbackfromthe pa (arcade). Thevividyellowandbrowncolour mosaferkhanehs a (Mosaferkhaneh Qods; (Mosaferkhaneh

(

Pleasant, central and quiet, the centralandquiet,the Pleasant, ( ( x x ( x )

x x Acceptable ifsomewhatlack- Acceptable ) ( The Tourist Inn successfully TheTouristInn successfully p x Quiet,relatively well-kept where youcanplay

/fax 345 3314; 77 Kashani St;s/d/tw /fax 3453314;77Kashani Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book 222 3080; fax 222 3202; Kashani St; 222 3080;fax3202; Kashani 222 6580;BesatSt;s/tw/trIR120,000/ 222 9562;fax3451;Tarzi [Chamran] 235 6051; off Montazeri St;s/tw235 6051;offMontazeri ( x ) 223 1861;SardarCamiiLane;s/tw Avaguelycosyreception Large andoutwardly Large

Clean but fairly standard Clean butfairlystandard

( x (Orumiyeh GrandInn,Mehman- 222 5444;SardarCamiiLane; Roomsare fairvalue 436 2012;tr/aptIR300,000/ nearby refuse x 222 2596;off nard

8pm Sat-Thu) 10pm) Buy itfrom a vessel lookinglike acoppercementmixer. nuts orfruitsinlayers of icingsugar using fectionery, ismadebylaboriouslycoating and apizzeria. more upmarket equivalent(Heydarbaba) limited dinners (8pm).Nextdoorisaslightly dizi popularforgreatis immensely lunchtime mospheric sonati-styletraditionalrestaurant qalyan (water pipe;IR10,000),thisgently at- under construction. clean, utterly blandcoffee shop. with annoyingMuzakintheirreproachably be-anywhere atmosphere. Comescomplete lonelyplanet.com Daneshkadeh St; Daneshkadeh minal leave buses All long-distance from the BUS, MINIBUS& SAVARI Iran Air AIR &Away There Getting Antiques Pasargad Shopping St; Flamingo Eating of three curioshops alongImamAve. poota Travel toMashhadtwice weekly (IR690,000). times dailytoTehran (IR351,000) and dotted alongImamAve. trance. andjuice shopsare sandwich Cake, carts aroundthebazaar’snortheasten- walnut halva. 75,000; which hasasigninEnglish. away fromexcellent,co-ownedPizza69, arrangements. Head downstairs twodoors solid woodenbenches, lanterns andflower per plateful). Décorisrestrained, with is wellstocked ifalittlepricey(IR10,000 kababs here are bar succulentandthesalad sidered thebestcity-centre restaurant, the air andtraintickets ex-Tabriz. Noghl, A new five-star Laleh Hotel iscurrentlyA newfive-star Laleh Baked potatoes (IR2000)are soldfrom Baked potatoes Shemaran Restaurant h (see boxed (see text, p79 ) andalsoserves ,which also sells fabulouscarrot-and- ,which also sells

(Haft-e Tir Blvd) (Haft-e 8am-11pm) h (

x WestAzarbayjan’sspecialitycon- noon-3pm &7-10pm) ( x This shop isthemostintriguing

( 3440520; Daneshkadeh St) 3440520; Daneshkadeh h x 346 1177; Kashani St;mealsIR40,000- 346 1177;Kashani Noghl Torabi Predominantly fortea and 8am-8pm Sat-Thu, 9am-noonFri) 345 5555; [email protected]; 345 5555;[email protected]; . ( x TBT TBT 223 1860; ( x ( x 222 2844)

Justifiablycon- (Imam Ave; 345 9956; Parhizkar 345 9956;Parhizkar h fliesfour 8am-2pm &4- , Seiro Safar Seiro h sells sells 8am- ter- Es- Taxis costIR40,000 from outside. toSero ley, turningnorth6kmbefore theborder. runtovillages ofbuses theGonbadchay Val- Destination Fare Duration Departures hourseight (expectlongborderwaits). Van, Turkey around (IR120,000)taking Peyma fices onImamAve. Hamsafar and Savaris to Bandar-e Golmankhaneh lakeside Savaris to Bandar-e lakeside Golmankhaneh Kashani StorupTaleqani Sttotheterminal. yeh Sq,eitheralong ImamAve then down routes shuttle-taxi runfromFaqi-useful IR20,000, 20minutes). Themost way (taxi The airportis13kmuptheSalmas high- Around Getting cancelled inwindyweather. reduce1½ hours). orget Ferry services ferent savari fromthefardock(IR20,000, ger (free) andcontinuetoTabriz byadif- the ferry (open7amto10pm)asapassen- pier; IR8000/24,000,onehour),niponto faster tothe totake asavari/taxi Assection. vehicle queuescanbelong,it’s acrossthelastunbridgedutes, nobuses) Taavoni 6or8 asmallferrythis short cuttaking (15min- Taavoni 11or8 ready Tabriz-bound savaris (IR40,000)use bus travel timeswillradicallyreduce. Al- Taavoni(nearing completion),Orumiyeh–Tabriz 9 Taavoni 16 narrow waist.Whenlinked byanewbridge 10am, 6-9pm Orumiyeh’s almostcrossLake Causeways 12hr Safar 7pm,Seiro 10hr Sq) (Arzhantin IR80,000 hourlytill4.30pm Tehran IR85,000 6-9pm Iran IR25,400 4hr (west terminal) Peyma hourlytill6pm 12hr 8pm Tehran TBT IR10,000 5am-6pm Sanandaj 2hr 11hr Maraqeh IR7000 IR60,000 6pm,7pmTBT IR12,000 Maku 11hr several 4½hr Khoy IR30,000 11am,3pmTBT Kermanshah 19hr IR100,000 IR95,000 Esfahan 3.30pm, 19hr Ardabil IR11,500 Ahvaz 4hr twice hourly, ( ( x x Other useful domestic services : domesticservices Other useful From the 233 1333) 222 8399)

( x 222 2954) WESTERN IRAN••Orumiyeh both operate 9am services to bothoperate 9amservices , Sero terminal Sero several Hamsafar have centralbookingof- ( x

(Mirza ShiraziSt) (Mirza 224 4562) eskele and Vangölu mini- (ferry 143 Iran

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 8am-8pm Fri) the 1932European-style Police aggressively dissuadephotography of have life started fire asaSassanian temple. combined with makes apopularlocal weekend excursion domed theinterestingBehind OTHER SIGHTS richly endowed Fronted by twostonerams,thissmallbut ORUMIYEH MUSEUM Lane; 142 Mosque butheavily restored.Seljuk-era The admission IR3000; Orthodox atmospheric thananyof istheAssyrian these youth make theirnightly nearby Assyrian Protestant church that’svisiblefrom St Mary’s courtyardorwiththe inthesame taken toKiev. napped’ bySoviet troopsduringWWIIand his mummifiedbodywasapparently ‘kid- including thatof magusbut thesupposed fourantiquetombstones old. Itstillcontains really feelthe structure doesn’t that you’llsee church.world’s oldeststill-standing Infact in theprocess.This,theyclaim,makes itthe infant Jesus, inventing Christmaspresents togreet the who trotted acrosstoBethlehem Biblical magi,thepre-Islamic Persian priests St Thomasonthegravesite of oneof the simple Ask forkey-holder Wilsonatthedelightfully cave-like chambers feel genuinely ancient. renovation, thebare stonewallsof its twin Despite asomewhatheavy-handed 1987 hamlet of beautifully embossed withcharioteers.beautifully embossed golden chalice foundatHasanlu ( p144 ), catching exhibitisareplica of thepriceless cuneiform inscriptionstones.Itsmosteye- plays fabulouslyancientpottery andfine storey AD1115 Tucked awayinaquietmini-park,thetwo- what lookslike agiantperfumebottle-stopper. and clock-towerminaret surmounted by cornice, beautifullybrick-vaulted interior riverside in teahouses Shahrchay Dam Shahrchay Don’t confuse oldStMary’sDon’t confuse withthenew WESTERNIRAN••Orumiyeh h

(tea IR2000;

(Enqelab Sq) 4-8pm Sun-Thu, ispartly . More Sardar Sardar dis- . St; s/dUS$30/40) US$15/30) Orumiyeh. Parking costs IR10,000. town. Front-facing rooms looktowardsLake of Bandar-e 17kmfrom Golmankhaneh, style s lustre accommodationinaholiday-camp- s/d US$55/80; sara Jahangardi; s/tw IR150,000/200,000) toilet trIR175,000) s/twIR100,000/150,000,with IR85,000/125,000, withTV pasazh upstairs withinashopping mosaferkhaneh Recommended traveller favourite. and goodhotshowers withsoapandtowels. sometimes noisyroomshave Western loo ous owner,speaksgreat English.Neatif a pretty gooddealandKarim, thegregari- somewhat dowdy,theRezaisnonetheless Guds Hotel Guds Hotel Sleeping IR180,000/280,000/380,000) 170,000/220,000; foreigners. cheaper renovated roomswithbathrooms.Many scheme clashes withpinktowelsinnewly shower andtoilet.Peaceful yetcentral. somewhat smallbutneatlytiledroomswith area decked withplasticfoliage leadsto hotel infacilities,price andanodyne could- emulates atypical midrange European chain- foreign tourists. Curiously Iranianspay20%more than expect fromtheratherupmarket entrance. if somewhatlessattractive thanyou’d in thewelcomingfoyer. and tear. There’s birdsongandabananapalm wooden wall-claddingandonlylimited wear nearly smartroomshave minibar,plastic- lobby area. (a localformof backgammon) inthelittle mosaferkhaneh tw/tr IR120,000/170,000) Imam Ave; s/tw/trIR60,000/90,000/120,000,withtoilet 450,000; Urumia Tourist Inn Urumia Tourist Tak Setareh Ark Hotel Khorram Hotel Khorram Ana Hotel Darya Hotel Flamingo-Chichest Reza Hotel Reza etting, 500m back from the sand-flats sand-flats etting, 500mbackfromthe pa (arcade). Thevividyellowandbrowncolour mosaferkhanehs a (Mosaferkhaneh Qods; (Mosaferkhaneh

(

Pleasant, central and quiet, the centralandquiet,the Pleasant, ( ( x x ( x )

x x Acceptable ifsomewhatlack- Acceptable ) ( The Tourist Inn successfully TheTouristInn successfully p x Quiet,relatively well-kept where youcanplay

Clean but fairly standard Clean butfairlystandard

( x (Orumiyeh GrandInn,Mehman- 222 5444;SardarCamiiLane; Roomsare fairvalue 436 2012;tr/aptIR300,000/ nearby refuse x 222 2596;off nard

8pm Sat-Thu) 10pm) Buy itfrom a vessel lookinglike acoppercementmixer. nuts orfruitsinlayers of icingsugar using fectionery, ismadebylaboriouslycoating and apizzeria. more upmarket equivalent(Heydarbaba) limited dinners (8pm).Nextdoorisaslightly dizi popularforgreatis immensely lunchtime mospheric sonati-styletraditionalrestaurant qalyan (water pipe;IR10,000),thisgently at- Daneshkadeh St; Daneshkadeh under construction. clean, utterly blandcoffee shop. with annoyingMuzakintheirreproachably be-anywhere atmosphere. Comescomplete lonelyplanet.com minal leave buses All long-distance from the BUS, MINIBUS& SAVARI Iran Air AIR &Away There Getting of three curioshops alongImamAve. Antiques Pasargad Shopping St; Flamingo Eating poota Travel toMashhadtwice weekly (IR690,000). times dailytoTehran (IR351,000) and dotted alongImamAve. trance. andjuice shopsare sandwich Cake, carts aroundthebazaar’snortheasten- walnut halva. 75,000; which hasasigninEnglish. away fromexcellent,co-ownedPizza69, arrangements. Head downstairs twodoors solid woodenbenches, lanterns andflower per plateful). Décorisrestrained, with is wellstocked ifalittlepricey(IR10,000 kababs here are bar succulentandthesalad sidered thebestcity-centre restaurant, the air andtraintickets ex-Tabriz. Noghl, A new five-star Laleh Hotel iscurrentlyA newfive-star Laleh Baked potatoes (IR2000)are soldfrom Baked potatoes Shemaran Restaurant h (see boxed (see text, p79 ) andalsoserves ,which also sells fabulouscarrot-and- ,which also sells

(Haft-e Tir Blvd) (Haft-e 8am-11pm) h (

x WestAzarbayjan’sspecialitycon- noon-3pm &7-10pm) ( x This shop isthemostintriguing

( x 222 2954) WESTERN IRAN••Orumiyeh both operate 9am services to bothoperate 9amservices , Sero terminal Sero several Hamsafar have centralbookingof- ( x

(Mirza ShiraziSt) (Mirza 224 4562) eskele and Vangölu mini- (ferry 143 Iran

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN the last2kmunsurfacedafter Shonagar. road viaMohammad Yar it’san8kmdetour, natively, ifdrivingtheOrumiyeh–Mahabad full fromOrumiyeh andMahabad. Alter- return runwhen towhich minibuses bytaxi) ample formostnon-specialists. roofs are but20minutes here pleasant, is panoramas of fieldsandhay-toppedvillage were probablygateways. Thewidepeaceful adobe) alongwithafew stonesthat standing (plastered forprotection withstraw-flecked stumps of formerdwellingsandstorehouses todayattheunfenced sitesee are thewall goldenchalice here.century BC Butallyou’ll Archaeologists alsounearthedafamous11th- of theUrartiansin9th century BC. population metabarbaricendatthehands lated skeletons foundhere suggest thatthe overa fortifiedcitadel 4000years. Muti- into thatgraduallydeveloped settlement village IronAge wasonceanimportant The muddyhillockrisingbehind Hasanlu x Hasanlu AROUND ORUMIYEH weekends. of Valiasr andHaft-e Tir Blvdsonsummer (IR5000, 20minutes) leave fromthecorner 144 and forum (www.lonelyplanet.com). est situationonLonelyPlanet’sThorn Tree forgranted.ing canbetaken Checkthelat- for BaghdadorsouthIraq).However, noth- on arrivalhere forIraqi-Kurdistan(NOT valid but inprincipleyoucancurrently getavisa twice beendeclared open (andlater closed), near the early1990s. The HajOmranborderpost independentfromBaghdadsince virtually area ofIraqiKurdistan,whichhasbeen conditions are lessdire inthenorthernmost orworse. However, kidnap visitors risking Much ofIraqisverging oncivilwar,with CROSSING THEIRAN–IRAQBORDER down-graded to‘locals-only’ crossings.down-graded Najaf. However, bothhave reportedly been the great and Shiite shrine citiesofKarbala dodging Iranian pilgrimbusesheadingfor remain popularwithbomb- Qasr-e-Shirin) The site is 7kmfromNaqadeh (IR20,000 0443 /pop400 WESTERNIRAN••AroundOrumiyeh Borders at Piranshahr Khosravi Mehran

, southwestofNaqadeh,has (via theoasistownof (accessedviaIlam) ﺣﺴﻨﻠﻮ Shahid Kandi; s/twIR140,000/175,000) Kandi; Shahid but orchards stopwell short of theshore. mud-flat islands. Thewestern coastisgreener with jagged, sun-blasted rocks and parched barren;starkly thevivid bluewaters contrast byALPTours inTabrizganised ( p149 ). Fridayexcursionsto occasionalone-off or- custom of theday.Touristaccessislimited ofsacrifice virgins, asdemandedbythe 1265 wasaccompaniedbythewholesale the middleof thelake. Hisburialthere in nasty, hadhistreasury on and founderof Mongoldy- Iran’sIlkhanid forfish-meal. harvested (spring). Andthewormsare commercially flamingos migratorybirds,notably seasonal toattractplentyof worm. Butthat’senough primitive, virtuallytransparent artimesia only life-form itsupportsdirectly isthevery Currentlybe asdeadtheAralSea. the thirst. Someworrythatthelake will soon divertedhas been toslake Tabriz’s growing amajor feeder river,that theZarinarud, depth16m)now low (maximumseasonal since 1976,it’sbecomingincreasingly shal- can’t sink.AUnescoBiosphere Reserve (6000 sqkm)issosuper-salty thatyoujust huge Like theDeadSea, OrumiyehLake LAKE ORUMIYEH fortable Mosque isafineifover-restoredonly ‘sight’ tell youthisissomewhere different butthe trousers Kurdish cummerbundsandbaggy Mahabad theregional hadbeen capital. In the17thcentury,asSavajbulaq Mokri, the USSRpatched thingsupwithTehran. vived onlyoneyear(1946),collapsingonce spired independentKurdish state, butitsur- The Mahabad RepublicwasaSoviet-in- ofonce thecapital itsownmini-country. Incredibly, thisunassumingmarket citywas x Mahabad 40km fromMahabad. the AliSadr–style to has somegreat close viewsandpasses (two hours). TheroadtoSaqqezviaBukan Miyando’ab (30minutes) andOrumiyeh andsavaris leaveMinibuses frequently to thebazaarandbusterminal (900m). tween The lake’s hard-to-access Khan grandsonofHulagu Khan, Genghis Extensively refurbished in2006,thecom- 0442 /pop168,000 intheramshackle bazaar. Hotel Kohestan Hotel Sahulan Water Caves Water Sahulan (Koystan; eastern coastline eastern Kabudi Island Kabudi lonelyplanet.com is halfwaybe- x 233 5738; some Jameh ﻣﻬﺎﺑﺎﺩ in is is

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e GREATER TABRIZ K

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museum

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(alley off Shahrivar St) (alley offShahrivar 7.30am-3pm Sat-Thu, 9.30am-1pmFri)

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excursion toKandovan, Iran’s‘Cappadocia’. very warmanytimeof year. Don’tmissan winter, buttheAzariwelcomeisgenerally hot insummer,itcanbefreezing coldin and history. Sometimesstiflinglysmoggy extremely influentialinthecountry’srecent andhasprovenspell astheIraniancapital ingly positive introductiontoIran.Ithada make thisgigantic,sprawlingcityasurpris- and passionately helpfulfreelance guides humanheart A fascinatingbazaar,adeeply x TABRIZ terminal costIR1500fromthatclocktower. St fromHotelShuttle tothe Berenjian. taxis green ‘pincer’clocktower,1kmupImam ever, afterever, the battleof Chaldoran ( p137 ), made Tabriz Persia’s How- national capital. ing inthefabulous BlueMosque. flowering of artsandarchitecture culminat- aremarkablerule (1439–67)thecitysaw the Taj Mahal’s Shah Jahan), underwhose greatest monarch wasJahan Shah (no, Koyunlu (BlackSheep). Thatdynasty’s men dynastycuriouslynicknamedthe Qareh rids, Tabriz of becamethecapital alocalTurk- while therest of totheTimu- Iranwasvassal rapidly fromTamerlane’s 1392ravages and, ofcapital Azerbaijan. Itrecovered remarkably Maraqeh eclipse asalater MongolIlkhanid tradehubandcameto Sassanian-period More historically verifiable, Tabriz wasa would placeTabriz atthegates of paradise! flowing outof theGarden of Eden,which Biblical cluespointtotheAjichay River History Shah Ismail,thefirst Safavid ruler,briefly 0411 /pop1,461,000 (chokh) saghol ə rbaycan), themajorityof Azerbaijanis . yakhtse lonelyplanet.com (good) ﺗﺒﺮﻳﺰ not lonelyplanet.com Tabriz’ southeast outskirts becametheresi- the 19th century. Shahgoli (now Elgoli)on 77,000 Tabrizis inNovember 1727. earthquakesever thatkilledaphenomenal andoneof theworld’sworst-by disease went intoalengthydeclineexacerbated Ottomans and(later) Russians, Tabriz overto safer Qazvin. Fought byPersians, Tahmasp (1524–75),moved hiscapital soIsmail’s successor,to Ottomanattack, Tabriz fartoo vulnerable suddenlyseemed Station Train Hotel Elgoli...... Ghostaresh Hotel...... Elgoli Camp...... ALP Tours&TravelAgency...... Turkish Consulate...... Pastor Clinic...... Main PostOffice...... Blue Coffeenet...... (see16) Azerbaijan Consulate...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES (VisaExtensions)...... INFORMATION Passport Office M

e GREATER TABRIZ K

e g

The cityrecovered itsprosperity during a l r

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high gates,high thecurious of theregionalseat archbishop. Behind mentioned byMarco Poloandoncethe Mosque Mosallah parachute-like of effect herchador. ished whowasmiraculouslysaved bythe local legend tells of onewomansopun- from thetopof walls. Far-fetched thecitadel nals were once executed bybeinghurled century chunky remnant of Tabriz’s early-14th- is usuallyimpossible. dermining theArk’sfoundationsandaccess in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. in London’sVictoria&AlbertMuseum. some50years ago,endingup Rd, Chelsea, itwaslastsoldonKing’s so-called because one of made. thebestever Theoriginalis carpet,reckonedthe famousChelsea tobe war. Thetopfloordisplaysare-weave of disturbing sculpturalallegoriesof life and ment features powerfulif AhadHossein’s carried byprovincial treasurers. Thebase- were symbolsof supposedly wealthonce FoundnearKermanlennium BC. these curious stone‘handbags’fromthe3rdmil- a superb3000-year-old copperhelmetand exhibits includefindsfromHasanlu ( p144 ), guarded bytwostonerams.Ground-floor great withbigwoodendoors brickportal west of theBlueMosque. a Enter through lonelyplanet.com Khomeini St) Khomeini Mp p4 Sarai Sq) Shahrdari p148; (Map (Map p148 St) ; ImamKhomeini The 19th-century bathhouse, Central Tabriz OTHER ATTRACTIONS Near thebazaar, most aslongthere’ve Christians. been Tabriz hashadaChristiancommunityal- CHURCHES This huge brick ARG-E TABRIZ p4 Wla St) Walman p148; Church ing cylinders. Therelatively central Moqaddas; Map Moqaddas; Map p148 ) white gates. hidden inabasketball courtbehindhigh Alley) posite, the German-designed posite, theGerman-designed but worthdouble-checking. Almostop- Ongoing constructionof astadium-sized serves theArmeniancommunity.It’s serves

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citadel (knownas‘theArk’).Crimi- citadel , an unmissable landmark,isa, anunmissable hasatowerof fourdiminish- nextdoorisreportedly un- isa12th-centurychurch St Mary’s Mary’s St edifice isacentury-old Tabriz , isusuallylocked Anglican Church

Mp p4 of Imam off p148 ; (Map (Kalisa-ye Maryam-e Maryam-e (Kalisa-ye Municipal Hall Municipal Nobar Hamam ﺗﺒﺮﻳﺰ Sarkis Sarkis

ﺍﺭگ (Map (Map

them) istheelegant Monument (butwithnodirect roadbetween various earthquakes. Take bus116. tombshave lostinthecity’s whose been also commemorates over 400otherscholars flecting poolfromthesouth.Thecomplex crete arches are bestviewedacrossthere- sion IR2000; Seyid HamzehSt) Seyid the theArchitecturenow comprise Faculty of two-story colonnadesanddecorative ponds impressive 230-year-old mansionswith scales. Twoblocksfurthersouthatrioof of clocksandcommercial rococoGerman mansion ismore interesting thanitsdisplay The brilliantlyrestored 160-year-old Qajar den amidvery ordinaryapartmentblocks. than anywoman could dare to. his/herhipsfarmorewaggling provocatively spotted fansandeven atransvestitetallica we metIranianpunks,tuft-bearded Me- Champs Elysées.Injustafew minutes here Shahriyar ised St,misleadinglynicknamed the wealthyifarchitecturally neutral About 4kmeastof Abaresan Crossingis Outer Tabriz aschoolbetween andachildren’s hospital. façade.with asplit-level It’soddlyhidden Tabriz’s mostimpressive Qajar mansion within thepalatial1881AmirNezamHouse, Museum ond lanetotheleftfind down itswestern flankthentake thesec- occasional exhibitions.FollowTabazan St icon. It’sonlyopentothepublicduring a nightly a nightly Valiasr’s Karimkhan (Bozorg) Sqandmake The city’sgildedyouthsipespressos around Tabriz comestoanentertainment district. District House; Map House; Map leum with thestrikinglymodernist commemorated much more ostentatiously tillhisdeathin1987.Shahriyarused isnow thathe set loveably andTV ordinarysettee Tabrizi Shahriyar Ostad exhibitingthe poet further isthe courting couples.Itsfairground surrounds centre, ispopular withsummerstrollers and admission IR3000; Around 350msoutheastof thePoets’ Elgoli (Shahgoli) Park Elgoli (Shahgoli) Islamic Arts University Islamic Arts

(Maghbarat al-Shoara, Maqbar al-Shoara; Map al-Shoara;Map al-Shoara,Maqbar (Maghbarat p148 ; . WhilehardlySoHo,it’sthenearest Sneh ue Mp p148; Map Muze; (Sanjesh p148 ; h passeggiata . Itsangularinterlocking con- 8am-6pm Sat-Thu, 9am-1pmFri) WESTERN IRAN••Tabriz x house museum x 523 6568;Farhang St,Sheshgelan; 8am-6pm Sat-Thu, 9am-1pmFri) Qajar Museum , 8kmsoutheastof the alongpedestrian- . Twomore blocks x of much-loved 554 2459;admis- Poets’ Mauso- Measurement Measurement

(Amir Nezam (Amir Nezam Valiasr hid- 151

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN and has afew shopsstillselling ing toknot-sizeandtype. Thespicebazaar Helpful forvisaextensions. h St) fax 5532331;ImamKhomeini Mosque leadstoTabriz’shidden by acurtain At thebazaar’swestern endan exitpassage AROUND THEBAZAAR (Bazaar Kolahdozan) chance orcarelessness dictates. nary colourfulmaze,onlyemerging when anextraordi- bouncing aroundthrough entering one feels like alaunched pinball, fine brickvaultingis15thcentury.Upon over much of amillenniumago,though the timches separate and22impressivecaravanserais (Map p148 ) covers some7sqkmwith24 The magnificent, labyrinthine BAZAAR Sights Passport Office VISA EXTENSIONS Travel Mahnavand Agency Travel Seyer Jahan Travel Gasht Afagh and offer trainandplanebookings: The followinghave English-speakingstaff TRAVEL AGENCIES Nasser Khan 150 Efficient, well-staffed,Efficient, newtravelandtouragency. St; you into the jewellery section. you intothejewellerysection. of thetouristinformationoffice. Thistakes narrowpassage east entrance isthesecond zaar issurprisinglyeasytomiss. A useful goods. andgeneral household gold, shoes milliner’s art.Otherquarters in specialise ity, theyounger tothe thelambsacrificed wool.Thebetter the qual- curled astrakhan (Azari hats,fromIR100,000)madeof tight- Khomeini St; Khomeini zurkhaneh etc). zurkhaneh getyouintoofficiallyclosedbuildings(churches, often Hecan andculturalexperiences. trips on people-watching smallgroups takes informationoffice,Nasseroften tourist Legendary multilingualpillarofthe [email protected]) h There are several For such ahuge construction,theba- 7.30am-1.30pm Sat-Wed,7.30am-11.30pmThu) WESTERNIRAN••Tabriz natural perfumes 8.30am-6.30pm Sat-Wed,8.30am-4.40pmThu) (Map p148 ) withamagnificent brick- (domedhalls).Constructionbegan h ( x 8.30am-8.30pm Sat-Thu) Mp p147; (Map 553 6594,09141160149;amicodel sell traditional sell Mp p148; (Map Mp p148; (Map . Acoupleof carpet x Mp p148; (Map x 477 6666;SaebSt; x

sections, accord- sections, 553 9444;Tarbiat herbal remedies 555 2250;Imam covered bazaar covered x hat shops 555 6004; papakh Jameh Jameh

9am-1pm Fri, earlierinwinter) 9am-1pm Fri, St; admission IR2000; St;admissionIR2000; Imam Khomeini 8am-1pm Fri). St;admissionIR3000; 2733; Madani speaking students. English- isagood placetomeet Khaqani, 12th-century Azari-Persian Shirvani poet minor gymnastics. chamber butaccess wouldrequire some Steps leaddowntowardsJahan Shah’s tomb vate mosquefortheQareh Koyunlushahs. asapri- from theentranceonceserved remaining patches of originaltiles. aroundthefew onto manylowersections with missingpatterns laboriouslypainted the originalblueexterior. Insideismore blue 1773)isthere anyhintof (which survived but onlyontherear (main)entranceportal The bricksuperstructure isnowcomplete, till 1951,whenreconstruction finallystarted. than menditandlayasapileof rubble TabrizDevastated hadbetter thingstodo inalater quake(1727), butcollapsed (1773). vived oneof history’sworst-ever earthquakes calligraphy forwhich it’snicknamed.Itsur- face withthebluemajolica tilesandintricate ists tookafurther25years tocover sur- every glorious buildingsof itsera. Oncebuilt,art- monarchs duringcoronations. scripture-covered under-shirt wornbyQajar Constructed in1465,the BLUE (KABUD) MOSQUE St; admissionIR3000; Map Museum; (Mashrutiyat English sign)of the1868 hari Stopposite theheavy woodendoor(no multi-stage newminarets emerges atMotah- vaulted interior. two analleybetween Beyond, summer, 8am-12.30pm Fri, 8am-5pmwinter) summer, 8am-12.30pm Fri, The AZARBAYJAN MUSEUM now houses a now houses proportioned formerSahebUl-Amr Mosque likely toexcite non-specialisttourists. numerous photosanddocumentsare un- manylabelsarebut although inEnglish the ing the1906–11constitutionalrevolution, historically significantasaheadquarters dur- This charming Qajar-era is courtyardhouse The Khaqani garden outside,honouring The Khaqani A smallerdomedchamber further At thebazaar’snortheastcorner,well- Azarbayjan Museum Museum Azarbayjan Its most intriguing exhibit is the Itsmostintriguingexhibitisthe Quran Museum Quran Museum h h 8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 9am-1pmFri) p148 ; 8am-2pm & 4-8pmSat-Thu was among the most wasamongthemost (Map p148 ; Imam Khomeini Khomeini Imam p148; (Map Blue Mosque h x Constitution House h 8am-6.30pm Sat-Thu, 521 6454; Motahhari 521 6454;Motahhari lonelyplanet.com Mp p148; (Map 9am-7pm Sat-Thu, ﻛﺒﻮﺩ Mp p148; (Map is 50m x

ﻣﺴﺠﺪ 527 527 .

high gates,high thecurious of theregionalseat archbishop. Behind mentioned byMarco Poloandoncethe century chunky remnant of Tabriz’s early-14th- is usuallyimpossible. dermining theArk’sfoundationsandaccess Mosque Mosallah parachute-like of effect herchador. ished whowasmiraculouslysaved bythe local legend tells of onewomansopun- from thetopof walls. Far-fetched thecitadel nals were once executed bybeinghurled in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. in London’sVictoria&AlbertMuseum. some50years ago,endingup Rd, Chelsea, itwaslastsoldonKing’s so-called because one of made. thebestever Theoriginalis carpet,reckonedthe famousChelsea tobe war. Thetopfloordisplaysare-weave of disturbing sculpturalallegoriesof life and ment features powerfulif AhadHossein’s carried byprovincial treasurers. Thebase- were symbolsof supposedly wealthonce FoundnearKermanlennium BC. these curious stone‘handbags’fromthe3rdmil- a superb3000-year-old copperhelmetand exhibits includefindsfromHasanlu ( p144 ), guarded bytwostonerams.Ground-floor great withbigwoodendoors brickportal west of theBlueMosque. a Enter through lonelyplanet.com Mp p4 Sarai Sq) Shahrdari p148; (Map (Map p148 St) ; Imam Khomeini The 19th-century bathhouse, Central Tabriz OTHER ATTRACTIONS St) Walman p148; Near thebazaar, most aslongthere’ve Christians. been Tabriz hashadaChristiancommunityal- CHURCHES St) Khomeini This huge brick ARG-E TABRIZ Church ing cylinders. Therelatively central white gates. hidden inabasketball courtbehindhigh Moqaddas; Map p148 ) Alley) posite, the German-designed posite, theGerman-designed but worthdouble-checking. Almostop- Ongoing constructionof astadium-sized serves theArmeniancommunity.It’s serves

(Kalisa-ye Sarkis-e Moqaddas; Map Moqaddas; Map Sarkis-e (Kalisa-ye p148 Kalisa ;

Mp p4 of Imam off p148 ; (Map (Kalisa-ye Maryam-e Maryam-e (Kalisa-ye Municipal Hall Municipal Nobar Hamam ﺗﺒﺮﻳﺰ Sarkis Sarkis

ﺍﺭگ (Map (Map

them) istheelegant Monument (butwithnodirect roadbetween various earthquakes. Take bus116. tombshave lostinthecity’s whose been also commemorates over 400otherscholars flecting poolfromthesouth.Thecomplex crete arches are bestviewedacrossthere- sion IR2000; Seyid HamzehSt) Seyid the theArchitecturenow comprise Faculty of two-story colonnadesanddecorative ponds impressive 230-year-old mansionswith scales. Twoblocksfurthersouthatrioof of clocksandcommercial rococoGerman mansion ismore interesting thanitsdisplay The brilliantlyrestored 160-year-old Qajar den amidvery ordinaryapartmentblocks. than anywoman could dare to. his/herhipsfarmorewaggling provocatively spotted fansandeven atransvestitetallica we metIranianpunks,tuft-bearded Me- Champs Elysées.Injustafew minutes here Shahriyar ised St,misleadinglynicknamed a nightly Valiasr’s Karimkhan (Bozorg) Sqandmake The city’sgildedyouthsipespressos around Tabriz comestoanentertainment district. District the wealthyifarchitecturally neutral About 4kmeastof Abaresan Crossingis Outer Tabriz aschoolbetween andachildren’s hospital. façade.with asplit-level It’soddlyhidden Tabriz’s mostimpressive Qajar mansion within thepalatial1881AmirNezamHouse, Museum ond lanetotheleftfind down itswestern flankthentake thesec- occasional exhibitions.FollowTabazan St icon. It’sonlyopentothepublicduring House; Map House; Map leum with thestrikinglymodernist commemorated much more ostentatiously tillhisdeathin1987.Shahriyarused isnow thathe set loveably andTV ordinarysettee Tabrizi Shahriyar Ostad exhibitingthe poet further isthe courting couples.Itsfairground surrounds centre, ispopular withsummerstrollers and admission IR3000; Around 350msoutheastof thePoets’ Elgoli (Shahgoli) Park Elgoli (Shahgoli) Islamic Arts University Islamic Arts

(Amir Nezam (Amir Nezam Valiasr hid- 151

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN St; s/tw/trIR70,000/90,000/120,000) Mashhad Hotel Hotel Mashhad Not idealforwomentravellers:Caucasus. inantly topettytraders fromthe ex-Soviet dosi StandnearTerminal Sqcater predom- washbasins carpets. butsomewhattatty rear roomshave courtyardgarden.Large olde-worlde charm andthere’s avine-trained foreigners to use (five-bed) dormitories. dormitories. foreigners touse(five-bed) allowing shower IR5000) Possiblytheonlymosaferkhaneh dm/s/tw/tr/q IR20,000/43,000/59,700/81,000/92,000; Imam Khomeini St;s/tw/trfromIR50,000/70,000/90,000) Imam Khomeini indicated. less otherwise All roomsshare communalsquattoiletsun- BUDGET University. sites, such asinElgoliPark andnearTabriz Summer campingispossibleatdesignated Sleeping Sq; fax 3310825;Karimkhan Agency ALP Tours&Travel When there are largesufficiently groups, Activities the reconstruction of aQajar-era palace. a photogenic restaurant-pavilion occupies an artificiallake, inthemiddleof which 152 climbing guidesforMtSabalan( p160 ). IR160,000) are extra. ALPcanalsoarrange (IR40,000) andskirental (IR50,000to The costfortransportisIR50,000,liftpass Fridayskiingexcursionsise toMtSahand. St; s/twfromIR4000/6000,withbathroomIR120,000/150,000) There’s travellers’ auseful tipbook. in retelling of tales his1970stripstoEurope. uncannily like LouisdeFunesanddelights qualities. Thetirelessly helpfulownerlooks gradedvarietyof tended roomsinasensibly haswell- This friendlyfamilyguesthouse from road noise. Handyfrom roadnoise. forthemuseum. are better-painted butpoorer valueandsuffer munal shower. Roomswithprivate shower a rear courtyardmini-garden withfree com- The cheaper roomsare simplebutquietoff cleaner thanmost double beds,unusualatthispricerange. here are fairlysmallbutfive of the12have dosi St;s/d/trIR47,000/70,000/90,000) Many basic Darya Guesthouse Bagh Guesthouse Park Hotel Mahmoodi Mehmanpazir Mahmoodi WESTERNIRAN••Tabriz

Mp p148; (Map Mp p148 ; (Map mosaferkhanehs

(Map p148; (Map

Mp p148; (Map mosaferkhanehs x h x

555 1852; Imam Khomeini 555 1852;ImamKhomeini Mp p147; (Map Mp p148; (Map Dec-Apr) x 555 8255;Ferdosi St; Thisoffers slight 554 0008; Mohaqqeqi 554 0008;Mohaqqeqi x Brighter and Brighter alongFer- 555 2762;Fer- can organ- x x , rooms 331 0340; 554 1744; 554 1744;

IR116,130/160,341) [email protected]; Imam Khomeini St;dIR160,000; ImamKhomeini [email protected]; s/tw IR130,000/200,000) IR6000) Someroomshavewashingfacilities. Ferdosi St;s/tw/trfromIR43,360/59,708/70,334;shower with breakfast IR150,000/200,000) Hotel Morvarid MIDRANGE DelgoshaySalmas Hotel Guesthouse Masoud Gostaresh Hotel Gostaresh TOP END IR200,000/300,000; noise. traffic showers andtowels.Double-glazing reduces ularly renovated roomswithexcellenthot andunpretentious butreg- friendly service A fine,centraloptionwithconsistently as driver-guide. rooms. Jebel speaks taste inartisalittlegarish.Decentbath- painted dampandtheir roomssmellatad someofmains OKvaluethough thefreshly though several kilometres several fromthe bazaar, though sitting area. Mosthave kitchenette. Al- sparse thebedandaslightly walls between semi-suites withbreast-height dividing roomsare‘Standard’ stylishly redesigned rumblesallnight. Traffic Some have Western toiletsanddoublebeds. (Euronews)andfridge. include satellite TV with well-furnished, tile-floored roomsthat Professionally upgradedhistoricbuilding Abaresan Crossing;s/tw/tr/steUS$54/67/87/108; named after nearby,notNoah. thecitadel on agingmattresses andthere’s nolift.It’s eerie. and slightly clean butill-litcorridors thatfeel soulless hot showers andWestern spanking loosoff is limited. equipped. Enter fromFelestin St.Parking clean tiledfloors. Roomsare neatand fully corridorsbright withstripcarpetsover this relatively plushmidrange optionhas Welcom YouthHostel’. ‘Heloo rooms, shared squatsalittle whiffy.Marked Mohaqqeqi St;s/twIR40,000/56,000)Newlyrepainted 7477; Shari’ati St;s/d/trIR170,000/242,000/302,000; 7477; Shari’ati Hotel Sina Hotel Qods Hotel Azarbayjan Hotel Azarbayjan Kosar Hotel Ark Hotel

Mp p148; (Map

(Map p148 ; p148; (Map

Mp p148; (Map Mp p148; (Map

Mp p148; (Map Mp p147; (Map This long-term favourite re- pa Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book

Mp p148; (Map Mp p148; (Map Acceptable roomswith Acceptable good English and doubles good English anddoubles Mp p148; (Map x x ) x x Calm yetcentral, Calm x x 555 1277;ArkSt;s/tw 556 6211;Fajr Sq;s/tw 553 7691;fax5541570; 555 0898;Terminal Sq; 334 5021;fax6778; 553 3336;Fajr Sq;s/tw Theare sheets x x 556 6828; x 555 9051; fax 553 555 9051;fax553 554 3362; a a a ) ) )

prika atopen-aircafésaroundElgoliPark. beans) eaten asasnackwithvinegarandpa- St.Ortry Khomeini roasted or boiled fromcartsalongImam US$73/106/202; fax 3808555;www.parshotels.com; ElgoliPark; s/d/ste both Valiasr andthecentre. the locationishandyforpublictransportto 10pm) St;mealsIR15,000-45,000; 4594; ImamKhomeini IR13,000-30,000; ontheqalyan. or apuff vaulted cavern that’sgreat for asubterraneandosi Restaurant, one-room lunch littleFer- only)andthedelightful vegetarian (openfor ArzhentinRestaurant cheap localeateries nearbyincluding part- folkslikeinformation office toshow you Shari’ati Sthasgoodjuicebars. Thetourist around Coffeenet Denizandnearby There are decentdiningoptions several CENTRAL AREA On winter evenings, Eating finished rich peted sittingplatforms.Decent kababsand water-feature andachoice of orcar- tables ‘sculpted’amusing iftacky centrepiece must-asal breakfasts unbeatable of dairy-café serves asal (IR5000). soup) ismostheartyandexcellent value but the older building.Pizzasare typicallyIranian five-pointed lampsinthisrenovated star meals IR21,000-38,000, pizzasIR13,000-27,000, coffee from ElgoliBlvd;s/d www.shahryarinternationalhotel.com; revolving restaurant ontop. bar beers. Theatriumisairyandthere’s a ness hotel exceptforalcohol inthemini- you’dexpectfromatopbusi- everything vourite park,8kmfromthecentre. Ithas gleaming blueglassoverlook thecity’sfa- h Hotel Elgoli Hotel Rahnama Dairy Rahnama Restaurant TatlyRestaurant Honarmandan The new,five-star Linette Linette 7am-9pm Sat-Thu, 7am-2pmFri) US$120/150) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book (cream and honeycomb). dizi Vaulted underground eatery withan (IR15,000). our research. ash (yogurtandhoney)or Mp p148; (Map (thickvegetable andnoodle pa

h (Tabriz Pars; (Tabriz Map p147 ; opened shortly after wehad

(Place of Artists; Map Map (Place ofArtists; p148 ; (Map (Map p148 ; Ferdosi St;snacksIR6500; noon-11pm)

( x ) x Three convex wallsof Shahriyar Hotel Shahriyar 555 0505; Shari’ati St;pizzas 555 0505;Shari’ati labu baghla 555 6483; Baroun Avak St; Ceilings soarto Ceilings (beets) are (beets) sold (boiled broad (boiledbroad Thissimple dizi x (see (see p79 )

(Map p147 ; p147; (Map 380 7820; khame- h x 8am- 553 Homam-Tabrizi mealsIR35,000-60,000; St;kabab 4pm &6.30-10pm) upmarket and agoodview-windowupstairs. small butwithattractive framedglass-art IR7000) include signbesideHaida‘Café’ Sandwich. appealing. Lookforthebigred-on-yellow Upstairs isless and wooden‘bar’seating. to itsstylishdownstairs triangulartables best of Valiasr’s trendy shopsthanks coffee 29 Bahman St;pizzaIR25,000-30,000; 29 Bahman meini St;mealsIR30,000-45,000; Sq; pizzasIR25,000; parlours of which there are fairlynicelittlepizza several to changeally need shared here, taxi but En route toValiasr orElgoliyou’llusu- ABARESAN CROSSING house there’sAlthough thefunctional VALIASR AREA Try thecreamy mushroom stroganoff. cutesyspite Christmastheme. theslightly createtables acongenial atmosphere de- chimney-breast andglass-toppedinset- wooden Warm woodtones,apseudo-Swiss IR8000-12,000; around Karimkhan Sq. and people-watching fromcoffee shops delicious barley-and-barberry soup. soft iesalad, drinkand include ‘service’, retro andidiosyncratickitsch. Meal prices cessful blendof olde-worldecharm, 1960s ment dininghallthatsomehowfindsasuc- and excellentfriedtroutinalarge, base- good-value great kababs favourite serves remains themost note worthy, with black stares of grey-beards. 40bemused smoke aqalyanhere withoutincurringthe celain featuring Qajar royalty.Womencan onpor-for tea anddates (IR10,000)served Cosy, gently romanticbrick-vaulted café 8819; Tarbiat St;coffee IR5000-10,000; IR5000) deh espresso IR10,000; Mosbat Cafe Good, similaralternatives toMosbat Modern Tabriz Restaurant Pizza Fanoos Kahveteria SonatiTarbiat Kahveteria

Mp p147; (Map ablockeast. justsouthof Karimkhan Sqand (Map (Map p147 St) ; AmirKabir Sharshab Pars Restaurant h

Mp p147; (Map

h WESTERN IRAN••Tabriz x Valiasr’s specialityispizza Mp p147; (Map 12.30-4pm &6.30-11pmSat-Thu)

h 9am-midnight) Mp p147; (Map 331 1146; Mokhaberat St;coffee 331 1146;Mokhaberat Abdi 11am-midnight) x Mp p147; (Map

x Mp p147; (Map

330 2977; Karimkhan Sq; 330 2977;Karimkhan h and therelatively Mp p4 Ia Kho- Imam p148; (Map x

332 4700; Karimkhan 332 4700;Karimkhan Mp p148; (Map Marginally the 11am-11pm) 330 7741;espresso h Al Mahdi tea- Al Mahdi h Typically x x 5-10.30pm) 9am-9pm) h 336 6245; 333 0048; x This noon- Orki- 153 554

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN St; s/tw/trIR70,000/90,000/120,000) Mashhad Hotel Hotel Mashhad Not idealforwomentravellers:Caucasus. inantly topettytraders fromthe ex-Soviet dosi StandnearTerminal Sqcater predom- washbasins carpets. butsomewhattatty rear roomshave courtyardgarden.Large olde-worlde charm andthere’s avine-trained foreigners to use (five-bed) dormitories. dormitories. foreigners touse(five-bed) allowing shower IR5000) Possiblytheonlymosaferkhaneh dm/s/tw/tr/q IR20,000/43,000/59,700/81,000/92,000; Imam Khomeini St;s/tw/trfromIR50,000/70,000/90,000) Imam Khomeini indicated. less otherwise All roomsshare communalsquattoiletsun- BUDGET University. sites, such asinElgoliPark andnearTabriz Summer campingispossibleatdesignated Sleeping Sq; fax 3310825;Karimkhan Agency ALP Tours&Travel When there are largesufficiently groups, Activities the reconstruction of aQajar-era palace. a photogenic restaurant-pavilion occupies an artificiallake, inthemiddleof which 152 climbing guidesforMtSabalan( p160 ). IR160,000) are extra. ALPcanalsoarrange (IR40,000) andskirental (IR50,000to The costfortransportisIR50,000,liftpass Fridayskiingexcursionsise toMtSahand. St; s/twfromIR4000/6000,withbathroomIR120,000/150,000) There’s travellers’ auseful tipbook. in retelling of tales his1970stripstoEurope. uncannily like LouisdeFunesanddelights qualities. Thetirelessly helpfulownerlooks gradedvarietyof tended roomsinasensibly haswell- This friendlyfamilyguesthouse from road noise. Handyfrom roadnoise. forthemuseum. are better-painted butpoorer valueandsuffer munal shower. Roomswithprivate shower a rear courtyardmini-garden withfree com- The cheaper roomsare simplebutquietoff double beds,unusualatthispricerange. here are fairlysmallbutfive of the12have cleaner thanmost dosi St;s/d/trIR47,000/70,000/90,000) Many basic Darya Guesthouse Bagh Guesthouse Park Hotel Mahmoodi Mehmanpazir Mahmoodi WESTERNIRAN••Tabriz

Mp p148; (Map Mp p148; (Map mosaferkhanehs

(Map p148; (Map

Mp p148; (Map mosaferkhanehs x h x

IR116,130/160,341) [email protected]; Imam Khomeini St;dIR160,000; ImamKhomeini [email protected]; s/tw IR130,000/200,000) with breakfast IR150,000/200,000) Hotel Morvarid MIDRANGE IR6000) Someroomshavewashingfacilities. Ferdosi St;s/tw/trfromIR43,360/59,708/70,334;shower DelgoshaySalmas Hotel Guesthouse Masoud Gostaresh Hotel Gostaresh TOP END IR200,000/300,000; noise. traffic showers andtowels.Double-glazing reduces ularly renovated roomswithexcellenthot andunpretentious butreg- friendly service A fine,centraloptionwithconsistently as driver-guide. rooms. Jebel speaks taste inartisalittlegarish.Decentbath- painted dampandtheir roomssmellatad someofmains OKvaluethough thefreshly though several kilometres several fromthe bazaar, though sitting area. Mosthave kitchenette. Al- sparse thebedandaslightly walls between semi-suites withbreast-height dividing roomsare‘Standard’ stylishly redesigned rumblesallnight. Traffic Some have Western toiletsanddoublebeds. (Euronews)andfridge. include satellite TV with well-furnished, tile-floored roomsthat Professionally upgradedhistoricbuilding Abaresan Crossing;s/tw/tr/steUS$54/67/87/108; named after nearby,notNoah. thecitadel on agingmattresses andthere’s nolift.It’s eerie. and slightly clean butill-litcorridors thatfeel soulless hot showers andWestern spanking loosoff is limited. equipped. Enter fromFelestin St.Parking clean tiledfloors. Roomsare neatand fully corridorsbright withstripcarpetsover this relatively plushmidrange optionhas Welcom YouthHostel’. ‘Heloo rooms, shared squatsalittle whiffy.Marked Mohaqqeqi St;s/twIR40,000/56,000)Newlyrepainted 7477; Shari’ati St;s/d/trIR170,000/242,000/302,000; 7477; Shari’ati Hotel Sina Hotel Qods Hotel Azarbayjan Hotel Azarbayjan Kosar Hotel Ark Hotel

Mp p148; (Map

(Map p148 ; p148; (Map

Mp p148; (Map Mp p148; (Map

Mp p148; (Map Mp p147; (Map This long-term favourite re- pa Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book

prika atopen-aircafésaroundElgoliPark. beans) eaten asasnackwithvinegarandpa- St.Ortry Khomeini roasted or boiled fromcartsalongImam US$73/106/202; fax 3808555;www.parshotels.com; ElgoliPark; s/d/ste both Valiasr andthecentre. the locationishandyforpublictransportto 10pm) St;mealsIR15,000-45,000; 4594; ImamKhomeini IR13,000-30,000; ontheqalyan. or apuff vaulted cavern that’sgreat for asubterraneandosi Restaurant, one-room lunch littleFer- only)andthedelightful vegetarian (openfor ArzhentinRestaurant cheap localeateries nearbyincluding part- folkslikeinformation office toshow you Shari’ati Sthasgoodjuicebars. Thetourist around Coffeenet Denizandnearby There are decentdiningoptions several CENTRAL AREA On winter evenings, Eating finished rich peted sittingplatforms.Decent kababsand water-feature andachoice of orcar- tables ‘sculpted’amusing iftacky centrepiece asal must-asal breakfasts unbeatable of dairy-café serves meals IR21,000-38,000, pizzasIR13,000-27,000, coffee (IR5000). soup) ismostheartyandexcellent value but the older building.Pizzasare typicallyIranian five-pointed lampsinthisrenovated star from ElgoliBlvd;s/d www.shahryarinternationalhotel.com; revolving restaurant ontop. bar beers. Theatriumisairyandthere’s a ness hotel exceptforalcohol inthemini- you’dexpectfromatopbusi- everything vourite park,8kmfromthecentre. Ithas gleaming blueglassoverlook thecity’sfa- h Hotel Elgoli Hotel Rahnama Dairy Rahnama Restaurant TatlyRestaurant Honarmandan The new,five-star Linette Linette 7am-9pm Sat-Thu, 7am-2pmFri) US$120/150) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book (cream and honeycomb). dizi Vaulted underground eatery withan (IR15,000). our research. ash (yogurtandhoney)or Mp p148; (Map (thickvegetable andnoodle pa

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(Place of Artists; Map Map (Place ofArtists; p148 ; (Map (Map p148 ; Ferdosi St;snacksIR6500; noon-11pm)

(Map p147 ; p147; (Map 380 7820; khame- h x 8am- 553 4pm &6.30-10pm) Homam-Tabrizi mealsIR35,000-60,000; St;kabab upmarket and agoodview-windowupstairs. small butwithattractive framedglass-art IR7000) 29 Bahman St;pizzaIR25,000-30,000; 29 Bahman include signbesideHaida‘Café’ Sandwich. appealing. Lookforthebigred-on-yellow Upstairs isless and wooden‘bar’seating. to itsstylishdownstairs triangulartables best of Valiasr’s trendy shopsthanks coffee meini St;mealsIR30,000-45,000; Sq; pizzasIR25,000; parlours of which there are fairlynicelittlepizza several to changeally need shared here, taxi but En route toValiasr orElgoliyou’llusu- ABARESAN CROSSING house there’sAlthough thefunctional VALIASR AREA Try thecreamy mushroom stroganoff. cutesyspite Christmastheme. theslightly createtables acongenial atmosphere de- chimney-breast andglass-toppedinset- wooden Warm woodtones,apseudo-Swiss IR8000-12,000; around Karimkhan Sq. and people-watching fromcoffee shops delicious barley-and-barberry soup. soft iesalad, drinkand include ‘service’, retro andidiosyncratickitsch. Meal prices cessful blendof olde-worldecharm, 1960s ment dininghallthatsomehowfindsasuc- and excellentfriedtroutinalarge, base- good-value great kababs favourite serves remains themost note worthy, with black stares of grey-beards. 40bemused smoke aqalyanhere withoutincurringthe celain featuring Qajar royalty.Womencan onpor-for tea anddates (IR10,000)served Cosy, gently romanticbrick-vaulted café 8819; Tarbiat St;coffee IR5000-10,000; IR5000) deh espresso IR10,000; Mosbat Cafe Good, similaralternatives toMosbat Modern Tabriz Restaurant Pizza Fanoos Kahveteria SonatiTarbiat Kahveteria

Mp p147; (Map ablockeast. justsouthof Karimkhan Sqand (Map (Map p147 St) ; AmirKabir Sharshab Pars Restaurant h

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h WESTERN IRAN••Tabriz x Valiasr’s specialityispizza Mp p147; (Map 12.30-4pm &6.30-11pmSat-Thu)

h 9am-midnight) Mp p147; (Map 331 1146; Mokhaberat St;coffee 331 1146;Mokhaberat Abdi 11am-midnight) x Mp p147; (Map

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 35m SinaSt. savari (IR1000)on Rahnamae-Golshahr cave-wall tricklingwithwater. off a Get décor includeslog-and-ropechairs anda arepens. Standards excellent,theenticing fish-shapedsouvenir andeven the tables on theceiling,littleaquariumsbetween bar,fishingnetsin theIR20,000salad whole fish,fishkaba weekly to weekly Tehran daily). (IR322,000,several For otherdomesticdestinationsconnect via Thursday) andIranAir(Tuesday, Friday). (Monday, (Sunday, Wednesday),Caspian to Mashhad EramAir (IR638,000) use weekly flights (IR1,140,000). Sixweekly toDubaipian Airlinesbothflyweekly IR2,080,000/2,480,000). Kish AirandCas- St. Agency Scotch Orderaheadinwinter. egg. a localhome-cookingspecialitylike agiant tious familyrestaurant serves palace, thisbusy,surprisinglyunpreten- midnight) decent restaurant serving Seiro Safar Seiro A coupleof buscompaniesincluding BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI Iran Air AIR &Away There Getting o ELGOLI Across thebusyjunction, décor andreal flamesover thedoorway. 154 Park; mealsIR30,000) long-distance bus companies. long-distance steaks, sturgeon kababsandfriedshrimp. bar.salad Thenaddmaincourses including of IR50,000entitlesyoutoraid the soup-n- predictably great views.Thebasiccharge lie inWillyWonka’schocolate factoryfor theHotelthrough Elgoli’satriumlike Char- h Hotel Elgoli,11thfl,ElgoliPark; mealsIR50,000-140,000; h x noon Fri) St; Imam Khomeini meals IR20,000-50,000) Baliq Talar Elgoli Bozorg Revolving Restaurant Revolving 7.30-11pm) noon-10pm) 334 5346; 29 Bahman St;mealsIR22,000-45,000; 334 5346;29Bahman WESTERNIRAN••Tabriz

pre-sells tickets formanydomestic have onImam Khomeini offices ( x (Map p147 ; p147; (Map (Map (Map p148 ; 334 9038) A Plexiglas elevator fires APlexiglaselevator you Mihan Safar Mihan isanelegantfamilykabab İ stanbul (oneway/returnstanbul h WithinElgoli’smockQajar 9am-2pm &4-8pmSat-Thu, 9am- Fish,fish,fish.Fresh has direct flights twice

x Mp p147; (Map x

385 9294; Golshahr St;385 9294;Golshahr bs, fishköfte balls Mp p147; (Map Mp p148; (Map 555 7797; chelo morq x Sadaf Tabrizi köfte, 380 5263;Elgoli x x h Mp p147; (Map 380 7820; 555 4908; . 8.30am- towards theairport, IR14,000) waitingacrosstheroad. 8pm) until thenewbridge isfinished (due2008). Orumiyeh(see savari hopsacrossLake p143 ) booths. savari–ferry– ForOrumiyeh use northwest corner. Prepay atoneof twoticket Safar 3pm Seiro Ahar orMarand) departfromtheterminal’s Taavoni 9 5hr train station. IR18,000* to Tehran (IR50,000)leave fromnearthe cheaper 10pmandmidnight buses Between frequent till10pm 9hr useTehran 8.30pmGilanTabar bus 9hr 8hr Zanjan IR60,000 5am-6pm Tehran IR60,000 (south) 8hr IR40,000 Tehran (west) uptofourhourly 2pm,3pm&5pm IR40,000 4pm Shiraz IR105,000 Kejave 2½hr 24hr Sanandaj IR40,000 IR100,000 Rasht 9hr 8-11am, 24hr IR7400 1.30-2pm Qazvin twicehourly, 1.30pm, 6pm Mashhad 7pm Maraqeh 4hr IR12,900 Maku daily IR65,000 Kermanshah 12hr IR11,500* 15hr IR70,000 Esfahan 4hr IR65,000 4-5.30pm 17hr Ardabil Ahvaz Destination Fare Duration Departures for Volvo-classexceptwhere marked *): huge, modern departfromthe buses Most long-distance Main Terminal Seiro Safar Seiro Khoshrah Aram Safar AveImam Khomeini (Map p148 ). from outsidethe relevant ticket on offices 13–17 hours) alltypicallyleave around10pm 30 hours) Azerbaijan(IR160,000, andBaku, (IR350,000, 20hours), toYerevan,Bus services Armenia INTERNATIONAL BUSES p147; erbaijan Sq) Use the Other Terminals and Kaleybar (rare) the use toAhar(IR68000,1½hours) Jolfa). Buses lanes there’s ahandy estin St) 6091) Savaris tomostdestinations(butnot . Services include the following (prices are includethefollowing(pricesare . Services , 3km south of centre. Between the bus , 3kmsouthof thebus centre. Between 29 Bahman St) 29 Bahman forOsku andthenceKandovan. Out serves Marand andHadiyshahr serves (for Khosrowshahr terminal Khosrowshahr ( ( x ( x x 556 4451) 555 7797) 556 0597)ForBaku. main busterminal Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book withsavaris (IR12,000to information office İ stanbul (IR300,000, stanbul Marand terminal Marand Ahar terminal (Map p148 ;

(Map p147; (Map

( h x off Fel-

(Map (Map 7am- (Az- 479 479 TRAIN check. concourse, sodoublethe trainstation sometimesleave from services However, lonelyplanet.com southbound returning viaTaleqani St. bus terminal, take shuttle Shari’ati taxis St from QonagaSq(IR1000).Tothe tion start again forElgoli(IR1000). Forthetrainsta- (IR1000)where you’llchangeto Rahnamae to continueValiasr district(IR1000)or Abaresan Crossing,walkundertheflyover Jomhuri-e EslamiStpassingthebazaar. At (IR1000), butonreturning diverts onto St fromFajr SqtoAbaresan Crossing A key route runs alongImamKhomeini TAXISHUTTLE SaatSq. 101 runstoElgolifromnear leave fromthewestsideof thebazaar. Bus 136 (airport)and115(Marand terminal) includingbus111.Buses the trainstation) St(for runthe lengthof 22Bahman services bus terminal andbus110toValiasr. Several city-bus terminal includebus160tothe IR250 tickets. Useful routes fromthemajor areCity buses relatively infrequent. Pre-buy BUS &MINIBUS should costIR15,000. 40minutes.every Taxis (withbluestripe) Airport bus136runs St from Motahhari TO/FROM THEAIRPORT Around Getting p147; (Map socially early)andQazvin.The (ninehours, arrivinganti- hours), Zanjan (from IR52,000)runningviaMaraqeh (2¼ part 5.30pm(fromIR140,000)and7.30pm trainstoTehranOvernight (13hours) de- Sunday only. hours) operates Tuesday,Thursday and St. and 22Bahman atthejunctionof111 dropoff Mellat Blvd of centralTabriz. Shuttle andcitybus taxis

9.30pm Thursday 8.30pm Wednesday,returns fromVan Van, Turkey (IR124,000,ninehours) 8.30am Friday İ 7.30am Monday;change trainsinTatvan Damascus (fromIR420,000,60hours) Weekly internationalWeekly trainsrunto: The 9amlocaltraintoJolfa(IR5000,3½ stanbul (fromIR380,000,threestanbul days) x 444 4419; Rahohan Sq) 444 4419;Rahohan is5kmwest train station

(see p157 ). p157). (see dinary homes and shops at the village base dinary homes andshops atthe village base In Kandovan, of several thediscordantly or- SLEEPING &EATING today therawsilkisproducedat Cooperative Handicraft are atthetown’syellow-brick hand-stamped lines above Osku’s weaving workshops and kalagechi for anIraniansilkfarmhere. Butwhilesilk William Dalrymplefinallyachieved hisquest tight-fisted residents. Inthebook Osku En route to Kandovan you’llpassthrough x OSKU markable Reminiscent of (Turkey), Cappadocia re- x Kandovan AROUND TABRIZ ElgoliParkbetween andthetrainstation. A tram-metrosystem isunderconstruction TRAM/METRO women appear to be wrapped in curtains. women appearto bewrappedincurtains. mon ascars, menwearcrumpled village of grassy inspring,bypassingthesilk-spinning over aridrolling hillsthatturnattractively three fineminarets. Theroadthencontinues to That roadweaves walnutgroves through the narrowlaneleadingtowardsKandovan. ancient, IR2500) rather than apples that tempt a tasting. rather thanapplesthattempt atasting. inal Gardenof Eden.Buttodayit’shoney would placeKandovan slapbangintheorig- of the Bible’s‘Mountain God’.Iftruethat Rohl’s book to3707m.David den volcanicsummitrises mask afullviewof village withoutitscrowdsof localtourists. overnight staying ever, allowsyouto‘feel’ the idea of theplacewithinafew minutes. How- narrow paths themgives between youample ice-cream cones.Scramblingalongsteep, newer lowervillage like aconference of stone of sitabove curiouslyerodedrocks.These a out dyte homesandstorage barnscarved Osku hastwooldbrick Beyond Kandovan,Beyond smoothsteep foothills Ispanjan village 0412 /pop24,000 0412 /pop680 , famousfor silk-weaving, walnutsand is a photogenic settlement of isaphotogenic settlement troglo- WESTERN IRAN••AroundTabriz chinar scarves hangtodryfromroof- scarves Khanemu Kandovan Legend (giant plane tree) that divides (giantplanetree) thatdivides , where twomosquesshare . Donkey traffic isascom- . Donkey traffic suggests that Sahand was suggests thatSahandwas

(Chandovan; villageadmission ( x Mt Sahand 322 0511;Farmandari St) mosques whose hid- whose papakh In Xanadu, Siyah Rud Siyah and an andan ﻛﻨﺪﻭﺍﻥ ﺍﺳﻜﻮ 155 and and

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 35m SinaSt. savari (IR1000)on Rahnamae-Golshahr cave-wall tricklingwithwater. off a Get décor includeslog-and-ropechairs anda arepens. Standards excellent,theenticing fish-shapedsouvenir andeven the tables on theceiling,littleaquariumsbetween bar,fishingnetsin theIR20,000salad whole fish,fishkaba Tehran daily). (IR322,000,several For otherdomesticdestinationsconnect via Thursday) andIranAir(Tuesday, Friday). (Monday, (Sunday, Wednesday),Caspian to Mashhad EramAir (IR638,000) use weekly flights (IR1,140,000). Sixweekly toDubaipian Airlinesbothflyweekly IR2,080,000/2,480,000). Kish AirandCas- to weekly St. Agency Scotch Orderaheadinwinter. egg. a localhome-cookingspecialitylike agiant tious familyrestaurant serves palace, thisbusy,surprisinglyunpreten- midnight) Seiro Safar Seiro A coupleof buscompaniesincluding BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI Iran Air AIR &Away There Getting o ELGOLI decent restaurant serving Across thebusyjunction, décor andreal flamesover thedoorway. 154 Park; mealsIR30,000) long-distance bus companies. long-distance steaks, sturgeon kababsandfriedshrimp. bar.salad Thenaddmaincourses including of IR50,000entitlesyoutoraid the soup-n- predictably great views.Thebasiccharge lie inWillyWonka’schocolate factoryfor theHotelthrough Elgoli’satriumlike Char- h x noon Fri) St; Imam Khomeini h Hotel Elgoli,11thfl,ElgoliPark; mealsIR50,000-140,000; meals IR20,000-50,000) Baliq Talar Elgoli Bozorg Revolving Restaurant Revolving 7.30-11pm) noon-10pm) 334 5346; 29 Bahman St;mealsIR22,000-45,000; 334 5346;29Bahman WESTERNIRAN••Tabriz

x Mp p147; (Map x

385 9294; Golshahr St;385 9294;Golshahr bs, fishköfte balls Mp p147; (Map Mp p148; (Map 555 7797; chelo morq x Sadaf Tabrizi köfte, 380 5263;Elgoli x x h Mp p147; (Map 380 7820; 555 4908; . 8.30am- towards theairport, IR14,000) waitingacrosstheroad. 8pm) until thenewbridge isfinished (due2008). Orumiyeh(see savari hopsacrossLake p143 ) booths. savari–ferry– ForOrumiyeh use northwest corner. Prepay atoneof twoticket Safar 3pm Seiro Ahar orMarand) departfromtheterminal’s Taavoni 9 5hr train station. IR18,000* to Tehran (IR50,000)leave fromnearthe cheaper 10pmandmidnight buses Between frequent till10pm 9hr useTehran 8.30pmGilanTabar bus 9hr 8hr Zanjan IR60,000 5am-6pm Tehran IR60,000 (south) 8hr IR40,000 Tehran (west) uptofourhourly 2pm,3pm&5pm IR40,000 4pm Shiraz IR105,000 Kejave 2½hr 24hr Sanandaj IR40,000 IR100,000 Rasht 9hr 8-11am, 24hr IR7400 1.30-2pm Qazvin twicehourly, 1.30pm, 6pm Mashhad 7pm Maraqeh 4hr IR12,900 Maku daily IR65,000 Kermanshah 12hr IR11,500* 15hr IR70,000 Esfahan 4hr IR65,000 4-5.30pm 17hr Ardabil Ahvaz huge, modern departfromthe buses Most long-distance Main Terminal Seiro Safar Seiro Khoshrah Aram Safar AveImam Khomeini (Map p148 ). from outsidethe relevant ticket on offices 13–17 hours) alltypicallyleave around10pm 30 hours) Azerbaijan(IR160,000, andBaku, (IR350,000, 20hours), toYerevan,Bus services Armenia INTERNATIONAL BUSES p147; and Kaleybar (rare) the use toAhar(IR68000,1½hours) Jolfa). Buses erbaijan Sq) Use the Other Terminals Destination Fare Duration Departures for Volvo-classexceptwhere marked *): lanes there’s ahandy estin St) 6091) Savaris tomostdestinations(butnot . Services include the following (prices are includethefollowing(pricesare . Services , 3km south of centre. Between the bus , 3kmsouthof thebus centre. Between 29 Bahman St) 29 Bahman forOsku andthenceKandovan. Out serves Marand andHadiyshahr serves (for Khosrowshahr terminal Khosrowshahr ( ( x ( x x 556 4451) 555 7797) 556 0597)ForBaku. main busterminal Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book withsavaris (IR12,000to information office İ stanbul (IR300,000, stanbul Marand terminal Marand Ahar terminal (Map p148 ;

(Map p147; (Map

( h x off Fel-

(see p157 ). p157). (see dinary homes and shops at the village base dinary homes andshops atthe village base In Kandovan, of several thediscordantly or- SLEEPING &EATING women appearto bewrappedincurtains. mon ascars, menwearcrumpled ancient, today therawsilkisproducedat Cooperative Handicraft are atthetown’syellow-brick hand-stamped lines above Osku’s weaving workshops and kalagechi for anIraniansilkfarmhere. Butwhilesilk William Dalrymplefinallyachieved hisquest tight-fisted residents. Inthebook Osku En route to Kandovan you’llpassthrough x OSKU markable Reminiscent of (Turkey), Cappadocia re- x Kandovan AROUND TABRIZ ElgoliParkbetween andthetrainstation. A tram-metrosystem isunderconstruction TRAM/METRO village of grassy inspring,bypassingthesilk-spinning over aridrolling hillsthatturnattractively three fineminarets. Theroadthencontinues to That roadweaves walnutgroves through the narrowlaneleadingtowardsKandovan. IR2500) rather than apples that tempt a tasting. rather thanapplesthattempt atasting. inal Gardenof Eden.Buttodayit’shoney would placeKandovan slapbangintheorig- of the Bible’s‘Mountain God’.Iftruethat Rohl’s book to3707m.David den volcanicsummitrises mask afullviewof village withoutitscrowdsof localtourists. overnight staying ever, allowsyouto‘feel’ the idea of theplacewithinafew minutes. How- narrow paths themgives between youample ice-cream cones.Scramblingalongsteep, newer lowervillage like aconference of stone of sitabove curiouslyerodedrocks.These a out dyte homesandstorage barnscarved Osku hastwooldbrick Beyond Kandovan,Beyond smoothsteep foothills Ispanjan village 0412 /pop24,000 0412 /pop680 , famousfor silk-weaving, walnutsand is a photogenic settlement of isaphotogenic settlement troglo- WESTERN IRAN••AroundTabriz chinar scarves hangtodryfromroof- scarves Khanemu Kandovan Legend (giant plane tree) that divides (giantplanetree) thatdivides , where twomosquesshare . Donkey traffic isascom- . Donkey traffic suggests that Sahand was suggests thatSahandwas

(Chandovan; villageadmission ( x Mt Sahand 322 0511;Farmandari St) mosques whose hid- whose papakh In Xanadu, Siyah Rud Siyah and an andan ﻛﻨﺪﻭﺍﻥ ﺍﺳﻜﻮ 155 and and

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN (Yam) ski area ski (Yam) for 3.5km beyond istheturn-off indoor squat toilet. indoor squattoilet. tier rooms,butoffers hot-water showerand rai beside thebeautiful right 50km northwestofhighway Tabriz passes An attractive ofsection thebusyMarand PAYAM The last12kmisunasphalted. followingthe signforZabarlu. Restaurant the mainTabriz–Sufiyan roadbeside Golzar 25km northwestof Tabriz airport.Turnoff 1840, very heavily restored in2006.Söhrülis is theresult of aFranco-Russian rebuild in 6th centuryAD,thecurrent brickstructure mud-walled Söhrülvillage. First builtinthe onasteeplittlehillockjustabovesetting star-hexagonal belltowerandapicturesque Söhrüul Church (SöhrülKalisa) hasaunique Qareh Kalisa (see p137 smallerandlesssignificantthan Although ) theintriguing CHURCH SÖHRÜUL Tabriz toJolfa IR100,000 return. (see p149 ) toKandovan costfromaround extremely rare. Direct car-tours fromTabriz areIR15,000 perhourwaiting.Minibuses costIR40,000return(25km) taxis plus around 6pm.FromOsku toKandovan larly toOsku (IR2500,50minutes) till fromcentralTabrizMinibuses runregu- THERE&AWAYGETTING Jamshid side toiletsandnoreal shower. Homestay shop-restaurant), butlike mostithasout- the bridge fromtheDairymanfour-table Daiyaiseasiesttofind(across Gazakhuri vary.KafeIR40,000 perroombutstandards bag.Allchargeconsider bringingasleeping unfurnished roomwithcarpeted floor,so only).You’llusuallyget an to September offer very basicroomstorent (mostlyMay 156 0190; tw/tr/steUS$300/370/400) well asfullyequippedbathrooms. Jacuzzising and(inmany)deep-stepped as futon-beds,oriental-style underfloorheat- are withstylishlighting, luxuriousaffairs chimney’ rockknolls.Butinsidethey outof ‘fairy able roomshave carved been Kandovan 10remark- homes, theLaleh’s , Kandovan Laleh Rock Hotel LalehRockHotel Kandovan

slated forconversion toaninn.About WESTERNIRAN••Payam

( x 3230016; rIR40,000) . Like traditional ( has slightly tat- hasslightly Abbasi Caravanse- x 323 0191;fax Payam Payam 4824; fax302 4825;EslamSt;tw with/without bathroom IR65,900/77,900/88,000) Sq; perhrIR6000; priced Hotel Azerbaijanalmost nextdoor. it’s astep upinqualityfrom thesimilarly Signed inCyrillic, 400meastof Ashura Sq, share decentsquattoiletsandhotshowers. neat, well-kept andspotlesslycleanrooms OF and Nearby you’llfindfreelance moneychangers south of theAzerbaijanimmigrationpost. on Ashura Sq,asizable roundabout directly Jolfa isnowabusylittlebordertownfocused where theirdescendantsstilllive. Original atEsfahan off tobuildhimanewcapital napped theentire population,whiskingthem skilled, infact,that1604Shah Abbas kid- So famousforitsskilledartisans. settlement The original Jolfa wasonceamajor Armenian x JOLFA Mosque very historic(ifheavily renovated) While crossingtownyoucouldvisitthe city centre, around3kmfromtheterminal. unmarked sidestreet, 700mnorthof the direct IstgahJolfa,atiny Jolfasavaris use there toHadiyshahr. usingminibuses But ring road.Youcancontinuenorthfrom at themainterminal, thesouthern 1kmoff Transport fromTabriz arrives andKhoy as aconnectionpointforreaching Jolfa. of mother, Noah’s Marand ismostlyuseful tobetheburialplace Traditionally believed x MARAND Yemekhana Hatäm Yemekhana Sleeping &Eating Nakhchivan or Armenia. orArmenia. Nakhchivan nating ArasRiver Valley orcrossinginto of StStephanos ( opposite ), exploringthefasci- good low-budget forvisitingtheChurch base butmakes initself, a town haslittletosee spires of the curiousmuddymoundsandshattered including soupanddrink. with riceandbarberries)dinnerfor IR20,000, a splendid cently redecorated restaurant, which serves rooms available atthebackof apopular,re- IR30,000/50,000, twwithshowerIR60,000) Jolfa Tourist Inn Jolfa Tourist Hotel Durna Hotel 0492 /pop14,000 0491 /pop129,000 No Avaran Club Internet

(Kashani St; (Kashani Qala zereshk polo , the ancient citadel. , theancientcitadel.

( h x

9am-2pm &4-8pmSat-Thu) 302 3812;Vilaete-Fagih St;tw/tr/q h (Mehmansara Jahangardi; Jahangardi; (Mehmansara ( Unsophisticated but x 11am-5pm) 302 2828;AshuraSq;s/tw

(Vilaete-Fagih St off Ashura StoffAshura (Vilaete-Fagih ba morgh lonelyplanet.com andexplore Survivable Survivable (chicken x Jameh . The . The ﻣﺮﻧﺪ ﺟﻠﻔﺎ 302

US$30/20) lonelyplanet.com costs around IR350,000return ( p149 ). with anEnglish-speaking driver fromTabriz around IR60,000 return withstops.Acar from Jolfa(25minutes A taxi each way)costs THERE &AWAYGETTING Darreh Sham;admissionIR3000; (Kalisa attractive Armenian Jolfa’s maintouristdrawcardisthevery West ofJolfa AROUND JOLFA to thescenicArasRiver roadtoKaleybar. charter afull-daytaxi You’ll need todojustice possible inaPaykan (IR200,000,2¼hours). It canbevery hardtofollowinplaces,butit’s track acrossalmostuninhabited wilderness. shownonmostmaps,ispartlymud Khoy, Theroadto shahr, butnotfromJolfaitself. Marand (IR4000,1½hours) runfromHadiy- ally Tabriz (IR35,000,2½hours). to Minibuses (Alamdar; IR1500,15minutes) andoccasion- Marand (IR12,000,onehour),Hadiyshahr Savaris gatherjustnorthof Ashura Sqfor &Away There Getting Some Englishisspoken. enroute. junction, passingthetrainstation attheT-Sq then10minutes diagonallyright the centre. Walk ablocksouthfromAshura cute, minuscule (north of theroad)and,400mbeyond,a canyon red-rock 1km furtherwest,asyouenter aspectacular the Arasfromnearapolice‘fort’). About the originalsite of ancientJolfa(viewacross tomb stub riverbank 7kmwestof Jolfa,atruncated international border. OntheAzerbaijani the river constitutes apotentially sensitive butbecarefullight, withyourcameraas nic drive especiallyinthegoldenpre-sunset along theArasvalley.It’sawonderfullysce- The church is17kmwestof centralJolfa ing anancientstonearch and‘mill’cascade. five minutes’ strollfromthecarparkpass- tower isunderreconstruction. andangels. saints Thebell menian crosses, exterior reliefswell-preserved includeAr- AD 62,asinglegeneration after Christ.The first foundedachurch onthesite around StBartholomew is 14thcentury.However, partof thebuilding The earliestsurviving Tucked intoawoodedglade,accessis Jolfa’ssmartest optionis1kmfrom and broken bridge broken ,

there’s aruined Shepherd’s Chapel Church of St Stephanos Church ofStStephanos are allthat mark h caravanserai (south). dawn-dusk) . out trains andbarricaded tunnelsadda over adecade,butthe guardposts,bombed- again. There’s active for notbeen fighting minefieldstoAzerbaijan then backthrough (Armenian-occupied Azeriterritory), bagh Kara- enemyArmenia, onthrough to mortal (Azerbaijan) ‘front lines’:fromNakhchivan twogloballyforgottenfolly. Thatcrosses severed trainlinewouldbeunthinkable travelling theparallel northbank’snow- Yet photosisn’tadvised). taking (though (ie Iranian)riverbank asacasualtourist makes. It’sfinetodrive alongthesouth Azerbaijan war. Whatadifference 50m of thestillunresolved 1989–94Armenia- north bankare ruinedvillages, signs sad north–south. ClearlyvisibleontheAras’ today thetension iseast–west,not conflicts thatledtoitsdivision.But cations remain fromthe18th-century mudfortifi- into aborderline. Several and 1828didRussiaPersia turnit holy men.Onlywiththetreaties of 1813 thoroughfare fortraders, armiesand For millenniaitsvalleyformedamajor The East ofJolfa Baku (US$100,sixdaily)orG Armenian borders. You’dhave toflyreach the rest byaggressively ofAzerbaijan closed a weekahead. oftenfour weekly)butairtickets sellout via I around30hoursbribes, five daily)taking buses to citythere areFrom Nakhchivan direct is contrastinglyrelaxed andcosmopolitan. city,whichminibus (AZN1) toNakhchivan quickly intoataxi(AZN5, 35minutes) or assume thatallforeigners are spies. Jump confusingly meansAZN2. Iran. Note ‘oneShirvan’ thatinAzerbaijan Manats (AZN1=US$1.19) before leaving rials orexchangethemforAzerbaijani Aras River fromcentralJolfa. Useupyour walkacrossthechivan enclave, isashort Culfa, in disconnectedAzerbaijan’s Nakh- (NAKHCHIVAN) BORDERAT JOLFA CROSSING THEAZERBAIJAN Aras River Aras River However theenclave isseparated from Beware thatCulfa’s paranoidpolice ğ d WESTERN IRAN••AroundJolfa ı r (AZN7). İ stanbul (AZN30 plusborder istheBible’sRiver Gihon. ə nc ə (US$50,

157 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN (Yam) ski area ski (Yam) 3.5km beyond is the turn-off for 3.5km beyond istheturn-off indoor squat toilet. indoor squattoilet. tier rooms,butoffers hot-water showerand rai beside thebeautiful right 50km northwestofhighway Tabriz passes An attractive ofsection thebusyMarand PAYAM The last12kmisunasphalted. followingthe signforZabarlu. Restaurant the mainTabriz–Sufiyan roadbeside Golzar 25km northwestof Tabriz airport.Turnoff 1840, very heavily restored in2006.Söhrülis is theresult of aFranco-Russian rebuild in 6th centuryAD,thecurrent brickstructure mud-walled Söhrülvillage. First builtinthe onasteeplittlehillockjustabovesetting star-hexagonal belltowerandapicturesque Söhrüul Church (SöhrülKalisa) hasaunique Qareh Kalisa (see p137 smallerandlesssignificantthan Although ) theintriguing CHURCH SÖHRÜUL Tabriz toJolfa IR100,000 return. (see p149 ) toKandovan costfromaround extremely rare. Direct car-tours fromTabriz areIR15,000 perhourwaiting.Minibuses costIR40,000return(25km) taxis plus around 6pm.FromOsku toKandovan larly toOsku (IR2500,50minutes) till fromcentralTabrizMinibuses runregu- THERE&AWAYGETTING Jamshid side toiletsandnoreal shower. Homestay shop-restaurant), butlike mostithasout- the bridge fromtheDairymanfour-table Daiyaiseasiesttofind(across Gazakhuri vary.KafeIR40,000 perroombutstandards bag.Allchargeconsider bringingasleeping unfurnished roomwithcarpeted floor,so only).You’llusuallyget an to September offer very basicroomstorent (mostlyMay 156 0190; tw/tr/steUS$300/370/400) well asfullyequippedbathrooms. Jacuzzising and(inmany)deep-stepped as futon-beds,oriental-style underfloorheat- are withstylishlighting, luxuriousaffairs chimney’ rockknolls.Butinsidethey outof ‘fairy able roomshave carved been Kandovan 10remark- homes, theLaleh’s , Kandovan Laleh Rock Hotel LalehRockHotel Kandovan

slated forconversion toaninn.About WESTERNIRAN••Payam

( x 3230016; rIR40,000) . Like traditional ( has slightly tat- hasslightly Abbasi Caravanse- x 323 0191;fax Payam Payam 4824; fax302 4825;EslamSt;tw with/without bathroom IR65,900/77,900/88,000) Sq; perhrIR6000; priced Hotel Azerbaijanalmost nextdoor. it’s astep upinqualityfrom thesimilarly Signed inCyrillic, 400meastof Ashura Sq, share decentsquattoiletsandhotshowers. neat, well-kept andspotlesslycleanrooms OF and Nearby you’llfindfreelance moneychangers south of theAzerbaijanimmigrationpost. on Ashura Sq,asizable roundabout directly Jolfa isnowabusylittlebordertownfocused where theirdescendantsstilllive. Original atEsfahan off tobuildhimanewcapital napped theentire population,whiskingthem skilled, infact,that1604Shah Abbas kid- So famousforitsskilledartisans. settlement The original Jolfa wasonceamajor Armenian x JOLFA Mosque very historic(ifheavily renovated) While crossingtownyoucouldvisitthe city centre, around3kmfromtheterminal. unmarked sidestreet, 700mnorthof the direct IstgahJolfa,atiny Jolfasavaris use there toHadiyshahr. usingminibuses But ring road.Youcancontinuenorthfrom at themainterminal, thesouthern 1kmoff Transport fromTabriz arrives andKhoy as aconnectionpointforreaching Jolfa. of mother, Noah’s Marand ismostlyuseful tobetheburialplace Traditionally believed x MARAND Yemekhana Hatäm Yemekhana Sleeping &Eating orArmenia. Nakhchivan nating ArasRiver Valley orcrossinginto of StStephanos ( opposite ), exploringthefasci- good low-budget forvisitingtheChurch base butmakes initself, a town haslittletosee spires of the curiousmuddymoundsandshattered including soupanddrink. with riceandbarberries)dinnerfor IR20,000, a splendid cently redecorated restaurant, which serves rooms available atthebackof apopular,re- IR30,000/50,000, twwithshowerIR60,000) Jolfa Tourist Inn Jolfa Tourist Hotel Durna Hotel 0492 /pop14,000 0491 /pop129,000 No Avaran Club Internet

(Kashani St; (Kashani Qala zereshk polo , the ancient citadel. , theancientcitadel.

( h x

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(Vilaete-Fagih St off Ashura StoffAshura (Vilaete-Fagih ba morgh lonelyplanet.com andexplore Survivable Survivable (chicken x Jameh . The . The ﻣﺮﻧﺪ ﺟﻠﻔﺎ 302

there’s aruined Shepherd’s Chapel Church of St Stephanos Church ofStStephanos are allthat mark h caravanserai (south). dawn-dusk) . out trains andbarricaded tunnelsadda over adecade,butthe guardposts,bombed- again. There’s active for notbeen fighting minefieldstoAzerbaijan then backthrough (Armenian-occupied Azeriterritory), bagh Kara- enemyArmenia, onthrough to mortal (Azerbaijan) ‘front lines’:fromNakhchivan twogloballyforgottenfolly. Thatcrosses severed trainlinewouldbeunthinkable travelling theparallel northbank’snow- Yet photosisn’tadvised). taking (though (ie Iranian)riverbank asacasualtourist makes. It’sfinetodrive alongthesouth Azerbaijan war. Whatadifference 50m of thestillunresolved 1989–94Armenia- north bankare ruinedvillages, signs sad north–south. ClearlyvisibleontheAras’ today thetension iseast–west,not conflicts thatledtoitsdivision.But cations remain fromthe18th-century mudfortifi- into aborderline. Several and 1828didRussiaPersia turnit holy men.Onlywiththetreaties of 1813 thoroughfare fortraders, armiesand For millenniaitsvalleyformedamajor The East ofJolfa a weekahead. oftenfour weekly)butairtickets sellout Baku (US$100,sixdaily)orG Armenian borders. You’dhave toflyreach the rest byaggressively ofAzerbaijan closed via I around30hoursbribes, five daily)taking buses to citythere areFrom Nakhchivan direct is contrastinglyrelaxed andcosmopolitan. city,whichminibus (AZN1) toNakhchivan quickly intoataxi(AZN5, 35minutes) or assume thatallforeigners are spies. Jump confusingly meansAZN2. Iran. Note ‘oneShirvan’ thatinAzerbaijan Manats (AZN1=US$1.19) before leaving rials orexchangethemforAzerbaijani Aras River fromcentralJolfa. Useupyour walkacrossthechivan enclave, isashort Culfa, in disconnectedAzerbaijan’s Nakh- (NAKHCHIVAN) BORDERAT JOLFA CROSSING THEAZERBAIJAN Aras River Aras River However theenclave isseparated from Beware thatCulfa’s paranoidpolice ğ d WESTERN IRAN••AroundJolfa ı r (AZN7). İ stanbul (AZN30 plusborder istheBible’sRiver Gihon. ə nc ə (US$50,

157 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Ararat. Justbeyondattractive crashedenroute to Noah’s Arksupposedly drive backdown. is justifiedmainlybythevalleyviewsasyou Khurabe to thepopular,ifsomewhatoverrated, side road2.5kmfurthereastleadssteeply up homes onasmallriverside knoll.Another admire its cubistarrayof mud-and-stone it’s worthafive-minute, 500mdetourto the mainroadbypasses a rockyshoulder. Fourkilometres further, the sinuousmudwallof Ilan Da the cleftrockybeakof abrupt Nakhchivan’s is Armenian peaks.Inthemiddledistance red-and-white backed bysnow-streaked cliffs River Valley’s great naturalbeauty. considerable geopolitical frissontotheAras 158 Castle). When viewedfrom theeast,they Castle). leading upto ofyons withglimpses spikycrested ridges can- through Further easttheroadpasses you’re duringMay passingthrough orJune. to showyouthecocoon-extractionprocessif and Osku’s weavers ( p155 ). Localsare happy spinners produce therawsilkforKhanemu’s of theoncehuge towers andsturdy mud-toppedstonewalls thegate through theroadpasses rocky bluff tomb tower a hillockdominated byadistinctive further east,picturesque boxednal (see text, above). Fourkilometres the modernIrano-Armenian bordertermi- at Jolfa, thecanyonwidensslightly Tiger Sixtykilometres Mountain). from Siyah Rud Siyah Jolfa,thehorizonisagateau ofLeaving Kapan (1000dram,twohours). Kapan Meghr there’s a9amminibustoYerevan (7000dram,nineto11hours)anda7.30ambus in biggerMeghri,a15-minute, 2000-dramtaxirideaway.FromtheHotel Meghri nearcentral www.bedandbreakfast.am) coordinates pleasanthomestaysfrom5000draminbothAgarak and the compoundyou’dpayIR20,000more. OntheArmeniansideAriesTravel ( IR60,000toJolfa. Fromwithintaxis usuallywaitoutsidetheIranianbordercompoundasking dram (US$1=307dram)aswelldollarsandrialsforaround5%belowbankrates. Oneortwo Tabriz). Hopefully,they’llwaitforyou.MoneychangersontheIransidebuyandsellArmenian awhile–annoyingifyou’retion mighttake ononeofthethroughbuses(Yerevan–Tehran via transitvisas(US$20)arevisas (US$30)orthree-day available attheborder,butapplica- awayontheArmeniansideisAgarak village.valley. Walking-distance Armenian 14-daytourist On theIranside,Norduzcustomsyardsoccupyanotherwiseunpopulated sweepofrural CROSSING THEARMENIANBORDERAT NORDUZ WESTERNIRAN••Ahar ğ (Snake Mountain), through which (Snake through Mountain), springandpicnicarea. Thesidetrip and Imamzadeh. Behind the next thenext andImamzadeh. Behind ishardlyattractive, butitsfarmers Kuh-e Kamtal Kuh-e Abu Mirza Duzal Javer Castle Javer fortress (Kordasht Ahmadabad (Chamtal Dagh, Dagh, (Chamtal village rises on on village rises Marazakand octagonal octagonal rises on rises village: Norduz Asiyab Asiyab , , candlesticks and Inside, beyond displaysof Safavid Qurans, rior columnsretains theoriginalblueglaze. onto thecourtyard), oneof twogiantexte- h summer pastures toKaleybar ( opposite ). where nomad you couldcutinlandthrough from Ushtebin junction)toEskanlu(88km) genically stepped village of ley famousforitswhite pomegranates. inafoldofhomes risingsteeply ‘secret’ val- very picturesque huddleof stoneandmud collectors. Despite thetrash,hamletisa tohaveseem come,letaloneanyrubbish as a‘newMasuleh’, butvirtuallynovisitors touted by localtouristinformationoffices and muddywhenwet).Ushtebin hasbeen lage after 5km(the last2kmun-asphalted leads to steeply tothesouthbesideapolicepost.This ridges. craggy a particularlyinspiringviewof saw-toothed the endof Kordashtvillage, lookwestfor patterns. Two kilometres furthereast,at newly marbledfloors andattractive ceiling its front toric hammam toric ther eastisalarge, lovingly renovated on theArmenianside. Onekilometre fur- frame animpressive spire of erodedrock HR leum theimposing see a 10-minute stopenroute toKaleybar to windsweptplains, onhigh, Set Ahar isworth x AHAR The mainroadcontinuesviaphoto- After another 25km,asideroadrises 9am-1.30pm &4pm-5.30pm) 0426 /pop89,000

( x Ushtebin 222 4310; Sheikh Shahabdin St; admission IR3000; St;admissionIR3000; Shahabdin 222 4310;Sheikh iwan

(Kordasht village; (barrel-vaulted hallopening (Oshtabin, Oshtobeyin) vil- Sheikh Shahabdin Ahari mauso- Ahari Shahabdin Sheikh keshkul . Incorporated into x dervish ‘coconut dervish h 374-1-220138; lonelyplanet.com Qarachilar by request) (7km with with ﺍﻫﺮ his- comfortable comfortable block northisthesmall,simplebutrelatively (back/front IR12,000/14,000,1¼hours). A gin Shahr (IR10,000,1¼hours) and Tabriz for Kaleybar (IR10,000,onehour),Mesh- crash-pad vegetable market andfriendly,four-room covered bazaar covered Sq, northeastof which istherenovated 1906 (Shahid Bajlari) St.TurnatPolice Ragaei soleum liesinapark400msouthof central stoneperimeter screen. Themau- a carved simpleblackslab tombliesbehind sheikh’s handbags’, isaninnercourtyardwhere the lonelyplanet.com gaei St;s/twIR25,000/40,000) Stronger vehicles candrive upanunsurfaced withfabulous views. zyingly steep stairways strenuous hours withpart of theroute updiz- Hotel Babak andtakes twofairly seasonal The mostpopular route behindthe starts nationalists. unrest Azari amongstthehigh-spirited of beinginvolved instirringuppolitical suspectyoufull andauthoritiesmight ing, allaccommodationwillbe packed ofweek June).Whileculturallyfascinat- controversial ‘birthdaycelebrations’(last ofBeware visitingKaleybar duringBabak’s basid-Arab regime 815and837. between celebrated forharryingtheanti-Shiite Ab- Robin HoodandYasser is Arafat,Babak position somewhere KingArthur, between Occupyingacultural Khorramdin. Babak the lairof their9th-centurynationalhero emotional resonance forAzaripeopleas Galasi,thecastlehasaunique some asBazz of of biggest drawistheextensive crag-topruin the upperArasRiver Valley. Butbyfarits hikes andvisitingnomadcampsenroute to makes agreat pointfor random starting valley,unassuming tain Kaleybar town attractively inawide,steep-sided moun- Set x &BABAKCASTLE KALEYBAR St;qalyanIR1000; (Imam Khomeini monument. Sqwithitsflagwavingtown viaBasij soldier Iran’s cheapest sheeshas. oldgrey-beardscraggy onsomeof puff meini St;twIR150,000) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book There are accesspaths tothecastle. several The busterminal is1.5kmsouthwestof Babak Castle 0427 /pop17,000 Mosaferkhaneh Reza Mosaferkhaneh Hotel Razavi Hotel . Around 600m east, facing the . Around600meast,facingthe (Qal’eh Babak). Knownto (Qal’ehBabak). andsimpleteahouse isthesavari terminal ﺑﺎﺑﮏ

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ﻛﻠﻴﺒﺮ Azizi WESTERN IRAN •• Kaleybar &BabakCastle WESTERN IRAN••Kaleybar 300,000) Sq;s/tw/tr/steIR50,000/100,000/150,000/ Shahrdari from itscafé-restaurant. views climbing thecastleandhassweeping mer-only Hotel Babak isideallylocated for hamlet, 6kmfromtown,thebasicsum- IR40,000; open12.30pmto4pm). ridge where the dramatictriple rock-toppedit passes Some25kmout oftural oases. Kaleybar badlands andgreen agricul- semi-desert to landscapes, from baldmountain-passes a wonderful varietyofdescending through leybar tothetinyjunctionhamletof A lonelyasphaltroadwinds63km from Ka- AROUND KALEYBAR Aras River willcostaround IR350,000. route toJolfaalongthe youchoose. Ataxi the castleaccesspaths dependingonwhich 11.30pm. Taxis wantIR10,000toIR30,000 Tabriz (IR12,000,three hours) at8amand 60km, onehour).There are direct to buses Savaris are fairlyfrequent toAhar(IR10,000, &Away There Getting Araz Hotel Sleeping &Eating hazardous orcompletely impossible. spring, snowandfogcanrender anyroute the walktounderanhour. Butinwinter and track toasummernomadcampreducing Restaurant ( Restaurant one floortotheunmarked Kabir (Chabizh) stairs leadup Theright-hand dle stairway. upperMo’allemSt.Usesurveying themid- top floorof ayellow-brick shopping centre manager speakssomeEnglish. It’sonthe sitting area withgoodviews.Thefriendly rooms. There’s akitchen andcommunal comparatively upmarket suites have bath- washing facilitiesandsquattoilets,whilethe let aloneEnglish. riously ill-informedandspeaklittleAzari, cu- seem banqueting halldownstairs. Staff looks like buthidesalong aprivate house, Mo’allem StfromtheKaleybar Grand.It alley eastof 300mdown thepetrolstation, shower andtoilet.Tofindittake thesecond with fourorfive comfybedssharingone cently redecorated rooms,mostlystuffed p Sitting onalonelyhillabove Shoza-Abad Kaleybar Grand Hotel GrandHotel Kaleybar ) Kaleybar’s cheapest optionhassixre- Pleasant enough roomsshare enough Pleasant decent

( x x Avarsian Castle 422 2290;dm/twIR30,000/60,000; 422 4676;mealsIR25,000to ( x 422 2048;fax4666; oncestood. This Eskanlu, 159

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Ararat. Justbeyondattractive crashedenroute to Noah’s Arksupposedly Ilan Da the cleftrockybeakof abrupt Nakhchivan’s is Armenian peaks.Inthemiddledistance red-and-white backed bysnow-streaked cliffs River Valley’s great naturalbeauty. considerable geopolitical frissontotheAras 158 the sinuousmudwallof drive backdown. is justifiedmainlybythevalleyviewsasyou Khurabe to thepopular,ifsomewhatoverrated, side road2.5kmfurthereastleadssteeply up homes onasmallriverside knoll.Another admire its cubistarrayof mud-and-stone it’s worthafive-minute, 500mdetourto the mainroadbypasses a rockyshoulder. Fourkilometres further, Castle). When viewedfrom theeast,they Castle). leading upto ofyons withglimpses spikycrested ridges can- through Further easttheroadpasses you’re duringMay passingthrough orJune. to showyouthecocoon-extractionprocessif and Osku’s weavers ( p155 ). Localsare happy spinners produce therawsilkforKhanemu’s of theoncehuge towers andsturdy mud-toppedstonewalls thegate through theroadpasses rocky bluff tomb tower a hillockdominated byadistinctive further east,picturesque boxednal (see text, above). Fourkilometres the modernIrano-Armenian bordertermi- Jolfa, the canyon widens slightly at Jolfa, thecanyonwidensslightly Tiger Sixtykilometres Mountain). from Leaving Jolfa,thehorizonisagateau ofLeaving Siyah Rud Siyah Kapan (1000dram,twohours). Kapan Meghr there’s a9amminibustoYerevan (7000dram,nineto11hours)anda7.30ambus in biggerMeghri,a15-minute, 2000-dramtaxirideaway.FromtheHotel Meghri nearcentral www.bedandbreakfast.am) coordinates pleasanthomestaysfrom5000draminbothAgarak and the compoundyou’dpayIR20,000more. OntheArmeniansideAriesTravel ( IR60,000toJolfa. Fromwithintaxis usuallywaitoutsidetheIranianbordercompoundasking dram (US$1=307dram)aswelldollarsandrialsforaround5%belowbankrates. Oneortwo Tabriz). Hopefully,they’llwaitforyou.MoneychangersontheIransidebuyandsellArmenian awhile–annoyingifyou’retion mighttake ononeofthethroughbuses(Yerevan–Tehran via transitvisas(US$20)arevisas (US$30)orthree-day available attheborder,butapplica- awayontheArmeniansideisAgarak village.valley. Walking-distance Armenian 14-daytourist On theIranside,Norduzcustomsyardsoccupyanotherwiseunpopulated sweepofrural CROSSING THEARMENIANBORDERAT NORDUZ WESTERNIRAN••Ahar ğ (Snake Mountain), through which (Snake through Mountain), springandpicnicarea. Thesidetrip and Imamzadeh. Behind the next thenext andImamzadeh. Behind ishardlyattractive, butitsfarmers Kuh-e Kamtal Kuh-e Abu Mirza Duzal Javer Castle Javer fortress (Kordasht Ahmadabad (Chamtal Dagh, Dagh, (Chamtal village rises on on village rises Marazakand octagonal octagonal rises on rises village: Norduz Asiyab Asiyab , , candlesticks and Inside, beyond displaysof Safavid Qurans, rior columnsretains theoriginalblueglaze. onto thecourtyard), oneof twogiantexte- h summer pastures toKaleybar ( opposite ). where nomad you couldcutinlandthrough from Ushtebin junction)toEskanlu(88km) genically stepped village of ley famousforitswhite pomegranates. inafoldofhomes risingsteeply ‘secret’ val- very picturesque huddleof stoneandmud collectors. Despite thetrash,hamletisa tohaveseem come,letaloneanyrubbish as a‘newMasuleh’, butvirtuallynovisitors touted by localtouristinformationoffices and muddywhenwet).Ushtebin hasbeen lage after 5km(the last2kmun-asphalted leads to steeply tothesouthbesideapolicepost.This ridges. craggy a particularlyinspiringviewof saw-toothed the endof Kordashtvillage, lookwestfor patterns. Two kilometres furthereast,at newly marbledfloors andattractive ceiling its front toric hammam toric ther eastisalarge, lovingly renovated on theArmenianside. Onekilometre fur- frame animpressive spire of erodedrock HR leum theimposing see a 10-minute stopenroute toKaleybar to windsweptplains, onhigh, Set Ahar isworth x AHAR The mainroadcontinuesviaphoto- After another 25km,asideroadrises 9am-1.30pm &4pm-5.30pm) 0426 /pop89,000

( x Ushtebin 222 4310; Sheikh Shahabdin St; admission IR3000; St;admissionIR3000; Shahabdin 222 4310;Sheikh iwan

(Kordasht village; (barrel-vaulted hallopening (Oshtabin, Oshtobeyin) vil- Sheikh Shahabdin Ahari mauso- Ahari Shahabdin Sheikh keshkul . Incorporated into x dervish ‘coconut dervish h 374-1-220138; lonelyplanet.com Qarachilar by request) (7km with with ﺍﻫﺮ his- comfortable comfortable block northisthesmall,simplebutrelatively (back/front IR12,000/14,000,1¼hours). A gin Shahr (IR10,000,1¼hours) and Tabriz for Kaleybar (IR10,000,onehour),Mesh- Stronger vehicles candrive upanunsurfaced withfabulous views. zyingly steep stairways strenuous hours withpart of theroute updiz- Hotel Babak andtakes twofairly seasonal The mostpopular route behindthe starts nationalists. unrest Azari amongstthehigh-spirited of beinginvolved instirringuppolitical suspectyoufull andauthoritiesmight ing, allaccommodationwillbe packed ofweek June).Whileculturallyfascinat- controversial ‘birthdaycelebrations’(last ofBeware visitingKaleybar duringBabak’s basid-Arab regime 815and837. between celebrated forharryingtheanti-Shiite Ab- Robin HoodandYasser is Arafat,Babak position somewhere KingArthur, between Occupyingacultural Khorramdin. Babak the lairof their9th-centurynationalhero emotional resonance forAzaripeopleas Galasi,thecastlehasaunique some asBazz crash-pad vegetable market andfriendly,four-room bazaar covered Sq, northeastof which istherenovated 1906 (Shahid Bajlari) St.TurnatPolice Ragaei soleum liesinapark400msouthof central stoneperimeter screen. Themau- a carved simpleblackslab tombliesbehind sheikh’s handbags’, isaninnercourtyardwhere the lonelyplanet.com of of biggest drawistheextensive crag-topruin the upperArasRiver Valley. Butbyfarits hikes andvisitingnomadcampsenroute to makes agreat pointfor random starting valley,unassuming tain Kaleybar town attractively inawide,steep-sided moun- Set x &BABAKCASTLE KALEYBAR St;qalyanIR1000; (Imam Khomeini gaei St;s/twIR25,000/40,000) monument. Sqwithitsflagwavingtown viaBasij soldier Iran’s cheapest sheeshas. oldgrey-beardscraggy onsomeof puff meini St;twIR150,000) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book There are accesspaths tothecastle. several The busterminal is1.5kmsouthwestof Babak Castle 0427 /pop17,000 Mosaferkhaneh Reza Mosaferkhaneh Hotel Razavi Hotel . Around 600m east, facing the . Around600meast,facingthe (Qal’eh Babak). Knownto (Qal’ehBabak). andsimpleteahouse isthesavari terminal ﺑﺎﺑﮏ

( x h 222 2482;ImamKho-

ﻗﻠﻌﻪ 7am-9pm) ( x 222 4724;Ra-

ﻭ where

( x x Avarsian Castle 422 2290;dm/twIR30,000/60,000; 422 4676;mealsIR25,000to ( x 422 2048;fax4666; oncestood. This Eskanlu, 159

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Ayatollah Meshkineh St;s/twIR30,000/45,000) Meshkineh Ayatollah depart from of isthecylindricalbricktomb-toweritself women (first 10am,last6pm). utes formen (first 8.30am,last7.30pm)and alternate sessions 90min- Bathing every glen. modern complexinalonelysteep-cut 4km to (IR15,000) backtrack3kmthenforkwest lage baths. Formore hotsprings salubrious pools (IR4000)are ascommunalvil- used where the roadends,very hotspring tatty Mo-ilmosque,IR50,000 return. Behind of archaic-looking brick-box foothill village 16kmtothe views,take ataxi mountain ( p149 ) canarrange guides.Ifyoujustwant ting nextday.ALPTours &Travel Agency a shelter ataround3500mthensummit- a 4WDasfar ers generally using accessthemountain of northface. MtSabalan’scraggy Climb- Shahr isabusymarket atthefoot townset Some 80kmnorthwestof Ardabil, Meshgin x SHAHR MESHGIN Kordasht’s Abu Mirzafortress ( p157 ). (95km; p156 ) viaUshtebin (see p157 dam. Aninteresting tripcontinuestoJolfa ) and rectly behind isabig,contrastinglynew here have ruinedmuch longer. been Di- erbaijan side. Twoimpressive 1994, thewrecked village sitsontheAz- 18km toreach Aras River (theAzerbaijanborder)for boxed text ( p164 ) formore information. the tlingly colourfulflowerycostumes.See summer. Nomadwomenoften wearstar- tively totheroadinlate springand close nomad herders whoputtheirtents rela- area isparticularlypopularwithShahsevan 160 basic walk northfromhere isthetown’svery nests of galleon. Just20seconds’ amedieval Imam St)hasgoldenspires like thecrows’ tiled new ofport incase questions).Thecentral,blue- (bring yourpass- behind thepolicestation its ‘Allah’ calligraphiccentrepiece. Savaris a yardthat’s 300mbeyond ImamSqwith Savaris toArdabil (IR15,000,1¼hours) The foremost attractioninMeshgin Shahr Swing westatEskanluandfollowthe Sheikh HeydarImamzadeh Sheikh Mo-il 0452 /pop57,000 WESTERN IRAN •• Meshgin Shahr WESTERNIRAN••Meshgin Mosaferkhaneh Baharestan Mosaferkhaneh (pronounced‘meurl’)foraround Qeynarzheh Amir al-MominamMosque Istgah Ardabil Istgah Khudaferin Shavil (Qinarjeh), arelatively (Qinarjeh), (Shabil), hikingto . War-gutted since ( x

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ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ Shohada Hwy

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Sadi St Bahonar AC Sheikh Safi-od-Din C4 Miras Ferhangi...... Aryana CurrencyExchange...... Mausoleum...... Pol-e-Jajim...... Pol-e-Ebrahimabad...... People Museum...... Mirza AliAkbaMosque...... Maryam Church/Zurkhaneh..... Jameh Mosque...... Haji FakrMosque...... Ebrahimabad Bathhouse...... (see22) Toraj Coffeenet...... Coffeenet Mohsen...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Sq

Helal Ahmar St St Shari'ati 27 Ali Qapu 9 Beyza 2nd St Baliqli Chay Sq

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Taleqani St Ayatollah Khamenei St Khamenei Ayatollah

Kolbehnet Sheikh Safi St Safi Sheikh Qunchi Shari'ati Enqelab St 21

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Sa'at-Noh Sar Cheshmeh Shohada Hwy St Beheshti 16 Library 11 14

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Arbabi Alley

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0.3miles 500m 0 0 Mosque Kashani St Kashani Ayatollah Madani St 10 Ardabili 22 Sq Imam

Ebrahimabad St Hassan Ὀ Ὀ

Ali St

Orfabad

7th Alley 6

Alley

Shahed St Shahed abad St

Ostad

Alley Monszavi La Monszavi Besat Sq Istgah Astara(800m); To JahadSq(700m); To KhalKahlSavari Bus Terminal(2km) Khal (122km) 11th Alley 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 Pick-up (3km); D Kivi (95km);

C3 C3 B4 A6 A1 A6 C3 B3 Besat St Besat

Shohada Hwy Ὀ 161

17 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Ayatollah Meshkineh St;s/twIR30,000/45,000) Meshkineh Ayatollah of of isthecylindricalbricktomb-toweritself women (first 10am,last6pm). utes formen (first 8.30am,last7.30pm)and alternate sessions 90min- Bathing every glen. modern complexinalonelysteep-cut 4km to (IR15,000) backtrack3kmthenforkwest lage baths. Formore hotsprings salubrious pools (IR4000)are ascommunalvil- used where the roadends,very hotspring tatty Mo-ilmosque,IR50,000 return. Behind of of archaic-looking brick-box foothill village 16kmtothe views,take ataxi mountain ( p149 ) canarrange guides.Ifyoujustwant ting nextday.ALPTours &Travel Agency a shelter ataround3500mthensummit- depart from a 4WDasfar ers generally using accessthemountain of northface. MtSabalan’scraggy Climb- Shahr isabusymarket atthefoot townset Some 80kmnorthwestof Ardabil, Meshgin x SHAHR MESHGIN Kordasht’s Abu Mirzafortress ( p157 ). (95km; p156 ) viaUshtebin (see p157 dam. Aninteresting tripcontinuestoJolfa ) and rectly behind isabig,contrastinglynew here have ruinedmuch longer. been Di- erbaijan side. Twoimpressive 1994, thewrecked village sitsontheAz- 18km toreach Aras River (theAzerbaijanborder)for boxed text ( p164 ) formore information. the tlingly colourfulflowerycostumes.See summer. Nomadwomenoften wearstar- tively totheroadinlate springand close nomad herders whoputtheirtents rela- area isparticularlypopularwithShahsevan 160 basic walk northfromhere isthetown’svery nests of galleon. Just20seconds’ amedieval Imam St)hasgoldenspires like thecrows’ tiled new ofport incase questions).Thecentral,blue- (bring yourpass- behind thepolicestation its ‘Allah’ calligraphiccentrepiece. Savaris a yardthat’s 300mbeyond ImamSqwith The foremost attractioninMeshgin Shahr Savaris toArdabil (IR15,000,1¼hours) Swing westatEskanluandfollowthe Sheikh HeydarImamzadeh Sheikh Mo-il 0452 /pop57,000 WESTERN IRAN •• Meshgin Shahr WESTERNIRAN••Meshgin Mosaferkhaneh Baharestan Mosaferkhaneh (pronounced‘meurl’)foraround Qeynarzheh Amir al-MominamMosque Istgah Ardabil Istgah Khudaferin Shavil (Qinarjeh), arelatively (Qinarjeh), (Shabil), hikingto . War-gutted since ( x

(Jonubi St) (Jonubi 522 2425;ImamSt) Safavid bridges ﺷﻬﺮ

( (AzadiSq, x .

522 8101; ﻣﺸﮕﻴﻦ tucked ,

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6 1 3 2 Darya GrandHotel(1.2km); 5 ARDABIL Shohada Hwy Shohada Pirzadeh

ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ Shohada Hwy

28 29 St Khomeyni Mostafa Shahid 26 To BasijSq(1km); Sara'eyn (28km); Tabriz (218km)

Helal Ahmar St St Shari'ati 27 Ali Qapu 9 Beyza 2nd St Baliqli Chay Sq

Mo'allem St Meshgin Shahr(70km); To MoghanSq(2km); Lake (2.5km) 19 Shorabil & To Hotel Motahhari Ahar (145km)

Taleqani St Ayatollah Khamenei St Khamenei Ayatollah

Kolbehnet Sheikh Safi St Safi Sheikh Qunchi Shari'ati Enqelab St 21

Imam Khomeini St 12 11 10 Sq St 12 4 3 2 1 9 8 7 6 5 13 B4 B4 B6 C4 A3 B4 B3 D3 B4 B4 B4

Sa'at-Noh Sar Cheshmeh Shohada Hwy St Beheshti 16 Library 11 14

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Imam Taleqani St Taleqani (3.5km) Sq 3 Tir St Sq Fajr Sq Jomhuri-e Eslami St 25 Bazaar 32 Ὀ 31 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

Arbabi Alley

Khane B4 B4 B3 B4 B4 D6 B4 B3 B4 B4

Shahid Moqa Pasdaran St Ershadeh Cultural Office

ddas-e

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Ebrahimabad St Hassan Ὀ Ὀ

Ali St

Orfabad

7th Alley 6

Alley

Shahed St Shahed abad St

Ostad

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C3 C3 B4 A6 A1 A6 C3 B3 Besat St Besat

Shohada Hwy Ὀ 161

17 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Chini very striking.Totheleft,glorious1612 intensity of goldandindigodecorationis Ghandil Khaneh tle courtyardof tilingthenthe turquoise enter asplendidlit- sarcophagi through thebeautifulwooden name of God.Tosee brick isactuallytheendlesslyrepeated parently geometrical motifinblue-glazed tower Allah-Allah inaniconic1334 notables ied withlesser Safavid monument.Thepatriarch isbur- yard) makes apeacefulreading refuge. garden (free entrance,accessfromcourt- is beingexcavated andanattractive walled alotof dusting. staff invaded in1828,saving themausoleum’s the Hermitage (StPetersburg) whenRussia collection. Mostof thatwas carted to off nally designedtodisplaytheroyalporcelain with ‘stalactite’-vaulted giltniches origi- h (Sa’at-Noh Sq) 16th-century is buriedunderneathamildlyattractive Sheikh Jebra’il, Sheikh Safi-od-Din’sfather, OTHER SIGHTS the Complex Mausoleum compact, relatively Though SHEIKH SAFI-OD-DINMAUSOLEUM Sights Toraj Coffeenet house. courtyard Sara’eyn andtheregion from acharminglittlebrick 162 murals andmultifaceted ceiling. remove before yourshoes inspectingthe northeast of thecentre. It’sanactive shrine; Mongol Ilkhanid Mongol Ilkhanid minaret.frieze and lighthouse-style The tion) closed Mon) h tively brick-vaulted peppermill minaret. Nearby, theattrac- Fakr Mosque more appealing. but thecute, three-arch seven-span Nicknamed Yeddi Eyes),the Göz(Seven bridges Much of thearea aroundthecomplex Ardabil hasatleastfive restored Stroll the back alleys to find the sweet Stroll thebackalleystofindsweet 10am-midnight) Good connection. 10am-midnight) Goodconnection. 8am-5pm winter,8am-noon&3.30-7pmsummer, WESTERNIRAN••Ardabil at Khalkhoran, avillage-suburb 3kmat Khalkhoran,

Khaneh Khaneh across the Baliqli Chay(FishyRiver). acrosstheBaliqli is western Iran’smostdazzling hasablueKufic-tiled exterior with its squat, Bukharan-style withitssquat,Bukharan-style Pol-e-Jajim (china room)ishoneycombed (Sheikh SafiSt;internetperhrIR5000; (Sheikh (lantern house) where (lantern house) the mausoleum , so named because theap- , sonamedbecause (Sheikh SafiSt;admissionIR4000; (Sheikh Jameh Mosque Mirza AliAkbarMosque Mirza isthemostfamous, Pol-e-Ebrahimabad

(admission bydona- (Shahid Madani Madani (Shahid Safi-od-Din Safavid Haji is

IR50,000/66,000/81,500/92,000) IR80,000/100,000) Lakeside; s/d/trUS$18/30/38) Lakeside; tired. Shared kitchen andbathrooms. roomsarebright tolookpretty starting mosaferkhanehs the windows could use awash. the windowscoulduse showers red andpleasant fabrics,though roomshavelake. goodhot Light-suffused that leaddowntoanattractive recreational gardens all a-twitter withbirdsonginrose midrange placeis4kmfromthecentre but rant, opposite ) ismuch more impressive. (Sofrakhane SonatiEbrahimabadrestau- The nasi bathhouse. displays inthepartlyrestored Merdum She- balan Hotel Formerly Ardabil’s traveller hub,the Sleeping Thu-Tue) ( St) IR230,000/400,000) berebuilt.might Taleqani St,theformer part-hidden byrestorers’ Off scaffolding. its heftilylumpsomeruinsare currently ple. bycenturiesof Ravaged earthquakes, reputedly builton thesite of afire tem- reception (noEnglish spoken), almost- and there’s noshowerorEnglish sign. rooms have butbedsare atap rockhard Sq. SomerecentlyKhomeini repainted rock-bottom cheapies toImam close several and grimyshower. the rag-bag oldroomssharing squattoilets welcome inpartial-English can’tdisguise rather inconvenient. are friendlybut thelocationis rals. Staff above restaurant abright withstrikingmu- with shared roadnoise bathrooms)suffer St; s/d/trIR40,000/80,000/98,000) tw US$45) by Imam Khomeini St.The by ImamKhomeini inhalfattractive, slicedbrutally though The bigger dome andnowhostsa an unusualoldstonepyramidasitscentral x wasonceatrulygiganticbrickedifice Hotel Shorabil Hotel Mahdi Hotel Mahdi Iran Hotel Hotel Goolshan Hotel Mosaferkhaneh Safavi Mosaferkhaneh Hotel Negin Hotel 444 5885;AliQapu;admissionIR3000; has ratherlacklustre ethnographic Beyond asomewhat disinterested Beyond

(Sheikh SafiSt) (Sheikh ( covered bazaar covered x

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x Decent enough rooms(some Decent enough

( ( 224 6644;SarCheshmehSq;s/tw/tr/q Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book , theGoolshan’sbare, once- x x

223 5671;fax5674; Taleqani St; ( x 661 4011;BesatSt;s/twfrom 551 3096;fax3097;Shurabil 224 6644;Modarres St;s/tr Ebrahimabad bathhouse Ebrahimabad Thisrelaxingly quiet,

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( p52). has Sa-

Mausoleum sell Sheikhlovand speaksEnglish. retire tothecentraltea-chamber. Manager vour, albeitinsmallportions.After dining is cooked andpacked withfinesse withfla- and soft-boiled strandedwithsaffron) egg onions lamb, dicedalmonds,caramelised Local speciality bers each more magnificentthanthelast. oozes atmosphere withthree domedcham- renovated 640-year-old former with fullWestern facilities. smart corridors leadtovery goodrooms times daily with toTehranFlights (IR315,000)leave three &Away There Getting ( stares. experience.teahouse Expect fers avery cheap, ‘real’ thoroughly local Equally dauntingforwomen,thisplaceof- Teahouse Eating 38,000; IR500, diziIR8000,qalyanfromIR2000; breakfasts (IR5000). fabulouscurds-and-honeycomb brary does almostoppositeall-male teahouse theli- chefs burningyourrubberykababs. and glass-sidedkitchen soyoucanwatch tively spaciouswithavery 1980sinterior Ziafatiscompara- St.Ofthese, Khomeini roast chicken are clustered alongImam Iranianfare,places forstandard pizzasand q/ste US$35/53/66/78/105; ( p164). more accommodationinnearbySara’eyn style. It’s200meastof Sq. Basij iflackinganyrealwalls it’scleanenough, and forlorn.Despite somecracksinthe Ardabil’s best,theDaryanowfeels empty famous honey is sold throughout thecity. famous honeyis sold throughout and cinnamonisplenty(IR1000). Ardabil’s plateful sprinkledwithcoconut,grated nuts around IR30,000perkilogrambut asmall reminiscent of Christmaspudding.Itcosts or ‘pest’),arich localspecialityvaguely IR3500, qalyanIR10,000) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book x o Numerous shopsfacingtheSafi-od-Din Darya GrandHotel Restaurant Ziafat Restaurant Hajkhalim Chaykhaneh Chaykhaneh Hajkhalim If nothingsuitsinArdabil, there’s loads Sofrakhane Sonati Ebrahimabad SonatiEbrahimabad Sofrakhane 224 9588;MoadiSt;mainsIR25,000-60,000,tea h (Modarres St; 7.30am-10.30pm) helva siyah h pichag qeimeh Iran Air

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h ( x Alvares chair-lift Alvares women 6am-1pm,men 2pm-late) 882 0876; Jam’e-Jam St) 882 0876;Jam’e-Jam , 21kmfrom Sara’eyn,only h

(Moqaddas-e-Ardabili St) (Moqaddas-e-Ardabili 8.30am-7.30pm Sat-Thu, Gavmish-Goli Gavmish-Goli

(telecabine; Istgah Meshgin Istgah , ahidden Homai Travel , asmall ﺳﺮﻋﻴﻦ x 163 (ad- 222 is

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN yard) makes apeacefulreading refuge. garden (free entrance,accessfromcourt- is beingexcavated andanattractive walled alotof dusting. staff invaded in1828,saving themausoleum’s the Hermitage (StPetersburg) whenRussia collection. Mostof thatwas carted to off nally designedtodisplaytheroyalporcelain with ‘stalactite’-vaulted giltniches origi- Chini very striking.Totheleft,glorious1612 intensity of goldandindigodecorationis Ghandil Khaneh tle courtyardof tilingthenthe turquoise enter asplendidlit- sarcophagi through thebeautifulwooden name of God.Tosee brick isactuallytheendlesslyrepeated parently geometrical motifinblue-glazed tower Allah-Allah inaniconic1334 notables ied withlesser Safavid monument.Thepatriarch isbur- h (Sa’at-Noh Sq) 16th-century is buriedunderneathamildlyattractive Sheikh Jebra’il, Sheikh Safi-od-Din’sfather, OTHER SIGHTS the Complex Mausoleum compact, relatively Though SHEIKH SAFI-OD-DINMAUSOLEUM Sights Toraj Coffeenet house. courtyard Sara’eyn andtheregion from acharminglittlebrick 162 murals andmultifaceted ceiling. remove before yourshoes inspectingthe northeast of thecentre. It’sanactive shrine; Mongol Ilkhanid Mongol Ilkhanid minaret.frieze and lighthouse-style The tion) closed Mon) h tively brick-vaulted peppermill minaret. Nearby, theattrac- Fakr Mosque more appealing. but thecute, three-arch seven-span Nicknamed Yeddi Eyes),the Göz(Seven bridges Much of thearea aroundthecomplex Ardabil hasatleastfive restored Stroll the back alleys to find the sweet Stroll thebackalleystofindsweet 10am-midnight) Good connection. 10am-midnight) Goodconnection. 8am-5pm winter,8am-noon&3.30-7pmsummer, WESTERNIRAN••Ardabil at Khalkhoran, avillage-suburb 3kmat Khalkhoran,

(admission bydona- (Shahid Madani Madani (Shahid Safi-od-Din Safavid Haji is

IR80,000/100,000) IR50,000/66,000/81,500/92,000) Lakeside; s/d/trUS$18/30/38) Lakeside; tired. Shared kitchen andbathrooms. roomsarebright tolookpretty starting mosaferkhanehs the windows could use awash. the windowscoulduse showers red andpleasant fabrics,though roomshavelake. goodhot Light-suffused that leaddowntoanattractive recreational gardens all a-twitter withbirdsonginrose midrange placeis4kmfromthecentre but rant, opposite ) ismuch more impressive. (Sofrakhane SonatiEbrahimabadrestau- The nasi bathhouse. displays inthepartlyrestored Merdum She- balan Hotel Formerly Ardabil’s traveller hub,the Sleeping Thu-Tue) ( St) IR230,000/400,000) berebuilt.might reception (noEnglish spoken), almost- Taleqani St,theformer part-hidden byrestorers’ Off scaffolding. its heftilylumpsomeruinsare currently ple. bycenturiesof Ravaged earthquakes, reputedly builton thesite of afire tem- and there’s noshowerorEnglish sign. rooms have butbedsare atap rockhard Sq. SomerecentlyKhomeini repainted rock-bottom cheapies toImam close several and grimyshower. the rag-bag oldroomssharing squattoilets welcome inpartial-English can’tdisguise rather inconvenient. are friendlybut thelocationis rals. Staff above restaurant abright withstrikingmu- with shared roadnoise bathrooms)suffer St; s/d/trIR40,000/80,000/98,000) tw US$45) by Imam Khomeini St.The by ImamKhomeini inhalfattractive, slicedbrutally though The bigger dome andnowhostsa an unusualoldstonepyramidasitscentral x wasonceatrulygiganticbrickedifice Hotel Shorabil Hotel Mahdi Hotel Mahdi Iran Hotel Hotel Goolshan Hotel Safavi Mosaferkhaneh Hotel Negin Hotel 444 5885;AliQapu;admissionIR3000; has ratherlacklustre ethnographic Beyond asomewhat disinterested Beyond

(Sheikh SafiSt) (Sheikh ( covered bazaar covered x

( Although astepAlthough upfrommost

x Decent enough rooms(some Decent enough

( ( 224 6644;SarCheshmehSq;s/tw/tr/q Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book , theGoolshan’sbare, once- x x

223 5671;fax5674; Taleqani St; ( x 661 4011;BesatSt;s/twfrom 551 3096;fax3097;Shurabil 224 6644;Modarres St;s/tr Ebrahimabad bathhouse Ebrahimabad Thisrelaxingly quiet,

has been gutted. It hasbeen ( x Maryam Church Maryam Mehdi’s friendly isextensive and zurkhaneh 224 0616; Sheikh Safi 224 0616;Sheikh The freshest of People Museum h 8am-8pm

( p52). has Sa-

Mausoleum sell Sheikhlovand speaksEnglish. retire tothecentraltea-chamber. Manager vour, albeitinsmallportions.After dining is cooked andpacked withfinesse withfla- and soft-boiled strandedwithsaffron) egg onions lamb, dicedalmonds,caramelised Local speciality bers each more magnificentthanthelast. oozes atmosphere withthree domedcham- renovated 640-year-old former with fullWestern facilities. smart corridors leadtovery goodrooms times daily with toTehranFlights (IR315,000)leave three &Away There Getting ( 38,000; stares. experience.teahouse Expect fers avery cheap, ‘real’ thoroughly local Equally dauntingforwomen,thisplaceof- IR500, diziIR8000,qalyanfromIR2000; Teahouse Eating chefs burningyourrubberykababs. and glass-sidedkitchen soyoucanwatch tively spaciouswithavery 1980sinterior Ziafatiscompara- St.Ofthese, Khomeini roast chicken are clustered alongImam Iranianfare,places forstandard pizzasand breakfasts (IR5000). fabulouscurds-and-honeycomb brary does almostoppositeall-male teahouse theli- q/ste US$35/53/66/78/105; ( p164). more accommodationinnearbySara’eyn style. It’s200meastof Sq. Basij iflackinganyrealwalls it’scleanenough, and forlorn.Despite somecracksinthe Ardabil’s best,theDaryanowfeels empty famous honey is sold throughout thecity. famous honeyis sold throughout and cinnamonisplenty(IR1000). Ardabil’s plateful sprinkledwithcoconut,grated nuts around IR30,000perkilogrambut asmall reminiscent of Christmaspudding.Itcosts or ‘pest’),arich localspecialityvaguely IR3500, qalyanIR10,000) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book x o Numerous shopsfacingtheSafi-od-Din Darya GrandHotel Restaurant Ziafat Restaurant Hajkhalim Chaykhaneh Chaykhaneh Hajkhalim If nothingsuitsinArdabil, there’s loads Sofrakhane Sonati Ebrahimabad SonatiEbrahimabad Sofrakhane 224 9588;MoadiSt;mainsIR25,000-60,000,tea h (Modarres St; 7.30am-10.30pm) helva siyah h pichag qeimeh Iran Air

( This hidden,fabulously x ( x p 7am-3pm) 224 4985;mainsIR17,000- 771 6977;AtayiSt;s/d/tr/ (Qunchi Meydan Alley;tea (Qunchi Meydan ) Onceconsidered Several unexoticSeveral

( x h (blackhalva An unnamed, 223 8600) 6.30am-11pm) hammam (tender and

h ( x Alvares chair-lift Alvares women 6am-1pm,men 2pm-late) 882 0876; Jam’e-Jam St) 882 0876;Jam’e-Jam , 21kmfrom Sara’eyn,only h

(Moqaddas-e-Ardabili St) (Moqaddas-e-Ardabili 8.30am-7.30pm Sat-Thu, Gavmish-Goli Gavmish-Goli

(telecabine; Istgah Meshgin Istgah , ahidden Homai Travel , asmall ﺳﺮﻋﻴﻦ x 163 (ad- 222 is

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN fast already showing signsof wear. towerisalmostnew,it’sthe semi-smart while view towardsMtSabalan.However, north-facing roomshave anunparalleled and English. den (marked ‘096’).Owners speak German round. It’svery centralinanovergrown gar- and Western looare excellent-value year nial look.Neatroomswithkitchen, shower tiered terrace give theKaveh avaguelycolo- of rhubarbandtheoddchickpea. a sortof ricepuddingwithhints hottangy rides all the waytoTabriz in season. outsidewhichtherapy Centre, drivers offer meini Sts.That’s 400mwestof theHydro- from thecornerof Valiasr andImamKho- Sqdepartminutes) toArdabil’s Bahonar utes) andmore frequent savaris (IR5000,25 (IR2000, 40min- Grindingly slowminibuses THERE &AWAYGETTING ( drons allaroundtownis fromsteaming caul- A localspecialityserved EATING off-season. ally anypricerange. Bargains are possible canfindyouaplaceinvirtu- Centre Touts aroundthecentralHydrotherapy Cheaper roomsare available above shops. but manyare jerry-built anddecayquickly. Hotels sprout like mushroomsinSara’eyn SLEEPING dresses andpatterned white shawls. June, theirwomenfolkoften dressed inpink toSara’eynin flocksgrazeclose whose boxedShahsevan nomads(see text, right ), is bracingandenroute you’llprobably pass altitudehikes.ing pointforhigher Scenery Alvares stillmakes agreat, accessiblestart- Butinsummer operates intheskiseason. 164 Mt Sabalan. guidesforclimbingthemighty mountain whocanarrange and English-speakingstaff resort hotel hasneat,motel-style rooms IR100,000; IR290,000/500,000) are ubiquitous. gerbread) isalsopopular andhoneysellers ash-e dugh Laleh International Laleh International Amin Hotel Motel Kaveh Motel US$80/122/256; WESTERNIRAN••AroundArdabill p , IR3500perbowl).Ittastes like ) Arched windowsandatwo-

( pa At thenorthedge of town, x ( x 222 4290;dlow/highseason ( x 222 2447;Valiasr St671;q ) This long-esta This long-esta blished 222 2750;s/d/stewithbreak- nokhut sabzijak Fatir (gin- Taxis

brilliant glimpsed viewsenroute.brilliant glimpsed to Asalem coastwithsome ontheCaspian deciduousforeststumbling downthrough grassy hillsbefore high through road wheels great trekking of the Khal East base. Khal terless, this4kmstrip-towncouldmake a valley to thenclimbsasteep-cut rocky Giwi, Kosar) almost-attractive stepped townof populated nomadterritory the through followsabroadvalleyof sparsely to Rasht A scenicalternative route fromArdabil x Khal Khal transport. Nopublicdown towardstheCaspian. should bemagnificentlypanoramicviews zone’. Ifthethickmistsdeigntoclearthere ers toreach thisover-popular ‘recreation fields thicklycarpeted withspringflow- low countrylanessouthfor10kmthrough Ardabil–Astara roadnearNaminandfol- Turn offthe hectic, butpatchily beautiful Fandoqlu ( for aSara’eyn–Alvares return. x SHAHSEVAN (ELSEVAN) NOMADS Kaleybar andtheslopesof MtSabalan. Kaleybar ing flocksuptosummer pastures around wintering around Parsabad thenmov- renamed ‘Elsevan’)are stilltobefound, some semi-nomadicgroups(nowofficially vans became sedentary considerable autonomy. whobribedthemwithoffersReza Shah of tinued theirrevolt until‘tamed’in1923by later con- Soviet invasion. The Shahsevan remembered asbeingfarcruellerthanthe Ardabil –aviciousattackthateyewitnesses fighters sackedRevolution, Shahsevan dry. In1909,followingtheConstitutional Russia andPersia, someturnedtobrigan- their traditionalgrazinglandsbetween after painful19th-centurytreaties divided name vaders, earningthemtheloose,collective a pro-regime bulwark against foreign in- nomad tribesof Eastern formed Azerbaijan From the17thcentury,variousTurkic 0452 /pop41,000 222 4888) During the20thcenturymostShahse- Shahsevan Khal Khal Khal wantIR60,000pluswaitingtime Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels (‘Shah-lovers’). However, . Though rathercharac-. Though farmers, but lonelyplanet.com Kivi (Chivi, ﺧﻠﺨﺎﻝ ﻓﻨﺪﻗﻠﻮ Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book 70,000) Sq; s/d/trIR148,000/218,000/270,000) canyon sides. sible villages clingvaliantlytothedistant valley where incredibly isolated, inacces- to AqkandzigzagsacrosstheQizilOwzan bus terminal. opposite Coffeenet Novin, 1kmwestof the keys Tejarat atthepharmacybesideBank no shower. There’s noreceptionist: askfor Shahrdari Sq;twwith/withoutshowerIR60,000/50,000) Shahrdari Sq for corridors. Orwalk400mwesttoShahrdari ant ensuite somewhatscrappy roomsoff lish-speaking manager andrelatively pleas- bearable iftypically male-dominated change). The international-standard erkhaneh a clothing ‘Asiman Mehmanxanasi’ via andaccessed lonelyplanet.com SAA dation, such as Hakim NezamiStformidrange accommo- south (150m)fromtheborderposttofind or Azerbaijan. to Ardabil,Rasht lands, butmosttravellers on headstraight visit theforested Talesh hinter- mountain Darya) andcouldmake(Sahel to abase Astara hasawidebutlitter-strewn x ASTARA agency connections. There’s ahandytaxi for Rasht hours) andtoAsalem (IR17,000,1¼hours) to Ardabil(back/frontIR20,000/23,000,1½ 8am and5.30pm.Fromoutside,savaris run (IR20,000)at 7am and4pmtoRasht run toArdabil(IR6500,twohours) at6am, pedestrianoverpass.poseless TBT buses The terminal isbesideanamusinglypur- THERE&AWAYGETTING Bastan Mosaferkhaneh SLEEPING way ends. unlikely mudtrackwhere thedualcarriage- of theterminal thentwominutes upan ture remains ropy.Walkfive minutes east recently redecorated, somefurni- though rooms withcleansquattoiletshave been x A lovely Khal fromKhal road iftough Khal Khal Tourist Inn Tourist Khal Khal If arrivingfromAzerbaijanwalkdirectly 0182 /pop35,000 425 3991;s/tw/trUS$17/20/26) Ultra-basic unmarked crashpadwith ( x Mehmanpazir Aseman Mehmanpazir withshared toilets.It’smarked 425 3070) passaj Belal Hotel beside Bank Melli besideBank (noex- beside theterminal.

( x (Mehmansara Jahangardi; Jahangardi; (Mehmansara 422 3884;dm/qIR20,000/

( x

withanEng- ( 521 5586;Mo’allem x Acceptable 522 2300;off mosaf- Espinas ﺁﺳﺘﺎﺭﺍ beach , a

is thecute little Most accessibleof theregion’s castleruins Asalem Sust the rest of thesite isfenced off. andoffersarch views,though isintact sea minutes’ Itsgate walkoffthemainhighway. at thesouthernendof s/d/ste US$90/110/160; Salsal St) to mostforeign tourists. appeal summer humidity don’t otherwise But year-round downpours andsteaming ing witharmsoutstretched tofeel thedrops. mildly amusingto watch localtouristsdriv- is its‘refreshing’ climate (ielotsof rain).It’s Tehranis, forwhomthegreatest attraction lar weekend andholidaydestinationfor ment forotherIranians. adjective–noun order causingmuch amuse- noticeably distinctfromFarsi, itsreversed and thelispylocalGilakidialectremains has hadextended periodsof independence littoral)region.the Shomal (Caspian Gilan Gilan province andbyfarthelargest cityof expanding Rapidly of isthecapital Rasht x RASHT at dies (notably terland offer attractive viewsof ricepad- relatively of hin- unspoiltsections Caspian Astara andRezvanshahrseveral Between RASHT TO ASTARA St) Hotel That’s 5kmbeyondthe backed here, sitsbeside anattractive mountain- Qomran) Sq,200mfurthersouth. (Shohodapick uparoundmassive Laleh hours) andArdabil(IR15,000,1½hours) (IR40,000,2½ convenient savaris toRasht 4pm). More frequent plus buses through 10am and1pm)Qazvin(IR50,000, (IR30,000, (IR30,000, sixhours, 3pm),Rasht lutionary guards,photographyisunwise. pavilion, byrevo- tagonal butsinceit’sused central square isanattractive Qajar-era oc- Hashtpar’sBehind charioteer inthe statue also thenameof theregion anditspeople. ‘Talesh’, somewhatconfusingasTalesh is Little Although 15km inland, Rasht isapopu- 15kminland, Rasht Although with buses toTehranwith buses (IR50,000),Tabriz 0131 /pop618,000 ). There’s somelovely woodlandbehind

( x (change here savaris Khal). forKhal , which crowns apetite woodedknoll lake 525 2700; www.espinashotel.com; Rasht Hwy; 525 2700;www.espinashotel.com;Rasht Hashtpar where youcanrent jetskis. WESTERN IRAN••Astara Dezhe SasalFortress Lavandevil is often referred toas pa terminal Lisar ) , , 8kmsouthof Khotbeh Sara Khotbeh town, justfive

(Imam Khomeini (Imam Khomeini

(Qal’eh Lisar; ﺭﺷﺖ

and 165 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN fast already showing signsof wear. towerisalmostnew,it’sthe semi-smart while view towardsMtSabalan.However, north-facing roomshave anunparalleled and English. den (marked ‘096’).Owners speak German round. It’svery centralinanovergrown gar- and Western looare excellent-value year nial look.Neatroomswithkitchen, shower tiered terrace give theKaveh avaguelycolo- rides all the waytoTabriz in season. outsidewhichtherapy Centre, drivers offer meini Sts.That’s 400mwestof theHydro- from thecornerof Valiasr andImamKho- Sqdepartminutes) toArdabil’s Bahonar utes) andmore frequent savaris (IR5000,25 (IR2000, 40min- Grindingly slowminibuses THERE &AWAYGETTING ( drons allaroundtownis fromsteaming caul- A localspecialityserved EATING off-season. ally anypricerange. Bargains are possible canfindyouaplaceinvirtu- Centre Touts aroundthecentralHydrotherapy Cheaper roomsare available above shops. but manyare jerry-built anddecayquickly. Hotels sprout like mushroomsinSara’eyn SLEEPING dresses andpatterned white shawls. June, theirwomenfolkoften dressed inpink toSara’eynin flocksgrazeclose whose boxedShahsevan nomads(see text, right ), is bracingandenroute you’llprobably pass altitudehikes.ing pointforhigher Scenery Alvares stillmakes agreat, accessiblestart- Butinsummer operates intheskiseason. 164 of rhubarbandtheoddchickpea. a sortof ricepuddingwithhints hottangy Mt Sabalan. guidesforclimbingthemighty mountain whocanarrange and English-speakingstaff resort hotel hasneat,motel-style rooms IR290,000/500,000) IR100,000; are ubiquitous. gerbread) isalsopopular andhoneysellers ash-e dugh Laleh International Laleh International Amin Hotel Motel Kaveh Motel US$80/122/256; WESTERNIRAN••AroundArdabill p , IR3500perbowl).Ittastes like ) Arched windowsandatwo-

( pa At thenorthedge of town, x ( x 222 4290;dlow/highseason ( x 222 2447;Valiasr St671;q ) This long-esta This long-esta blished 222 2750;s/d/stewithbreak- nokhut sabzijak Fatir (gin- Taxis

brilliant glimpsed viewsenroute.brilliant glimpsed to Asalem coastwithsome ontheCaspian deciduousforeststumbling downthrough grassy hillsbefore high through road wheels great trekking of the Khal East base. Khal terless, this4kmstrip-towncouldmake a valley to thenclimbsasteep-cut rocky Giwi, Kosar) almost-attractive stepped townof populated nomadterritory the through followsabroadvalleyof sparsely to Rasht A scenicalternative route fromArdabil x Khal Khal transport. Nopublicdown towardstheCaspian. should bemagnificentlypanoramicviews zone’. Ifthethickmistsdeigntoclearthere ers toreach thisover-popular ‘recreation fields thicklycarpeted withspringflow- low countrylanessouthfor10kmthrough Ardabil–Astara roadnearNaminandfol- Turn offthe hectic, butpatchily beautiful Fandoqlu ( for aSara’eyn–Alvares return. x Kaleybar andtheslopesof MtSabalan. Kaleybar ing flocksuptosummer pastures around wintering around Parsabad thenmov- renamed ‘Elsevan’)are stilltobefound, some semi-nomadicgroups(nowofficially vans became sedentary considerable autonomy. whobribedthemwithoffersReza Shah of tinued theirrevolt until‘tamed’in1923by later con- Soviet invasion. The Shahsevan remembered asbeingfarcruellerthanthe Ardabil –aviciousattackthateyewitnesses fighters sackedRevolution, Shahsevan dry. In1909,followingtheConstitutional Russia andPersia, someturnedtobrigan- their traditionalgrazinglandsbetween after painful19th-centurytreaties divided name vaders, earningthemtheloose,collective a pro-regime bulwark against foreign in- nomad tribesof Eastern formed Azerbaijan From the17thcentury,variousTurkic SHAHSEVAN (ELSEVAN) NOMADS 0452 /pop41,000 222 4888) During the20thcenturymostShahse- Shahsevan Khal Khal Khal wantIR60,000pluswaitingtime Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels (‘Shah-lovers’). However, . Though rathercharac-. Though farmers, but lonelyplanet.com Kivi (Chivi, ﺧﻠﺨﺎﻝ ﻓﻨﺪﻗﻠﻮ Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Sq; s/d/trIR148,000/218,000/270,000) 70,000) canyon sides. sible villages clingvaliantlytothedistant valley where incredibly isolated, inacces- to AqkandzigzagsacrosstheQizilOwzan bus terminal. opposite Coffeenet Novin, 1kmwestof the keys Tejarat atthepharmacybesideBank no shower. There’s noreceptionist: askfor Shahrdari Sq;twwith/withoutshowerIR60,000/50,000) Shahrdari Sq for corridors. Orwalk400mwesttoShahrdari ant ensuite somewhatscrappy roomsoff lish-speaking manager andrelatively pleas- change). The international-standard a clothing ‘Asiman Mehmanxanasi’ via andaccessed erkhaneh bearable iftypically male-dominated lonelyplanet.com SAA dation, such as Hakim NezamiStformidrange accommo- south (150m)fromtheborderposttofind or Azerbaijan. to Ardabil,Rasht lands, butmosttravellers on headstraight visit theforested Talesh hinter- mountain Darya) andcouldmake(Sahel to abase Astara hasawidebutlitter-strewn x ASTARA agency connections. There’s ahandytaxi for Rasht hours) andtoAsalem (IR17,000,1¼hours) to Ardabil(back/frontIR20,000/23,000,1½ 8am and5.30pm.Fromoutside,savaris run (IR20,000)at 7am and4pmtoRasht run toArdabil(IR6500,twohours) at6am, pedestrianoverpass.poseless TBT buses The terminal isbesideanamusinglypur- THERE&AWAYGETTING Bastan Mosaferkhaneh SLEEPING way ends. unlikely mudtrackwhere thedualcarriage- of theterminal thentwominutes upan ture remains ropy.Walkfive minutes east recently redecorated, somefurni- though rooms withcleansquattoiletshave been x A lovely Khal fromKhal road iftough Khal Khal Tourist Inn Tourist Khal Khal If arrivingfromAzerbaijanwalkdirectly 0182 /pop35,000 425 3991;s/tw/trUS$17/20/26) Ultra-basic unmarked crashpadwith ( x Mehmanpazir Aseman Mehmanpazir withshared toilets.It’smarked 425 3070) passaj Belal Hotel beside Bank Melli besideBank (noex- beside theterminal.

( x (Mehmansara Jahangardi; Jahangardi; (Mehmansara 422 3884;dm/qIR20,000/

( x

withanEng- ( 521 5586;Mo’allem x Acceptable 522 2300;off mosaf- Espinas ﺁﺳﺘﺎﺭﺍ beach , a

is thecute little Most accessibleof theregion’s castleruins Asalem Sust at thesouthernendof the rest of thesite isfenced off. andoffersarch views,though isintact sea minutes’ Itsgate walkoffthemainhighway. s/d/ste US$90/110/160; Salsal St) to mostforeign tourists. appeal summer humidity don’t otherwise But year-round downpours andsteaming ing witharmsoutstretched tofeel thedrops. mildly amusingto watch localtouristsdriv- is its‘refreshing’ climate (ielotsof rain).It’s Tehranis, forwhomthegreatest attraction lar weekend andholidaydestinationfor ment forotherIranians. adjective–noun order causingmuch amuse- noticeably distinctfromFarsi, itsreversed and thelispylocalGilakidialectremains has hadextended periodsof independence littoral)region.the Shomal (Caspian Gilan Gilan province andbyfarthelargest cityof expanding Rapidly of isthecapital Rasht x RASHT at dies (notably terland offer attractive viewsof ricepad- relatively of hin- unspoiltsections Caspian Astara andRezvanshahrseveral Between RASHT TO ASTARA St) Hotel That’s 5kmbeyondthe backed here, sitsbeside anattractive mountain- Qomran) Sq,200mfurthersouth. (Shohodapick uparoundmassive Laleh hours) andArdabil(IR15,000,1½hours) (IR40,000,2½ convenient savaris toRasht 4pm). More frequent plus buses through 10am and1pm)Qazvin(IR50,000, (IR30,000, (IR30,000, sixhours, 3pm),Rasht lutionary guards,photographyisunwise. pavilion, byrevo- tagonal butsinceit’sused central square isanattractive Qajar-era oc- Hashtpar’sBehind charioteer inthe statue also thenameof theregion anditspeople. ‘Talesh’, somewhatconfusingasTalesh is Little Although 15km inland, Rasht isapopu- 15kminland, Rasht Although with buses toTehranwith buses (IR50,000),Tabriz 0131 /pop618,000 ). There’s somelovely woodlandbehind

(Imam Khomeini (Imam Khomeini

(Qal’eh Lisar; ﺭﺷﺖ

and 165 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN vegetable-rich Gilancuisine( p170 ). also agreat placetotaste thegarlic-stoked, hinterland, mostfamouslyatMasuleh. It’s villageshouse of theemerald-green Gilan forests,mountain ricepaddiesandthatched- transport hubfromwhich tovisitthelush isauseful historical buildings,butRasht leftists and land-owningMuslim nationalists cialist Republic of radical- Iran’.However, up Gilanasthe‘SovietJune 1920,set So- forces withcommunist-agitators and,on 4 taken control of Russia,Kuchuk joined Khan who’djust CourtingtheBolsheviks Britain. the shah’sperceived tooil-hungry sell-out withcollapsingQajargrievances Iranwas Robin Hood–stylerebellion. Amongtheir Jangali (‘Forest’) Movement, anIslamic, 1917 itwasthecentre of Kuchuk Khan’s and fourinternational consulates. From WWI thetownboasted 60,000inhabitants ing Gilan’sisolationfromtherest of Iran.By company cuttheroadtoQazvin,diminish- to allowResht’sgrowth.In1899aRussian ing spacesinthethen-impenetrableforest region thereafter, were backin1723clear- navy. factorinthe TheRussians,aconstant Persia’s whoalsosank Razin entire Caspian forces of brigandStepan ‘Stenka’ Cossack population wasmassacred in1668bythe inthe14thcentury,but developed (previouslylan’s maincentres. Resht) Rasht andFumanwere Gi- Historically Lahijan History 166 station is 3km from the border and tickets oftenstation is3kmfromtheborderandtickets sellout. ofHotel north One Shirvan meansAZN2. One Shirvan Ş Leavehere ifheadingnorth. ifheadingsouth.NearHotel biggerexchangestillArdabilorRasht küçasi fromtheexcellent-value Hotel metalbordergate side,theunmarked Nezami St.OntheAzerbaijan is500malongHeydar liyev Visashours whilethewholebusischecked. are contrastingly slowforvehicles. International Baku–Tehran buseswaitbetweenthree andseven trian borderhere isquickandstraightforwardwithneitherfees norbribestopay.Things are A narrowriver dividesAstara (Iran)fromAstara ( ByCaucasusAzerbaijan). standards the pedes- CROSSING THEAZERBAIJANBORDERAT ASTARA point The cityhasprecious littleinthewayof indan on the Azerbaijan side, Kapital BankhasanATM side,Kapital indan ontheAzerbaijan cashmachine. WESTERNIRAN••Rasht An overnight sleepertraintoBaku(AZN2.70, 11hours)leaves Astara around7pm,butthe Decrepit nightbusestoBaku(AZN5) anddaytimeminivanstoL Manats(AZN, ratherthanNewAzeri US$1=0.84AZN). countin‘Shirvans’ Confusingly manyAzeris Freelance moneychangersattheIran-sideborder-gate offer passablerates. Getridofrials

(Mosaferi Gümrük; (Mosaferi Ş indan. h 7.30am-noon &1.30-4.30pm) Ş indan. not is easy to miss up a small lane north of Hakim ofHakim iseasytomissupasmalllanenorth some English-language magazines. 1.30pm &4-9pmSat-Thu) StocksFarsi phrase booksand statue acrossGilan. statue back intofavour onmanyahorseback Republic. ThusKuchuk hasridden Khan has becomeafriendof thecurrent Islamic public display. toTehransevered headwasbrought for burnt, Kuchuk wasexecuted Khan andhis Most of pretty were Rasht’s woodenhouses Tabriz/Azarbayjan) thenattacked Gilan. (temporarilywith Azadistan independent February first 1921coup.RezaKhan dealt Reza Pahlavi) who’dtaken over Persia ina ficient newregime of (later RezaKhan Shah slipped awayleaving Gilanprey totheef- from his‘government’, hisRussianbackers hadejectedKhan theinfidelcommunists made very pricklybedfellows. OnceKuchuk Ta’ati Bookshop Bookshop Barg BOOKSHOPS Information comparatively chic andmiddleclass. conveniently inthenorthis Golsar close. butbudgetnightmarish accommodation is (maps callitShohada canbe Sq).Traffic verge palm-filled atpleasantly Shahrdari Sq Blvd,con- Sa’di StandImamKhomeini The three mainthoroughfares, Shari’ati St, Orientation h availableonarrival.The pedestrian These daysanyenemyofThese thePahlavis 9am-1.30pm & 4-9pm) Sells brilliant citymaps(IR10,000). brilliant 9am-1.30pm &4-9pm)Sells ( ( x x ə nk 222 2627; A’lam-ol Hoda St; 222 2627;A’lam-ol HodaSt; 222 5718;SabzSq; ə ran (AZN1) start 100mran (AZN1) start lonelyplanet.com h crossing 8.30am- lonelyplanet.com Masuleh (62km) To Fuman(25km);

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S l - t t WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Ally; Good rates. whileyouchangemoney. Thu) Free chockies h attractive garden hosts the tourist informationoffice. gardenhoststhetourist attractive Sabz Sq; Police headquarters VISA EXTENSIONS (25km eastofRasht). Sara som’) Cottageinthesemi-ruralvillageofEbrahim scrumptious familymealsandhomestaybedsat Titi (‘blos- from US$130/50with/withoutcar. Hassancanprovide manner.has arefreshingly easy-going Dailyratesrange driver-guide This delightfullypersonableEnglish-speaking Hassan Mohit TOURS Ferhangi Gilan Miras TOURIST INFORMATION office telephone International office telephone Central TELEPHONE in Golsar. Ave Golsar St)justoff (Bentolhoda office themainpost use Sq butforparcelservice There’s onShahrdari acentral postoffice POST Vase Exchange Exchange Currency Mehrpouya MONEY Soheil women’s room. h Coffeenet PM Bank Tejarat). fromthe thelift away onthe4thfloor(take Thu) Fast peoplebuthidden friendly connection, Nefis, A’lam-olHodaSt;perhrIR4500; Coffeenet Ghamoos Rayane E-Gil ACCESSINTERNET 168 Enter fromalleybehind. h Domestic callsonly. h Processing takes about three hours. Processing takes IR2500toauniformed officer.the receipt and payafurther Sts),return with and17Shahrivar (cnr22Bahman Melli visa, applybefore 10am.Pay IR100,000tothespecificBank Shohada Sq; 9.30am-1.30pm &5-8pmSat-Wed, 10am-9pm) Graffiti-cool interior withseparate 10am-9pm) Graffiti-coolinterior 8am-9pm Sat-Thu) 10am-9pm) h WESTERNIRAN••Rasht ( x (A’lam-ol HodaSt;perhrIR5000; h 9am-1.30pm &4.30-8pmSat-Thu) 323 1306;NamjuBlvd;perhrIR6000; h 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) Historic brick buildingand 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) brick Historic St;perhrIR6000; (Taleqani ( 8am-1.30pm Sat-Thu) your Toextend x ( x 0911 1367796;www.aryantour.com) 224 0597;MoravidClose,1stfl; ( ( x x (Shahrdari Sq; (Shahrdari 218 3481;room8,1stfl, 775 4664;EhtesabAlleyoff ( x (Taleqani St; (Taleqani ( x 2235970; Passaj h h 222 7826;Sa’di h 9am-9pm Sat- pasazh 10am-10pm) 8am-8pm) 8am-8pm) beside admission IR3000; owners had just nipped out to the pub. owners hadjustnippedouttothepub. the play localtoolsleftlyingaroundasthough dis- walkingmini-shows.Houses tight-rope cloth-weaving) are displayedandthere are open days,localcrafts(thatching, mat-making, ready ‘active’ in150hectares of woodland.On homesteads complete withricebarnsare al- Sixfull the Qazvinhighway). (2kmoff Rasht but worn twinsare passable. gest. Singles are claustrophobically small, better thanthegrimyentrance stairs sug- statue the square opposite. Thecentral trees admire theinterplay of in fountains It looksgreat Palm whenfloodlitatnight. topping adistinctive whitewashed tower. lonial styletempered byatoken mini-dome most identifiable landmark,itsco- Rasht’s h The Sights Sedaghat Guesthouse Sedaghat BUDGET makes air-con virtuallyessential. whenoverwhelmingSeptember) humidity (May inpeaksummer season tois high There are manyoptions,butoccupancy Sleeping upstairs; s/tw/trIR47,000/62,500/75,000) St) zebo withintricate woodenroof. of well-wishers visithis leader of ‘Soviet Iran’( p166 ). Asteady flow powers powers suppos rams anddeer. Suppingfromsuch vessels riton ofamid aselection 3000-year-old terracotta nequin displaysillustrate Gilakilifestyle, well presented Itsman- ina1930shouse. cellent Many more are beingreassembled intheex- asatouristinformationoutpost. is nowused Blvd (behindadrive-in burger and takeaway) moved islandinShahid Ansari toatraffic dismantledand in situ.One-such hasbeen shown inmanybrochures, butare very rare cottages is toppedwithafaceted pyramidof bluetiling. , sheltered byacontemporary brickga- Rasht Museum Rasht Cute little Supposedly ‘typical’thatched-roofSupposedly 8am-5.30pm Tue-Sun, 9am-1pmFri) drinkinghornsintheshapeof bulls, Shahrdari Shahrdari

(Shohada Sq) with upper wooden balustrades are withupperwoodenbalustradesare edly endowedthedrinker withthe Gilan Rural Heritage Museum Gilan RuralHeritage and skillsof theanimaldepicted. Dana-ye AliShrine h (Municipality Bldg; Shahrdari Sq) Bldg;Shahrdari (Municipality Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book 9am-dusk Thu-Fri) is Kuchuk theJangali Khan,

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( x ( x h (Gilan Blvdat149thSt; pizzasIR40,000- 222 8299;GilanturLane;mealsIR30,000- WESTERN IRAN •• Rasht WESTERN IRAN••Rasht zeitun parvarden 424 5260,0911-1312588;bijan Astylishgreen, cream and 11.30am-4pm &7-10.30pm) ( x

( x Comparatively pricey 323 2147; Azadi Blvd;meals 323 2147;Azadi 323 4298; Azadi Blvd;coffees 323 4298;Azadi Thisbig,fast-food (mashed eggplant, (mashedeggplant, Soft Mediterra- Anamusingly Kouroshwins torshe tareh, (olives in fesenjun h bagilah Three 11am- 169

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Ally; Good rates. whileyouchangemoney. Thu) Free chockies h attractive garden hosts the tourist informationoffice. gardenhoststhetourist attractive Sabz Sq; (25km eastofRasht). Sara som’) Cottageinthesemi-ruralvillageofEbrahim scrumptious familymealsandhomestaybedsat Titi (‘blos- from US$130/50with/withoutcar. Hassancanprovide manner.has arefreshingly easy-going Dailyratesrange driver-guide This delightfullypersonableEnglish-speaking women’s room. h Police headquarters VISA EXTENSIONS Hassan Mohit TOURS Ferhangi Gilan Miras TOURIST INFORMATION office telephone International office telephone Central TELEPHONE in Golsar. Ave Golsar St)justoff (Bentolhoda office themainpost use Sq butforparcelservice There’s onShahrdari acentral postoffice POST Vase Exchange Exchange Currency Mehrpouya MONEY Soheil Coffeenet PM Bank Tejarat). fromthe thelift away onthe4thfloor(take Thu) Fast peoplebuthidden friendly connection, Nefis, A’lam-olHodaSt;perhrIR4500; Coffeenet Ghamoos Rayane E-Gil ACCESSINTERNET 168 Enter fromalleybehind. h Domestic callsonly. h Processing takes about three hours. Processing takes IR2500toauniformed officer.the receipt and payafurther Sts),return with and17Shahrivar (cnr22Bahman Melli visa, applybefore 10am.Pay IR100,000tothespecificBank Shohada Sq; 9.30am-1.30pm &5-8pmSat-Wed, 10am-9pm) Graffiti-cool interior withseparate 10am-9pm) Graffiti-coolinterior 8am-9pm Sat-Thu) 10am-9pm) h WESTERNIRAN••Rasht ( x (A’lam-ol HodaSt;perhrIR5000; h 9am-1.30pm &4.30-8pmSat-Thu) 323 1306;NamjuBlvd;perhrIR6000; h 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) Historic brick buildingand 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) brick Historic St;perhrIR6000; (Taleqani ( 8am-1.30pm Sat-Thu) your Toextend x ( x 0911 1367796;www.aryantour.com) 224 0597;MoravidClose,1stfl; ( ( x x (Shahrdari Sq; (Shahrdari 218 3481;room8,1stfl, 775 4664;EhtesabAlleyoff ( x (Taleqani St; (Taleqani ( x 2235970; Passaj h h 222 7826;Sa’di h 9am-9pm Sat- pasazh 10am-10pm) 8am-8pm) 8am-8pm) beside admission IR3000; owners had just nipped out to the pub. owners hadjustnippedouttothepub. the play localtoolsleftlyingaroundasthough dis- walkingmini-shows.Houses tight-rope cloth-weaving) are displayedandthere are open days,localcrafts(thatching, mat-making, ready ‘active’ in150hectares of woodland.On homesteads complete withricebarnsare al- Sixfull the Qazvinhighway). (2kmoff Rasht but worn twinsare passable. gest. Singles are claustrophobically small, better thanthegrimyentrance stairs sug- statue the square opposite. Thecentral trees admire theinterplay of in fountains It looksgreat Palm whenfloodlitatnight. topping adistinctive whitewashed tower. lonial styletempered byatoken mini-dome most identifiable landmark,itsco- Rasht’s h The Sights upstairs; s/tw/trIR47,000/62,500/75,000) Guesthouse Sedaghat BUDGET makes air-con virtuallyessential. whenoverwhelmingSeptember) humidity (May inpeaksummer season tois high There are manyoptions,butoccupancy Sleeping St) zebo withintricate woodenroof. of well-wishers visithis leader of ‘Soviet Iran’( p166 ). Asteady flow powers powers suppos rams anddeer. Suppingfromsuch vessels riton ofamid aselection 3000-year-old terracotta nequin displaysillustrate Gilakilifestyle, well presented Itsman- ina1930shouse. cellent Many more are beingreassembled intheex- asatouristinformationoutpost. is nowused Blvd (behindadrive-in burger and takeaway) moved islandinShahid Ansari toatraffic dismantledand in situ.One-such hasbeen shown inmanybrochures, butare very rare cottages is toppedwithafaceted pyramidof bluetiling. , sheltered byacontemporary brickga- Rasht Museum Rasht Cute little Supposedly ‘typical’thatched-roofSupposedly 8am-5.30pm Tue-Sun, 9am-1pmFri) drinkinghornsintheshapeof bulls, Shahrdari Shahrdari

(Taleqani St;admissionIR3000;(Taleqani ( x mausoleum 223 6088; Shari’ati St,223 6088;Shari’ati

(middle ofTaleqani St) 18km south of 18kmsouthof lonelyplanet.com issmall,but

Rooms are ( x

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.com; Azadi Blvd;s/d/tr/steUS$60/80/90/120; .com; Azadi St;s/tw/trIR70,000/100,000/120,000) off Shari’ati pa with breakfast IR180,000; 22,000; IR70,000/80,000/90,000) lonelyplanet.com Khomeini StandToshibaSq. Khomeini onImam kabab barbecues appear atnight are aroundthe bazaar. stalls Many cheap For cheap nutsandsnacksthere desserts, Eating tasteful décor.and brightly trendy faux-antiquebasins,Western loos Kadus’ 1970sarchitecture. Rooms have temporary-retro touches tobringalive the A full-blown refit con- used hascleverly IR540,000/ Keyvan Hotel MIDRANGE &TOPEND bathrooms. ers report spottingwildlife intheshared ceilings.Read- ragged buildingswithhigh both occupyonce-attractive butnowslightly Blvd;tw/trIR75,000/90,000) fax 2221350;ImamKhomeini ages tobesplendidlyc wellbackoff Shahrdari Sq,itman- rooms. Set make mustinessinsomeof upforaslight the décor behindconcrete Corinthiancolumns s/d/tr IR80,000/90,000/100,000) toilet andhotshower. are very ragged fan-onlyboxes,with albeit with afew edges. rough Others price!) (same conditioned andrecently redecorated, albeit carefully. Someare goodvalue:wellair- quiet. NoEnglish sign. locationmeansit’sreasonably off-road tiled floors, reliably changed andits sheets this relatively newplacehassparklingwhite- the mostappealingof thecentralcheapies, charges doubleifyoucheck inbefore 2pm. cleaner thantheaverage road, thebasicFars isquieter andmarginally toilets. too dim.Goodbigbathroomshave Western orange globe-lampsare stylishifsomewhat with designerarmchairs andpotplants.The Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels Hotel FarsHotel Kumeh Kenareh Mehmanpazir Hotel Pamchal Hotel Hotel Ordibesht Hotel Caravan Hotel Caravan Kadus Hotel Hotel Kadus ) h Delightful staff and loveably staff datedDelightful 700,000;

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Rasht airport) Rasht Thu, 9am-1pmFri) 6.30-9.30pm Sat-Thu) of caneworkandtheoddbriarpipe Farahmand. spoons toamusingwicker frogsare soldat Pol-e Busar Pol-e and Asalem at (change start Khal) forKhal had (IR497,000). church. a laneoff Sa’diStbehind theArmenian upmarket inlayboxes, thisistheplace. Tehran andpickupat IR40,000, five hours) via Astara from start Toshiba andGilSqs. 11am, 6pm mal Tehran andQazvinsavaris pick upat & St.Infor-points alongImamKhomeini 7-10pm Savaris toTehran leave fromfive different 80,000 Tehran IR30,000 (Merc) frequent Tabriz IR40,000 5hr 4-8pm 40,000 2.30pm 10hr IR47,000/ Mashhad 16hr 9am, Hamadan IR19,000 6pm Gorgan IR22,000/ 9hr IR60,000 Esfahan 8hr 12hr Ahvaz IR42,000 18hr 11am, St) central bookingoffices. 2.30pm buscompanieshave handy lah) Sq.Several 2kmsouthofGil Sq,itself ‘Toshiba’(Mosal- The mainbusterminal is300mnortheastof BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI Iran Air AIR &Away There Getting Farahmand Shopping 170 etnto ae Duration Destination Fare Departures mahmooly Tehran (IR315,000). Bothairlinesflyatleastdailyto weekly). Abbasday) andBandar (IR682,000,twice 1.30pm &4-10pm) Thu) serves mostdestinations(pricesare for serves Nafis Cadeau Savaris toAstara (IR40,000,2½hours) For Bandar-e Anzali,savaris pickupon Many to Ardabil (IR25,000to buses WESTERNIRAN••AroundRasht Souvenirs rangingfromGilakiwooden

( x (

x (Imam Khomeini Blvd; (Imam Khomeini fliestoShiraz (IR501,000,Satur- (Sa’di St) /Volvo): (Imam Khomeini Blvd; (Imam Khomeini 772 4444;GolsarAve; 772 7308;BastaniShoarSq; Ifyou’re lookingformore flies twice weekly toMash-flies twiceweekly Nearby Cadeau sells plenty sells Nearby Cadeau . Iran Aseman Istgah Anzali Istgah TBT h h h

( x 10am-12.30pm & 7.30am-7pm Sat- 9.30am-9pm Sat- ( hourly 7am-2pm 222 3520;Sa’di x (Valiasr Sq) (Valiasr 775 9594; . h 9am- . khsazi Sq(Shohadaykhsazi GomnamSq). (IR1500/5000)departfromYa-minibuses Chalus IR11,500/35,000. IR6000/25,000and IR2000/6000, Ramsar arebut pricesforminibuses/savaris Lahijan conditions, vary widelyaccordingtotraffic posite aSaipa showroom.Durationswill nal is500meastof Janbazan Sqhiddenop- termi- Shari’ati St,buttheofficial Lahijan In 1918 this ‘infamousmalarial hellholeof pian &Mercury Mail-Steamship Company. asaharbourfortheRussian Cas- selected late 19thcenturywhenEnzeli village was Bandar-e beganinthe Anzali’s development Now Iran’sforemost portcity, Caspian x Anzali Bandar-e AROUND RASHT southbound downTakhti St. to Valiasr return Sq(IstgahAnzali).These othersswing leftuptoGolsar, continuing Sa’di StviaShahid Sq, where Ansari some nal. Northbound, goup manyshuttletaxis termi-or alongShohada SttotheLahijan BlvdfromShohadaImam Khomeini Sq, Many routes runthelengthof shuttle-taxi Around Getting For Fuman,andthenceMasuleh, savaris/ savaris pickupon Informal Lahijan with rice. a deliciousmealofitsownwhenserved Although often listed itmakes asastarter mashed aubergine, squash,garlicandegg. is enjun and pomegranate sauce)isavariantof beans, while qotoq deep-fried lentil-and-meatpatties, fried garlicleaves withegg, central Iraniantourists. forthesensitive tasteshocking budsof are withgarlicandturmeric,rather packed nuts, olives andvegetables. Typicaldishes sea andfocusesonthelocalwealthoffruit, Gilan’scuisinelargelyIn fact, ignores the allforexport. any. Iran’scaviarisvirtually world’s caviar. Butdon’tcountonseeing The Caspian Seaproduces95%ofthe CUT THECAVIAR –GILANCUISINE 0181 /pop113,000 mirza ghasemi, . Easiertofindthananyoftheabove are dill-and-garlic-flavoured broad anarbij a vegetarian marvel ofa vegetarian marvel (meatballsinwalnut Sirabi shami Rashti lonelyplanet.com isessentially baghilah ﺍﻧﺰﻟﻰ are fes-

ﺑﻨﺪﺭ s/tw/tr IR80,000/150,000/200,000) & 3-6pm). admission Iranian/foreigner IR3000/10,000; the vehicles, backsontotheharbourarea. The surroundinggarden,fullof armoured that wasonceRezaShah’s get Caspian stairways mansion-palace withsweeping aclassicallystyled is thesplendidsetting, a hippytogaparty).Butthereal fascination soldier (lookingmore like thecostumefor the conjectured uniformof aPersepolis-era with inconvenient minibuses. (Sa’di StorShahrdari Sq).Don’tbother SqwithcentralRasht Imam Khomeini mirza ghasemi aheavenly eccentric andtherestaurant serves arehave friendlyif alittle bathrooms.Staff framed Paint ischipping offtheantiquewooden- building intheformof stepped triangle. once-beautiful Sqretain anyofcentral ImamKhomeini the sprawl, justtwoshort,ragged blocksaround the Turks. Azerbaijanioilfieldsfromfallingto Baku’s that launched afutileattempt toprevent secret‘Dunsterforce’, WWIarmy Britain’s barely 4000souls’wasthelaunching padfor lonelyplanet.com fresh(ish), water waterlilies to gobird-watching amidthereeds and (aroundIR400,000perhour)speedboats From here it’spossibletorent scarilyfast waterside promenadelinedwithteahouses. east thennorthof Sqisaleafy Khomeini stay snow-topped well into April, though snow-topped wellintoApril, though stay on itssouthwest horizonThe mountains plaster-castmerous rathertacky statues. lined withdate palms,plane trees andnu- itsboulevards town 25kmwest of Rasht, of isaleafyjunction Gilan,Fumanitself known asDar-al-Emareh, andoncecapital land villages via accessed Fuman. Formerly Gilan’s mainattractionsare woodedhinter- x Fuman house, convertedhouse, intoa miss the good whenfloodlitatnight. Bandar-e Anzali’smostappealinghotel, Direct savaris (IR5000,30minutes) link Amid modernAnzali’s10km-long About 900msouthof Sq,don’t Khomeini 0132 /pop36,000 Ancient Golsang

windows, butroomsare cleanand It exhibitsguns,modelships and Martial Museum Martial (nenufar) ( opposite ). Russian housefaçades lagoon ( x of theworld’slargest 424 5256; Imam Khomeini Sq; 424 5256;ImamKhomeini

. Thehistoriclight- (Kakh Moze; (Kakh , isa1912brick clocktower h x 8am-12.30pm 8am-12.30pm . Ablock , looks 421 0067; 421 0067; away. away. ﻓﻮﻣﻦ IR30,000-45,000; café balcony. the Mehran Hotel’s superblysituated hind theMonfared Hotel, and especially licious Mr Nabizadeh speakssomeEnglish. floors, paint onceilings. butsomepeeling rooms withbathroomandnewly tiled rive, thisolderhotel has26timber-walled ofAt thebase thevillage where savaris ar- apt IR150,000-250,000) experience ataste of ruralGilan. IR80,000), which makes foragreat wayto Many villagers rent outrooms(doublefrom SLEEPING &EATING the placevirtuallytoyourself. when coldandsnowmeanyou’lloften get orvisitinwinter surrounding mountains overnight,coach-tour hordes,stay hike the trinket andhalvashops.Toavoid the thetinybazaar’s andperuse cule museums outitstwominus- ing tea-terraces, seek tripping localtouristsmerrilyfillitsappeal- the pathwayfornext.Insummer,day- thattheroofside sosteeply of oneforms coloured climbacuppedmountain- houses mist-drapedforests,ing through earth- one of Iran’smostbeautifulvillages. Ris- At leastamillenniumold, Masuleh is x Masuleh leave from400mupeach respective road. divide;savaris toeither to Qal’eh Rudkhan to Masuleh (BlvdImamzadehMirza)and the bazaaratVelayet Faghi Sq,theroads at thenortheastern edge of town.Westof leave fromabizarrelyRasht hiddenyard bakeriesat several aroundtown.Savaris to walnut paste, available hotfromtheoven fuman, is themostfamousplacetobuy it’s often them.Fuman toohazytosee Khaneh Mo’allem Restaurant Mo’allemRestaurant Khaneh with photo-perfect village views. kitchenettes, uptosix bedsandterraces rooms here are great value withbathrooms, with fold-outcouches andkitchenette. place alsohassurprisinglysizable rooms IR100,000-200,000) On sunnydays,thebestplacesfor de- Hotel Mehran Mehmanpazir Navid Mehmanpazir Monfared Hotel Monfared 0132 /pop1500 WESTERN IRAN •• Around Rasht WESTERN IRAN••AroundRasht mirza ghasemi typical Gilancookiesfilledwith h Atthebackof thevillage,

( (Mehran Suites; (Mehran 12.30-3.30pm &7.30-9.30pm) x Nearer thebazaar,this 757 2050;s/dIR150,000/250,000)

( x are theterraces at 757 2288,0911-2396459; ( x x 757 2122;meals 757 2096;apt klucheh ﻣﺎﺳﻮﻟﻪ , be- 171

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Rasht airport) Rasht Thu, 9am-1pmFri) 6.30-9.30pm Sat-Thu) of caneworkandtheoddbriarpipe Farahmand. spoons toamusingwicker frogsare soldat Pol-e Busar Pol-e and Asalem at (change start Khal) forKhal had (IR497,000). church. a laneoff Sa’diStbehind theArmenian Tehran andpickupat IR40,000, five hours) via Astara from start Toshiba andGilSqs. 11am, 6pm mal Tehran andQazvinsavaris pick upat & St.Infor-points alongImamKhomeini 7-10pm Savaris toTehran leave fromfive different 80,000 Tehran IR30,000 (Merc) frequent Tabriz IR40,000 5hr 4-8pm 40,000 2.30pm 10hr IR47,000/ Mashhad 16hr 9am, Hamadan IR19,000 6pm Gorgan IR22,000/ 9hr IR60,000 Esfahan 8hr 12hr Ahvaz IR42,000 18hr 11am, St) central bookingoffices. 2.30pm buscompanieshave handy lah) Sq.Several 2kmsouthofGil Sq,itself ‘Toshiba’(Mosal- The mainbusterminal is300mnortheastof BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI Iran Air AIR &Away There Getting upmarket inlayboxes, thisistheplace. Farahmand Shopping 170 etnto ae Duration Destination Fare Departures mahmooly Tehran (IR315,000). Bothairlinesflyatleastdailyto weekly). Abbasday) andBandar (IR682,000,twice 1.30pm &4-10pm) Thu) serves mostdestinations(pricesare for serves Nafis Cadeau Savaris toAstara (IR40,000,2½hours) For Bandar-e Anzali,savaris pickupon Many to Ardabil (IR25,000to buses WESTERNIRAN••AroundRasht Souvenirs rangingfromGilakiwooden

( x (

( x 10am-12.30pm & 7.30am-7pm Sat- 9.30am-9pm Sat- ( hourly 7am-2pm 222 3520;Sa’di x (Valiasr Sq) (Valiasr 775 9594; . h 9am- . khsazi Sq(Shohadaykhsazi GomnamSq). (IR1500/5000)departfromYa-minibuses Chalus IR11,500/35,000. IR6000/25,000and IR2000/6000, Ramsar arebut pricesforminibuses/savaris Lahijan conditions, vary widelyaccordingtotraffic posite aSaipa showroom.Durationswill nal is500meastof Janbazan Sqhiddenop- termi- Shari’ati St,buttheofficial Lahijan In 1918 this ‘infamousmalarial hellholeof pian &Mercury Mail-Steamship Company. asaharbourfortheRussian Cas- selected late 19thcenturywhenEnzeli village was Bandar-e beganinthe Anzali’s development Now Iran’sforemost portcity, Caspian x Anzali Bandar-e AROUND RASHT southbound downTakhti St. to Valiasr return Sq(IstgahAnzali).These othersswing leftuptoGolsar, continuing Sa’di StviaShahid Sq, where Ansari some nal. Northbound, goup manyshuttletaxis termi-or alongShohada SttotheLahijan BlvdfromShohadaImam Khomeini Sq, Many routes runthelengthof shuttle-taxi Around Getting For Fuman,andthenceMasuleh, savaris/ savaris pickupon Informal Lahijan is enjun and pomegranate sauce)isavariantof beans, while qotoq deep-fried lentil-and-meatpatties, fried garlicleaves withegg, central Iraniantourists. forthesensitive tasteshocking budsof are withgarlicandturmeric,rather packed nuts, olives andvegetables. Typicaldishes sea andfocusesonthelocalwealthoffruit, Gilan’scuisinelargelyIn fact, ignores the allforexport. any. Iran’scaviarisvirtually world’s caviar. Butdon’tcountonseeing The Caspian Seaproduces95%ofthe CUT THECAVIAR –GILANCUISINE with rice. a deliciousmealofitsownwhenserved Although often listed itmakes asastarter mashed aubergine, squash,garlicandegg. 0181 /pop113,000 mirza ghasemi, . Easiertofindthananyoftheabove are dill-and-garlic-flavoured broad anarbij a vegetarian marvel ofa vegetarian marvel (meatballsinwalnut Sirabi shami Rashti lonelyplanet.com isessentially baghilah ﺍﻧﺰﻟﻰ are fes-

ﺑﻨﺪﺭ s/tw/tr IR80,000/150,000/200,000) & 3-6pm). admission Iranian/foreigner IR3000/10,000; the vehicles, backsontotheharbourarea. The surroundinggarden,fullof armoured that wasonceRezaShah’s get Caspian stairways mansion-palace withsweeping aclassicallystyled is thesplendidsetting, a hippytogaparty).Butthereal fascination soldier (lookingmore like thecostumefor the conjectured uniformof aPersepolis-era with inconvenient minibuses. (Sa’di StorShahrdari Sq).Don’tbother SqwithcentralRasht Imam Khomeini mirza ghasemi aheavenly eccentric andtherestaurant serves arehave friendlyif alittle bathrooms.Staff framed Paint ischipping offtheantiquewooden- building intheformof stepped triangle. once-beautiful Sqretain anyofcentral ImamKhomeini the sprawl, justtwoshort,ragged blocksaround the Turks. Azerbaijanioilfieldsfromfallingto Baku’s that launched afutileattempt toprevent secret‘Dunsterforce’, WWIarmy Britain’s barely 4000souls’wasthelaunching padfor lonelyplanet.com stay snow-topped well into April, though snow-topped wellintoApril, though stay on itssouthwest horizonThe mountains plaster-castmerous rathertacky statues. lined withdate palms,plane trees andnu- itsboulevards town 25kmwest of Rasht, of isaleafyjunction Gilan,Fumanitself known asDar-al-Emareh, andoncecapital land villages via accessed Fuman. Formerly Gilan’s mainattractionsare woodedhinter- x Fuman fresh(ish), water waterlilies to gobird-watching amidthereeds and (aroundIR400,000perhour)speedboats From here it’spossibletorent scarilyfast waterside promenadelinedwithteahouses. east thennorthof Sqisaleafy Khomeini miss the good whenfloodlitatnight. convertedhouse, intoa Bandar-e Anzali’smostappealinghotel, Direct savaris (IR5000,30minutes) link Amid modernAnzali’s10km-long About 900msouthof Sq,don’t Khomeini 0132 /pop36,000 Ancient Golsang

. Thehistoriclight- (Kakh Moze; (Kakh , isa1912brick clocktower h x 8am-12.30pm 8am-12.30pm . Ablock , looks 421 0067; 421 0067; away. away. ﻓﻮﻣﻦ IR30,000-45,000; café balcony. the Mehran Hotel’s superblysituated hind theMonfared Hotel, and especially Khaneh Mo’allem Restaurant Mo’allemRestaurant Khaneh licious Mr Nabizadeh speakssomeEnglish. floors, paint onceilings. butsomepeeling rooms withbathroomandnewly tiled rive, thisolderhotel has26timber-walled ofAt thebase thevillage where savaris ar- apt IR150,000-250,000) experience ataste of ruralGilan. IR80,000), which makes foragreat wayto Many villagers rent outrooms(doublefrom SLEEPING &EATING the placevirtuallytoyourself. when coldandsnowmeanyou’lloften get orvisitinwinter surrounding mountains overnight,coach-tour hordes,stay hike the trinket andhalvashops.Toavoid the thetinybazaar’s andperuse cule museums outitstwominus- ing tea-terraces, seek tripping localtouristsmerrilyfillitsappeal- the pathwayfornext.Insummer,day- thattheroofside sosteeply of oneforms coloured climbacuppedmountain- houses mist-drapedforests,ing through earth- one of Iran’smostbeautifulvillages. Ris- At leastamillenniumold, Masuleh is x Masuleh leave from400mupeach respective road. divide;savaris toeither to Qal’eh Rudkhan to Masuleh (BlvdImamzadehMirza)and the bazaaratVelayet Faghi Sq,theroads at thenortheastern edge of town.Westof leave fromabizarrelyRasht hiddenyard bakeriesat several aroundtown.Savaris to walnut paste, available hotfromtheoven fuman, is themostfamousplacetobuy it’s often them.Fuman toohazytosee with photo-perfect village views. kitchenettes, uptosix bedsandterraces rooms here are great value withbathrooms, with fold-outcouches andkitchenette. place alsohassurprisinglysizable rooms IR100,000-200,000) On sunnydays,thebestplacesfor de- Hotel Mehran Mehmanpazir Navid Mehmanpazir Monfared Hotel Monfared 0132 /pop1500 WESTERN IRAN •• Around Rasht WESTERN IRAN••AroundRasht mirza ghasemi typical Gilancookiesfilledwith h Atthebackof thevillage,

( (Mehran Suites; (Mehran 12.30-3.30pm &7.30-9.30pm) x Nearer thebazaar,this 757 2050;s/dIR150,000/250,000)

( x are theterraces at 757 2288,0911-2396459; ( x x 757 2122;meals 757 2096;apt klucheh ﻣﺎﺳﻮﻟﻪ , be- 171

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN bines, the highway passes the passes bines, thehighway breezy towards random rambles.Climbingsteeply valley wallsabove town, offering attractive groves andconifers gracethegrassy,rocky ally famousolives andpickled garlic.Olive halts in by theroadside. Almostallpublictransport zadeh Hashem themuch-revered33km outof Rasht deathtrap withafew About minorsights. isafrightening highway The Rasht–Qazvin toQazvin Rasht fortress This very impressive Seljuk-era Rudkhan Qal’eh for aroadsideteahouse. van (Makelun) village, nowthebackdrop atthewestern edgelani house of Makhla- there’s abrilliant traditionalthatched Gi- route ischarming andaroundhalfway but rare in winter. Theforest sceneryen 6000, 45minutes) are regular insummer, (IR2000/ From Fumanminibuses/savaris THERE&AWAYGETTING 172 you missed. you missed. ( Museum castle inRasht p168 ) showswhat climbing impractical,ascalemodelof the green-tea haircuts. Ifcloudandrainmake rice paddiesandskirtinghillswithneat crossingto Qal’eh Danehisdelightful, the climb,25-minute drive fromFuman IR2000 perperson. Even ifyoudon’tmake five-in-a-Paykan savaris fromFumancost village fromQal’eh towhich Rudkhan taxi) hamlet. That’s7km(IR5000bymotorbike beyond apairof at teahouses woodpeckers.tapping Thetrailheadis crete steps tothechorus of birdsongand rocks thenclimbingpebble-studdedcon- ing outalongastreamside fullof mossy sweaty butgorgeous 50-minute walkstart- with wildflowers. Accessrequires asteep, calcifiedwhite withagesections ortufted many photogenic towers, arches andwall rampart-ruins are relatively complete, with by acurlof forested Thebrick mountain. the topof anidyllicwooded butte ringed Loshan famous Assassins’ castles). Passing through a formerAssassins’ lair(see p180 formore end liestheisolated ruinof and lake, far,inaccessible western atwhose WESTERNIRAN••AroundRasht look north to glimpse asloping looknorth toglimpse

Manjil Rudbar (admission IR3000; , famousforitshuge windtur- is plonked onawoodedknoll forpassengers tobuynation- h 8am-5pm) Shemiran Castle ﺭﻭﺩﺧﺎﻥ Sefidrud dam Sefidrud Qal’eh Daneh mountain covers Imam-

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Mausoleum ofKashef-ol-Saltaneh Mausoleum tangular lake.tangular Anew joying fineviewsdownover rec- Lahijan’s crowded onFridaywithlocaltouristsen- covered ridge fringed withtea gardens.It’s St;admissionIR4000; East Kashef bly theintriguing old buildingswithmossy,tiledroofs, nota- the frontwall. muralson tractive pseudo-medieval-styled oftional Museum Iran,butthere are at- doors have removed been toTehran’s Na- Mosque square isthetile-roofed ally hostatraditionalteahouse. Acrossthe men-only domed minaret) and acharmingly run-downold Mosque central Vahdat includethe Sq. These its mainstreets. oldest townswithsometree-lined charm to Famed foritstea, isoneof Gilan’s Lahijan x &Around Lahijan Qazvin. rocky defilesforthefinalstretch towards Safavid bridge climbs ofmuseum teaparaphernalia. text, anunderwhelming below).Ithouses boxedtroducing tea cultivationtoIran(see entombs themanwhoiscredited within- IR5000/15,000; Kashef Alley) Kashef tea plants andtherest ishistory. withsome 4000 he slippedhometo Lahijan Around1900aged tolearnthesecret art. Saltaneh, anIranian consulinIndia,man- the stuffwere unsuccessfuluntil Kashef-ol- sive luxury.Qajar-period attempts togrow 17th century,whenitbecameanexpen- teafact, didn’treach Persia atalluntilthe they were introducedonlyacenturyago. In now soemblematicthatit’shardtobelieve The deepgreen, manicured tea-bushes are Gilan province produces 90%ofIran’stea. ROOTS OFTHAT CUPPA A kilometre furthereast,theaustere, grey Alleyways aroundVahdat Sqhideafew Several minor sights are minorsights ranged around Several The easternmost 800mof Kashef St 0141 /pop61,000 . Some of its famed carved wooden . Someof itsfamedcarved Sheitan Kuh (pierced byablue-tippedbrick . h . Greenery gives waytolong 6am-7pm)

Akbariyeh Mosque Akbariyeh bathhouse (Satan’s Mountain) cable-car thatwilleventu- h ﺍﻃﺮﺍﻑ Chahar Padeshah Padeshah Chahar lonelyplanet.com 8am-6pm Tue-Sun)

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Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Room’. Someroomsare windowless. bathrooms upsteps marked ‘Drawing share separate rooms withfridge andTV the bestknownis hinterland, mountain pealing semi-alpine bypass). eastofsoleum canalsobeglimpsed the road(fromwhich the mau- main Ramsar the smalltea-field lanethatparallelsthe ofcascade atthebase Sheitan Kuh.Take 2.3kmeastofsetting theartificial lakeside 1913fire.a devastating It’sinaquiet,rural present mausoleum,which wasrebuilt after of 116(1218–1334).That’slonger thanthe here lived supposedly totheripeoldage architectural icon.Theholymanburied off Sepah Sq;twUS$45; off Sepah IR30,000; lonelyplanet.com night) That’s tovisitthe totheirbusypilgrimage schedules. Lahijan, Die-hard ImamRezafansadd Ashrafiyeh Astaneh-ye tion 200mnortheastof theTouristInn. transport leaves Sq,ajunc- fromnearBasij andChalus 1.5km furtherwest.ForRamsar Entezam Sqabout savarisand official use Shohodafrom near (IR2000) Sq.Minibuses arrive atVahdat Sqandleave (unofficially) (IR6000,45minutes)Savaris fromRasht THERE&AWAYGETTING Mehmankhaneh Chaharfasl SLEEPING &EATING Sqs perpendiculartoKashef St(400m). Karimi StthatlinksShohada andVahdat western edge of thelake. cation andarestaurant thatoverlooks the equipped roomswithaperfect centrallo- Sq; tw/trIR80,000/95,000; tive wooden higher.slightly to anotherneighbouring hilltop that’sonly Sheikh Zahed; admissionbydonation) Zahed; Sheikh a wooden walkwayallows bathers andbird- Some 22km north,2km beyond Qom, Shiraz and Nardaran(Azerbaijan). pared toequivalentRezasiblings’ tombsin Ashraf, aremarkably modestshrinecom- Tourist Inn Tourist Of several attractiveOf several villages intheap- Several snackbars and Several The blue,pyramidalroof of thedistinc- of Reza’s brother Seyid Jalal of Reza’sbrotherSeyid od-Din h 9am-dusk)

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(Boq’eh , near ﺁﺳﺘﺎﻧﻪ , lus; dIR70,000) 5374; Motahhari St;admissionIR40000; 5374; Motahhari winter, 8am-1pm&4-8pmsummer) old wings/d/steUS$40/57/76; Mosaferkhaneh TavakolMosaferkhaneh Sleeping &Eating Sq isablockfurther. Noshahr (6km)atJame Mosque Sq.Azadi and airport(4km)before reaching central ing theMalek and KouroshHotels (2km) alus whileNoshahrBlvdleadseast pass- leads westacrossabridge intocentral Ch- mast). Fromthissquare, 17Shahrivar St Sq inChalus(marked telephone byatall Chalus–Karaj atMo’allem roadthatstarts reason thespectacular tocomeisuse zaar aroundcentralAzadiSq.Themain manicured gardensandaneatlittleba- is themore attractive, withpalmtrees, twintowns, Of these Noshahr (Nowshahr) x CHALUS &NOSHAHR wonderful tothe seafront upfromthetatty sweeps tively. Agrandavenue of palmyrapalms conjoinfairlyattrac- andsea mountains barely of a glimpse beach, butat The tiresome coastroadoffers Caspian RAMSAR reed-choked lagoon. marred beach across avaguelyattractive watchers accesstoapredictably rubbish- shared toilet,noshowers and astrict10am utes’ walkwest,the appendage (20%cheaper). Justfive min- a drearily ordinary1970sconcrete-box more spacioussuite. Avoid thenewwing, but fairvalue,especiallyifyouoptfora sive. Roomsare somewhatlessluxurious the manicured rear gardensare impres- wing’ lobby oozes neo-colonialcharm and eadst (p175). Kelardasht wheresabad aforest roadshort-cuts to (aka Shahsavar) forChalusviaAbba- ally have tochange savaris inTonekabon Sq)you’llusu- (from Basij Sq. Eastbound Alamut ( p183 ). for relaxing themusclesafter thetrek from isideal a(male-only)bathhouse between the 1937summerpalaceof RezaShah. In Westbound savaris use ImamKhomeiniWestbound savaris use 0191 /pop83,000 TheTavakol hasbasicrooms, Ramsar Grand Hotel GrandHotel Ramsar WESTERN IRAN •• Ramsar WESTERN IRAN••Ramsar Caspian Museum Museum Caspian ( x ﻧﻮﺷﻬﺮ 222 2157;centralCha- pa is housed in ishoused ( x )

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Akbariyeh Mosque Akbariyeh bathhouse (Satan’s Mountain) cable-car thatwilleventu- h ﺍﻃﺮﺍﻑ Chahar Padeshah Padeshah Chahar lonelyplanet.com 8am-6pm Tue-Sun)

(10 min ride return (10 minride (shower/massage

( x

ﻭ , atree-

224 1003; ﻻﻫﻴﺠﺎﻥ (4th West Jameh

Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Room’. Someroomsare windowless. bathrooms upsteps marked ‘Drawing share separate rooms withfridge andTV the bestknownis hinterland, mountain pealing semi-alpine bypass). eastofsoleum canalsobeglimpsed the road(fromwhich the mau- main Ramsar the smalltea-field lanethatparallelsthe ofcascade atthebase Sheitan Kuh.Take 2.3kmeastofsetting theartificial lakeside 1913fire.a devastating It’sinaquiet,rural present mausoleum,which wasrebuilt after of 116(1218–1334).That’slonger thanthe here lived supposedly totheripeoldage architectural icon.Theholymanburied off Sepah Sq;twUS$45; off Sepah IR30,000; lonelyplanet.com night) That’s tovisitthe totheirbusypilgrimage schedules. Lahijan, Die-hard ImamRezafansadd Ashrafiyeh Astaneh-ye tion 200mnortheastof theTouristInn. transport leaves Sq,ajunc- fromnearBasij andChalus 1.5km furtherwest.ForRamsar Entezam Sqabout savarisand official use Shohodafrom near (IR2000) Sq.Minibuses arrive atVahdat Sqandleave (unofficially) (IR6000,45minutes)Savaris fromRasht THERE&AWAYGETTING Mehmankhaneh Chaharfasl SLEEPING &EATING Sqs perpendiculartoKashef St(400m). Karimi StthatlinksShohada andVahdat western edge of thelake. cation andarestaurant thatoverlooks the equipped roomswithaperfect centrallo- Sq; tw/trIR80,000/95,000; Sheikh Zahed; admissionbydonation) Zahed; Sheikh tive wooden higher.slightly to anotherneighbouring hilltop that’sonly a wooden walkwayallows bathers andbird- Some 22km north,2km beyond Qom, Shiraz and Nardaran(Azerbaijan). pared toequivalentRezasiblings’ tombsin Ashraf, aremarkably modestshrinecom- Tourist Inn Tourist Of several attractiveOf several villages intheap- Several snackbars and Several The blue,pyramidalroof of thedistinc- of Reza’s brother Seyid Jalal of Reza’sbrotherSeyid od-Din h 9am-dusk)

(Boq’eh , near ﺁﺳﺘﺎﻧﻪ , lus; dIR70,000) winter, 8am-1pm&4-8pmsummer) St;admissionIR40000; 5374; Motahhari old wings/d/steUS$40/57/76; Mosaferkhaneh TavakolMosaferkhaneh Sleeping &Eating Sq isablockfurther. Noshahr (6km)atJame Mosque Sq.Azadi and airport(4km)before reaching central ing theMalek and KouroshHotels (2km) alus whileNoshahrBlvdleadseast pass- leads westacrossabridge intocentral Ch- mast). Fromthissquare, 17Shahrivar St Sq inChalus(marked telephone byatall Chalus–Karaj atMo’allem roadthatstarts reason thespectacular tocomeisuse zaar aroundcentralAzadiSq.Themain manicured gardensandaneatlittleba- is themore attractive, withpalmtrees, twintowns, Of these Noshahr (Nowshahr) x CHALUS &NOSHAHR barely of a glimpse beach, butat The tiresome coastroadoffers Caspian RAMSAR reed-choked lagoon. marred beach across avaguelyattractive watchers accesstoapredictably rubbish- wonderful tothe seafront upfromthetatty sweeps tively. Agrandavenue of palmyrapalms conjoinfairlyattrac- andsea mountains shared toilet,noshowers and astrict10am utes’ walkwest,the appendage (20%cheaper). Justfive min- a drearily ordinary1970sconcrete-box more spacioussuite. Avoid thenewwing, but fairvalue,especiallyifyouoptfora sive. Roomsare somewhatlessluxurious the manicured rear gardensare impres- wing’ lobby oozes neo-colonialcharm and eadst (p175). Kelardasht wheresabad aforest roadshort-cuts to (aka Shahsavar) forChalusviaAbba- ally have tochange savaris inTonekabon Sq)you’llusu- (from Basij Sq. Eastbound Alamut ( p183 ). for relaxing themusclesafter thetrek from isideal a(male-only)bathhouse between the 1937summerpalaceof RezaShah. In Westbound savaris use ImamKhomeiniWestbound savaris use 0191 /pop83,000 TheTavakol hasbasicrooms, Ramsar Grand Hotel GrandHotel Ramsar WESTERN IRAN •• Ramsar WESTERN IRAN••Ramsar Caspian Museum Museum Caspian ( x ﻧﻮﺷﻬﺮ 222 2157;centralCha- pa is housed in ishoused ( x )

h . Its‘old ﻭ

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN heart of Noshahr. lift). It’sconveniently atthe positionedright and port)fromthefifth-floor rooftop (no guests thebeautifulviews(tomountains speaks someEnglish andiskeen toshow decorating theirdoors. Manager Maziyar able, cosyroomshave cutesy strawbows Sq, Noshahr; twIR150,000-250,000; Sq, Noshahr; turn besideTejarat Bank. Mo’allem Sqinalaneoff 17Shahrivar St: check-out time. It’sashort strollfrom 174 ghasemi to IR67,000) chicken and Kiev ing fromsteaks andfishdishes (IR41,000 11pm) hasafinemenu(inEnglish) rang- rant (opennoonto3.30pmand 8pmto operates summeronly.Thehiprestau- ist furniture. Theoutdoorswimmingpool double beds.Suites have playfulmodern- pleasing décor,bathroomsandgood-sized 600,000; Blvd;s/d/tr/ste IR180,000/250,000/350,000/ Noshahr Blvd; twIR200,000-450,000; Hotel Malek Malek Hotel Shahlizar Hotel Hotel Shahlizar Kourosh Hotel Kourosh Hotel downpours mustseemexotic. Butfew foreigners have ever shared theirenthusiasm. plateau, theCaspianrestaurants coast’sregular Forpeoplefromthedesert namedBarun(Rain). incorporatesRasht raindropsintothecalligraphyofitswelcomesign.There are even seaside thecoastis,theymightmeanbecauseofalllovelyIranians tell rain. youhowwonderful don’tseemtomindtoomuch.Aftermakers all,swimminginfullchadorisn’tmuchfun. When 15cm to20cmperyear. are Those beachesthatsurvived mostlygrey andugly,butlocalholiday- the reality isn’tvery beautiful.Between1977and1994Caspian Sealevels roseanastonishing possible extinction. Caspian sturgeon,slow-growing whichproduces95%ofthe world’s caviar,butisnowfacing threatened fishstocksthere. Allthisalongwithheavyover-fishing worryforthe isaparticular Mnemiopsis Leydiyi an astonishing20,000sqkmoftheCaspian. Scientistsare alsoworriedbytheappearanceof water-weeds which,insummer2005,coveredalgal bloom,thevastannualgrowthsofsurface can escape. Pollutionalongwithclimate changeare probablytoblameforincreasingly severe rivers, notablytheVolga. Andat26.5mbelowsealevel, there’s nooutletfromwhichpollution mud volcanoesandoilvents addtothemurkofindustrialeffluentflowinginthroughitstributary mensely valuableoffshore oilfields. The debate continues. all littoralstates. definitionhasvasteconomic implicationsgiven Sotheexact theCaspian’s im- slice ofany‘sea’itborders. resources Butwitha‘lake’, belowmustbeshared equallyamong more thanpettysemantics. Ininternational itsownterritorial legalterms, eachnationdeserves and Azerbaijan can’tdecideiftheCaspian’s atall.Perhaps alake it’sa‘sea’.That’sKazakhstan) itbyfartheworld’slargestmakes lake. Ordoesit?Itslittoralstates (Iran,Russia,Turkmenistan, At isfive 370,000sqkmtheCaspian (Darya-yeKhazar) timesthesize Superior. ofLake That CASPIANSEA THE MIGHTY WESTERNIRAN••Chalus&Noshahr To Westerners broughtupreading CSLewis novels, thename‘Caspian’ soundsromantic. Sadly The Caspian hasmanyenvironmentalworries(seewww.caspianenvironment.org). Under-sea pais (IR21,000). ( x ( x ( x 222 4107; www.hotelmalek.com; 222 4107;www.hotelmalek.com; (acombjellyfish)whoseexplosive 1990’sreproduction intheBlackSeahad 222 3940; fax 222 4174; Noshahr 222 3940;fax 2224174;Noshahr ) 325 0001; fax 323 2090; Azadi 325 0001;fax3232090;Azadi Stylishroomshave pas a ) Across the ) Comfort- mirza h sauna andsmallpool. sauna café, trendy coffee shop,fitnessroom, pine-fresh interiors, there’s acourtyard road fromtheMalek, roomshere have Iran Aseman &Around There Getting until late evening. Noshahr (IR1500,15minutes) operate from Mo’allemSq toJameh MosqueSq, here fromMo’allemSq. Shuttle taxis ern bypass.Shuttle (IR1000)drive taxis venient terminal off Chalus’ southwest- anincon- use andRasht Lahijan Ramsar, Sq inNoshahr. to Westbound minibuses a block eastof(IR6500/20,000) start Azadi savaris toNur(IR2200/5000) andAmol minibuses/ an adjacentyard.Eastbound ardasht (IR10,000,onehour)leave from south of Mo’allemSq.Savaris toKel- small terminal ontheKaraj road,1.5km frequent savaris (IR60,000)leave froma (IR329,000). both Tehran (IR195,000)andMashhad To Tehran, (IR40,000)andmore buses 7am-4pm) has twice weekly flights to flights hastwiceweekly

( x Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels 322 5217; Karimi St, Noshahr; St,Noshahr; 322 5217;Karimi lonelyplanet.com Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Valasht MountainLake part-paved leadsuptomuch-vaunted road pected fromnotoriouslyantisocialclouds. lus. Dress upwarmlyandexpecttheunex- 14kmwestof highway, Cha- the mainRasht Mt Medovin. is2kmoff Theropewaystation 2012; admissionIR50,000; h marked onto photosof variouspeaks. of postcardswithsuggested climbing routes agreat show youclimbing mapsandsell set here canhelparrange mulesand guides,can long viewstake the For extraordinaryCaspian Namak Abrud AROUND CHALUS lonelyplanet.com peak fees) at the youshouldsignin (andpayUS$20 starting Ascents 20kmfromRudbarak.Before start are much easieralternative routes tothetop. special challenge forclimbers, there though ite most technical. An800mnear-vertical gran- which and at 4850m isIran’sthirdtallest 4000m peaks,including The Alborzoffers of climbers aselection ACTIVITIES ankeif soaring behindthetown.At viewsoftacular snow-toothedAlamKuh particularly impressive spec- withseveral proaching Kelardasht fromMarzanabad is summer air. panoramaap- Themountain climbingandplentyofmountain coolfresh fishing, cross-country skiing,trekking, Tehranis. Surroundingareas offer trout lar Caspian-area getaway fornature-loving ofdise Iran’.It’sprobably themostpopu- peaks, Kelardasht isnicknamedthe‘Para- towering,broad-shouldered Cupped between x Kelardasht ankeif Sq.More traditional an internet caféare clustered toHas- close erasion-e-Kuh Navardi; erasion-e-Kuh down withrocks. with slate orwood-slatroofs anchored find afew old Here, amidtheholidayhomes,youcan still most hikes, withfewer though direct views. pointfor andthestarting to themountains around 5kmsouthof Hasankeif. It’scloser Kelardasht’s commercialcentre is call ahead) 0192 /pop23,100 wall Namak Abrud where mostof theshops,banksand makes the mountain’s north face a makes northfacea themountain’s , 7.4kmfromHasankeif Sq. Staff log-framed barns Mountaineering Federation Mountaineering

cable car x h . 264 2626;TohidSt,Rudbarak; 10am-3pm) Alam Kuh

(telecabine; Kaleno Rudbarak and houses andhouses , up 1050m , up1050m (Mt Alam), (MtAlam), x ﺁﺑﺮﻭﺩ an11km ﻛﻼﺭﺩﺷﺖ 0192-246 0192-246 starts starts

Has- (Fed- ﻧﻤﻚ meals IR25,000-55,000; aa (p187). Takab it is her book wanderedStark upalmostbymistake in slippery scree. NB:this bolder-jumping ontheglacierandplentyof main knife-edge ridge, butthere’s alotof Soleiman MtTakht-e experienced mountaineers. forhighly even is avery undertaking serious Alamchal (4150m).Climbingthewallitself chal (3900m)andcontinuetoacwmcalled theclimbers’For thewalluse hutatSar- sarchal offers theeasiersummitapproach. trek tooneof huts.He- twobase-camp IR400,000-800,000) IR500,000) Rudbarak; small/bigsteIR250,000/500,000,bungalows trIR200,000-450,000) St,Hasankeif; off Nasiri part from Hasankeif Sqnear Melli Bank. hour) take anattractive forest lane andde- savaris toAbbasabadRare (IR10,000, one THERE &AROUND GETTING Azarbayjan Hotel SLEEPING &EATING It’s 1.3kmsouthof Hasankeif Sq. swimming pool,Jacuzzi andbilliard room. A bignewextension shouldsoonoffer much bigger thanthecrampedbathrooms. oddlythekitchenettes though fortable are on Hasankeif Sq. fering favourites IranianandCaspian right cleanpine-ceilingedBright, restaurant of- is a good starting pointforhikes.is agoodstarting views).Thepeacefullocation (no mountain with bathtub,choice of toiletsand abalcony entirely tasteful, thesuites are well-equipped ernist restaurant acrosstheriver. Whilenot tion, lookfortheobviousblue-roofed mod- 700m before Federa- theMountaineering terrace otherguests. isgoodformeeting cost IR100,000extra. Thecommunaldining withsittingrooms beds.Those squeezed-in have gasstove, fridge, bathroomandthree via Modarres Rooms St(forkleftthenright). isjust500mfromHasankeifhomestay Sq by Kelardasht thisovergrown standards, From Sarchal it’salsopossibletoclimb For AlamKuhittakes atleastadayto ArashRestaurant Maral Hotel Hotel Maral Hotel Park Chaman Hotel not WESTERN IRAN••AroundChalus Almost7kmfromHasankeif Sq, the Takht-e near Soleimancitadel Castles of the Assassins Full-blown suites are com- (

x ( x , attheotherendof the h 262 6726;Pasdaran Blvd;ste

( 262 2678; Mahestan 3rd lane 262 2678;Mahestan ( x x 11am-3.30pm &7.30-10pm) is thepeakthatFreya 262 8312; Hasankeif Sq; 262 8312;Hasankeif 264 3159;Park Chaman, . However, . However, Cheap 175

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN heart of Noshahr. lift). It’sconveniently atthe positionedright and port)fromthefifth-floor rooftop (no guests thebeautifulviews(tomountains speaks someEnglish andiskeen toshow decorating theirdoors. Manager Maziyar able, cosyroomshave cutesy strawbows Sq, Noshahr; twIR150,000-250,000; Sq, Noshahr; turn besideTejarat Bank. Mo’allem Sqinalaneoff 17Shahrivar St: check-out time. It’sashort strollfrom 174 ghasemi to IR67,000) chicken and Kiev ing fromsteaks andfishdishes (IR41,000 11pm) hasafinemenu(inEnglish) rang- rant (opennoonto3.30pmand 8pmto operates summeronly.Thehiprestau- ist furniture. Theoutdoorswimmingpool double beds.Suites have playfulmodern- pleasing décor,bathroomsandgood-sized Blvd; twIR200,000-450,000; 600,000; Blvd;s/d/tr/ste IR180,000/250,000/350,000/ Noshahr Hotel Malek Malek Hotel Shahlizar Hotel Hotel Shahlizar Kourosh Hotel Kourosh Hotel downpours mustseemexotic. Butfew foreigners have ever shared theirenthusiasm. plateau, theCaspianrestaurants coast’sregular Forpeoplefromthedesert namedBarun(Rain). incorporatesRasht raindropsintothecalligraphyofitswelcomesign.There are even seaside thecoastis,theymightmeanbecauseofalllovelyIranians tell rain. youhowwonderful don’tseemtomindtoomuch.Aftermakers all,swimminginfullchadorisn’tmuchfun. When 15cm to20cmperyear. are Those beachesthatsurvived mostlygrey andugly,butlocalholiday- the reality isn’tvery beautiful.Between1977and1994Caspian Sealevels roseanastonishing possible extinction. Caspian sturgeon,slow-growing whichproduces95%ofthe world’s caviar,butisnowfacing threatened fishstocksthere. Allthisalongwithheavyover-fishing worryforthe isaparticular Mnemiopsis Leydiyi an astonishing20,000sqkmoftheCaspian. Scientistsare alsoworriedbytheappearanceof water-weeds which,insummer2005,coveredalgal bloom,thevastannualgrowthsofsurface can escape. Pollutionalongwithclimate changeare probablytoblameforincreasingly severe rivers, notablytheVolga. Andat26.5mbelowsealevel, there’s nooutletfromwhichpollution mud volcanoesandoilvents addtothemurkofindustrialeffluentflowinginthroughitstributary mensely valuableoffshore oilfields. The debate continues. all littoralstates. definitionhasvasteconomic implicationsgiven Sotheexact theCaspian’s im- slice ofany‘sea’itborders. resources Butwitha‘lake’, belowmustbeshared equallyamong more thanpettysemantics. Ininternational itsownterritorial legalterms, eachnationdeserves and Azerbaijan can’tdecideiftheCaspian’s atall.Perhaps alake it’sa‘sea’.That’sKazakhstan) itbyfartheworld’slargestmakes lake. Ordoesit?Itslittoralstates (Iran,Russia,Turkmenistan, At isfive 370,000sqkmtheCaspian (Darya-yeKhazar) timesthesize Superior. ofLake That CASPIANSEA THE MIGHTY WESTERNIRAN••Chalus&Noshahr To Westerners broughtupreading CSLewis novels, thename‘Caspian’ soundsromantic. Sadly The Caspian hasmanyenvironmentalworries(seewww.caspianenvironment.org). Under-sea pais (IR21,000). ( x ( x ( x 222 4107; www.hotelmalek.com; 222 4107;www.hotelmalek.com; (acombjellyfish)whoseexplosive 1990’sreproduction intheBlackSeahad 222 3940; fax 222 4174; Noshahr 222 3940;fax 2224174;Noshahr ) 325 0001; fax 323 2090; Azadi 325 0001;fax3232090;Azadi Stylishroomshave pas a ) Across the ) Comfort- mirza h sauna andsmallpool. sauna café, trendy coffee shop,fitnessroom, pine-fresh interiors, there’s acourtyard road fromtheMalek, roomshere have Iran Aseman &Around There Getting until late evening. Noshahr (IR1500,15minutes) operate from Mo’allemSq toJameh MosqueSq, here fromMo’allemSq. Shuttle taxis ern bypass.Shuttle (IR1000)drive taxis venient terminal off Chalus’ southwest- anincon- use andRasht Lahijan Ramsar, Sq inNoshahr. to Westbound minibuses a block eastof(IR6500/20,000) start Azadi savaris toNur(IR2200/5000) andAmol minibuses/ an adjacentyard.Eastbound ardasht (IR10,000,onehour)leave from south of Mo’allemSq.Savaris toKel- small terminal ontheKaraj road,1.5km frequent savaris (IR60,000)leave froma (IR329,000). both Tehran (IR195,000)andMashhad To Tehran, (IR40,000)andmore buses 7am-4pm) has twice weekly flights to flights hastwiceweekly

( x Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels 322 5217; Karimi St, Noshahr; St,Noshahr; 322 5217;Karimi lonelyplanet.com Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Valasht MountainLake part-paved leadsuptomuch-vaunted road h pected fromnotoriouslyantisocialclouds. lus. Dress upwarmlyandexpecttheunex- 14kmwestof highway, Cha- the mainRasht Mt Medovin. is2kmoff Theropewaystation 2012; admissionIR50,000; marked onto photosof variouspeaks. of postcardswithsuggested climbing routes agreat show youclimbing mapsandsell set here canhelparrange mulesand guides,can long viewstake the For extraordinaryCaspian Namak Abrud AROUND CHALUS lonelyplanet.com peak fees) at the youshouldsignin (andpayUS$20 starting Ascents 20kmfromRudbarak.Before start are much easieralternative routes tothetop. special challenge forclimbers, there though ite most technical. An800mnear-vertical gran- which and at 4850m isIran’sthirdtallest 4000m peaks,including The Alborzoffers of climbers aselection ACTIVITIES ankeif Sq.More traditional an internet caféare clustered toHas- close ankeif soaring behindthetown.At viewsoftacular snow-toothedAlamKuh particularly impressive spec- withseveral proaching Kelardasht fromMarzanabad is summer air. panoramaap- Themountain climbingandplentyofmountain coolfresh fishing, cross-country skiing,trekking, Tehranis. Surroundingareas offer trout lar Caspian-area getaway fornature-loving ofdise Iran’.It’sprobably themostpopu- peaks, Kelardasht isnicknamedthe‘Para- towering,broad-shouldered Cupped between x Kelardasht erasion-e-Kuh Navardi; erasion-e-Kuh down withrocks. with slate orwood-slatroofs anchored find afew old Here, amidtheholidayhomes,youcan still most hikes, withfewer though direct views. pointfor andthestarting to themountains around 5kmsouthof Hasankeif. It’scloser Kelardasht’s commercialcentre is call ahead) 0192 /pop23,100 wall Namak Abrud where mostof theshops,banksand makes the mountain’s north face a makes northfacea themountain’s , 7.4kmfromHasankeif Sq. Staff log-framed barns Mountaineering Federation Mountaineering

cable car x h . 264 2626;TohidSt,Rudbarak; 10am-3pm) Alam Kuh

(telecabine; Kaleno Rudbarak and houses andhouses , up 1050m , up1050m (Mt Alam), (MtAlam), x ﺁﺑﺮﻭﺩ an11km ﻛﻼﺭﺩﺷﺖ 0192-246 0192-246 starts starts

Has- (Fed- ﻧﻤﻚ meals IR25,000-55,000; aa (p187). Takab it is her book wanderedStark upalmostbymistake in slippery scree. NB:this bolder-jumping ontheglacierandplentyof main knife-edge ridge, butthere’s alotof Soleiman MtTakht-e experienced mountaineers. forhighly even is avery undertaking serious Alamchal (4150m).Climbingthewallitself chal (3900m)andcontinuetoacwmcalled theclimbers’For thewalluse hutatSar- sarchal offers theeasiersummitapproach. trek tooneof huts.He- twobase-camp IR400,000-800,000) off Nasiri St, Hasankeif; trIR200,000-450,000) St,Hasankeif; off Nasiri part from Hasankeif Sqnear Melli Bank. hour) take anattractive forest lane andde- savaris toAbbasabadRare (IR10,000, one THERE &AROUND GETTING IR500,000) Rudbarak; small/bigsteIR250,000/500,000,bungalows Azarbayjan Hotel SLEEPING &EATING It’s 1.3kmsouthof Hasankeif Sq. swimming pool,Jacuzzi andbilliard room. A bignewextension shouldsoonoffer much bigger thanthecrampedbathrooms. oddlythekitchenettes though fortable are on Hasankeif Sq. fering favourites IranianandCaspian right cleanpine-ceilingedBright, restaurant of- is a good starting pointforhikes.is agoodstarting views).Thepeacefullocation (no mountain with bathtub,choice of toiletsand abalcony entirely tasteful, thesuites are well-equipped ernist restaurant acrosstheriver. Whilenot tion, lookfortheobviousblue-roofed mod- 700m before Federa- theMountaineering terrace otherguests. isgoodformeeting cost IR100,000extra. Thecommunaldining withsittingrooms beds.Those squeezed-in have gasstove, fridge, bathroomandthree via Modarres Rooms St(forkleftthenright). isjust500mfromHasankeifhomestay Sq by Kelardasht thisovergrown standards, From Sarchal it’salsopossibletoclimb For AlamKuhittakes atleastadayto ArashRestaurant Maral Hotel Hotel Maral Hotel Park Chaman Hotel not WESTERN IRAN••AroundChalus Almost7kmfromHasankeif Sq, the Takht-e near Soleimancitadel Castles of the Assassins Full-blown suites are com- (

x ( x , attheotherendof the h 262 6726;Pasdaran Blvd;ste

( 262 2678; Mahestan 3rd lane 262 2678;Mahestan ( x x 11am-3.30pm &7.30-10pm) is thepeakthatFreya 262 8312; Hasankeif Sq; 262 8312;Hasankeif 264 3159;Park Chaman, . However, . However, Cheap 175

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN quiet side trip to Baladeh ( quiet sidetriptoBaladeh p334 ). route. If driving,consider thecontrastingly ern halfof theroadviaanentirely different expressway bypass thesouth- willeventually deface someof andanew theuppersections plans. Massive workscurrently engineering becomes one-way,which canmessupyour ing maniacs.Onafew key holidaystheroad given thesuicidaldrivingstyleof thespeed- conditions, it’shardtofocusonthescenery route canbeperilousand,especiallyinicy tion remains stoppingen striking.However, feat ofthe engineering theroad’sconstruc- steep-cut forestbly downthrough valleys andasyouslitherinexora- into theseason anywhere inwestern Iran. fill uptheir vehicles enroute forvirtually outside where and cardrivers passingbuses loop of motorway) ortheexpressway lay-by main terminal (7kmaway by adouble-back fringe of the town.Fordestinationswestuse depart fromHafez atthenorthern Sqright Chalus-bound is plentybadenough! savaris snared intheTehran Karaj’s traffic. gridlock road withoutgettingChalus mountain en- to transfer Qazvinandthebeautiful between ellers, theonlyconceivablereason tostopis commuter dormitory-town.Formosttrav- from Tehran. Todayit’savast,sprawling here (1966), Karaj wasapeacefulescape designheraspiral-roofedWright palace When theShah’s sister hadFrankLloyd x KARAJ surrounding peaksremain are beautifulalmostimmediately. Soaring the Haraz (Amol–Tehran) road,landscapes ily justifyavisittoChalus/Noshahr. Unlike ulously scenic trans-Alborz roadwouldeas- Were thisfab- itnotfortheterrifying traffic, Road Karaj–Chalus requires chartering a 2pm ineitherdirection. 3km eastof Hasankeif departingat8amand Safar/TalayiRahat SafarofficeinZibardast, Tehran’s westterminal leave fromthetiny the square. (IR30,000,five Buses hours) to hours) leave 400mnorthof fromastand 3½ hours) andKaraj (IR50,000/70,000,2¾ and Tehran (back/frontIR60,000/80,000, Savaris toChalus(IR10,000,onehour) 176 IR50,000) Transport withinKelardasht usually 0191 /pop2,594,000 WESTERNIRAN••Karaj . taxi

( snow-topped x 262 9191;perhr ﻛﺮﺝ late late 11am-11pm Fri) 11am-11pm Fri) Sat-Thu) nei Blvd) Information for randomstrolling. its southeastare themostatmosphericareas as SabzMeydan. Thebazaarandalleysto The citycentre isAzadiSq,widelyknown Orientation in 1598. his successor,Shah Abbas upcourt I,set only adress rehearsal where forEsfahan, architectural plan forQazvinproved tobe A great patronof thearts,hisambitious ferred thePersian here capital fromTabriz. favid shah,Tahmasp I(r1524–76), trans- burst of Sa- prominencewhenthesecond much laterfine buildings.Ithadasecond, rulers, whoerectedunder theSeljuk many in the3rdcenturyAD,Qazvinprospered kingShapurFounded bytheSassanian I History AlamutValley.in themarvellous ofsions tothefamousCastles theAssassins foremost role isasalaunch pointforexcur- butformostWestern travellerssights, its and hasaconsiderablesprinklingof minor ofgrapes. Thecitywasoncecapital allIran Qazvin isfamedforcarpetsandseedless x QAZVIN Tourist informationbooth Tourist TOURIST INFORMATION Exchange Sharifi MONEY Coffeenet Shahbda Parsee Coffeenet Coffeenet Yahoo Coffeenet All charge IR6000perhour. ACCESSINTERNET information available, if you ask the right questions. information available,ifyouaskthe right andhasmassesmore detailed curiosities architectural It canarrangeguidesto getyouintonormallyclosed inEnglish). great free mapsanduseful brochures (partly informationoffices,offering Iran’s mostprofessional tourist Sat-Thu) thisisone of KushkGate, Facing Rah thehistoric St; Naderi tourism.com; h Khayyam St; Khayyam 0281 /pop342,000 9.30am-10pm Sat-Thu, 10am-11pmFri)

Setayesh Setayesh h 9am-midnight) (Khayyam St; (Khayyam (FerdosiSt; ( x ( ( h x x 223 0119;TousDeadend,off 8am-12.30pm &5-7pm 223 9093;Modarres Blvd; 332 0571; Ayatollah Khame- 332 0571;Ayatollah ( x h h 335 4708;www.qazvin 9am-1pm &5-8pm 9am-11pm Sat-Thu, lonelyplanet.com ﻗﺰﻭﻳﻦ closed Mon) & 4-6.30pm winter, 9am-12.30pm&5-7.30pmsummer, Helel-e-Ahmar St;admissionIR3000; Helel-e-Ahmar your diaryinpeace. ment. Agreat placetounwindandwrite up and arefreshingly cool, brickvaulted base- didly gaudywood,glassandmirrorinterior look much fromoutside,buthasasplen- admission IR2000; Inside isanew thefoliage.glass windowsglowingthrough balustrades floodlitanditsback-litcoloured- cially photogenic withitsdelicate atnight, the town’slittlecentralparkitlooksespe- greatly remodelled intheQajar in era. Set Tahmasp’s this attractive, colonnadedcubewasShah When QazvintookitsturnasIran’scapital, CHEHEL SOTUN Sights lonelyplanet.com fine Bazaar-e Vazim, pays idle wandering. Attheeastendof the The fascinating covered bazaaramplyre- BAZAAR &CRAFT WORKSHOPS This large, well-proportioned IMAMZADEH-YE HOSSEIN 1773 well-preserved Tucked gardenisthe awayinawalledrose HOSSEINIYEH AMINIHA impressively expansive courtyard. with itsMogul-styletopknotsalsohasan very Qajar-era appealing huge the early17thcentury, Built in1115, but extensively remodelled in MOSQUES This spaciousmodern QAZVIN MUSEUM on astick. tyrs’ graveyard andanaged plane fighter by coloured-brick alcoves. isamar- Behind courtyard surrounded inabigfountain set rates asonof ImamRezaandisconvivially plenty of newmirror tiling.Itcommemo- Qajar façade,a16th-centurybluedomeand lavi StatAminDeadend;admissionIR5000; & 5-8pm) mics fromtheAlamutValley. has some3000-year-old bronzesandcera- century decorative artsbutthebottomfloor iwans . It’s a private mansion that doesn’t . It’saprivate mansionthatdoesn’t predominantly features 19th- royal palace andafinemarblemihrab.The h calligraphy museum 9am-1pm &5-8.30pm) Aminiha Hosseiniyeh . Built in 1510, it was . Builtin1510,itwas Saroye Vazir museum Nabi (Shah) Mosque Nabi (Shah) Jameh Mosque h ﺣﺴﻴﻦ ﺍﻣﻴﻨﻴﻬﺎ shrine ( ( isstacked x 9am-12.30pm . h x ﭼﻬﻠﺴﺘﻮﻥ

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its well-preserved windtower.its well-preserved dome andsitsinatinyRussian graveyard. hasa blue-brick belfry(Borj-e-Naghus) backstreets. lornly lostinthewarren of banalmodern conical spire for- andKuficscriptseems rest area isattractive. Men only. toremainhouses active. Thedomedcentral of Qazvin’straditionalsubterranean bath- h sive once-vast citywalls.Themuch more mas- little Qajar decorative remnants of Qazvin’s police postsodon’ttake photographs. a kindof forbiddeninnercity.Todayit’sa 16th-century gateway totheroyalprecinct, enced trekking and climbingguide whopays maps of the Alborz(IR15,000). hiking sticks(IR70,000) and1:300,000Farsi head torches (IR30,000toIR50,000), sprung great-valuesells campinggear including ( Alamut-area hikes. Qazvin isagoodplacetoprepare for Activities century exciting. Even thecolourfullydomed14th- toric buildings,butfew are atallvisually Tourist mapsmarkdozensof otherhis- OTHER SIGHTS Tehran Gate GATES Sardar cisterns the mostimpressive fromoutsideare the make aspecialtrip,butifyou’re passing Sadly getting inisrarely possiblesodon’t underground andcooledbywindtowers. domed cisterns where water was stored Qazvin hassomeof Iran’sbest-preserved CISTERNS Molavi Standthere’s a cushion maker odd door-maker workshop. A andmetal which between you’llstillfindtheserais caravan- wonderfullydown-at-heel several withbundledoldcarpets.It’soneofhigh near Shohada Sq. Kushk Gate x Safa Hammam The cute, 20th-century Mehdi Babayi Mehdi 7am-7pm Sat-Thu, 7am-2pmFri) 222 4551;Ferdosi St; Ali Qapu Amineh Khatun shrine Amineh Khatun (Darbe Kousht; Naderi St) (DarbeKousht;Naderi

(Darvazeh-e-Qadim-e-Tehran) (Helel-e-Ahmar St) (Helel-e-Ahmar reveals hiscraftinanalleyoff andthe WESTERN IRAN •• Qazvin WESTERN IRAN••Qazvin

( (Molavi StatTaqavi Alley;bathIR5000; x 0912-682 3228) h Nakhajir Camping Shop Camping Nakhajir Haji Kazem Cistern Cistern Haji Kazem 8am-1pm &4-9pmSat-Thu) traditional shoemaker is thebestknown wasoriginallya withfineblue are twodinky Kantur Church Kantur isanexperi- and with 177 Rah

( snow-topped x 262 9191;perhr ﻛﺮﺝ late late 11am-11pm Fri) 11am-11pm Fri) nei Blvd) Sat-Thu) Information for randomstrolling. its southeastare themostatmosphericareas as SabzMeydan. Thebazaarandalleysto The citycentre isAzadiSq,widelyknown Orientation in 1598. his successor,Shah Abbas upcourt I,set only adress rehearsal where forEsfahan, architectural plan forQazvinproved tobe A great patronof thearts,hisambitious ferred thePersian here capital fromTabriz. favid shah,Tahmasp I(r1524–76), trans- burst of Sa- prominencewhenthesecond much laterfine buildings.Ithadasecond, rulers, whoerectedunder theSeljuk many in the3rdcenturyAD,Qazvinprospered kingShapurFounded bytheSassanian I History AlamutValley.in themarvellous ofsions tothefamousCastles theAssassins foremost role isasalaunch pointforexcur- butformostWestern travellerssights, its and hasaconsiderablesprinklingof minor ofgrapes. Thecitywasoncecapital allIran Qazvin isfamedforcarpetsandseedless x QAZVIN information available, if you ask the right questions. information available,ifyouaskthe right andhasmassesmore detailed curiosities architectural It canarrangeguidesto getyouintonormallyclosed inEnglish). great free mapsanduseful brochures (partly informationoffices,offering Iran’s mostprofessional tourist Sat-Thu) thisisone of KushkGate, Facing Rah thehistoric St; Naderi tourism.com; informationbooth Tourist TOURIST INFORMATION Exchange Sharifi MONEY Coffeenet Shahbda Parsee Coffeenet Coffeenet Yahoo Coffeenet All charge IR6000perhour. ACCESSINTERNET h Khayyam St; Khayyam 0281 /pop342,000 9.30am-10pm Sat-Thu, 10am-11pmFri)

Setayesh Setayesh h 9am-midnight) (Khayyam St; (Khayyam (FerdosiSt; ( x ( ( h x x 223 0119;TousDeadend,off 8am-12.30pm &5-7pm 223 9093;Modarres Blvd; 332 0571; Ayatollah Khame- 332 0571;Ayatollah ( x h h 335 4708;www.qazvin 9am-1pm &5-8pm 9am-11pm Sat-Thu, lonelyplanet.com ﻗﺰﻭﻳﻦ closed Mon) & 4-6.30pm winter, 9am-12.30pm&5-7.30pmsummer, Helel-e-Ahmar St;admissionIR3000; Helel-e-Ahmar your diaryinpeace. ment. Agreat placetounwindandwrite up and arefreshingly cool, brickvaulted base- didly gaudywood,glassandmirrorinterior look much fromoutside,buthasasplen- admission IR2000; HHLSTN Tahmasp’s this attractive, colonnadedcubewasShah When QazvintookitsturnasIran’scapital, CHEHEL SOTUN Sights lonelyplanet.com fine Bazaar-e Vazim, pays idle wandering. Attheeastendof the The fascinating covered bazaaramplyre- BAZAAR &CRAFT WORKSHOPS on astick. tyrs’ graveyard andanaged plane fighter by coloured-brick alcoves. isamar- Behind courtyard surrounded inabigfountain set rates asonof ImamRezaandisconvivially plenty of newmirror tiling.Itcommemo- Qajar façade,a16th-centurybluedomeand This large, well-proportioned IMAMZADEH-YE HOSSEIN & 5-8pm) lavi StatAminDeadend;admissionIR5000; 1773 well-preserved Tucked gardenisthe awayinawalledrose HOSSEINIYEH AMINIHA huge the early17thcentury, Built in1115, but extensively remodelled in MOSQUES This spaciousmodern QAZVIN MUSEUM Inside isanew thefoliage.glass windowsglowingthrough balustrades floodlitanditsback-litcoloured- cially photogenic withitsdelicate atnight, the town’slittlecentralparkitlooksespe- greatly remodelled intheQajar in era. Set impressively expansive courtyard. with itsMogul-styletopknotsalsohasan very Qajar-era appealing mics fromtheAlamutValley. has some3000-year-old bronzesandcera- century decorative artsbutthebottomfloor iwans . It’s a private mansion that doesn’t . It’saprivate mansionthatdoesn’t predominantly features 19th- royal palace andafinemarblemihrab.The h calligraphy museum 9am-1pm &5-8.30pm) Aminiha Hosseiniyeh . Built in 1510, it was . Builtin1510,itwas Saroye Vazir museum Nabi (Shah) Mosque Nabi (Shah) Jameh Mosque h ﺣﺴﻴﻦ ﺍﻣﻴﻨﻴﻬﺎ shrine ( ( isstacked x 9am-12.30pm . h x ﭼﻬﻠﺴﺘﻮﻥ

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backstreets. lornly lostinthewarren of banalmodern conical spire for- andKuficscriptseems windtower.its well-preserved dome andsitsinatinyRussian graveyard. hasa blue-brick belfry(Borj-e-Naghus) rest area isattractive. Men only. toremainhouses active. Thedomedcentral of Qazvin’straditionalsubterranean bath- h sive once-vast citywalls.Themuch more mas- little Qajar decorative remnants of Qazvin’s police postsodon’ttake photographs. a kindof forbiddeninnercity.Todayit’sa 16th-century gateway totheroyalprecinct, enced trekking and climbingguide whopays maps of the Alborz(IR15,000). hiking sticks(IR70,000) and1:300,000Farsi head torches (IR30,000toIR50,000), sprung great-valuesells campinggear including ( Alamut-area hikes. Qazvin isagoodplacetoprepare for Activities century exciting. Even thecolourfullydomed14th- toric buildings,butfew are atallvisually Tourist mapsmarkdozensof otherhis- OTHER SIGHTS Tehran Gate GATES Sardar cisterns the mostimpressive fromoutsideare the make aspecialtrip,butifyou’re passing Sadly getting inisrarely possiblesodon’t underground andcooledbywindtowers. domed cisterns where water was stored Qazvin hassomeof Iran’sbest-preserved CISTERNS near Shohada Sq. Molavi Standthere’s a cushion maker odd door-maker workshop. A andmetal which between you’llstillfindtheserais caravan- wonderfullydown-at-heel several withbundledoldcarpets.It’soneofhigh Kushk Gate x The cute, 20th-century Safa Hammam Mehdi Babayi Mehdi 7am-7pm Sat-Thu, 7am-2pmFri) 222 4551;Ferdosi St; Ali Qapu Amineh Khatun shrine Amineh Khatun (Darbe Kousht; Naderi St) (DarbeKousht;Naderi

(Darvazeh-e-Qadim-e-Tehran) (Helel-e-Ahmar St) (Helel-e-Ahmar reveals hiscraftinanalleyoff andthe WESTERN IRAN •• Qazvin WESTERN IRAN••Qazvin

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 178 To Rasht 45 (177km) 40 4 6 1 3 2 5 QAZVIN Hamadan (227km) Zanjan (170km); Soltaniyeh (132km); To Takestan(33km); WESTERNIRAN••Qazvin Hamadan Dorah-e 43 Sardar SmallerCistern...... Sardar BigCistern...... Safa Hammam...... Rah KushkGate...... Qazvin Museum...... Nakhajir CampingShop...... Nabi (Shah)Mosque...... Kantur Church...... Jameh Mosque...... Imamzadeh-ye Hossein...... Haji KazemCistern...... Cushion-Maker...... Chehel Sotun...... Aminiha Hosseiniyeh...... Amineh KhatunShrine...... Ali Qapu...... Tourist InformationBooth...... Sharifi Exchange...... Shahbda Coffeenet...... Post Office...... Parsee Coffeenet...... Coffeenet Setayesh...... ofee ao...... C3 Coffeenet Yahoo...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION ὈὈ ὈὈ 41

13 Asadabaadi St Tabriz St AC Darvazeh

Montazeri St Montazeri Nawab Safavi Rasht Bahonar Mosque &Cistern Mollah Verdikhan

Imam Khomeini St Khomeini Imam

Jomhuri-ye Eslami Blvd Eslami Jomhuri-ye Buali St Buali 10 12 Hasanpur Sq Alley Ansari 31 Ὀ 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 21 Molavi St

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Ali Jane Ali Bazaar ὆὆὆ ὆὆὆ A5 C6 B5 C3 C4 C4 B4 C4 B5 B6 A5 B4 B4 B5 C5 B5 C3 C3 C4 B4 C4 D5

35 Ansari Peyghambarieh Sa'di St Asgh 30 17 ari La B Pizza Yekta...... Nobahar...... Hezardasan...... Chaykhaneh Aqaqia...... Mehmanpazir Merkezi...... Mehmanpazir Buali...... Marmar Hotel...... Khaksar Hotel...... Hotel Iran...... Alborz Hotel...... Traditional Shoemaker...... Tehran Gate...... EATING SLEEPING gbl...... C4 Eghbali......

Satimi 3rd Alley Felestin St Felestin Helalabad Peyghambarieh Ahoui Resalat St 14 Station (600m)

Khamda Mafi 32 Obeyd-e Zarani St 27

To Train

15 Hajkarama Sq

Alley Momei

Nili Shohoda St Shohoda Ὀ 8

Helel-e- 4 25

11 Naderi St Shahid FayazbakhshSt

38 Shohoda

Azadi 19 Alley Javaheri Golesorkh 7 Sq 22 20

Sq Kabir House Amir Alavi

Ahmar37

18 Tehran Qadim Tehran

33 Taleqani Shahrdari Ferdosi St Church Rafie 6

Adl Sq

Khezri

Sardaran Sq Buali St Buali 36 26 Qane Alley 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 28

C4 B4 C3 B4 B4 B4 D5 C4 B4 C4 B6 C6

Mausoleum 2 Hamdollah Mustawfi Malekabad

Khaleqi Al Kalani Alley 3 Deh Khoda St 16 Ὀ

Afshar Khayyam

Hafezi Alley 0.4miles 600m 0 0 Tous 34 TRANSPORT Tehran...... Hamadan...... TakestanMinibusStand...... (see27) Shuttle TaxisviaAliQaputo Shuttle TaxistoValiasrSq...... (see4) Shuttle TaxistoValiasrSq...... Shuttle TaxistotheBazaar...... Savaris toRasht...... Minibuses toTakestan...... Main BusTerminal...... Istgah Razmiyan...... Arash Safar...... Unofficial SavaristoKaraj& Transport toZanjan,Soltaniyeh& C6 Bazaar...... Shuttle TaxistoAsadabadiSt&

9 Daraee La 5 Blvd Modarres Building Municipality

42 Modarres Blvd Kashami Babai St 24

Sales St Sahed St Tehran Sq 44 Darvazeh Khorramahahr Blvd

Padegan St 39 Valiasr

lonelyplanet.com Ayatollah Khameini Blvd Khameini Ayatollah Sq 46 D 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 Tehran (150km) B2 C5 D5 A6 D6 A5 A4 A5 D6 To Qaribqosh Sq (2km); 1 Beheshti 29 yahoo.com; Taleqaniyahoo.com; Blvd;s/twUS$25/40; compara tive ly ly compara tive ter thanmostotherQazvin decorated roomswithshared bathrooms.Bet- signing uptohisAlamuttrips. good English,butcompare optionsbefore they turniton!OwnerKarim Noruzispeaks bathrooms andcentralair-conditioning –if furnished roomsare great valuewithgood decently yet eminentlycentral.Thepleasant, vourite manages quiet tobesimultaneously squat toilets. Road noise canbedisturbing. squat toilets.Roadnoise conditioning share very cleanshowers and with top-sheets, rug,fanandcentralair- IR120,000/160,000) 30,000; St; d/trIR100,000/150,000) remember longafter anytrek. word Englishvocabulary;acharacter you’ll lookalike withacomicallydextrous200- hazard. He’s asurreal IranianShane Warne somewhathap- his organisation canseem attention tokey though even safety details, lonelyplanet.com IR80,000/100,000/120,000) stew madewithdicedpistachios. (also spelt Qazvin’s localspecialityis Eating Buali Mehmanpazir Sleeping IR80,000/90,000/120,000) plugs fortheroadrumble. with someweartothefurniture. Bring ear- roomsarefortable graciouslylesslurid, but guard thesoapstonemarblestairs. Com- chandeliers. Littlearmour-clad knights kitsch, overloaded withmouldingsand The Marmar isafestival of nouveau-riche makes low-key point. apleasantly meeting are very shop helpfulandthelobbycoffee bedcovers, WorldTV. towelsandBBC Staff fully equippedmodernroomswithgolden appealing midrange optionhassmallbut in Farsi; Ayatollah Khamenei Blvd;s/dIR400,000/540,000) in Farsi; Khamenei Ayatollah the whole place has a slightly mustysmell. the wholeplacehasaslightly share faultlessly cleanbathrooms,though and and top-sheets windowless) have TVs Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Alborz Hotel Alborz Mehmanpazir Merkezi Mehmanpazir Hotel Iran Hotel Nobahar Marmar Hotel Marmar Khaksar Hotel Khaksar h 10am-4pm Sat-Thu)

( x gheymeh nasser

( x

Thispopulartraveller fa- 222 2451;BazarDimaj; mains IR13,000- low-stress bazaar eatery that ( (

x x ( 222 8877;Peyghambarieh St;s/tw x

255 5771; www.marmarhotel.com, 255 5771;www.marmarhotel.com, Neat,spaciousrecently re- /fax 2226631;hotel_alborz_q@ Repapered rooms(some Fairly littlerooms sweet ( x 222 4239; Khaleqi Alley; s/d/tr Alley;s/d/tr 222 4239;Khaleqi

( x Thisisa fairlylarge, 222 3329;BualiSt;s/d/tr 222 6279; Imam Khomeini 222 6279;ImamKhomeini mosaferkhanehs ), a tangy lamb ), atangy qimeh nasar ai ) This .

35,000; sofrakhane sonati iant attempt atgivingitscellarroomthat St,HezardasanKhayyam makes aval- barberry rice. licious is alittletooneattobememorable. Itsde- 83,000; kitchen cauldron. bypointingattherelevant you canchoose 3pm TBT Talayi Alborz Safar Seiro 7.30am, 12,000 Taavoni 6 Tehran frequent IR6500- Safar 2pmSeiro 2½hr 3½hr IR12,000 Rasht IR25,000 3hr IR80,000 Mashhad 2pm, 18hr 7.45am, 7.45am, 7hr 2.30pm IR40,000 Kermanshah 2.30pm 2.45pm Hamadan IR12,000 3½hr 7am 1pm IR65,000 Esfahan Seiro 6hr Departures Duration Destination Fare Talayi, Safar include thefollowing: fromthemainterminal Handy busservices BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI &Away There Getting upstairs. fast-food place. There isabitmore seating tectural smiletothispopularair-conditioned windowsaddalittlearchi- Designer off-line (including stews serves h Sultani caravanserai. Sultani covered access-waytotheworkadaySadd a theentranceisonleftoff ily missed, teahouse haschessteahouse and tentious, cheap anddown-market all-male Valiasr Sq. Blvdeastofrants onAyatollahKhamenei cheaper. There are similarrestau- several dead-end alleyopposite Hotel Alborz,is and reliable food. popular withtravellers foritsEnglish menu isn’t much atmosphere. Nonethelessit’s and despite theoddfake stonefriezethere yam St;mealsIR20,000-40,000; 7-11pm) Eghbali Pizza Yekta Hezardasan Chaykhaneh Aqaqia Chaykhaneh The conviviallycrowdedYas, ina 8am-10pm Sat-Thu) h h Attheupmarket northernendof qimeh nasar

11am-4pm &7-10pm) 11am-3pm &6-11pmSat-Thu, 6-11pmFri) ( x

( x WESTERN IRAN •• Qazvin WESTERN IRAN••Qazvin ( 223 3347;Taleqani St;mainsIR20,000- x 222 2407;Ferdosi St;pizzasIR16,000- feel, buttheoverall effect 335 0100;Hafezi Alley,offKhay- Thiswonderfullyunpre- comesmoundedinto

(off ImamSt;teaIR1000; qimeh nasar nard h Pricesare high 11.30am-3.30pm & toplay.Eas- ), which 179

13 Asadabaadi St Tabriz St AC Darvazeh

Montazeri St Montazeri Nawab Safavi Rasht Bahonar Mosque &Cistern Mollah Verdikhan

Imam Khomeini St Khomeini Imam

Jomhuri-ye Eslami Blvd Eslami Jomhuri-ye Buali St Buali 10 12 Hasanpur Sq Alley Ansari 31 Ὀ 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 21 Molavi St

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Ali Jane Ali Bazaar ὆὆὆ ὆὆὆ A5 C6 B5 C3 C4 C4 B4 C4 B5 B6 A5 B4 B4 B5 C5 B5 C3 C3 C4 B4 C4 D5

Satimi 3rd Alley Felestin St Felestin Helalabad Peyghambarieh Ahoui Resalat St 14 Station (600m)

Khamda Mafi 32 Obeyd-e Zarani St 27

To Train

15 Hajkarama Sq

Alley Momei

Nili Shohoda St Shohoda Ὀ 8

Helel-e- 4 25

11 Naderi St Shahid FayazbakhshSt

38 Shohoda

Azadi 19 Alley Javaheri Golesorkh 7 Sq 22 20

Sq Kabir House Amir Alavi

Ahmar37

18 Tehran Qadim Tehran

33 Taleqani Shahrdari Ferdosi St Church Rafie 6

Adl Sq

Khezri

Sardaran Sq Buali St Buali 36 26 Qane Alley 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 28

C4 B4 C3 B4 B4 B4 D5 C4 B4 C4 B6 C6

Mausoleum 2 Hamdollah Mustawfi Malekabad

Khaleqi Al Kalani Alley 3 Deh Khoda St 16 Ὀ

Afshar Khayyam

9 Daraee La 5 Blvd Modarres Building Municipality

42 Modarres Blvd Kashami Babai St 24

Sales St Sahed St Tehran Sq 44 Darvazeh Khorramahahr Blvd

Padegan St 39 Valiasr

lonelyplanet.com Ayatollah Khameini Blvd Khameini Ayatollah Sq 46 D 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 Tehran (150km) B2 C5 D5 A6 D6 A5 A4 A5 D6 To Qaribqosh Sq (2km); 1 Beheshti 29 yahoo.com; Taleqaniyahoo.com; Blvd;s/twUS$25/40; compara tive ly ly compara tive signing uptohisAlamuttrips. good English,butcompare optionsbefore they turniton!OwnerKarim Noruzispeaks bathrooms andcentralair-conditioning –if furnished roomsare great valuewithgood decently yet eminentlycentral.Thepleasant, vourite manages quiet tobesimultaneously ter thanmostotherQazvin decorated roomswithshared bathrooms.Bet- squat toilets. Road noise canbedisturbing. squat toilets.Roadnoise conditioning share very cleanshowers and with top-sheets, rug,fanandcentralair- 30,000; St; d/trIR100,000/150,000) IR120,000/160,000) remember longafter anytrek. word Englishvocabulary;acharacter you’ll lookalike withacomicallydextrous200- hazard. He’s asurreal IranianShane Warne somewhathap- his organisation canseem attention tokey though even safety details, lonelyplanet.com stew madewithdicedpistachios. (also spelt Qazvin’s localspecialityis Eating IR80,000/100,000/120,000) IR80,000/90,000/120,000) Buali Mehmanpazir Sleeping plugs fortheroadrumble. with someweartothefurniture. Bring ear- roomsarefortable graciouslylesslurid, but guard thesoapstonemarblestairs. Com- chandeliers. Littlearmour-clad knights kitsch, overloaded withmouldingsand The Marmar isafestival of nouveau-riche makes low-key point. apleasantly meeting are very shop helpfulandthelobbycoffee bedcovers, WorldTV. towelsandBBC Staff fully equippedmodernroomswithgolden appealing midrange optionhassmallbut in Farsi; Ayatollah Khamenei Blvd;s/dIR400,000/540,000) in Farsi; Khamenei Ayatollah the whole place has a slightly mustysmell. the wholeplacehasaslightly share faultlessly cleanbathrooms,though and and top-sheets windowless) have TVs Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Alborz Hotel Alborz Merkezi Mehmanpazir Hotel Iran Hotel Nobahar Marmar Hotel Marmar Khaksar Hotel Khaksar h 10am-4pm Sat-Thu)

( x gheymeh nasser

( x

Thispopulartraveller fa- 222 2451;BazarDimaj; mains IR13,000- low-stress bazaar eatery that ( (

x x ( 222 8877;Peyghambarieh St;s/tw x

( x Thisisa fairlylarge, 222 3329;BualiSt;s/d/tr 222 6279; Imam Khomeini 222 6279;ImamKhomeini mosaferkhanehs ), a tangy lamb ), atangy qimeh nasar ai ) This .

35,000; licious is alittletooneattobememorable. Itsde- sofrakhane sonati iant attempt atgivingitscellarroomthat St,HezardasanKhayyam makes aval- barberry rice. 83,000; 3pm TBT Talayi Alborz Safar Seiro 7.30am, 12,000 Taavoni 6 Tehran frequent IR6500- Safar 2pmSeiro 2½hr 3½hr IR12,000 Rasht IR25,000 3hr IR80,000 Mashhad 2pm, 18hr 7.45am, 7.45am, 7hr 2.30pm IR40,000 Kermanshah 2.30pm 2.45pm Hamadan IR12,000 3½hr 7am 1pm IR65,000 Esfahan Seiro 6hr Departures Duration Destination Fare Talayi, Safar include thefollowing: fromthemainterminal Handy busservices BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI &Away There Getting upstairs. fast-food place. There isabitmore seating tectural smiletothispopularair-conditioned windowsaddalittlearchi- Designer off-line kitchen cauldron. bypointingattherelevant you canchoose (including stews serves h Sultani caravanserai. Sultani covered access-waytotheworkadaySadd a theentranceisonleftoff ily missed, haschessteahouse and tentious, cheap anddown-market all-male Valiasr Sq. Blvdeastofrants onAyatollahKhamenei cheaper. There are similarrestau- several dead-end alleyopposite Hotel Alborz,is and reliable food. popular withtravellers foritsEnglish menu isn’t much atmosphere. Nonethelessit’s and despite theoddfake stonefriezethere yam St;mealsIR20,000-40,000; 7-11pm) Eghbali Hezardasan Pizza Yekta Chaykhaneh Aqaqia Chaykhaneh The conviviallycrowdedYas, ina 8am-10pm Sat-Thu) h h Attheupmarket northernendof qimeh nasar

11am-4pm &7-10pm) 11am-3pm &6-11pmSat-Thu, 6-11pmFri) ( x

(off ImamSt;teaIR1000; qimeh nasar nard h Pricesare high 11.30am-3.30pm & toplay.Eas- ), which 179

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Sat-Thu) Switzerland, centralAustralia andSyriaall varied, with scenicsuggestions of Patagonia, scapes are inspirational anddelightfully soaringAlborzpeaks, theland- Beneath the fabled Alamut andShahrud Valleys. tohike,invitation explore andreflect than Few placesinIranoffer amore tempting VALLEYALAMUT to AzadiSqlooproundviathebazaar. nal change atValiasr Sq.Fromtheterminal Buali Sts.Fromthecentre tothebustermi- Azadi Sq(SabzMeydan) viaShahrdari or bound, returning fromValiasr Sqtocentral iteast- but cars canonlyuse andshuttletaxis St/Taleqanidrag (ImamKhomeini Blvd), runbothwaysalongthemain City buses Around Getting ( ets canbeinshortsupply. hours) andtoMashhad at8.45pm,buttick- trains toTabriz at9.10pm(IR39,350,11 at 8amand5.40pm.There are sleeper useful (2½hours) handytrainsleaveFor Zanjan two hours) departat8.30amand10.35am. The best-timedtrainstoTehran (IR5900, TRAIN (Helalabad SqoffSa’diSt) depart very occasionallyfrom (per person/car IR18,000/70,000,1¼hours) 2km eastof Valiasr savaris Sq.Razmiyan hours) departfromgiganticQaribqoshSq, Mo’allem Kalayeh savaris (IR25,000,1¾ ley destinationssavaris are vastlybetter. AlamutVal- forthese Friday). However, (IR10,000, 2½hours) around1.30pm(not around 11amandtoMo’allemKalayeh at Valiasr Sq. onespickup outside (IR30,000).Unofficial TehranOfficial andKaraj savaris leave from 180 Takestan congregate nearby. Dorah-e Hamadan to junction.Minibuses and Hamadan atthebusy stopmomentarily southwest downShahid Fayazbakhsh St. Stthen300m a blockwestalongBeheshti upNaderiSttoSardaranSq,walk tle taxi Rasht also pickup/dropoff. ex-Tehran. x Cranky buses run to Hir (via Razmiyan) runtoHir(viaRazmiyan) Cranky buses For Rasht, savaris departfrom For Rasht, Tabriz enroute toZanjan, Some buses WESTERNIRAN••AlamutValley 222 2260; Helel-e-Ahmar St; 222 2260;Helel-e-Ahmar

(Enqelab Sq) can book for you and sells airtickets canbookforyouandsells where some through buses where buses somethrough : toget there take ashut- h Arash SafarTravel 8am-1pm &4-8pm Istgah Razmiyan Istgah Darvazeh Darvazeh ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺕ

detour to onan8km IR80,000, orIR100,000ifyou tack to Mo’allemKalayeh Ataxi costs Razmiyan. and sunscreen as there’s minimal shade. thelizards. Bringahat birdsong andmeet various degradedfortifications,enjoy the outthe below. Allowatleastanhourtoseek remnants thatdropvertically into thevalley downfromheresite sweeps toouter-wall some otherwallchunks remain. Thecastle where aremnant hintof roundbastionand 20-minute stroll tothetopedge of thecastle towards Hir).Fromthere it’sanobvious to the accesspath(2.5km Castle Lamiasar arrived costsIR20,000up bysavari. Ataxi easy toarrange onwardtransportifyou’ve &LamiasarCastle Razmiyan hinterland ( into theCaspian p183 ). planning amulti-day,cross-Alborz trek ifyou’reand mule-driver) however, iswise, to life thecastles’bare stones. a knowledgeable historiancouldhelpbring there’s noreal reason totake aguide,though can manage Farsi enough tocharter ataxi todosometrekking.at GazorKhan Ifyou orthree anight take yourtime,sleeping from Qazvin.Butit’smuch more funto (110km)inalongdaytripGazor Khan (65km)and sible tovisitbothRazmiyan p182). Kalayeh, is NOT inAlamuttown(akaMo’allem Castle, below thatAlamutCastle ). Beware Castle, p182 interesting are (Alamut atGazorKhan (Lamiasar ) andRazmiyan Assassins are collectively knownasthe world’smostfearedeval religious cultand were theheavily fortifiedlairs of the medi- tresses. Shrouded infabulousmyths, they shattered remnants of over 50ruinedfor- spread rockyknollsandpinnaclesliethe history. Nestledalmostinvisiblyonwidely spiced byauniquelyfascinatingmedieval ily central isastrangely soullessplacebutahand- self Valley’s it- Razmiyan riceterraces. Central and gives wonderfulviewsover theShahrud sometimelessmudhamlets Qazvin passes The windingdescentinto from Razmiyan x There’s noformalaccommodation in A guide(oratleastabag-carryingmule Using amixof it’spos- savaris andtaxis 0272 /pop1800 (see boxed (see text, p182 ). Themost Evan Lake Evan taxi agency en route. With its powerful enroute. Withitspowerful ﻻﻣﻴﺎﺳﺮ

( x 322 2828)

lonelyplanet.com ﮐﺎﺥ

Castles ofthe Castles

ﻭ makes it

ﺭﺍﺯﻣﻴﺎﻥ lonelyplanet.com 0 10 km ALAMUT VALLEY 0 5.0 miles

To Tonekabon; Caspian Sea (22km)

Hir

Lamiasar Castle Bahramabad Razmiyan Falar

Shah

rud Valley Evan Lake Kuchenan Yuj Qazimahaleh Canyons Andej Khoshkhal Rajayi Dasht Mo'allem Alamut Castle Maran Kelayer (Alamut Town) Gazor Khan Salajanbar Kulumlar Zereshk

Salambar Pichebon WESTERN IRAN••AlamutValley Shuta Khan Pass Caravanserai Zavarak Shahrak alley Pichebon Alamut V Garmarud Mt Nargiz Avank Rasht- e Qun Razjero

To Rasht (170km) Savari Stand for Qazvin Moallem Kelayer

To Takestan Qaribkosh (26km) Sq Qazvin Train

Station 181

To Abeyk

(28km) WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Sat-Thu) Switzerland, centralAustralia andSyriaall varied, with scenicsuggestions of Patagonia, scapes are inspirational anddelightfully soaringAlborzpeaks, theland- Beneath the fabled Alamut andShahrud Valleys. tohike,invitation explore andreflect than Few placesinIranoffer amore tempting VALLEYALAMUT to AzadiSqlooproundviathebazaar. nal change atValiasr Sq.Fromtheterminal Buali Sts.Fromthecentre tothebustermi- Azadi Sq(SabzMeydan) viaShahrdari or bound, returning fromValiasr Sqtocentral iteast- but cars canonlyuse andshuttletaxis St/Taleqanidrag (ImamKhomeini Blvd), runbothwaysalongthemain City buses Around Getting ( ets canbeinshortsupply. hours) andtoMashhad at8.45pm,buttick- trains toTabriz at9.10pm(IR39,350,11 at 8amand5.40pm.There are sleeper useful (2½hours) handytrainsleaveFor Zanjan two hours) departat8.30amand10.35am. The best-timedtrainstoTehran (IR5900, TRAIN (Helalabad SqoffSa’diSt) depart very occasionallyfrom (per person/car IR18,000/70,000,1¼hours) 2km eastof Valiasr savaris Sq.Razmiyan hours) departfromgiganticQaribqoshSq, Mo’allem Kalayeh savaris (IR25,000,1¾ ley destinationssavaris are vastlybetter. AlamutVal- forthese Friday). However, (IR10,000, 2½hours) around1.30pm(not around 11amandtoMo’allemKalayeh at Valiasr Sq. onespickup outside (IR30,000).Unofficial TehranOfficial andKaraj savaris leave from 180 Rasht Takestan congregate nearby. Dorah-e Hamadan to junction.Minibuses and Hamadan atthebusy stopmomentarily southwest downShahid Fayazbakhsh St. Stthen300m a blockwestalongBeheshti upNaderiSttoSardaranSq,walk tle taxi also pickup/dropoff. ex-Tehran. x Cranky buses run to Hir (via Razmiyan) runtoHir(viaRazmiyan) Cranky buses For Rasht, savaris departfrom For Rasht, Tabriz enroute toZanjan, Some buses WESTERNIRAN••AlamutValley 222 2260; Helel-e-Ahmar St; 222 2260;Helel-e-Ahmar

( x 322 2828)

lonelyplanet.com ﮐﺎﺥ

Castles ofthe Castles

ﻭ makes it

ﺭﺍﺯﻣﻴﺎﻥ lonelyplanet.com 0 10 km ALAMUT VALLEY 0 5.0 miles

To Tonekabon; Caspian Sea (22km)

Hir

Lamiasar Castle Bahramabad Razmiyan Falar

Shah

rud Valley Evan Lake Kuchenan Yuj Qazimahaleh Canyons Andej Khoshkhal Rajayi Dasht Mo'allem Alamut Castle Maran Kelayer (Alamut Town) Gazor Khan Salajanbar Kulumlar Zereshk

Salambar Pichebon WESTERN IRAN••AlamutValley Shuta Khan Pass Caravanserai Zavarak Shahrak alley Pichebon Alamut V Garmarud Mt Nargiz Avank Rasht- e Qun Razjero

To Rasht (170km) Savari Stand for Qazvin Moallem Kelayer

To Takestan Qaribkosh (26km) Sq Qazvin Train

Station 181

To Abeyk

(28km) WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN NE three truly awesomered-rock side-canyons, The 8km road-spurto beside Andej passes ANDEJ rant Ifyouget stuckhere,itself. ing postfortheregion in butnotasight district centre. transportstag- It’sauseful Kalayeh istheAlamutValley’s one-street Sometimes calledAlamuttown, Mo’allem x Mo’allem Kalayeh power linesandmuddycar-washing spots. stunningly beautifulifitweren’t fornearby backdrop,thetinylakemountain wouldbe 182 around 11.45am. en route. Ortake the returning school bus or IR80,000includingasidetrip to Andej charters taxi For GazorKhan costIR40,000, fromoutlyingvillagesbuses have arrived. except Friday)thatdepartsonce feeder the dreadfully slowbus(IR15,000,daily vin (IR25,000)are anhourquicker than loiter, is 600mfurthereast.Savaris toQaz- town centre, where rare andsavaris buses street 50meastof theeagle statue. The two very simplerooms.It’sonthemain the Assassins to publicconsciousnesswiththepublicationofDameFreya Stark’s1930stravel diary Pakistan (thoughnotatallinIran).Theand northern castleswere forgotten andonlyreturned centurieslater ofTajikistan andnowIsmailiIslamisthepredominantresurfaced faithinparts than thescantyrubblethatdrawsfew travellers ithere. thatmake toavoidfuture difficulties.fortifications That meanstoday it’shistoryandbrilliantscenerymore years inthecaseofGirdkuh!Before moving on,theMongolssystematically destroyedthecastles’ to theirsophisticated water cisterns andvastfoodreserves theycouldholdoutforyears,17 GirdkuhandLamiasar,decidedtoputupafight.Thanks successor).Onlytwofortresses, (Sabbah’s havingearlierforcedthesurrender1256 usingdiplomatictrickery, oftheIsmailis’spiritualleader designed todenigrate IsmailiIslam. Islamictraditionandsuggestingthatthehashishtaleswerepro-science fabricated exaggerations asachampionofthefree-thinking, altogether more HasanSabbah sympatheticversion portraying modern Englishterm ‘assassin’.Orsothestorygoes. Peter Willey’sbook, unwittingly stonedonhashish.This gave themtheirpopularname‘Hashish-iyun’, rootofthe such beliefs byshowingthembeautifulsecret gardensfilledwithenticingyoungmaidenswhile cunninglycultivated themtoparadise. SupposedlySabbah wouldtransport that theiractions leadingpoliticalandreligiousdispatched tomurderorkidnap figures oftheday.They believed ledabizarre, much-fearedpopular myth,Sabbah mercenaryorganisation whosememberswere the followersofHasan-e (1070–1124),spiritual leaderofIslam’sheretical In Ismailisect. Sabbah AlborzmountaincastlesshelteredIn the12thcentury,anetworkofincredibly wellfortified CASTLES OFTHEASSASSINS 0282 /pop4700

WESTERNIRAN••AlamutValley ( The crushingofAlamutwaseffectively theendofIsmailisforgenerationsthoughbelievers Whatever thetruth,mostofimpregnable Ismailicastleswere captured in byHulaguKhan x 321 6362;tw/6-bedIR80,000/140,000) .

A copyofthatrecently reprinted agreat volumemakes companionforthetrip. Haddodi Restau- ﻛﻼﻳﻪ rents

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dusk) Assassin-related) castleruin. Shahrak, Australia). Theturningisjustnorthwestof somewhat reminiscent of theOlgas(central ruin of The region’s greatest attractionisthefabled x &AlamutCastle Khan Gazor Koosaran ful travellers’ tipbookatthecharming gestions are extensively describedinahelp- 15-minute 4WDridebeyond. Route sug- village, orKhoshkchal asteep, Gazor Khan from therampartsare unmissable. Butthe phenomenalviews sheeting. metal corrugated shielded bysomewhatunsightly way. Ontop,archaeological workingsare 25-minute climbviaanobvious stair- village square andrequires sweaty asteep, about700mbeyondthe access pathstarts cherry-growing village of The GazorKhan. above unpretentious thepleasant, little The site isa dramatic cragrisingabruptly fectively justtheguestroom inAliSamie’s Several tempting mountain hikes tempting in mountain start Several 0282 , Hasan-e Sabbah’sfamousfortress site. which has aprominent(butnot Alamut Castle

( x 377 3377;dm IR30,000)

ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺕ (admission IR4000; Eagle’s Nest,

ﻗﻠﻌﻪ lonelyplanet.com

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ﻭ gives an Valleys of

ﮔﺎﺯﺭﺧﺎﻥ h Hotel Hotel dawn-

Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book Golestan Inn watching perch. villageKhan’s square makes agreat people- you askaheadandtheflatroof facingGazor mealsarebut tasty available (IR15,000)if up oncottonmattresses onthefloor. Simple family home.uptofive, Itcansleep curled lonelyplanet.com three days, though two days or even lessis three twodaysoreven days, though toallow It’s most pleasant sections. highest treacheroustramping through snows onthe tempt thewalkbefore June,whenyou’ll be few awkward spots,especiallyifyouat- is recommended ata toavoid difficulties aguide and/ormule-driverarduous, though soon beathingof thepast. revolving arounddonkey transport will villagesmountain andawholewayof life tracks furtherandintothe isolated hurry: roadbuilders are slowlyextending Freya (1930s)tomake Stark such atrip,but one of justahandfulof foreigners since ning andculturallyfascinating.You’llbe geographically compelling,scenicallystun- Alamut Valley hinterland is totheCaspian Crossing theAlborzonfootfrom toYuj Garmarud TowardstheCaspian: Trekking the village square outsideHotel Koosaran. days, IR3000,45minutes). Bothleave from there’s abus toMo’allemKalayeh (school 7am (IR30,000,2½hours). time Atthesame who tell youit’sclosed. locals castle trailhead.Don’trushtobelieve up ashortdriveway thatheadssouthfrom, tucked Centre, behindtheAlamutResearch own food.There’s noEnglishsign,butit’s homeforhismeals!Bringyour boy) goes locked upwhenthereceptionist (asmall thattheplacegetsand bathroom.Beware notluxurious‘suites’ withkitchenthough rooms nowformreasonably wellequipped a converted ex-class- formerschool whose IR30,000 (bypre-arrangement). amid overgrown foliage. Kabab mealscost crete withrun-downbalconyseats houselets The ‘suites’ are apairof con- semi-detached a decentkitchen andagrottysquattoilet. toAlamutRock.The‘rooms’share stairway thatdirectly rise on theslight overlooks the offers accommodationamidtrees rathertatty Managed crone,the byaGrimm’sfairy-tale The route describedhere isn’tespecially Savaris usuallyruntoQazvinataround Hotel Farhangian Hotel

( x 377 3312;room/’suite’IR120,000/150,000)

( x 377 3446;trIR160,000) is

rustic IR300,000). Thevillage hasatiny, super- Garmarud(aroundIR120,000) oreven he canalsoorganise mules from Yuj(around IR40,000 perperson). Bypre-arrangement withgreatstay home-cooked meals(around ( door) savari costs IR100,000from Qazvinor To reach Garmarud, a THERE &AWAYGETTING tiny great for shorter hikes. base MrSardeghi’s if completed thatwillmake thevillage a In Garmarudahotel isunderconstruction: SLEEPING let viapicturesquethe route goes asphalt ends.Whetheryouwalkordrive, turning,whereKhan theAlamutValley road’s Garmarud as far the walkbyarranginga4WDtotake you hurry. (Inmidsummeryoucouldshorten quite possible ifyou’re insomeinexplicable meadows. below pretty Maran bringsyoutoanun-asphalted road washed over awaterfall doom. tocertain slipandyou’llbe ous whenthewater’s high: While notthathard,it’spotentially danger- hours andrequires fordingastream twice. Walking there fromSalajambar takes three village of enroute withnosemblance aroad. the pass. forkanhourbeyond take theright-hand trackinsteadthe jeep of thewalkingpath, shrubs andfieldsof yellowiris. Ifyoufollow scending very pretty slowlythrough thorn it’s anotherthree hours toSalajanbar, de- beneath awaterfall). Fromthecaravanserai flower-filledcutting through meadowsand to thatcaravanserai (withaguide,short- foot fromGarmarudittookus5½hours PichebonCaravanserai deserted) the small,partlyrenovated(but biscuits and might helpyouarrangebiscuits andmight camping –askpermission inthevillage. (mules) tocarryyourbags. x andacrossthe 3200m The hike inpretty, starts canyon-framed Another three hours’ downhillhike from Wonderfully picturesque In Maran village, At Pichebon, grassymeadowsare great for 0192-282140) Grocery Shop hammam WESTERN IRAN••AlamutValley village, 18kmeastof theGazor Salajanbar Yuj can provide asimple home-

. ( village set inflower-filled village set x .) 379 4008,0912-6828991) . Fabulous views.On Nematullah Mansukia Nematullah SalambarPass dar baste Maran Pichebon ham- isthelast (closed beside beside sells sells qotr 183

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN NE three truly awesomered-rock side-canyons, The 8km road-spurto beside Andej passes ANDEJ rant Ifyouget stuckhere,itself. ing postfortheregion in butnotasight district centre. transportstag- It’sauseful Kalayeh istheAlamutValley’s one-street Sometimes calledAlamuttown, Mo’allem x Mo’allem Kalayeh power linesandmuddycar-washing spots. stunningly beautifulifitweren’t fornearby backdrop,thetinylakemountain wouldbe 182 around 11.45am. en route. Ortake the returning school bus or IR80,000includingasidetrip to Andej charters taxi For GazorKhan costIR40,000, fromoutlyingvillagesbuses have arrived. except Friday)thatdepartsonce feeder the dreadfully slowbus(IR15,000,daily vin (IR25,000)are anhourquicker than loiter, is 600mfurthereast.Savaris toQaz- town centre, where rare andsavaris buses street 50meastof theeagle statue. The two very simplerooms.It’sonthemain the Assassins to publicconsciousnesswiththepublicationofDameFreya Stark’s1930stravel diary Pakistan (thoughnotatallinIran).Theand northern castleswere forgotten andonlyreturned centurieslater ofTajikistan andnowIsmailiIslamisthepredominantresurfaced faithinparts than thescantyrubblethatdrawsfew travellers ithere. thatmake toavoidfuture difficulties.fortifications That meanstoday it’shistoryandbrilliantscenerymore years inthecaseofGirdkuh!Before moving on,theMongolssystematically destroyedthecastles’ to theirsophisticated water cisterns andvastfoodreserves theycouldholdoutforyears,17 GirdkuhandLamiasar,decidedtoputupafight.Thanks successor).Onlytwofortresses, (Sabbah’s havingearlierforcedthesurrender1256 usingdiplomatictrickery, oftheIsmailis’spiritualleader designed todenigrate IsmailiIslam. Islamictraditionandsuggestingthatthehashishtaleswerepro-science fabricated exaggerations asachampionofthefree-thinking, altogether more HasanSabbah sympatheticversion portraying modern Englishterm ‘assassin’.Orsothestorygoes. Peter Willey’sbook, unwittingly stonedonhashish.This gave themtheirpopularname‘Hashish-iyun’, rootofthe such beliefs byshowingthembeautifulsecret gardensfilledwithenticingyoungmaidenswhile cunninglycultivated themtoparadise. SupposedlySabbah wouldtransport that theiractions leadingpoliticalandreligiousdispatched tomurderorkidnap figures oftheday.They believed ledabizarre, much-fearedpopular myth,Sabbah mercenaryorganisation whosememberswere the followersofHasan-e (1070–1124),spiritual leaderofIslam’sheretical In Ismailisect. Sabbah AlborzmountaincastlesshelteredIn the12thcentury,anetworkofincredibly wellfortified CASTLES OFTHEASSASSINS 0282 /pop4700

A copyofthatrecently reprinted agreat volumemakes companionforthetrip. Haddodi Restau- ﻛﻼﻳﻪ rents

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. That’s ef-

ﻭ gives an Valleys of

ﮔﺎﺯﺭﺧﺎﻥ h Hotel Hotel dawn-

( x 377 3312;room/’suite’IR120,000/150,000)

( x 377 3446;trIR160,000) is

rustic IR300,000). Thevillage hasatiny, super- Garmarud(aroundIR120,000) oreven he canalsoorganise mules from Yuj(around IR40,000 perperson). Bypre-arrangement withgreatstay home-cooked meals(around ( door) savari costs IR100,000from Qazvinor To reach Garmarud, a THERE &AWAYGETTING tiny great for shorter hikes. base MrSardeghi’s if completed thatwillmake thevillage a In Garmarudahotel isunderconstruction: SLEEPING meadows. below pretty Maran bringsyoutoanun-asphalted road washed over awaterfall doom. tocertain slipandyou’llbe ous whenthewater’s high: While notthathard,it’spotentially danger- hours andrequires fordingastream twice. Walking there fromSalajambar takes three village of enroute withnosemblance aroad. the pass. forkanhourbeyond take theright-hand trackinsteadthe jeep of thewalkingpath, shrubs andfieldsof yellowiris. Ifyoufollow scending very pretty slowlythrough thorn it’s anotherthree hours toSalajanbar, de- beneath awaterfall). Fromthecaravanserai flower-filledcutting through meadowsand to thatcaravanserai (withaguide,short- foot fromGarmarudittookus5½hours PichebonCaravanserai deserted) the small,partlyrenovated(but let viapicturesquethe route goes asphalt ends.Whetheryouwalkordrive, turning,whereKhan theAlamutValley road’s Garmarud as far the walkbyarranginga4WDtotake you hurry. (Inmidsummeryoucouldshorten quite possible ifyou’re insomeinexplicable camping –askpermission inthevillage. (mules) tocarryyourbags. helpyouarrangebiscuits andmight x andacrossthe 3200m Another three hours’ downhillhike from Wonderfully picturesque The hike inpretty, starts canyon-framed In Maran village, At Pichebon, grassymeadowsare great for 0192-282140) Grocery Shop hammam WESTERN IRAN••AlamutValley village, 18kmeastof theGazor Salajanbar Yuj can provide asimple home-

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN terrace, it’seasy tospotthelonely blue- mihrab of ashattered-sided formermosque. the restored cells around acourtyardleadingto (Hamadan highway;admissionfree; Mausoleum dramatic of isthemagnificent these Byfarthemost fine monumentssurvived. destroyed byTamerlane. Fortunately three than acenturylater in1384itwaslargely as theirPersian from1302.Butless capital Mongols was purpose-built bytheIlkhanid Little (‘TownofSoltaniyeh theSultans’) x SOLTANIYEH the savari driver hours). get Otherwise someonetophone departsat8am(IR25,000,two supposedly end of thehike inYuj,asavari toTonekabon IR50,000 fromMo’allemKelayeh. Fromthe 184 rebuilt stubsof Soltaniyeh’s he wasburiedhere in1317. himself ulema togive himAli’srelics andeventually Oljeitucouldn’tpersuadeever, theNajaf outside Mecca (instead of Najaf, Iraq).How- made itShiite Islam’sholiestpilgrimage site the ProphetMohammed. Thatwouldhave the remains of ImamAli,son-in-lawof planned forthemausoleumtore-house egged onbyafavourite concubine,hehad changesstar wives. DuringhisShiite phase, Oljeitu changed religions asoften asafilm OljeituKhodabandeh. sor, Mongolsultan views andfinestucco-workvaulting. up twofloors toaterrace withpanoramic stairs withinthehugely thickwallslead the ongoingrestoration process.Spiral space. Aground-floor exhibitionillustrates ing can’thidetheenormityof theenclosed brick dome. Inside,renovators’ scaffold- it’stheworld’stallest eter and48mhigh World Heritage site. Almost25mindiam- forthewait. some snacksinreserve has aninformalbaker butnoshopssokeep rive topickyouupwithinafew hours. Yuj Yuj’s village telephone. Hopefullyhe’llar- Farsi; admissionIR5000; plex, the1330 of theMongol-eratownscape. some From the OljeituMausoleum’s upper The mausoleum approach crosses partly The mausoleumapproach crosses The buildingisnamedforitsspon- Some 500msouthwestof themaincom- 0242 /pop8700 WESTERNIRAN••Soltaniyeh Boq’eh Chelabi-oglu Mausoleum archaeological excavations archaeological

(Gonbad-e Soltaniyeh;www.sultanieh.ir,in (Gonbad-e Shabani Khanegah Dervish Monastery Dervish Khanegah h 8am-5pm) ( x 0911-394836) h , citadel wall

now aUnesco

(admission free) 8am-5pm) behind the behindthe ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻧﻴﻪ Oljeitu from and has

6pm, closed after heavyrain) 6pm, closedafter 2188; admissionIR15,000; (off Imam Khomeini St) (off ImamKhomeini bandeh) whose quaint bandeh) whose from taxi transport. WepaidIR100,000return by known AliSadr( p206 ). There’s nopublic much more impressive atbetter- that those ofvistas formations thatare finestalactite claustrophobic anditculminates inseveral guided groups.Theexperienceisn’tunduly derground walkingupandbackinsmall The visitinvolves around1¼hours un- monotonous Soltaniyeh–Hamadan road. west of viathequietifslightly Soltaniyeh The extensive AROUND SOLTANIYEH 10-minute walknorthof themausoleum. Honarestan Sqdropyouanobvious Zanjan’s regular (IR1500,50minutes) from minibuses rect savaris (IR5000,30minutes) andvery ir- Di- easiest tovisitasadaytripfromZanjan. parallel motorway.Bypublictransportit’s Qazvin road,but is5kmsouthofSoltaniyeh theoldZanjan– THERE&AWAYGETTING domed AJN bazaar,aplethora ofmosques, afantastic ern façade, retains someattractive Zanjan Hidden intiny alleys behind its mod- x ZANJAN down little minute detourtothecelebrated buttumble- Enroute considermakinga15- Zanjan. regularly and fromGhydartoSoltaniyeh the town’soriginalheart.Savaris runsemi- cockscomb of rockyoutcrop descendsto ence over Shia Islam’sfuture direction. epicsunwittingly hadavastinflu- poetic asPersian-languagelam’s historicalsagas recasting14th-century mysticwhose of Is- Shah Tahmasp tohonourHasan Kashi, a skyline. ItwasbuiltbySafavidmountain 1.5kmsouthtowardsthe in semi-desert, while driving between Zanjan andHamadan. Zanjan while drivingbetween the above or in a longdaytripfromZanjan end of Sojas town. atthe western amid collapsingmudhouses alltherestorer’sthrough It’s scaffolding. Its ornate interior stuccoworkisjustvisible By car it’s feasible to visit Soltaniyeh and all andall By carit’sfeasible tovisitSoltaniyeh 0241 /pop367,000 Mullah Hasan Kashi tomb HasanKashi Mullah Ghydar Sojas JamehMosque Katalekhor Caves Katalekhor (akaQeydarorKhoda- sits where aprominent not h accessiblefromthe Ghydar Nabimadraseh are 130km south- 8am-7.30pm, lastentry lonelyplanet.com

(Dr ChamranSt)

(admission free) ( x 0242-482 ﺯﻧﺠﺎﻥ .

Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book room 25, architecture isof littleartistic merit. of squat pepper-pot minarets butits1940s Mosque extensive. Thedinky (Imamzadeh) Mosque Ibrahim through aspiredthrough onImamSt. portal of thesizable1826 Sq. Madraseh cellslinetheinnercourtyard (Sai-ini) Mosque the domeandminarets of the St; bookshops opposite the only citymapsare sometimessoldfrom connection and(over) Farsi- friendlystaff. liking. spreading much toorapidlyforTehran’s away fromIslamthree years before, butwas hadonlybroken religion. Baha’i-ism Baha’i successful campaigntocrush thenascent sulting massacre waspartof therelatively sian primeminister AmirKabir. The re- 1851 withabloodysiege ordered byPer- Soleiman viathescenicDandyroad. pointtoreachand agoodstaging Takht-e iting theimpressive mausoleum Soltaniyeh restaurants. forvis- Thecityisalogicalbase knife-grinders teahouse andsomedelightful lonelyplanet.com h Khaneh older, theunique,unmarked Built in1926butlookingconsiderably Sights Sq. The maincommercialcentre isEnqelab &Information Orientation IR5000; noon) active decrepitend isthedelightfully yetstill- St atthebazaar’sungentrified eastern tered coppershops Enqelab off between historicmosques.En- hide half-a-dozen bazaar garden courtyard. There’s alsoacalm Electrolux andZanussi. women toremind youhowlife wasbefore laundry-place. It’sdotted withwaxwasher- were originally constructed asapublic watersubterranean channels hallwhose [email protected]; Khayyam St; [email protected]; Khayyam h Zanjan city’smomentof infamycamein Zanjan The long,narrow,mostlybrick-vaulted 8am-5.30pm Tue-Sun) Export Development Bank Development Export changes money. 7am-10.30pm) isinspiringandsurroundingalleys h

Dokhtar Caravanserai Dokhtar has acommonly photographed pair (Rakhatshorkhaneh Alley;admissionIR4000; (Rakhatshorkhaneh 8am-midnight) Miras Ferhangi Ferhangi Miras peep above peep central Enqelab andare available free from isadome-and-column Jameh Mosque hasexcellentinternet Rayanet Rayanet telephone office telephone Khanum (Women’s) Khanum ( . Grandlytiled, x h (Ferdosi St; issimilarly 323 9007;miras 8am-2pm) (Sa’di St;perhr Rakhatshor- Rasul-Ullah Rasul-Ullah , accessed h . Seyid

(Sa’di 9am- philosopher trated inlanes behindwhere younowsee bridge, isvisiblewestof theBijarroad. brary wall. 8190; BasijSq;s/tw/steUS$92/104/139; 30,000; not driving. the noisylocationisinconvenient ifyou’re However, tryhardtoplease. system. Staff gle beingtheill-conceived light-switching nig- with impeccablebathrooms,aslight international-standard roomsare spacious, topoption,thestylishlysparse, far Zanjan’s bathrooms are aletdown. butthesomewhatraggedpatterns atnight, Metalcurtains. gauzelampscastcurious rooms withglittery floralbedspreads and walledcorridorseffect andpleasant-enough The manager speakssomeEnglish. this reliable midrange optionnearAzadiSq. 55,000/70,000) h x IR192,000/288,000; kababis listed below there are numerous standard In additiontothetraditionallystyledplaces Eating Sa’di Hotel Sleeping dowless singlesare trulyminuscule. khaneh breakfasts, thisformer knobs andknockers. students. Lookfor theblackdoorwithbrass it’spopularwith(male)universityAt night dates andaswizzle-stickof sugar. crystal peacock feathers. Tea (IR3500) comeswith decorated witholdsamovars, portraitsand domed cellareccentrically is anoctagonal 320,000; shower andsquattoiletattached. perfectly centralandroomsdohave basic prison inmates feel athomehere. Still,it’s bars andtheoddcockroach make might IR80,000/150,000/220,000) The 1851 Baha’i massacres wereThe 1851Baha’i perpe- Zanjan Grand Sepid Sofrakhane SonatiAbache Sofrakhane Hotel Hafez Hotel Haji Dadash Park Hotel Park Hotel 323 7250; Bashkah Alley; dizi IR15,000, qalyan IR12,000; Alley;diziIR15,000,qalyanIR12,000; 323 7250;Bashkah 8.30am-10pm) a h isrelatively wellkept butthewin-

alongImamSt. Hotel Hotel ) 10am-11pm) Aninvitingfoyerleadstowood- ( Pol-e-Sardar This sensibly priced Thissensibly x ( x

Soravardi’s bust ( WESTERN IRAN••Zanjan

( x Goodforbread-and-honey

322 2528;ImamSt;s/tw/trIR40,000/ x a ( Hotel Hotel x 332 2228;fax6798;ImamSt;s/tw 322 6882;ImamSt;s/twIR250,000/ 322 2020;bazaar; mealsIR15,000- ) Upgrades are ongoingat 322 2740;EnqelabSq;s/tw/tr Peeling paint,window (Hotel BozorgZanjan; This family-oriented , anattractive Safavid zurkhaneh

(Bostani Bashkah; (BostaniBashkah; (Sa’di St) pai chamber onali- mosafer- x

) 185 By By

728 728 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN terrace, it’seasy tospotthelonely blue- mihrab of ashattered-sided formermosque. the restored cells around acourtyardleadingto (Hamadan highway;admissionfree; Mausoleum dramatic of isthemagnificent these Byfarthemost fine monumentssurvived. destroyed byTamerlane. Fortunately three than acenturylater in1384itwaslargely as theirPersian from1302.Butless capital Mongols was purpose-built bytheIlkhanid Little (‘TownofSoltaniyeh theSultans’) x SOLTANIYEH the savari driver hours). get Otherwise someonetophone departsat8am(IR25,000,two supposedly end of thehike inYuj,asavari toTonekabon IR50,000 fromMo’allemKelayeh. Fromthe 184 rebuilt stubsof Soltaniyeh’s he wasburiedhere in1317. himself ulema togive himAli’srelics andeventually Oljeitucouldn’tpersuadeever, theNajaf outside Mecca (instead of Najaf, Iraq).How- made itShiite Islam’sholiestpilgrimage site the ProphetMohammed. Thatwouldhave the remains of ImamAli,son-in-lawof planned forthemausoleumtore-house egged onbyafavourite concubine,hehad changesstar wives. DuringhisShiite phase, Oljeitu changed religions asoften asafilm OljeituKhodabandeh. sor, Mongolsultan views andfinestucco-workvaulting. up twofloors toaterrace withpanoramic stairs withinthehugely thickwallslead the ongoingrestoration process.Spiral space. Aground-floor exhibitionillustrates ing can’thidetheenormityof theenclosed brick dome. Inside,renovators’ scaffold- it’stheworld’stallest eter and48mhigh World Heritage site. Almost25mindiam- forthewait. some snacksinreserve has aninformalbaker butnoshopssokeep rive topickyouupwithinafew hours. Yuj Yuj’s village telephone. Hopefullyhe’llar- Farsi; admissionIR5000; plex, the1330 of theMongol-eratownscape. some From the OljeituMausoleum’s upper The mausoleum approach crosses partly The mausoleumapproach crosses The buildingisnamedforitsspon- Some 500msouthwestof themaincom- 0242 /pop8700 WESTERNIRAN••Soltaniyeh Boq’eh Chelabi-oglu Mausoleum archaeological excavations archaeological

(Gonbad-e Soltaniyeh;www.sultanieh.ir,in (Gonbad-e Shabani Khanegah Dervish Monastery Dervish Khanegah h 8am-5pm) ( x 0911-394836) h , citadel wall

now aUnesco

(admission free) 8am-5pm) behind the behindthe ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻧﻴﻪ Oljeitu from and has

6pm, closed after heavyrain) 6pm, closedafter 2188; admissionIR15,000; (off Imam Khomeini St) (off ImamKhomeini bandeh) whose quaint bandeh) whose from taxi transport. WepaidIR100,000return by known AliSadr( p206 ). There’s nopublic much more impressive atbetter- that those ofvistas formations thatare finestalactite claustrophobic anditculminates inseveral guided groups.Theexperienceisn’tunduly derground walkingupandbackinsmall The visitinvolves around1¼hours un- monotonous Soltaniyeh–Hamadan road. west of viathequietifslightly Soltaniyeh The extensive AROUND SOLTANIYEH 10-minute walknorthof themausoleum. Honarestan Sqdropyouanobvious Zanjan’s regular (IR1500,50minutes) from minibuses rect savaris (IR5000,30minutes) andvery ir- Di- easiest tovisitasadaytripfromZanjan. parallel motorway.Bypublictransportit’s Qazvin road,but is5kmsouthofSoltaniyeh theoldZanjan– THERE&AWAYGETTING domed AJN bazaar,aplethora ofmosques, afantastic ern façade, retains some attractive Zanjan Hidden intiny alleys behind its mod- x ZANJAN down little minute detourtothecelebrated buttumble- Enroute considermakinga15- Zanjan. regularly and fromGhydartoSoltaniyeh the town’soriginalheart.Savaris runsemi- cockscomb of rockyoutcrop descendsto while driving between Zanjan andHamadan. Zanjan while drivingbetween the above or in a longdaytripfromZanjan end of Sojas town. atthe western amid collapsingmudhouses alltherestorer’sthrough It’s scaffolding. Its ornate interior stuccoworkisjustvisible ence over Shia Islam’sfuture direction. epicsunwittingly hadavastinflu- poetic asPersian-languagelam’s historicalsagas recasting14th-century mysticwhose of Is- Shah Tahmasp tohonourHasan Kashi, a skyline. ItwasbuiltbySafavidmountain 1.5kmsouthtowardsthe in semi-desert, By car it’s feasible to visit Soltaniyeh and all andall By carit’sfeasible tovisitSoltaniyeh 0241 /pop367,000 Mullah Hasan Kashi tomb HasanKashi Mullah Ghydar Sojas JamehMosque Katalekhor Caves Katalekhor (akaQeydarorKhoda- sits where aprominent not h accessiblefromthe Ghydar Nabimadraseh are 130km south- 8am-7.30pm, lastentry lonelyplanet.com

(Dr ChamranSt)

(admission free) ( x 0242-482 ﺯﻧﺠﺎﻥ .

Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book room 25, architecture isof littleartistic merit. of squat pepper-pot minarets butits1940s Mosque extensive. Thedinky (Imamzadeh) Mosque Ibrahim aspiredthrough onImamSt. portal of thesizable1826 Sq. Madraseh cellslinetheinnercourtyard (Sai-ini) Mosque the domeandminarets of the St; bookshops opposite the only citymapsare sometimessoldfrom connection and(over) Farsi- friendlystaff. liking. spreading much toorapidlyforTehran’s away fromIslamthree years before, butwas hadonlybroken religion. Baha’i-ism Baha’i successful campaigntocrush thenascent sulting massacre waspartof therelatively sian primeminister AmirKabir. The re- 1851 withabloodysiege ordered byPer- Soleiman viathescenicDandyroad. pointtoreachand agoodstaging Takht-e iting theimpressive mausoleum Soltaniyeh restaurants. forvis- Thecityisalogicalbase knife-grinders teahouse andsomedelightful lonelyplanet.com h Khaneh older, theunique,unmarked Built in1926butlookingconsiderably Sights Sq. The maincommercialcentre isEnqelab &Information Orientation IR5000; noon) active decrepitend isthedelightfully yetstill- St atthebazaar’sungentrified eastern tered coppershops Enqelab off between historicmosques.En- hide half-a-dozen bazaar garden courtyard. There’s alsoacalm Electrolux andZanussi. women toremind youhowlife wasbefore laundry-place. It’sdotted withwaxwasher- were originally constructed asapublic watersubterranean channels hallwhose [email protected]; Khayyam St; [email protected]; Khayyam h Zanjan city’smomentof infamycamein Zanjan The long,narrow,mostlybrick-vaulted 8am-5.30pm Tue-Sun) Export Development Bank Development Export changes money. 7am-10.30pm) isinspiringandsurroundingalleys h

(Sa’di 9am- philosopher trated inlanes behindwhere younowsee bridge, isvisiblewestof theBijarroad. brary wall. 8190; BasijSq;s/tw/steUS$92/104/139; not driving. the noisylocationisinconvenient ifyou’re However, tryhardtoplease. system. Staff gle beingtheill-conceived light-switching nig- with impeccablebathrooms,aslight international-standard roomsare spacious, topoption,thestylishlysparse, far Zanjan’s 30,000; bathrooms are aletdown. butthesomewhatraggedpatterns atnight, Metalcurtains. gauzelampscastcurious rooms withglittery floralbedspreads and walledcorridorseffect andpleasant-enough The manager speakssomeEnglish. this reliable midrange optionnearAzadiSq. 55,000/70,000) h x IR192,000/288,000; kababis listed below there are numerous standard In additiontothetraditionallystyledplaces Eating Sa’di Hotel Sleeping dowless singlesare trulyminuscule. khaneh knobs andknockers. students. Lookfor theblackdoorwithbrass it’spopularwith(male)universityAt night dates andaswizzle-stickof sugar. crystal peacock feathers. Tea (IR3500) comeswith decorated witholdsamovars, portraitsand domed cellareccentrically is anoctagonal breakfasts, thisformer 320,000; shower andsquattoiletattached. perfectly centralandroomsdohave basic prison inmates feel athomehere. Still,it’s bars andtheoddcockroach make might IR80,000/150,000/220,000) The 1851 Baha’i massacres wereThe 1851Baha’i perpe- Zanjan Grand Sepid Sofrakhane SonatiAbache Sofrakhane Hotel Hafez Hotel Haji Dadash Park Hotel Park Hotel 323 7250; Bashkah Alley; dizi IR15,000, qalyan IR12,000; Alley;diziIR15,000,qalyanIR12,000; 323 7250;Bashkah 8.30am-10pm) a h isrelatively wellkept butthewin-

alongImamSt. Hotel Hotel ) 10am-11pm) Aninvitingfoyerleadstowood- ( Pol-e-Sardar This sensibly priced Thissensibly x ( x

Soravardi’s bust ( WESTERN IRAN••Zanjan

( x Goodforbread-and-honey

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728 728 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 186 0 1 km 0 0.5 miles

ZANJAN WESTERNIRAN••Zanjan

A B C D E F

INFORMATION Soravardi Bust...... 13 F2 TEAHOUSES & CAFÉS 0 200 m 4 Bookshop...... 1 F2 Station Gateway...... 14 F3 Eloÿulu Teahouse...... 22 E2 0 0.1 miles Export Development Bank...... 2 E2 1 Miras Ferhangi...... 3 B4 SLEEPING TRANSPORT Rayanet...... 4 F1 Hotel Hafez...... 15 F2 Bus Terminal...... 23 E4 Haft-e Tir St Telephone Office...... 5 F2 Hotel Sa'di...... 16 F2 Eastbound Shuttle Taxis...... 24 F2 10 Park Hotel...... 17 D3 Minibuses & Savaris to Soltaniyeh & Some Minor Roads SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Sepid Hotel...... 18 F2 Ghydar...... 25 F4 Not Depicted Zeinabieh St Dokhtar Caravanserai...... 6 F2 Rare Minibuses to Bijar & Dandy..26 E3 Ὀ Jameh Mosque...... 7 E2 EATING Savaris to Tehran, Qazvin & Sa'di St Rakhatshorkhaneh Sabz Khaqani St 13 Alley Khanum (Women's) Mosque...... 8 E2 Haji Dadashi...... 19 E2 Tabriz...... 27 E3 Sq 8 1 Enqelab Pol-e-Sardar...... 9 B4 Karavansara Sangi...... 20 F3 Westbound Shuttle Taxis...... 28 E2 28 5 Rakhatshor-Khaneh...... F1 Sofrakhane Sonati Abache...... F2 Sq 10 21 16 Rasul-Ullah (Sai-ini) Mosque...... 11 F2 Imam St 18 Imam St Seyid Ibrahim (Imamzadeh) 19 24 2 7 Mosque...... 12 F2 22 21 11 12 2 15 Bazaar Tohid St 17 Shahrivar St Ὀ 6

22 Bahman (Bypass) Ferdosi St

Shohada St Enqelab St To Mianeh (130km); 20 Tabriz (via old road, 295km) Beheshti St (Khayyam St) Asia 14 Hotel Zeinabieh St 26 Esteqlal 27 ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈSq 15 Khordad ὈSa'di St ὈὈὈὈὈ 3 Sq Khaqani St Train Imam St Enqelab Azadi Station Sq Sq Imam St 17

Shilat Khorramshahr Blvd Sq 15 Khordad St 3 23 ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈBeheshti St (Khayyam St)ὈὈὈEnqelab St ὈὈὈὈὈὈ Honarestan Sq lonelyplanet.com Beheshti St See Enlargement 4 25 To Motorway Junction (1km); Dandy (100km); Takht-e Soleiman Silo (150km); Bijar (136km direct or 276km via Takht-e To Zanjan Grand Soleiman); Takab (193km via Dandy, Hotel (1km); Ferdosi St 220km via Bijar); Tabriz Soltaniyeh (44km); ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ9 (280km via motorway ) Qazvin (170km) subterranean teahouse;theElo thani textiles. beautifiedwithRajas- modern basement IR10,000; good cially initscarpet-drapedfrontcellar. The tea-cavern overflows withcharacter, espe- lonelyplanet.com within themainbazaar. ofopposite theportal MirzaMehdi mosque qalyan forfourcostsaheftyIR30,000.Enter herbs tofine-tunetheflavour buttea and meals IR20,000-25,000; ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈOthers go fromSabzSqto Esteqlal Sq. Honarestan Sq passingnear the terminal. Useful runfromEnqelab Sqto shuttle-taxis Around Getting (five hours). to Tabriz (IR30,000,8½hours) viaMaraqeh find forthe9.45pmand23.10pm sleepers 6.14am and8.24am.Tickets are hardto four hours) viaQazvin(twohours) are at partures forTehran (IR9850toIR14,500, de- gateway of winged Best-timed wheels. striped pinkandwhite layers after 115km. indramatictiger-paws of erodedlowcliffs leave fromHonarestan Sq. (IR5000)andGhydar(IR17,000) Soltaniyeh out totheeast. exit,which isaround10km at the‘Zanjan’ NOT vious 2kmwalkfromcentralZanjan) at thejunctionmarked ‘Bijar’(aneasy, ob- onthemotorway,get off bypassing Zanjan If arrivingonaTehran–Tabriz busthat’s rare Bijar- andDandy-bound minibuses. yam/Ferdosi Stjunctionalongwithvery Qazvin andTabriz pickupattheKhay- nal, five minutes’ walksouthof Shilat Sq. emptytermi- thebigbuteerily quent) use (IR18,500, 8.30am)andTehran (fairlyfre- toEsfahan(IR24,000,6.30pm),Rasht Buses &Away There Getting IR17,000). Try the vaulted alcoves facingalongrowof tables. of acaravanserai with10carpet-decked old stonebuildingisanL-shaped remnant mospheric ifalittleover-lit, this400-year- Karavansara Sangi Karavansara The train station is beyond a Dali-esque isbeyondaDali-esque The trainstation If you’re driving toTabriz, noticethe Savaris to andoccasionalminibuses Savaris forTehran, andsomebuses Elo ğ dizi sangi lu Teahouse h kashki bademjun 8am-9.30pm) comeswithaplate of fresh (Ferdosi St;teaIR3000,qalyan h

Yet anotherappealing ( 11am-4pm &6-11pm) x 326 1266;BeheshtiSt; (eggplant paste, (eggplant ğ lu isina At- WESTERN IRAN••ZanjantoTakab &Bijar the limpidlybeautiful‘bottomless’ poisonous) wasprovided inabundanceby water andfire. Water (albeitundrinkably the veneration of earth,wind(plentyhere), many Magi-inspired elements,including roastrianism hadbythisstage incorporated its spiritualcentre. The site wasperfect. Zo- e Soleiman(thencalledAzergoshnasb) was nian Persia wasZoroastrianismandTakht- religion3rd centuryADthestate of Sassa- ofmemorable sights western Iran.Inthe style carvings. Nonetheless, the sheer age Nonetheless, thesheer style carvings. remain andyoushouldn’t expectPersepolis- ateshkadeh an‘eternalpipes tosustain flame’inthe volcanic gaschannelled ceramic through The fire wasprovided thankstoanatural boxedstyle water temple (see text, p206 ). have channelled anAnahita- been through and would This pours forth90Lpersecond lake Soleiman. charter arideforthelast50kmtoTakht-e Unesco site World Heritage ringed by1500-year-old fortress walls,this lonelybowlof Sitting inahigh, mountains THE MAIN RUINS Soleiman Takht-e Mountain). by thepyramidalpeakof 20km fromDandy,isdramaticallybacked un-exotic miningtownof Dandy. villages, the particularlyonceyou’ve passed somefabulouslytimeless The route passes Soleiman Zanjan toTakht-e ( stand Dandy’s taxi minibus(around9am),use Zanjan–Dandy be droppedoffinBijar. Ifyoutake thedaily stops) travelling onafterwards viaTakab to (aroundIR350,000,fulldaywith Zanjan below ) isbychartering foradayfrom ataxi A great waytovisitTakht-e Soleiman(see TOTAKAB &BIJAR ZANJAN mission IR5000; ascent of behind offers great hikes andthepossible at itssouthernend.Bucolicmeadowland metallic-green igloo-shaped mini-shrine spindlytreesrising between andalurid, ticularly picturesque mud-block homes (10km before Takht-e Soleiman),haspar- ruins of a Sassanid line-of-sight fortress. ruins of line-of-sight aSassanid Today onlyrelatively ruins fragmentary thatstillformsthecentre of thesite. Mt Belqeis (fire temple). h Qaravolkhana 8am-sunset) , topped by fragmentary , toppedbyfragmentary x isoneof themost 0242-352 2566) to ( x , 20kmfurther Tozludagh 0482 5633311;ad- ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ Shikhlar (Dusty crater crater

ﺗﺨﺖ 187

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 186 0 1 km 0 0.5 miles

ZANJAN WESTERNIRAN••Zanjan

A B C D E F

22 Bahman (Bypass) Ferdosi St

Shilat Khorramshahr Blvd Sq 15 Khordad St 3 23 ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈBeheshti St (Khayyam St)ὈὈὈEnqelab St ὈὈὈὈὈὈ Honarestan Sq lonelyplanet.com Beheshti St See Enlargement 4 25 To Motorway Junction (1km); Dandy (100km); Takht-e Soleiman Silo (150km); Bijar (136km direct or 276km via Takht-e To Zanjan Grand Soleiman); Takab (193km via Dandy, Hotel (1km); Ferdosi St 220km via Bijar); Tabriz Soltaniyeh (44km); ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ9 (280km via motorway ) Qazvin (170km) subterranean teahouse;theElo IR10,000; thani textiles. beautifiedwithRajas- modern basement within themainbazaar. ofopposite theportal MirzaMehdi mosque qalyan forfourcostsaheftyIR30,000.Enter herbs tofine-tunetheflavour buttea and good cially initscarpet-drapedfrontcellar. The tea-cavern overflows withcharacter, espe- lonelyplanet.com Others go fromSabzSqto Esteqlal Sq. Honarestan Sq passingnear the terminal. Useful runfromEnqelab Sqto shuttle-taxis Around Getting (five hours). to Tabriz (IR30,000,8½hours) viaMaraqeh find forthe9.45pmand23.10pm sleepers 6.14am and8.24am.Tickets are hardto four hours) viaQazvin(twohours) are at partures forTehran (IR9850toIR14,500, de- gateway of winged Best-timed wheels. striped pinkandwhite layers after 115km. indramatictiger-paws of erodedlowcliffs leave fromHonarestan Sq. (IR5000)andGhydar(IR17,000) Soltaniyeh out totheeast. exit,which isaround10km at the‘Zanjan’ NOT vious 2kmwalkfromcentralZanjan) at thejunctionmarked ‘Bijar’(aneasy, ob- onthemotorway,get off bypassing Zanjan If arrivingonaTehran–Tabriz busthat’s rare Bijar- andDandy-bound minibuses. yam/Ferdosi Stjunctionalongwithvery Qazvin andTabriz pickupattheKhay- nal, five minutes’ walksouthof Shilat Sq. emptytermi- thebigbuteerily quent) use (IR18,500, 8.30am)andTehran (fairlyfre- toEsfahan(IR24,000,6.30pm),Rasht Buses &Away There Getting Try the vaulted alcoves facingalongrowof tables. of acaravanserai with10carpet-decked old stonebuildingisanL-shaped remnant mospheric ifalittleover-lit, this400-year- meals IR20,000-25,000; ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈIR17,000). Karavansara Sangi Karavansara The train station is beyond a Dali-esque isbeyondaDali-esque The trainstation If you’re driving toTabriz, noticethe Savaris to andoccasionalminibuses Savaris forTehran, andsomebuses Elo ğ dizi sangi lu Teahouse h kashki bademjun 8am-9.30pm) comeswithaplate of fresh (Ferdosi St;teaIR3000,qalyan h

Yet anotherappealing ( 11am-4pm &6-11pm) x 326 1266;BeheshtiSt; (eggplant paste, (eggplant ğ lu isina At- WESTERN IRAN••ZanjantoTakab &Bijar style carvings. Nonetheless, the sheer age Nonetheless, thesheer style carvings. remain andyoushouldn’t expectPersepolis- ateshkadeh an‘eternalpipes tosustain flame’inthe volcanic gaschannelled ceramic through The fire wasprovided thankstoanatural boxedstyle water temple (see text, p206 ). have channelled anAnahita- been through and would This pours forth90Lpersecond lake the limpidlybeautiful‘bottomless’ poisonous) wasprovided inabundanceby water andfire. Water (albeitundrinkably the veneration of earth,wind(plentyhere), many Magi-inspired elements,including roastrianism hadbythisstage incorporated its spiritualcentre. The site wasperfect. Zo- e Soleiman(thencalledAzergoshnasb) was nian Persia wasZoroastrianismandTakht- religion3rd centuryADthestate of Sassa- ofmemorable sights western Iran.Inthe Soleiman. charter arideforthelast50kmtoTakht-e Unesco site World Heritage ringed by1500-year-old fortress walls,this lonelybowlof Sitting inahigh, mountains THE MAIN RUINS Soleiman Takht-e Mountain). by thepyramidalpeakof 20km fromDandy,isdramaticallybacked un-exotic miningtownof Dandy. villages, the particularlyonceyou’ve passed somefabulouslytimeless The route passes Soleiman Zanjan toTakht-e ( stand Dandy’s taxi minibus(around9am),use Zanjan–Dandy be droppedoffinBijar. Ifyoutake thedaily stops) travelling onafterwards viaTakab to (aroundIR350,000,fulldaywith Zanjan below ) isbychartering foradayfrom ataxi A great waytovisitTakht-e Soleiman(see TOTAKAB &BIJAR ZANJAN mission IR5000; ascent of behind offers great hikes andthepossible at itssouthernend.Bucolicmeadowland metallic-green igloo-shaped mini-shrine spindlytreesrising between andalurid, ticularly picturesque mud-block homes (10km before Takht-e Soleiman),haspar- ruins of a Sassanid line-of-sight fortress. ruins of line-of-sight aSassanid Today onlyrelatively ruins fragmentary thatstillformsthecentre of thesite. Mt Belqeis (fire temple). h Qaravolkhana 8am-sunset) , topped by fragmentary , toppedbyfragmentary x isoneof themost 0242-352 2566) to ( x , 20kmfurther Tozludagh 0482 5633311;ad- ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ Shikhlar (Dusty crater crater

ﺗﺨﺖ 187

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Though it’snowbareThough of allconstruction, the valleylandscapeformilesaround. This dramatic97mconicalpeakdominates ZENDAN-E SOLEIMAN but notdisplayed.Ask. (IR3000), which are soldattheticket booth bilingual Farsi/English map/brochure ternatively, navigate usingaglossy yourself of stoneifyoushare language. enough Al- ofand canhelpyoumake allthepiles sense of ancientgaspipes. sections those fragments, photosandacoupleof ceramic locked) foramphora,unlabelled column modern roof formingastore-room (often ing palaceisnowcovered withadiscordant Theremnants khans. khanid of theirhunt- became asummerretreat fortheMongolIl- andthenamestuck. the complexsurvived worked, destruction.Theruse site’s certain of Solomon’sone-timeresidence toavert the biblical prophetstheyentirely fabricated atale Arab invasion.RealisingIslam’sreverence for temple’s Persian guardiansinthefaceof the fact acunning7th-centuryinvention bythe to OldTestament KingSolomon.Itwasin onreal mon) isnotbased historicallinks enough. hereand magnificentsetting are attractions 188 dation is42kmawayinTakab. kabab window,butthenearest accommo- Oz of Graeco-Persian learning(notjust a ‘ Shiz, onceaNestorian-Christiancentre of villagethat mud-and-haystack isthesite of bad Takht-e Soleimanis2kmfrom A guideisoften available atthesite gate In the13thcentury,Takht-e Soleiman Takht-e Soleiman’sname(Throneof Solo- 352 2566) un-exotic mining townofDandy. un-exotic Bijar. onceyou’ve The route passedthe passessomefabulously timelessvillages,particularly (around IR350,000,fullday with stops)travelling onafterwards viaTakab tobedroppedoffin A great way tovisitTakht-e ataxifordayfromZanjan Soleiman(seep187)isbychartering THRONE OFSOLEIMAN –MAKE ADAY OFIT pyramidal peakof of a Sassanid line-of-sight fortress.of aSassanidline-of-sight behind offers great andthepossibleascentof hikes mini-shrine atitssouthernend.Bucolicmeadowlandand alurid,metallic-green igloo-shaped Takht-e picturesque mud-blockhomesrisingbetweenspindlytrees Soleiman), hasparticularly . Archaeologists thatbeneath believe WESTERNIRAN••ZanjantoTakab &Bijar If you take thedailyZanjan–Dandyminibus(around 9am),useDandy’s If youtake ’ fiction). Nosratabad hasaminuscule ’ fiction).Nosratabad to charter arideforthelast 50kmtoTakht-e tocharter Soleiman. Tozludagh (DustyMountain). Shikhlar Nosrata- Land ,

20km from Dandy is dramatically backed bythe20km fromDandyisdramaticallybacked signed ‘Pensiun’. Roomshave recently been aa x Takab hiking awkward. isoftenTraffic very thinmakinghitch- leave you2kmshortof Takht-e Soleiman. onceortwiceadayandrun toNosratabad hang around.Savaris only andminibuses Soleiman. AddIR15,000perhourifyou around thesite andtodashupZendan-e timetoquicklyrunturn includingenough edge of Takab askIR50,000re- towntaxis anthewestern stand From asmalltaxi or Dandy,theapproach isfromTakab. Unless youcharter aridefromZanjan THERE&AWAYGETTING main Takht-e Soleimanruins. the Takab roadabout4kmsouthof the upfrom muddy butobvious, zig-zagging should take under15minutes. Thepathis sonably fit,climbingtothecrater’s edge Assuming enough. suffocating you’re rea- ing gingerly intoitsdizzyingvoidcanbe given thenoxious sulphurousfumes.Peer- the centralcrater wouldn’thave lasted long anyonejailedwithin mon’s Prison,though 900 BC. SoleimanmeansSolo- Zendan-e that archaeologists suggest dated backto walls andtoppedbyareligious sanctuary byfortifiedthe conewasonceenclosed Takht-e-Jamshid the extremely basic,showerless east of Melli, thatjunctionopposite Bank its commercialcentre. About 100msouth- Imam andEnqelab Stsapproximately marks Saderatatthecrossroadsof leiman. Bank accesspointforTakht-eas theclosest So- This hilly market townisof interest only Qaravolkhana 0482 /pop50,000 Mt Belqeis , toppedbyfragmentary ruins , 20km further (10kmbefore, 20kmfurther

( x 522 2119;ImamSt;twIR60,000) taxi stand lonelyplanet.com Mehmunpazir Mehmunpazir

( x 0242 ﺗﻜﺎﺏ is is Rangi Hotel Rangi Imam St) Ayub speaksgoodEnglish. restaurant hasimproved of late andmanager rooms are now themostcomfortable. The re-fit andexpansionin2007,thetop-floor mission IR4000) (IR10,000) orminibus(IR3000). (IR2000,3km)thencontinuebysavari taxi (IR15,000, 1¼hours), crossthattownby the western edge of towntoShahin Dezh asavari from bytaking Orumiyeh) start Imam St. near GalemSq,600mfurtherwestalong munpazir Takht-e-Jamshid. 8pm) Yahoo to Saderat crossroads,passingclose English. Akilometre uphillfromtheBank inviting. Theownerknowstheoddwordof repainted butconditionsremain farfrom lonelyplanet.com (17km fromTakab) and villagestwo notable of mudhouses: a varietyof Itpasses drymountain-tops. plateaus andtowards acrossthehigh vistas The 84kmroadtoBijaroffers somescenic toBijar Takab intriguingfour-storeyThese KARAFTU CAVES Around Takab leave fromoutside (IR12,000) drives viaBijar. hourly until1pm.The5ambustoZanjan departroughlyShahin Dezhminibuses in thenortheastcornerof town.Bijarand anewterminal use andminibuses Buses THERE&AWAYGETTING s/tw/tr/q withbreakfast US$25/32/40/45). may enter’. inGreek:says ‘Hercules lives here: noevil from Takab. Anantiqueinscriptionwithin soon beaccessibleviaanimproved road vandareh (67km tothesouth),butshould side roadleadsabout 10kmto Some 35kmfromTakab, anunasphalted century, though itisnowvirtually invisible.century, though of a fortress to date thought back tothe8th overlooks theShahan River andwasthesite of(Ghamchoghay). Thisdramatic nose cliff For Miyando’ab(andthenceMaraqeh or forTakht-e stand The taxi Soleimanis Savaris toBijar(IR15,000,onehour) enroute, isthecom paratively upmarket ( x just acrossthebridge fromMeh- 523 2288;Pasdaran St;perhrIR7000;

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qalyan IR6000; Ardalon St;s/tw40,000/50,000,showerIR5000) 3160; SanandajHwy;tw300,000) IR20,000/23,000; the capital of province,the capital Kordestan agood Sanandaj isaremarkably friendlycity. It’s Even byIran’ssuper-hospitable standards, x SANANDAJ dar baste fromtheterminalA taxi costs IR5000 Hotel. until duskfromoutsidetheIranBam and Sanandaj (IR22,500,1¾hours) depart and 8amonly. to Hamadan (IR15,000)departat7.30am which departregularly tilldusk.Minibuses (IR25,000), plussavaris toZanjan buses (lastat3pm)andhandles allminibuses The mainterminal, 4kmnortheastof town &Away There Getting handily central further north.Ablockwestof Tohid Stis St andalmost-parallelImamoneblock centre iswhere Taleqani Tohid Stmeets is themainnorth–southaxis.Thetown port connectionsthanTakab. Tohid St but ismore scenicandhasbetter trans- crags, junctiontown, Bijar isafairlydiffuse aridhillstoppedinrocky Cradled between x BIJAR pheric teahouse pheric teahouse west of theCoffeenet) isthekitschily atmos- Taleqani Stsconverge. beyond theroundaboutatwhich Imamand soiled. It’sabout3kmwestof town, 800m the thickpilecarpetsare already looking equipped andhave but curtains fancysash decent restaurant andcafé.Roomsare fully storey circularbuildingof blueglasswitha Tohid Stjunction. one blocknorthandwestof theImam/ and thesmallbrick-vaulted bazaar. That’s quiet tree-lined Melli street Bank between asubterraneanthrough restaurant ona an Escheresqe mazeof reached stairways andsharedclean sheets squattoilets.It’s ing fans,wooden-board beds,maybe- simple, unexcitingroomswithbigceil- Mosaferkhaneh Moqadam Mosaferkhaneh Savaris forTakab (IR15,000, onehour) Near theTaleqani (1km Stpetrolstation The much smarter 0871 /pop358,000 0872 /pop51,000 . h h 8am-11pm) WESTERN IRAN••Bijar 8am-10pm) Click Coffeenet Sofrakhane Ferdin Sofrakhane Iran Bam Hotel Iran BamHotel . isamodernthree- .

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(Taleqani St;s/tw (Taleqani 422 3260; Shahid 422 3260;Shahid

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189

423 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Though it’snowbareThough of allconstruction, the valleylandscapeformilesaround. This dramatic97mconicalpeakdominates ZENDAN-E SOLEIMAN but notdisplayed.Ask. (IR3000), which are soldattheticket booth bilingual Farsi/English map/brochure ternatively, navigate usingaglossy yourself of stoneifyoushare language. enough Al- ofand canhelpyoumake allthepiles sense of ancientgaspipes. sections those fragments, photosandacoupleof ceramic locked) foramphora,unlabelled column modern roof formingastore-room (often ing palaceisnowcovered withadiscordant Theremnants khans. khanid of theirhunt- became asummerretreat fortheMongolIl- andthenamestuck. the complexsurvived worked, destruction.Theruse site’s certain of Solomon’sone-timeresidence toavert the biblical prophetstheyentirely fabricated atale Arab invasion.RealisingIslam’sreverence for temple’s Persian guardiansinthefaceof the fact acunning7th-centuryinvention bythe to OldTestament KingSolomon.Itwasin onreal mon) isnotbased historicallinks enough. hereand magnificentsetting are attractions 188 dation is42kmawayinTakab. kabab window,butthenearest accommo- Oz of Graeco-Persian learning(notjust a ‘ Shiz, onceaNestorian-Christiancentre of villagethat mud-and-haystack isthesite of bad Takht-e Soleimanis2kmfrom A guideisoften available atthesite gate In the13thcentury,Takht-e Soleiman Takht-e Soleiman’sname(Throneof Solo- 352 2566) un-exotic mining townofDandy. un-exotic Bijar. onceyou’ve The route passedthe passessomefabulously timelessvillages,particularly (around IR350,000,fullday with stops)travelling onafterwards viaTakab tobedroppedoffin A great way tovisitTakht-e ataxifordayfromZanjan Soleiman(seep187)isbychartering THRONE OFSOLEIMAN –MAKE ADAY OFIT pyramidal peakof of a Sassanid line-of-sight fortress.of aSassanidline-of-sight behind offers great andthepossibleascentof hikes mini-shrine atitssouthernend.Bucolicmeadowlandand alurid,metallic-green igloo-shaped Takht-e picturesque mud-blockhomesrisingbetweenspindlytrees Soleiman), hasparticularly . Archaeologists thatbeneath believe WESTERNIRAN••ZanjantoTakab &Bijar If you take thedailyZanjan–Dandyminibus(around 9am),useDandy’s If youtake ’ fiction). Nosratabad hasaminuscule ’ fiction).Nosratabad to charter arideforthelast 50kmtoTakht-e tocharter Soleiman. Tozludagh (DustyMountain). Shikhlar Nosrata- Land ,

( x 522 2119;ImamSt;twIR60,000) taxi stand lonelyplanet.com Mehmunpazir Mehmunpazir

( x 0242 ﺗﻜﺎﺏ is is Rangi Hotel Rangi Imam St) Ayub speaksgoodEnglish. restaurant hasimproved of late andmanager rooms are now themostcomfortable. The re-fit andexpansionin2007,thetop-floor mission IR4000) (IR10,000) orminibus(IR3000). (IR2000,3km)thencontinuebysavari taxi (IR15,000, 1¼hours), crossthattownby the western edge of towntoShahin Dezh asavari from bytaking Orumiyeh) start Imam St. near GalemSq,600mfurtherwestalong munpazir Takht-e-Jamshid. 8pm) Yahoo Yahoo to Saderat crossroads,passingclose English. Akilometre uphillfromtheBank inviting. Theownerknowstheoddwordof repainted butconditionsremain farfrom lonelyplanet.com (17km fromTakab) and villagestwo notable of mudhouses: a varietyof Itpasses drymountain-tops. plateaus andtowards acrossthehigh vistas The 84kmroadtoBijaroffers somescenic toBijar Takab intriguingfour-storeyThese KARAFTU CAVES Around Takab leave fromoutside (IR12,000) drives viaBijar. hourly until1pm.The5ambustoZanjan departroughlyShahin Dezhminibuses in thenortheastcornerof town.Bijarand anewterminal use andminibuses Buses THERE&AWAYGETTING s/tw/tr/q withbreakfast US$25/32/40/45). may enter’. inGreek:says ‘Hercules lives here: noevil from Takab. Anantiqueinscriptionwithin soon beaccessibleviaanimproved road vandareh (67km tothesouth),butshould century, though itisnowvirtually invisible.century, though of a fortress to date thought back tothe8th overlooks theShahan River andwasthesite of(Ghamchoghay). Thisdramatic nose cliff side roadleadsabout 10kmto Some 35kmfromTakab, anunasphalted For Miyando’ab(andthenceMaraqeh or forTakht-e stand The taxi Soleimanis Savaris toBijar(IR15,000,onehour) enroute, isthecom paratively upmarket ( x just acrossthebridge fromMeh- 523 2288;Pasdaran St;perhrIR7000;

( x are are normally visited fromDi- 522 3179; fax 522 4650; Upper Enqelab St; 522 3179;fax4650;UpperEnqelabSt; Taavoni 16 Qizil Belakh Sinceamajor cliff-caves

( x Qom Choqa ﻛﺮﻓﺘﻮ (25km). (25km). Coffeenet Coffeenet h 522 2136; Sadbil Sadbil 10am-

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qalyan IR6000; Ardalon St;s/tw40,000/50,000,showerIR5000) 3160; SanandajHwy;tw300,000) IR20,000/23,000; the capital of province,the capital Kordestan agood Sanandaj isaremarkably friendly city.It’s Even byIran’ssuper-hospitable standards, x SANANDAJ dar baste fromtheterminalA taxi costs IR5000 Hotel. until duskfromoutsidetheIranBam and Sanandaj (IR22,500,1¾hours) depart and 8amonly. to Hamadan (IR15,000)departat7.30am which departregularly tilldusk.Minibuses (IR25,000), plussavaris toZanjan buses (lastat3pm)andhandles allminibuses The mainterminal, 4kmnortheastof town &Away There Getting handily central further north.Ablockwestof Tohid Stis St andalmost-parallelImamoneblock centre iswhere Taleqani Tohid Stmeets is themainnorth–southaxis.Thetown port connectionsthanTakab. Tohid St but ismore scenicandhasbetter trans- crags, junctiontown, Bijar isafairlydiffuse aridhillstoppedinrocky Cradled between x BIJAR pheric teahouse pheric teahouse west of theCoffeenet) isthekitschily atmos- Taleqani Stsconverge. beyond theroundaboutatwhich Imamand soiled. It’sabout3kmwestof town, 800m the thickpilecarpetsare already looking equipped andhave but curtains fancysash decent restaurant andcafé.Roomsare fully storey circularbuildingof blueglasswitha Tohid Stjunction. one blocknorthandwestof theImam/ and thesmallbrick-vaulted bazaar. That’s quiet tree-lined Melli street Bank between asubterraneanthrough restaurant ona an Escheresqe mazeof reached stairways andsharedclean sheets squattoilets.It’s ing fans,wooden-board beds,maybe- simple, unexcitingroomswithbigceil- Mosaferkhaneh Moqadam Mosaferkhaneh Savaris forTakab (IR15,000, onehour) Near theTaleqani (1km Stpetrolstation The much smarter 0871 /pop358,000 0872 /pop51,000 . h h 8am-11pm) WESTERN IRAN••Bijar 8am-10pm) Click Coffeenet Sofrakhane Ferdin Sofrakhane Iran Bam Hotel Iran BamHotel . isamodernthree- .

( x

(Taleqani St;s/tw (Taleqani 422 3260; Shahid 422 3260;Shahid

(Taleqani St; (Taleqani ( ﺳﻨﻨﺪﺝ x ﺑﻴﺠﺎﺭ has

189

423 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN rapacious 20th-century development. rapacious 20th-centurydevelopment. mosthaveings, though lostto sincebeen manyfine19th-centurybuild- developed until 1867.UndertheArdalanstown mous principalityof up IranianKurdistan Ardalan emirs cametorulethelastautono- oped intoSanandaj. Fromhere thepowerful slowlydevel- 18th centuryandSenna-dej multilingual mountain park defence andistodaythepleasant of arockyridge thatwasthecity’shistoric latter, Abidar Stslopesupintothefolds centres Enqelab andAzadiSqs.Fromthe Busily commercialFerdosi Stlinksthetwin &Information Orientation A nothing inthechaotic post-Chaldoranera. intheMiddleAgestance butwithered to local Kurds),thecitywasof major impor- (asitstillisto Originally knownasSenna History hoshbe Kurdish out theirEnglish. InSanandaj’s Sorani- population of anxioustotry studentsever prosperous citywithalarge, fashionable Yetish trousers. it’samodern,noticeably Kurd- traditional cummerbundsandbaggy culture. plentyof menwearing You’llsee to learnmore aboutKurdishhistoryand forvisitstoPalanganbase andagreat place 190 Kurdish men is the slightly tasselled headscarf Kurdish menistheslightlytasselledheadscarf sent there bytheSafavidstodefend Iran’s17th-centuryborders, andnever left. Iran.They were innortheastern are originally aroundKalat ofnative speakers pockets Kermanji tochangethis.some openlyglorifyingPKKleaderAbdulla Öcalan,are Curiously starting there the languageofmostKurdsinTurkey, stations, satellite thoughKermanji isn’twidelyspoken, TV Both groupsare are typicallySunni.However, Shiite. someKurdsaroundKermanshah Kermanji, Paveh are themosttraditionalandspeakpoeticHurami.Those inSanandajusuallyspeakSorani. languagesthatare almostmutuallyunintelligible.groups speaking KurdsaroundHowramanand hospitality often trumpseven thatofmainstream Persians. Iranians are similarly misinformed aboutKurdishareas Kurdish oftheirowncountry.Infact Just asmanyWesterners have themisguidedimpression thatIranissomehow‘dangerous’,so THE KURDS caps covered ingold coinsover cascadingstitched tullescarves. over baggytrousersandrarely tochador. resort At celebrations thereal finerycomes out,notably when dancing,men pulloffandwhirlabove longdresses theirheads. Womenwearcolourful heavily pleated baggy trousers. These are typicallybelted byawide cummerbund dej WESTERNIRAN••Sanandaj There are variationsbetween tribes,butacommonelementintraditionaldress formostIranian Kurds comprisenearly10%ofIran’spopulation.Butthere are several different Kurdish sub- (fortress) wasbuilthere intheearly means thankyou. ju-an . The delightfully helpful,. Thedelightfully Cultural Heritage Organisation Heritage Cultural meansbeautifuland Abidar deso (mezare) Habibi Lane; Qotb St;perhrIR7000; are dressed invariousdistinctive tribalcos- ofnow amuseum Kurdishlife. Mannequins Mansion a houses The well-renovated LotfollaSheikh-al-Islam Sights St) (Taleqani of Kordestan St) Lane; admissionIR20,000; A littleone-window theRegionalMuseum.sion thathouses ofoffice isaninnersection thelovely man- brochures andbasic,up-to-date maps.Its ing, the is generally kept locked. the acousticallyengineered fountain-cellar treasurespottery and metalwork butsadly includesomeextraordinarilyold Exhibits theydisoriente mosquitoes.supposedly designed forpracticalityaswellbeauty: multicolouredwhose windows sion IR4000; as e-postcards. www.sanandaj.com hascityphotostosend and at shoppingmallonPasdaranKordestan St Sq. Internet isavailable intheplushTejari structed). Tochange moneyuse for mainstreets (manybeingnewlycon- for backalleysbutdangerously outdated sells citymapsthatare sells very accurate Another attractively restored Qajar build- andthedistinctive Ashyanneh Coffeenet Ashyanneh Asef Mansion Asef h , butnotthebigbranch onAzadi h

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ὈὈ dalan emir Amonulla Khan butisnowin dalan emirAmonullaKhan ing poolsandwasoncethepalaceof Ar- impressive centralcourtyardwithreflect- (Khosroabad St;admissionfree; (Khosroabad Divan speaker phoneandhope. Shohadaa walledgardenoff St:ringthe in dire of need renovation. It’shiddenin partially repaired. Thetrefoil-topped trance leads through toavaultedtrance leadsthrough side courtyardjustwithinthemansion’sen- Sanandaj’s specialitywood-inlaycrafts.A Oneroomfeaturesleys aroundKordestan. tumes thatare stillcommonlyworninval- lonelyplanet.com mission free) 4 1 3 Sahar Kaveh St 2 SANANDAJ Ὀ The formerlygrand Several otherhistoricbuildingsare only Several Mansion (300m) To Khorosabad hld...... C1 Khaledi...... Shuttle Taxisto BusTerminal..... Kia Parvaz...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING Hotel Hedayat...... (see13) Unnamed Teahouse...... (see13) Shobo...... Shahreqashang...... Jahannama...... Nehro Hotel...... Mehmanpazir Kaj...... Hotel Jabar...... Hotel Abidar...... Regional Museum...... Moshir Divan...... Khan Hamam...... Jameh (Darolesan)Mosque...... Fortress Site...... Asef Mansion...... Stationary Shop...... Police &VisaOffice...... Kordestan...... (see10) Cultural HeritageOrganisationof Bank Melli...... Ashyanneh Coffeenet...... EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION isaparticularlyiconicmansionstill

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hasan Imam St Imam Moshir

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To TejariKordestan 5 Shadi Hotel(2km); Khansalar (700m); Airport (6km); Shohoda St 23 the unusual1805 byEnqelabStbutwithinis cruelly bisected dles atitseastern edge. The atea bazaarhud- though use, for military fine Kaveh St. ofquiet boulevard planetrees fromSahar a fairlyparlousstate. It’stwoblocksupa new mosquedirectly behind. more builttheugly appropriate forwhoever tron. Thepunishmentwouldhave been to prevent itsrepetition foranyotherpa- that hereputedly hadthearchitect blinded domes. He with theresult wassopleased with tiledtwin minarets and32interior 9 11 Azadi Bath-house Sq 19

21 In 1813, Amonulla Khan sponsoredIn 1813,AmonullaKhan the The 23 22 21

4 18 6 St Ayubi Salaheddin Old C3 C2 Jameh Mosque 16 20 Bazaar 0.3miles 500m 0 0

14 Tojar Alley Tea Ferdosi St site fortress

13 Zhandarmeri St Zhandarmeri Marivan Terminal(2km);

WESTERN IRAN••Sanandaj

To TaleqaniSq(1km);

Pasdaran St Pasdaran Namaki Blvd Namaki

Enqelab Molavi St Molavi 12 Zanjan (270km) Bijar (130km);

Sq Kordestan Blvd Kordestan 22 Khan Hamam Khan (ImamSt) 15 Covered Bazaar 8

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Glass Pyramid Louvre-style 1 Chahar Bagh St Bagh Chahar

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Asiodi Mansion Ramazanzadeh is firmly closed isfirmlyclosed Old

covered bazaar covered Enqelab St Enqelab

(admission IR2000;

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Ektoban St Ektoban (Felestin) Zhandarmeri St Zhandarmeri D 17 Not Depicted

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, WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN multilingual mountain park defence andistodaythepleasant of arockyridge thatwasthecity’shistoric latter, Abidar Stslopesupintothefolds centres Enqelab andAzadiSqs.Fromthe Busily commercialFerdosi Stlinksthetwin &Information Orientation A nothing inthechaotic post-Chaldoranera. intheMiddleAgestance butwithered to local Kurds),thecitywasof major impor- (asitstillisto Originally knownasSenna History hoshbe Kurdish out theirEnglish. InSanandaj’s Sorani- population of anxioustotry studentsever prosperous citywithalarge, fashionable Yetish trousers. it’samodern,noticeably Kurd- traditional cummerbundsandbaggy culture. plentyof menwearing You’llsee to learnmore aboutKurdishhistoryand forvisitstoPalanganbase andagreat place 190 rapacious 20th-century development. rapacious 20th-centurydevelopment. mosthaveings, though lostto sincebeen manyfine19th-centurybuild- developed until 1867.UndertheArdalanstown mous principalityof up IranianKurdistan Ardalan emirs cametorulethelastautono- oped intoSanandaj. Fromhere thepowerful slowlydevel- 18th centuryandSenna-dej Kurdish men is the slightly tasselled headscarf Kurdish menistheslightlytasselledheadscarf sent there bytheSafavidstodefend Iran’s17th-centuryborders, andnever left. Iran.They were innortheastern are originally aroundKalat ofnative speakers pockets Kermanji tochangethis.some openlyglorifyingPKKleaderAbdulla Öcalan,are Curiously starting there the languageofmostKurdsinTurkey, stations, satellite thoughKermanji isn’twidelyspoken, TV Both groupsare are typicallySunni.However, Shiite. someKurdsaroundKermanshah Kermanji, Paveh are themosttraditionalandspeakpoeticHurami.Those inSanandajusuallyspeakSorani. languagesthatare almostmutuallyunintelligible.groups speaking KurdsaroundHowramanand hospitality often trumpseven thatofmainstream Persians. Iranians are similarly misinformed aboutKurdishareas Kurdish oftheirowncountry.Infact Just asmanyWesterners have themisguidedimpression thatIranissomehow‘dangerous’,so THE KURDS caps covered ingold coinsover cascadingstitched tullescarves. over baggytrousersandrarely tochador. resort At celebrations thereal finerycomes out,notably when dancing,men pulloffandwhirlabove longdresses theirheads. Womenwearcolourful heavily pleated baggy trousers. These are typicallybelted byawide cummerbund dej WESTERNIRAN••Sanandaj There are variationsbetween tribes,butacommonelementintraditionaldress formostIranian Kurds comprisenearly10%ofIran’spopulation.Butthere are several different Kurdish sub- (fortress) wasbuilthere intheearly means thankyou. ju-an . The delightfully helpful,. Thedelightfully Cultural Heritage Organisation Heritage Cultural meansbeautifuland Abidar deso (mezare) Habibi Lane; Qotb St;perhrIR7000; are dressed invariousdistinctive tribalcos- ofnow amuseum Kurdishlife. Mannequins Mansion a houses The well-renovated LotfollaSheikh-al-Islam Sights St) (Taleqani of Kordestan Lane; admissionIR20,000; St) A littleone-window theRegionalMuseum.sion thathouses ofoffice isaninnersection thelovely man- brochures andbasic,up-to-date maps.Its ing, the is generally kept locked. the acousticallyengineered fountain-cellar treasurespottery and metalwork butsadly includesomeextraordinarilyold Exhibits theydisoriente mosquitoes.supposedly designed forpracticalityaswellbeauty: multicolouredwhose windows sion IR4000; as e-postcards. www.sanandaj.com hascityphotostosend and at shoppingmallonPasdaranKordestan St Sq. Internet isavailable intheplushTejari structed). Tochange moneyuse for mainstreets (manybeingnewlycon- for backalleysbutdangerously outdated sells citymapsthatare sells very accurate Another attractively restored Qajar build- andthedistinctive Ashyanneh Coffeenet Ashyanneh Asef Mansion Asef h , butnotthebigbranch onAzadi h

8.30am-12.30pm &2.30-5pmTue-Sun) 8am-2pm Sat-Thu) ( x 225 5440;www.kurdistanmiras.ir; h h

Regional Museum Regional 8am-11pm) kawa pantol (Asif Diwan;ImamSt;admis- stationery shop 9am-12.30pm &3-6.30pm)

offers beautiful ( x (biben) lonelyplanet.com . Thewebsite 323 6187;Seyid (orosi) suitwith Bank Melli which,

were (Habibi (Imam , is , is

ὈὈ dalan emir Amonulla Khan butisnowin dalan emirAmonullaKhan ing poolsandwasoncethepalaceof Ar- impressive centralcourtyardwithreflect- (Khosroabad St;admissionfree; (Khosroabad speaker phoneandhope. Shohadaa walledgardenoff St:ringthe in dire of need renovation. It’shiddenin Divan partially repaired. Thetrefoil-topped trance leads through toavaultedtrance leadsthrough side courtyardjustwithinthemansion’sen- Sanandaj’s specialitywood-inlaycrafts.A Oneroomfeaturesleys aroundKordestan. tumes thatare stillcommonlyworninval- lonelyplanet.com mission free) 4 1 3 Sahar Kaveh St 2 SANANDAJ Ὀ The formerlygrand otherhistoricbuildingsare only Several Mansion (300m) To Khorosabad hld...... C1 Khaledi...... Shuttle Taxisto BusTerminal..... Kia Parvaz...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING Hotel Hedayat...... (see13) Unnamed Teahouse...... (see13) Shobo...... Shahreqashang...... Jahannama...... Nehro Hotel...... Mehmanpazir Kaj...... Hotel Jabar...... Hotel Abidar...... Regional Museum...... Moshir Divan...... Khan Hamam...... Jameh (Darolesan)Mosque...... Fortress Site...... Asef Mansion...... Stationary Shop...... Police &VisaOffice...... Kordestan...... (see10) Cultural HeritageOrganisationof Bank Melli...... Ashyanneh Coffeenet...... EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION isaparticularlyiconicmansionstill

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Shuttle Taxistowards AbidarMountain C4 Khansalar...... Shuttle TaxistoShadiHotel, Park...... Shuttle TaxistoTaleqaniSq...... Keshavarz St Keshavarz B gallery Ὀ

hasan Imam St Imam Moshir

Abidar St 7 10 Shahrdari

Pizza Citizen (ad- Kordestan Blvd Kordestan Mosque New Habibi La Park Shopping Mall(400m); Kermanshah (137km)

21 In 1813, Amonulla Khan sponsoredIn 1813,AmonullaKhan the The 23 22 21

4 18 6 St Ayubi Salaheddin Old C3 C2 Jameh Mosque 16 20 Bazaar 0.3miles 500m 0 0

14 Tojar Alley Tea Ferdosi St site fortress

13 Zhandarmeri St Zhandarmeri Marivan Terminal(2km);

WESTERN IRAN••Sanandaj

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Pasdaran St Pasdaran Namaki Blvd Namaki

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Asiodi Mansion Ramazanzadeh is firmly closed isfirmlyclosed Old

covered bazaar covered Enqelab St Enqelab

(admission IR2000;

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Ektoban St Ektoban (Felestin) Zhandarmeri St Zhandarmeri D 17 Not Depicted

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, WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Shahreqashang around Enqelab andAzadiSqswhere are scattered alongFerdosi St,especially 90,000) accept singlewomentravellers. rooms. It’soneof few cheaper placesto varysomewhatbetween standards though Very central. without bathroomIR118,000/82,500,trIR100,000) Hotel Jabar Hotel (very fast!). fromAzadiSqpassoutside but shuttletaxis positionbeyondMellatout-of-town Park English. Thehotel’s maindrawbackisits around abigcopperfireplace. speak Staff rants leadoffaspaciouslobby thatwraps stars. Achoice of restau- four self-awarded atleastthree of itssional hotel deserves modation inSanandaj, thisvery profes- tw/tr US$35/55; IR60,000/80,000) breakfasts or the Hotel Hedayat isgood forfriedegg besideAn unnamed,unexotic teahouse icecreams and snacks tillvery late.serves Typical Eating Hedayat Hotel Kaj Mehmanpazir Sleeping h 192 bridge that crosses Kordestan Blvd. Kordestan bridge thatcrosses in English,it’sfourdoors alongfromthe gushingly powerfulshowers. Unsigned rooms withsqueakycleansquattoiletsand The simpleroomshave nicelytiledbath- that have renovated oldwall-mouldings. able foracheap withcorridors guesthouse andit’sonyourleft. then oneblockright into thebazaarbesideMehmanpazir Jahan, walkonemini-block a brass‘fist’knocker: doorhas Theeasilymissed toric bathhouse. markably lifelike ‘bathers’ enjoying thehis- and birdmotifs,attractive tilingandre- considerably restored grey-and-white floral room IR110,000/170,000) All have showerandsquat. kept roomsabove a smallshopping centre. IR91,100/127,600, withoutbathroomIR80,200/106,350) Shadi Hotel Other optionsiftheabove are full: Nehro Hotel Hotel Abidar Hotel 9am-1pm &3-7pmTue-Sun) WESTERNIRAN••Sanandaj Thisgreat-value placehasclean,well- kababis ( x pa ( TheKaj isunusuallypresent-

( x ( x dizi ( 323 6584;EnqelabSq;twwith/ x

( andfruit-juice squeezers ( 226 7117;Ferdosi St;s/tw x x 225 5170;Ferdosi St;tw/trIR70,000/ 324 1645;Ferdosi St;s/twwithbath- . 662 5112;Pasdaran Stextension; ) . Rather ill-maintained, ill-maintained, . Rather Byfarthebestaccom- 322 7706; 323 1162;Ferdosi St;s/twfrom . Theinterior has h 7.30-2.30am) Imam St) 50,000; layers of saffron rice). layers rice). of saffron barberries arranged like agateau between or curious lent sabzi priced. Trythedelicately flavoured and samovars. Foodisexcellentandsensibly uine localartefacts includingantiqueqalyans opulence,middle-class kitsch andgen- OTT intoaweirdstylisticmish-mashof stairway 50,000; Kermanshah (IR35,000, twohours), Qorveh Sanandaj–Tehran onaFokker flight 100. posite the university justbefore ENBank. op- fromAzadiSq,alighting a shuttletaxi forvegetariansyoghurt) (IR10,000).Take kashka bademjun various typesof dokhwa has someKurdish menuoptionsincluding Kurdish costume,plays musicand most interesting restaurant haswaiters in Travel agency &Away There Getting & 3-8pm) inlaid woodcrafts, notably sion create Sanandaj’s andsell famous workshopsaroundtheAsef Man-Several Shopping 45,000; Pizzas fromIR18,000; (long-necked locallutes). cal instrumentsincludingbeautiful The menuhasvagueEnglishtranslations. pool. andacentralfountain with bed-seats atmosphere hasafairlypleasant section rather underwhelming,butthedownstairs and our cream, kababs andsnacks. Kuhnavar Sqthere placesforice several Building. InAbidar Park andbeyond itself Abidarbetween Park andtheKhosroabad placeforrefreshmentpleasant ifwalking makevery thislittlecaféa friendlystaff and seats swirlywrought-iron Gold tables, Khaledi Shobo Savaris toKamyaran (IR16,000, onehour), JimJim Jahannama Jahannama Khansalar juje pofaki (vegetable, meatandbeanstew), succu- h h h sells tickets sells forIranAseman’s daily This shop sells traditionalmusi- Thisshopsells

(tinglingly tart barleysoup)and (tinglinglytart (

x chelo mahi 8am-4pm &7-10pm) noon-10pm) (

11.30am-3pm &5.30-10pm) x ( tahchin agusht x

( 324 1179; Shahid Namaki St;mealsIR30,000- Namaki 324 1179;Shahid x ( 356 4213;AbidarSt;coffee IR6000-9000, x 225 5680;ShohodaSt; (marinated chicken morsels) Kia Parvaz Kia 662 351;Pasdaran St;mealsIR20,000- Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book 226 4212;Taleqani St;mealsIR25,000- köfte h (mashed eggplant with (mashedeggplant The service is off-hand isoff-hand Theservice (friedfish onrice)was 10am-2pm &4pm-midnight) (meatballs). There’s

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etnto ae uain Departures Duration Destination Fare ticket aroundEnqelabSq. offices buscompanieshave handy central Several totheleft. section fromahalf-hidden buses leave buses frombehindandlong-distance terminal area, 4kmeastof centre. Mini- well-organised queuesinthemain in neat, (IR20,000) andHamadan (IR35,000)wait lonelyplanet.com around IR10,000. ofupper hairpinsections Abidar Park costs numbers atweekends topicnicin the local gem. Local touristscome inconsiderable Howraman this is notan‘undiscovered’ gushing river ateitherendof town.Unlike flat rooftops. Wobbly oldbridges crossthe gazing fromtheirways orsimplystand villagers horses inthenarrowpath- shoe a rockychasm whiletraditionallydressed climbsteeply upboth sidesofstone houses picturesque villages. Itsearth-coloured Brilliant Palangan isoneof Iran’smost pop 850 Palangan AROUND SANANDAJ 15 minutes orso. Ataxi past JimJimleaving youtowalkthelast varz Stdivert andcontinueupAbidar St the one-waysystem: somecars upKesha- parkthingsaremountain complicated by Shadi Hotel andupAbidar St.ForAbidar Sq theyrundownPasdaran Sttothe Sq totheMarivan terminal. FromAzadi main terminal andnorthalongTaleqani ard hop)fromEnqelab Sqruneasttothe Fast-filling (IR1000perstand- shuttletaxis Around Getting 7.45pmTaavoniTaleqani 15 St. (Sohrevardi) Sqatthenorthernendof passengers 1kmfurthersouthatTaleqani ern edge of 60,000 town,butinbound often drop Taavoni 7 rare leave minibuses fromthefarnorth- To Bijar,SaqqezandMarivan, savaris and 8pmTaavoni 5 various Tehran IR29,600- 9hr Tabriz IR32,700 6hr Safar, 6pmSeiro IR34,000 Rasht 9hr IR36,000 13hr 8pm 7hr Orumiyeh IR35,000 9am 9hr IR60,000 6pm Esfahan Taavoni Taavoni Ahvaz Taavoni 5, 5 15 dar baste tothe ﭘﻠﻨﮕﺎﻥ ste IR230,000/350,000/600,000) view restaurant. The road), andthere’s anexcellenttop-floor- end (albeitfromthewrongsideof the décor overlook thelake’s marshy eastern international-style roomswithfresh pine Kurdish market townis The maintouristdrawof thisbustling x Marivan ered watercourse. the corner,a15-minute strollalongacov- dismayed. Theoldvillage ishiddenaround gan’s big,ratheruglyfish farm.Don’tbe Vehicles arrive atacarparkoutsidePalan- mud-and-stone Kurdishvillages enroute. someotherinterestingroad (45km)passes return pluswaiting time).Theasphalted topay probably need of Kamyaran’s mainterminal), butyou’ll St(2kmsoutheast fromSalahaddin start madan andSanandaj. Savaris forPalangan dreary Kamyaran, Ha- halfwaybetween scene. Access isrelatively in easy.Start adds furtherphotogenic colourtothe up inKurdish Friday-best costumesthis orchards. asmanycomedressed However, new six-storey decent hotels of which thefinestis at othertimes. Marivan very hasseveral mer weekends, butisidyllicallypeaceful is invadedbypleasure boatsduringsum- andfronted bymarshlandstains thelake to thewest.Backed bylow,rollingmoun- priceless theby amodernistmosquethathouses Negel themid-sizedsteppedthrough village of some very attractive stretches andpasses abovehigh jetty. theboating is anidealperch overlooking thelake, but allhave bathroomsandthelocation 10 contrastinglydowdyoldbungalows mansara Jahangardi; mansara Jahangardi; casional minibuses (IR8000, 2¼hours)casional minibuses terminal, 2kmeast of the centre withoc- single page missing. recoveredtime ithasbeen and hasonlya stolenthree it’sbeen times,eachthough generation after Mohammad PBUH). Al- time of thethirdcaliph,Osman (iebarely a fromtheof onlyfourQuranstosurvive The Marivan–Sanandaj roadhas Sanandaj-bound Marivan’s transportuses 0875 /pop123,000 WESTERN IRAN••AroundSanandaj . Thisisincongruouslydominated Negel Quran Hotel Zarivar Zarivar Hotel x 322 1626;trIR315,000) . It’sreputedly one ITTIC Tourist Inn Tourist ITTIC dar baste . Fullyequipped Zarivar Lake Zarivar ( x (IR60,000 34 0777;s/d/ ﻣﺮﻳﻮﺍﻥ , 3km

(Meh-

has 193 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Shahreqashang around Enqelab andAzadiSqswhere are scattered alongFerdosi St,especially 90,000) accept singlewomentravellers. rooms. It’soneof few cheaper placesto varysomewhatbetween standards though Very central. without bathroomIR118,000/82,500,trIR100,000) Hotel Jabar Hotel (very fast!). fromAzadiSqpassoutside but shuttletaxis positionbeyondMellatout-of-town Park English. Thehotel’s maindrawbackisits around abigcopperfireplace. speak Staff rants leadoffaspaciouslobby thatwraps stars. Achoice of restau- four self-awarded atleastthree of itssional hotel deserves modation inSanandaj, thisvery profes- tw/tr US$35/55; IR60,000/80,000) breakfasts or the Hotel Hedayat isgood forfriedegg besideAn unnamed,unexotic teahouse icecreams and snacks tillvery late.serves Typical Eating Hedayat Hotel Kaj Mehmanpazir Sleeping h 192 bridge that crosses Kordestan Blvd. Kordestan bridge thatcrosses in English,it’sfourdoors alongfromthe gushingly powerfulshowers. Unsigned rooms withsqueakycleansquattoiletsand The simpleroomshave nicelytiledbath- that have renovated oldwall-mouldings. able foracheap withcorridors guesthouse andit’sonyourleft. then oneblockright into thebazaarbesideMehmanpazir Jahan, walkonemini-block a brass‘fist’knocker: doorhas Theeasilymissed toric bathhouse. markably lifelike ‘bathers’ enjoying thehis- and birdmotifs,attractive tilingandre- considerably restored grey-and-white floral room IR110,000/170,000) All have showerandsquat. kept roomsabove a smallshopping centre. IR91,100/127,600, withoutbathroomIR80,200/106,350) Shadi Hotel Other optionsiftheabove are full: Nehro Hotel Hotel Abidar Hotel 9am-1pm &3-7pmTue-Sun) WESTERNIRAN••Sanandaj Thisgreat-value placehasclean,well- kababis ( x pa ( TheKaj isunusuallypresent-

( x ( x dizi ( 323 6584;EnqelabSq;twwith/ x

( andfruit-juice squeezers ( 226 7117;Ferdosi St;s/tw x x 225 5170;Ferdosi St;tw/trIR70,000/ 324 1645;Ferdosi St;s/twwithbath- . 662 5112;Pasdaran Stextension; ) . Rather ill-maintained, ill-maintained, . Rather Byfarthebestaccom- 322 7706; 323 1162;Ferdosi St;s/twfrom . Theinterior has h 7.30-2.30am) Imam St) 50,000; 50,000; layers rice). of saffron barberries arranged like agateau between or curious lent sabzi priced. Trythedelicately flavoured and samovars. Foodisexcellentandsensibly uine localartefacts includingantiqueqalyans opulence,middle-class kitsch andgen- OTT intoaweirdstylisticmish-mashof stairway Kermanshah (IR35,000, twohours), Qorveh Sanandaj–Tehran onaFokker flight 100. posite the university justbefore ENBank. op- fromAzadiSq,alighting a shuttletaxi forvegetariansyoghurt) (IR10,000).Take kashka bademjun various typesof dokhwa has someKurdish menuoptionsincluding Kurdish costume,plays musicand most interesting restaurant haswaiters in Travel agency &Away There Getting (long-necked locallutes). cal instrumentsincludingbeautiful & 3-8pm) inlaid woodcrafts, notably sion create Sanandaj’s andsell famous workshopsaroundtheAsef Man-Several Shopping 45,000; Pizzas fromIR18,000; The menuhasvagueEnglishtranslations. pool. andacentralfountain with bed-seats atmosphere hasafairlypleasant section rather underwhelming,butthedownstairs and our cream, kababs andsnacks. Kuhnavar Sqthere placesforice several Building. InAbidar Park andbeyond itself Abidarbetween Park andtheKhosroabad placeforrefreshmentpleasant ifwalking makevery thislittlecaféa friendlystaff and seats swirlywrought-iron Gold tables, Khaledi Shobo Savaris toKamyaran (IR16,000, onehour), JimJim Jahannama Jahannama Khansalar juje pofaki (vegetable, meatandbeanstew), succu- h h h sells tickets sells forIranAseman’s daily This shop sells traditionalmusi- Thisshopsells

(tinglingly tart barleysoup)and (tinglinglytart (

x chelo mahi 8am-4pm &7-10pm) noon-10pm) (

11.30am-3pm &5.30-10pm) x ( tahchin agusht x

(meat, raisins and (meat,raisinsand Descend aglittery ( x nard lonelyplanet.com 222 7770;alleyoff Sanandaj’s sets. h khoresht khoresht 8am-1pm setar s

etnto ae uain Departures Duration Destination Fare ticket aroundEnqelabSq. offices buscompanieshave handy central Several totheleft. section fromahalf-hidden buses leave buses frombehindandlong-distance terminal area, 4kmeastof centre. Mini- well-organised queuesinthemain in neat, (IR20,000) andHamadan (IR35,000)wait lonelyplanet.com numbers atweekends topicnicin the local gem. Local touristscome inconsiderable Howraman this is notan‘undiscovered’ gushing river ateitherendof town.Unlike flat rooftops. Wobbly oldbridges crossthe gazing fromtheirways orsimplystand villagers horses inthenarrowpath- shoe a rockychasm whiletraditionallydressed climbsteeply upboth sidesofstone houses picturesque villages. Itsearth-coloured Brilliant Palangan isoneof Iran’smost pop 850 Palangan AROUND SANANDAJ around IR10,000. ofupper hairpinsections Abidar Park costs 15 minutes orso. Ataxi past JimJimleaving youtowalkthelast varz Stdivert andcontinueupAbidar St the one-waysystem: somecars upKesha- parkthingsaremountain complicated by Shadi Hotel andupAbidar St.ForAbidar Sq theyrundownPasdaran Sttothe Sq totheMarivan terminal. FromAzadi main terminal andnorthalongTaleqani ard hop)fromEnqelab Sqruneasttothe Fast-filling (IR1000perstand- shuttletaxis Around Getting 7.45pmTaavoniTaleqani 15 St. (Sohrevardi) Sqatthenorthernendof passengers 1kmfurthersouthatTaleqani ern edge of 60,000 town,butinbound often drop Taavoni 7 rare leave minibuses fromthefarnorth- To Bijar,SaqqezandMarivan, savaris and 8pmTaavoni 5 various Tehran IR29,600- 9hr Tabriz IR32,700 6hr Safar, 6pmSeiro IR34,000 Rasht 9hr IR36,000 13hr 8pm 7hr Orumiyeh IR35,000 9am 9hr IR60,000 6pm Esfahan Taavoni Taavoni Ahvaz Taavoni 5, 5 15 dar baste tothe ﭘﻠﻨﮕﺎﻥ view restaurant. The road), andthere’s anexcellenttop-floor- end (albeitfromthewrongsideof the décor overlook thelake’s marshy eastern international-style roomswithfresh pine ste IR230,000/350,000/600,000) new six-storey decent hotels of which thefinestis at othertimes. Marivan very hasseveral mer weekends, butisidyllicallypeaceful is invadedbypleasure boatsduringsum- andfronted bymarshlandstains thelake to thewest.Backed bylow,rollingmoun- Kurdish market townis The maintouristdrawof thisbustling x Marivan ered watercourse. the corner,a15-minute strollalongacov- dismayed. Theoldvillage ishiddenaround gan’s big,ratheruglyfish farm.Don’tbe Vehicles arrive atacarparkoutsidePalan- mud-and-stone Kurdishvillages enroute. someotherinterestingroad (45km)passes return pluswaiting time).Theasphalted topay probably need of Kamyaran’s mainterminal), butyou’ll St(2kmsoutheast fromSalahaddin start madan andSanandaj. Savaris forPalangan dreary Kamyaran, Ha- halfwaybetween scene. Access isrelatively in easy.Start adds furtherphotogenic colourtothe up inKurdish Friday-best costumesthis orchards. asmanycomedressed However, priceless theby amodernistmosquethathouses Negel themid-sizedsteppedthrough village of some very attractive stretches andpasses abovehigh jetty. theboating is anidealperch overlooking thelake, but allhave bathroomsandthelocation 10 contrastinglydowdyoldbungalows mansara Jahangardi; mansara Jahangardi; casional minibuses (IR8000, 2¼hours)casional minibuses terminal, 2kmeast of the centre withoc- single page missing. recoveredtime ithasbeen and hasonlya stolenthree it’sbeen times,eachthough generation after Mohammad PBUH). Al- time of thethirdcaliph,Osman (iebarely a fromtheof onlyfourQuranstosurvive The Marivan–Sanandaj roadhas Sanandaj-bound Marivan’s transportuses 0875 /pop123,000 WESTERN IRAN••AroundSanandaj . Thisisincongruouslydominated Negel Quran Hotel Zarivar Zarivar Hotel x 322 1626;trIR315,000) . It’sreputedly one ITTIC Tourist Inn Tourist ITTIC dar baste . Fullyequipped Zarivar Lake Zarivar ( x (IR60,000 34 0777;s/d/ ﻣﺮﻳﻮﺍﻥ , 3km

(Meh-

has 193 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Fere-washa will flabbergast localsyoumeet. anddelight afew Knowingeven words Kurdish poets. was oncethedialectof choice forregional replaced itinSanandaj, Hurami though is quite distinctfromSoraniKurdish, which one’s yard.TheHuramiKurdishlanguage roofstyle, onehouse’s formingthenext racing andthevillages are stacked Masuleh- ‘horns’. There isplentyof age-old stoneter- brown-felt jackets withdistinctive shoulder Howramanmenwearing still see areas.spectacular Incoldermonths you’ll mains oneof Iran’sleastknown andmost Howraman (Orumanat)valley. This re- position,wastheble mountain-hemmed exception,thankstoitsimpenetra- tant to nomadismandbrigandry.Animpor- foregone villages altogether andresorted 18th century,asizablepartof society had so regularly historythat,bythe inmedieval pires, theKurdshadtheirhomesdestroyed attheintersection ofCaught powerfulem- HOWRAMAN from a better chance of findingashared ride times available fromJomhuriSt,butthere’s Shared 4WDsintoHowramanare some- and regular savaris (IR30,000,1¾hours). 194 17km towardsSanandaj. beyond. Although there’sbeyond. Although nowagreen- and austere picturesque the alternative, butclassic,route via is nowasphalted somuch easierthan Nodesheh Dalani alongtheIraqiborderlineatwiggles What appears tobethesmallerbranch Paveh, bothbreathtakingly beautiful. it divides.Tworoadsfromhere leadto of row canyon,transitstheextensive village an asphalted anar- roadleadsupthrough you’re welcome). one replies ally ‘handgood’)meansthankyoutowhich maze the diminutive galows viewedmost photogenically from and steeparray of rock-and-mudbun- man-at-Takht isaparticularly impressive Takht) where theasphaltends.Howra- From Dezli WESTERNIRAN••Howraman meansdelicious, (don’ttake photos there), bypasses Biyakara , and climbs a high passwhere, andclimbsahigh andcontinuesvia Biyakara and sarat wazhbu Howraman-at-Takht Kamala , aroadsidejunctionmarket zarif , 17kmeastof Marivan, Pir Shaliar shrine (basickababshops) meanbeautiful, deset wazhbu (‘headgood’ie Nosud (Oruman- ﻫﻮﺭﺍﻣﺎﻥ , 600m kolobal, . This wazh- (liter-

Getting There &Away There Getting quick ‘escape’ishardtoarrange. sooverwhelminghospitality thatapolite but ifyouare find youmight invited tostay There’s noformalaccommodationenroute, Sleeping returns atUra,21kmfromPaveh. cent of theKarakoram Asphalt Highway. from the‘road’)withgrandeurreminis- around man slippers at theroadsidecrocheting classicHowra- and Belbär The mostappealingvillages en-route are sible ifwetorsnowy(iemostof thewinter). but spine-jarringly exhausting,andimpos- scenic hours) is90%hairpins:marvellously at-Takht onwardstoPaveh (72km,4½ worship, albeitwithanIslamicoverlay. cultural relic frompre-Zoroastrian ‘angel’ 4 February. Somesuggest thatthisisa still heldhere ontheFridaynearest to Mithraic midwinter festival isreportedly with votive rag-stripsBuddhist-style. A rocks andtrees, behind,which are draped shrine’s real interest liesintheanimistic domed Muslimprayer-room here, that AE upafoldof valley. Views high mountainside placewithafine setting, enally hospitable and gateway toHowraman. It’s aphenom- ‘Pawa’) makes an accessibleintroduction town of Paveh (sometimespronounced Hurami-speaking The rapidlydeveloping x PAVEH ate points. co-passengers youcanfindforintermedi- cording tovehicle, driver andwhat other ing aride,priceswillvaryenormouslyac- via Nosud,orIR500,000Belbär. Shar- Paveh. or Marivan andcontinueallthewayto is toengage or4WDatBiyaKaya ataxi day.Agreatride backagainthesame idea 50km), butyoucan’tbesure of finding a Howraman-at-Takht (IR20,000,1¾hours, also shared BiyaKaya 4WDsbetween and Marivan Sanandaj). (oreven There are makes arelatively day-tripfrom easytaxi Snow allowing,Howraman-at-Takht The slipperymudroadfromHowraman- 0832 /pop13,700 Selin , cupped in a deep mountain hollow, mountain , cuppedinadeep Dar baste Hawasawa where attired brightly womensit (giveh) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book expecttopayIR250,000 (visiblebutinaccessible . Thebestviewsare lonelyplanet.com ﭘﺎﻭﻩ Gala Qar;admissionIR4000; Gala zan) tle dormitoriesatthe can walkthere andbackinalongday. cals claimsomewhatoptimisticallythatthey valley.Lo- from rooms1and2acrossadeep top opposite. Thesite isvery visible distantly a pronouncedrockyknobonthemountain- temple complex (after Takht-e Soleiman)on nian Persia’s second-greatest Zoroastrian named Ateshgah forwhatwasonceSassa- carpeted and have blankets butnobeds.It’s bathroom andunfinished kitchenette are IR150,000) ing optioninPaveh is foad barbershop).Byfarthenicestdin- featuring achicken (besidethePiraysh- down steps marked witharestaurant sign men ifthey’re polite. suitably Accessis acceptforeignspeaks noEnglish)might for womenonly,butthecaretaker (who It’ssupposedlythey allowyoutostay. (IR500,000, very road). rough fect dryweather viaHowraman-at-Takht Ateshgah Suites Ateshgah Park. Atthebackof theparkyou’llfind are bestfromtheFerris inKazemi wheel of Paveh’s mostcharacteristic stepped area lonelyplanet.com the slippery-floored (IR3500, onehour).Enroute you’llpass Javanrud (IR3000,45minutes) orRavansar proveIt might quicker togoinhopsvia and savaris (IR20,000,1¾hours) fillslowly. Paveh, Kermanshah (IR5500) minibuses From themainterminal 3kmeastof central &Away There Getting Shohoda Sq;mealsIR12,000-30,000; Hostel; (Female-teachers’ shopping centre. at thetopof thetown’slittleblue-glass folks at dar baste plenty of photostopsconsiderrenting ataxi (IR70,000, five hours) ifatall.Toallow cally before dawntoHowraman-at-Takht ture timesare unpredictable, highly typi- huts, 1kmwestof Shohoda Sq.Depar- gather outsideatrioof orange container (pronounced‘tweeter’) pick-upsToyota claustrophobic. isvery andsomewhat disappointing see claims tobeAsia’s longest, butwhatyou There’s cheaper accommodation,inlit- For Marivan andHowramanshared either viaNosud (IR250,000) orinper- , where sixconcrete box-rooms with Kurd Taxi Agency toMarivan fromthedelightful

( x /fax 7221732,09188883059;r x Ghuri Gahleh Cave Gahleh Ghuri Ostad Khanim Mo’allem Ostad Khanim h 722 5574;dmIR15,000) ( x 9.30am-5pm) Kapr 722 777;BlvdJanba-

h ( x 8am-10pm) 722 1112; , which

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h Upstairs. Fairly goodconnection. Shapur Ataee House Khadivi ofKermanshah Office Heritage Cultural TOURIST INFORMATION ExchangeCo Sepehr MONEY Hesabgarnet Emperator ACCESSINTERNET Information than asquare. flyoveractually adauntinghigh-speed rather Sq,nicknamedMeydan15 Khordat Labab, Rock initsmidst.Anotherkey junctionis Azadi Sq,which hasaminiDome-of-the- modation isfoundsouthof themammoth city’s foremost attraction.Cheapaccom- by parksandoutdoorrestaurants, formthe sif. Here theTaq-e ringed carvings, Bostan magnificent rockyParom mas- Mountain tre (thesouthernthird)tothefootof the over 10kmfromthebusycommercialcen- Shiroodi) asitstretchesBeheshti-Sheikh street changes names(Kashani-Modarres- Kermanshah isbewilderinglyvast. Themain Orientation don’tmisspassing Taq-e through, Bostan. isimpressiverock mountains and,ifyou’re tourist draw,itsbackdropof glowingred- notamajorLori andotherIranians.Though 1980s, thecityisameltingpotof Kurds, Iraq War. inthe Brieflyrenamed Bakhtaran it suffered missiledamage duringtheIran– Mostrecentlyboth prosperityandattack. Itsstrategic positionhasbrought Baghdad. 4th centuryADastridetheRoyalRoadto west Iran, Kermanshah inthe developed By farthelargest andbusiestcityincentral x KERMANSHAH if undetailedmap. Wed, 7.30am-1pmThu)Lavishfree brochures anddecent ( .com; per day plus tips IR200,000) Extremely learned .com; perday plustipsIR200,000)Extremely Changes money, unlike the big Bank Melli on Azadi Sq. onAzadi thebigBankMelli Changes money,unlike exhibition place. restored Qajarmansionand gardenusedasoccasional informationoutletatabeautifully convenient tourist 3pm Sat-Thu) operatesamore Office TheCulturalHeritage x 10am-9pm) 0831 /pop765,000 836 7403;offBeheshtiSt; WESTERN IRAN •• Kermanshah WESTERN IRAN••Kermanshah (Modarres St;perhrIR6000; ( ( x ( x x 723 1309; Shari’ati St;perhrIR6000; 723 1309;Shari’ati 0918 8566220; shapurataee@yahoo 721 2696; Ma’adem St; 721 2696;Ma’adem (Bank Sepah Bldg, Kashani Sq) Bldg,Kashani (Bank Sepah h 7.30am-2.30pm Sun- h 8am-8pm) h ﻛﺮﻣﺎﻧﺸﺎﻩ

8am-

195 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Fere-washa will flabbergast localsyoumeet. anddelight afew Knowingeven words Kurdish poets. was oncethedialectof choice forregional replaced itinSanandaj, Hurami though is quite distinctfromSoraniKurdish, which one’s yard.TheHuramiKurdishlanguage roofstyle, onehouse’s formingthenext racing andthevillages are stacked Masuleh- ‘horns’. There isplentyof age-old stoneter- brown-felt jackets withdistinctive shoulder Howramanmenwearing still see areas.spectacular Incoldermonths you’ll mains oneof Iran’sleastknown andmost Howraman (Orumanat)valley. This re- position,wastheble mountain-hemmed exception,thankstoitsimpenetra- tant to nomadismandbrigandry.Animpor- foregone villages altogether andresorted 18th century,asizablepartof society had so regularly historythat,bythe inmedieval pires, theKurdshadtheirhomesdestroyed attheintersection ofCaught powerfulem- HOWRAMAN 17km towardsSanandaj. from a better chance of findingashared ride times available fromJomhuriSt,butthere’s Shared 4WDsintoHowramanare some- and regular savaris (IR30,000,1¾hours). 194 Nodesheh Dalani alongtheIraqiborderlineatwiggles What appears tobethesmallerbranch Paveh, bothbreathtakingly beautiful. it divides.Tworoadsfromhere leadto of row canyon,transitstheextensive village an asphalted anar- roadleadsupthrough you’re welcome). one replies ally ‘handgood’)meansthankyoutowhich maze picturesque the alternative, butclassic,route via is nowasphalted somuch easierthan beyond. Although there’sbeyond. Although nowagreen- and austere the diminutive galows viewedmost photogenically from and steeparray of rock-and-mudbun- man-at-Takht isaparticularly impressive Takht) where theasphaltends.Howra- From Dezli WESTERNIRAN••Howraman meansdelicious, (don’ttake photos there), bypasses Biyakara , and climbs a high passwhere, andclimbsahigh andcontinuesvia Biyakara and sarat wazhbu Howraman-at-Takht Kamala , aroadsidejunctionmarket zarif , 17kmeastof Marivan, Pir Shaliar shrine (basickababshops) meanbeautiful, deset wazhbu (‘headgood’ie Nosud (Oruman- ﻫﻮﺭﺍﻣﺎﻥ , 600m kolobal, . This wazh- (liter-

Getting There &Away There Getting quick ‘escape’ishardtoarrange. sooverwhelminghospitality thatapolite but ifyouare find youmight invited tostay There’s noformalaccommodationenroute, Sleeping returns atUra,21kmfromPaveh. cent of theKarakoram Asphalt Highway. from the‘road’)withgrandeurreminis- around man slippers at theroadsidecrocheting classicHowra- and Belbär The mostappealingvillages en-route are sible ifwetorsnowy(iemostof thewinter). but spine-jarringly exhausting,andimpos- scenic hours) is90%hairpins:marvellously at-Takht onwardstoPaveh (72km,4½ worship, albeitwithanIslamicoverlay. cultural relic frompre-Zoroastrian ‘angel’ 4 February. Somesuggest thatthisisa still heldhere ontheFridaynearest to Mithraic midwinter festival isreportedly with votive rag-stripsBuddhist-style. A rocks andtrees, behind,which are draped shrine’s real interest liesintheanimistic domed Muslimprayer-room here, that AE upafoldof valley. Views high mountainside placewithafine setting, enally hospitable and gateway toHowraman. It’s aphenom- ‘Pawa’) makes an accessibleintroduction town of Paveh (sometimespronounced Hurami-speaking The rapidlydeveloping x PAVEH ate points. co-passengers youcanfindforintermedi- cording tovehicle, driver andwhat other ing aride,priceswillvaryenormouslyac- via Nosud,orIR500,000Belbär. Shar- Paveh. or Marivan andcontinueallthewayto is toengage or4WDatBiyaKaya ataxi day.Agreatride backagainthesame idea 50km), butyoucan’tbesure of finding a Howraman-at-Takht (IR20,000,1¾hours, also shared BiyaKaya 4WDs between and Marivan Sanandaj). (oreven There are makes arelatively day-tripfrom easytaxi Snow allowing,Howraman-at-Takht The slipperymudroadfromHowraman- 0832 /pop13,700 Selin , cupped in a deep mountain hollow, mountain , cuppedinadeep Dar baste Hawasawa where attired brightly womensit (giveh) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book expecttopayIR250,000 (visiblebutinaccessible . Thebestviewsare lonelyplanet.com ﭘﺎﻭﻩ zan) Qar;admissionIR4000; Gala tle dormitoriesatthe can walkthere andbackinalongday. cals claimsomewhatoptimisticallythatthey valley.Lo- from rooms1and2acrossadeep top opposite. Thesite isvery visible distantly a pronouncedrockyknobonthemountain- temple complex (after Takht-e Soleiman)on nian Persia’s second-greatest Zoroastrian named Ateshgah forwhatwasonceSassa- carpeted and have blankets butnobeds.It’s bathroom andunfinished kitchenette are IR150,000) ing optioninPaveh is foad barbershop).Byfarthenicestdin- featuring achicken (besidethePiraysh- down steps marked witharestaurant sign men ifthey’re polite. suitably Accessis acceptforeignspeaks noEnglish)might for womenonly,butthecaretaker (who It’ssupposedlythey allowyoutostay. (IR500,000, very road). rough fect dryweather viaHowraman-at-Takht Ateshgah Suites Ateshgah Park. Atthebackof theparkyou’llfind are bestfromtheFerris inKazemi wheel of Paveh’s mostcharacteristic stepped area lonelyplanet.com the slippery-floored (IR3500, onehour).Enroute you’llpass Javanrud (IR3000,45minutes) orRavansar proveIt might quicker togoinhopsvia and savaris (IR20,000,1¾hours) fillslowly. Paveh, Kermanshah (IR5500) minibuses From themainterminal 3kmeastof central &Away There Getting Shohoda Sq;mealsIR12,000-30,000; Hostel; (Female-teachers’ shopping centre. at thetopof thetown’slittleblue-glass folks at dar baste plenty of photostopsconsiderrenting ataxi (IR70,000, five hours) ifatall.Toallow cally before dawntoHowraman-at-Takht ture timesare unpredictable, highly typi- huts, 1kmwestof Shohoda Sq.Depar- gather outsideatrioof orange container (pronounced‘tweeter’) pick-upsToyota claustrophobic. isvery andsomewhat disappointing see claims tobeAsia’s longest, butwhatyou There’s cheaper accommodation,inlit- For Marivan andHowramanshared either viaNosud (IR250,000) orinper- , where sixconcrete box-rooms with Kurd Taxi Agency toMarivan fromthedelightful

( x /fax 7221732,09188883059;r x Ghuri Gahleh Cave Gahleh Ghuri Ostad Khanim Mo’allem Ostad Khanim h 722 5574;dmIR15,000) ( x 9.30am-5pm) Kapr 722 777;BlvdJanba-

h ( x 8am-10pm) 722 1112; , which

(Goori (Goori if

Upstairs. Fairly goodconnection. h Shapur Ataee House Khadivi ofKermanshah Office Heritage Cultural TOURIST INFORMATION ExchangeCo Sepehr MONEY Hesabgarnet Emperator ACCESSINTERNET Information than asquare. flyoveractually adauntinghigh-speed rather Sq,nicknamedMeydan15 Khordat Labab, Rock initsmidst.Anotherkey junctionis Azadi Sq,which hasaminiDome-of-the- modation isfoundsouthof themammoth city’s foremost attraction.Cheapaccom- by parksandoutdoorrestaurants, formthe sif. Here theTaq-e ringed carvings, Bostan magnificent rockyParom mas- Mountain tre (thesouthernthird)tothefootof the over 10kmfromthebusycommercialcen- Shiroodi) asitstretchesBeheshti-Sheikh street changes names(Kashani-Modarres- Kermanshah isbewilderinglyvast. Themain Orientation don’tmisspassing Taq-e through, Bostan. isimpressiverock mountains and,ifyou’re tourist draw,itsbackdropof glowingred- notamajorLori andotherIranians.Though 1980s, thecityisameltingpotof Kurds, Iraq War. inthe Brieflyrenamed Bakhtaran it suffered missiledamage duringtheIran– Mostrecentlyboth prosperityandattack. Itsstrategic positionhasbrought Baghdad. 4th centuryADastridetheRoyalRoadto west Iran, Kermanshah inthe developed By farthelargest andbusiestcityincentral x KERMANSHAH if undetailedmap. Wed, 7.30am-1pmThu)Lavishfree brochures anddecent ( .com; per day plus tips IR200,000) Extremely learned .com; perday plustipsIR200,000)Extremely Changes money, unlike the big Bank Melli on Azadi Sq. onAzadi thebigBankMelli Changes money,unlike exhibition place. restored Qajarmansionand gardenusedasoccasional informationoutletatabeautifully convenient tourist 3pm Sat-Thu) operatesamore Office TheCulturalHeritage x 10am-9pm) 0831 /pop765,000 836 7403;offBeheshtiSt; WESTERN IRAN •• Kermanshah WESTERN IRAN••Kermanshah (Modarres St;perhrIR6000; ( ( x ( x x 723 1309; Shari’ati St;perhrIR6000; 723 1309;Shari’ati 0918 8566220; shapurataee@yahoo 721 2696; Ma’adem St; 721 2696;Ma’adem (Bank Sepah Bldg, Kashani Sq) Bldg,Kashani (Bank Sepah h 7.30am-2.30pm Sun- h 8am-8pm) h ﻛﺮﻣﺎﻧﺸﺎﻩ

8am-

195 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN ὈὈ ὈὈ

WESTERN IRAN 196 (115km) To Paveh Sanandaj (140km) Paveh (115km); Javanrud (89km); To Ravarsar(65km); 4 6 1 3 2 5 KERMANSHAH

WESTERNIRAN••Kermanshah Hafez St Hafez Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ AC

Isar

Sq Motahhari Rd Ring Janbazan

Imam Hossein

Fahanglan St Fahanglan

Blvd Rudaki St

29 Qesta Ashayer St Park

To Ilam(180km); Golestan Zan Ghariatmand Zan

Ahvaz (465km)

Ershad Blvd Ershad

Sq Azadegan

Nabahar St Nabahar

Azadegan

Karger Golestan

Vahdat St Vahdat Shemshadian Hotel Sq Sq 22 Bahman St

Sabuni 14 Aleagha St Aleagha

Motahhari St

17 Kuhnavand Hevdah-e Shahrivar St Shahrivar Hevdah-e Imami St Imami 15 Khordat Taavor St Shirin

See Enlargement Park 33

Chamran St (Labaab) Azadi Sheikh Shiroodi St Shiroodi Sheikh Sq Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Sq 35 Kashani Refinery Moa'llem 25

Mosavari Blvd Bazaar Beheshti St Sq

Modarres

Hafezieh St Hafezieh Beheshti St Gohla St 31

Sepah Kesh Ferdosi

Ashktalkh St B Shari'ati Sq Farhangium St Sq Keshvari Blvd

avarz St 2

Imam Khomeini Blvd Khomeini Imam

Sarab

Daneshu St Blvd Artesh 27 avrnPooSo...... D3 Tasviran PhotoShop...... Cultural HeritageOfficeof SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Ehmad Dohla Mosque...... Ashikhade Mosque...... Sepehr ExchangeCo...... Main PostOffice...... Khadivi House...... Hesabgarnet...... Emperator...... Kermanshah...... Bank Melli...... Qambar Shohoda Sq Khovari

Imam Sq Keyhanshahr Blvd

Khomeini Hamadan (189km); To Bisotun(30km); Tehran (525km) Blvd

Airport Karasu ὈὈ Safavid Bridge 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 D2 D1 D3 D2 D2 D3 D1 B3 D1

Takieh Mo'avenol-Molk...... Takieh BiglarBegi...... Jameh Mosque...... Tagh BostanTravel...... Taavoni 7...... Southbound ShuttleTaxis...... Setareh Soheil...... Savaris toBisotun...... Savaris forPaveh...... (forIlam)...... Pars Peyma...... (see20) Main MinibusTerminal...... Main BusTerminal...... Iran Peyma...... Iran Air...... to15KhordatSq...... Jamshid Restaurant...... (see17) Homa...... Eram Restaurant...... (see21) Chelokababi Tavakol...... Borj Pizza...... Mosaferkhaneh Nabovat...... Meraj Hotel...... Karbala Hotel...... Jamshid Hotel...... Hotel-Apartment Lizhan...... (see15) Hotel Azadi...... (see20) Former BisotunHotel...... Dariush Hotel...... Taq-e Bostan...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING Rah-e-Karbala Terminal Bus 2toTerminal&Savaris

Shirin Park 0 0 Imami St Imami

Taleqani St Imami

Motahhari Motahhari 2km 1mile 0 0 Sq

Khayyam

Azadi Gumruk Gumruk Tea Sellers Saadi Sq 20 30 Jahad

Fatemy Fatemy

Isfahani Isfahani

Bazaar

Blvd Blvd Mosavari Blvd Crossing lonelyplanet.com 24 11 19 Ojak 18 34 21 6 10 3

7 Shaferi D 1

15 Modarres

Navab

Safavi 12 8 Kashani Kashani Ma'adem St 800 m 22 0.5 miles

Sq 23 32 Jalil St St Jalil Jalil 9 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 5

B4 D2 B1 D3 B2 D1 A6 B2 B2 D2 B4 D1 D3 D2 D3 D1 D1 D2 B1 D3 D2 A1 D2 D1 D1 Shari'ati Ashktalkh St 4 h admission IR4000; English spoken, noslides. English spoken, h Tasviran Shop Photo French. spoken withgoodEnglishanddecent and interesting tour-guide lonelyplanet.com the 1913 (AD 680).ThefinestinKermanshah is martyrdom of atKarbala ImamHossein month of Moharram, commemoratingthe where playsare acted outduringtheIslamic Distinctively Shiite, are Hosseiniehs shrines HOSSEINIEHS boating pond. trees through acrossatively half-visible from thealcoves, makingthereliefs attrac- means thatagoldenglowemanates warmly reliefs-complex sympatheticlighting closes, popular late Even intotheevening. after the Luke Skywalker sabre. withalight Mithras sneaksupbehind pretending tobe Shapur II–expertsdisagree. Meanwhile trian godAhuraMazda, orperhaps from receives acrownof blessingfromZoroas- AD 363whenShapur II’scommander).He (whohe’dbeatenJulian theApostate in pling onthedefeated RomanEmperor Shah ArdashirII(rAD379–383)tram- showingis thefinestandoldesttableau ofon theirheads.Totheright theniches livious tothefootballsthathave landed and enjoyingarelaxed chat apparently ob- Shapur IIItwiddlingtheirswordhandles niche shows kingsShapursecond IIand had‘invented’knights such armour).The (albeit halfamillenniumbefore European chain maillookinglike theBlackPrince which the king ridesoffinfullarmourand tion of II(AD590–628)beneath Khosrow thecorona- the sidewallsandhighlights tures elephant-backed huntingsceneson alcoves They are inandaroundapairof set some extraordinary attractionis star At thecity’snorthernedge, Kermanshah’s TAQ-E BOSTAN Sights with grizzly scenesfrom the great Karbala and domed centralchamber decorated Enter acourtyard downstairs, through Surrounding open-airrestaurants remain 8am-9pm) Develops film and prints digital pictures. digitalpictures. filmandprints 8am-9pm) Develops 8am-9pm) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book . Thebiggest andnewestalcove fea- Takieh Mo’aven ol-Molk Takieh Mo’aven , a towering cliff inscribedwith, atoweringcliff h Taq-e Bostan 10am-noon &4-7.30pm Sat-Thu) ( x 722 8560; Kashani St; 722 8560;Kashani Sassanian bas-reliefs (admissionIR5000; (Hadad AbilSt; ﺑﺴﺘﺎﻥ carved carved

ﺗﺎﻕ . .

you poke aboutinthebackalleys. bulldozed, butsomecuriositiesremain if 6597; admissionfree; lane opposite thefine tiled centraldome-room.Tofindittake the but isworthvisitingforitsdazzlingmirror- afairlycursory houses calligraphymuseum, IR50,000/80,000/140,000) St; s/tw/trIR60,000/105,000/140,000, withoutshower that are sometimes hardtospot. almost allabove shopfrontsviastairways Azadi Sq,manymarked onlyinFarsi and ofA gaggle cheapies to liehandilyclose BUDGET Sleeping Within thebazaar, courtyardsatthewesterncaravanserai end. exploring withacoupleof dilapidated old slopes upfromModarres St.It’swellworth The extensive, much restored OTHER SIGHTS regional costumesandtools. displaying now anethnographicmuseum costumes. Alovely is buildingtotheright villages in19th-century andlocalnotables gods includingShahnameh kings,European images fromQuranicscenes,topre-Islamic amidtilesdepictingawackygamutofis set on thewallof courtyard.This thesecond genuinely moved bythe‘footprintof Ali’ tive, pilgrimskissingthedoors andlooking battle. Theshrineremains very much ac- add around 35%tothebill forforeigners. chard Branson andenterprisingly tends to teacher-manager lookslike anIranian Ri- others withaging bathrooms.Thehearty in newlypainted rooms,some withatap, minaret. Thentake thefirst alleyleft. St) for areasonable while. showers arewhose hot powerfulandstay aresheets cleanifcigarette-burnt and priced,no-frills rooms whose has sensibly IR108,000/123,000) bathroomIR174,000/200,000, withshared bathroom private Ashikhade Mosque Ashikhade around theblue-domed,20th-century tiled portal, hasaQajar-eratiled portal, clocktower. enteredellery Bazaar), anattractive through , which has abeautifulYazd-styled twin Mosaferkhaneh Nabovat Nabovat Mosaferkhaneh known The lesser Hotel Azadi Hotel The onceinteresting area of olderhouses WESTERN IRAN •• Kermanshah WESTERN IRAN••Kermanshah

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(Jalil St) (Jalil 823 3076;Modarres St;s/twwith h Ehmad DohlaMosque ThefriendlyNabovat Takieh Biglar Begi Takieh BiglarBegi 8am-7pm Sat-Thu) has now been largely hasnowbeen Jameh Mosque ( x 823 1018; Modarres 823 1018;Modarres covered bazaar covered (Modarres ( now x (Jew- 197 827

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN ὈὈ ὈὈ

WESTERN IRAN 196 (115km) To Paveh Sanandaj (140km) Paveh (115km); Javanrud (89km); To Ravarsar(65km); 4 6 1 3 2 5 KERMANSHAH

WESTERNIRAN••Kermanshah Hafez St Hafez Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ AC

Isar

Sq Motahhari Rd Ring Janbazan

Imam Hossein

Fahanglan St Fahanglan

Blvd Rudaki St

29 Qesta Ashayer St Park

To Ilam(180km); Golestan Zan Ghariatmand Zan

Ahvaz (465km)

Ershad Blvd Ershad

Sq Azadegan

Nabahar St Nabahar

Azadegan

Karger Golestan

Vahdat St Vahdat Shemshadian Hotel Sq Sq 22 Bahman St

Sabuni 14 Aleagha St Aleagha

Motahhari St

17 Kuhnavand Hevdah-e Shahrivar St Shahrivar Hevdah-e Imami St Imami 15 Khordat Taavor St Shirin

See Enlargement Park 33

Chamran St (Labaab) Azadi Sheikh Shiroodi St Shiroodi Sheikh Sq ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Sq 35 Kashani Refinery Moa'llem 25

Mosavari Blvd Bazaar Beheshti St Sq

Modarres

Hafezieh St Hafezieh Beheshti St Gohla St 31

Sepah Kesh Ferdosi

Ashktalkh St B Shari'ati Sq Farhangium St Sq Keshvari Blvd

avarz St 2

Imam Khomeini Blvd Khomeini Imam

Sarab

Imam Sq Keyhanshahr Blvd

Khomeini Hamadan (189km); To Bisotun(30km); Tehran (525km) Blvd

Airport Karasu ὈὈ Safavid Bridge 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 D2 D1 D3 D2 D2 D3 D1 B3 D1

Shirin Park 0 0 Imami St Imami

Taleqani St Imami

Motahhari Motahhari 2km 1mile 0 0 Sq

Khayyam

Azadi Gumruk Gumruk Tea Sellers Saadi Sq 20 30 Jahad

Fatemy Fatemy

Isfahani Isfahani

Bazaar

Blvd Blvd Mosavari Blvd Crossing lonelyplanet.com 24 11 19 Ojak 18 34 21 6 10 3

7 Shaferi D 1

15 Modarres

Navab

Safavi 12 8 Kashani Kashani Ma'adem St 800 m 22 0.5 miles

Sq 23 32 Jalil St St Jalil Jalil 9 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 5

ﺗﺎﻕ . .

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Shahrderi; s/dwithbreakfast US$25/37; Shahrderi; toilet) are distinctly aging. our scheme, butbathrooms(withWestern coffee-and-cream apleasant now uses col- look of thecorridorceilings. Room décor mosphere, typifiedbytheBluePeter DIY failed toridtheDariushof its1970’sat- protect thelovely building). battles withthegovernment (tryingto while theowner(wantingtodemolish it) fornow oldhotelclosed delightful issadly vand Sq,Taq-e Bostan;d/tw/tr/steUS$58/87/112/136) per’; well,nottheoriginalobviously. Sup- tranceway features ‘Last Leonardo’s clean, comfyandnew.Theperfumeden- have a1970’sCindyDollfeel butare 110% up tosixintwobedrooms,which might apartmentswithfullkitchens sleep tained IR300,000/350,000; restaurants aroundKashani Sq. near the Taq-e andseveral carvings Bostan tion of kabab cafésandopen-airteahouses There’s agreatwith saffron). concentra- tion that’susually yellowandflavoured ‘bread-rice’; confec- aroundsemi-sweet cookies(literallyarchetypal NanBerenji and confectioners Kermanshah’s selling near OjakCrossingthere are snackstalls Blvd Around AzadiSqandonMotahhari Eating Blvd;aptIR600,000; 6666; Motahhari Hotel Karbala MIDRANGE &TOPEND 198 goat. toilets. Accessupstairs guardedbyastuffed albeit withsmallshowerbooths andsquat bathrooms. remain fairly characterless withwar-torn the recently redecorated rooms atKarbala some attractive mouldingsinthefoyer,but slippers. extras downtominibar,kettle andlogo-ed and restrained. Roomshave alltheusual are elegantlyinternational décor andservice tric white-stone ‘castle’façade,butinterior hotels thenew Jamshid Hotel hasaneccen- thebestofEasily Kermanshah’s top-end IR150,000/250,000) Bisotun Hotel Meraj Hotel Hotel Meraj Jamshid Hotel Dariush Hotel Dariush Hotel-Apartment Lizhan Hotel-Apartment WESTERNIRAN••Kermanshah ( x

(Kashani St) (Kashani a

( Mosaferkhaneh ( x ( x x 727 3665;fax5999;Parking ) Partial redecoration has 823 3288;Modarres St;s/tw 429 9666;fax6002;Kuhna- 722 7001; Motahhari Blvd;s/d 722 7001;Motahhari Kermanshah’s most

( x a 721 0102;fax727 a -style rooms ) ) Self-con- There are

mented by theiracidic IR30,000-55,000; framed doors withcoloured glasspanels. Headetarians. white- downstairs through forveg- delights can rustleupeggplant Dudley Moore, speaksgoodEnglish and lookssomewhatlikeing ownerAliRahban Charm- gone-to-seed. that’sslightly house in anatmosphericonce-grand oldbath- ers. valueIranianfoodisserved Excellent place,iftheremeeting were anybackpack- kababs, but does fesenjun atlunchtime.kababs, butdoes mainly copies of theBisotunreliefs. Itserves which culminates in green-bronze framed as eccentricitswavy brickworkinterior, are Pizza,Eram’sstaff tower buildingasBorj four times weekly on IranAseman.four times weekly Tickets Jamshid Hotel;mealsIR45,000-85,000; 6-10.30pm) AshrafiSt;mealsIR22,000-50,000; Shahid pizzas IR21,000-26,000; thrice dailyon toTehranFlights (IR315,000)leave AIR &Away There Getting ketchup. inIran. indeed Rare toreachyou don’tneed immediately forthe flavourPizza (IR26,000)hasenough that Special gros Pizza,itsunusuallygoodBorj notquite asswishnearbyZa- Though & 5.30-9pm) Modarres St;mealsIR18,000-25,000; excessive sizethanforits flavour. (IR65,000), which isfamousmore forits rather thanthethree-skewer khoresht khalol artificial ‘stream’. Trythelocalspeciality unusual diningroomiscutintwobyan gantic bronzeeagleandhuge samovar, this milk oryogurtmixed withwater). sweet patch on homemade equivalents,thesemi- nota a gently Though tricklingfountain. blue-brick diningniches ranged around Homa hasembroidered tablecloths and calm eleganceof anupmarket restaurant, ing theatmosphere of withthe ateahouse 8-9.30pm, longerinsummer) St; o Borj Pizza Homa Eram Restaurant Jamshid Restaurant h Chelokababi Tavakol Chelokababi 7.30am-2.30pm Sat-Thu, 7.30am-1pm Fri) fesenjun

( Beneath the same fake thesame 1920’s-style Beneath x Thiswouldbethebackpacker

( 723 4246; Kashani/Dabir Azam Sts;meals Azam 723 4246;Kashani/Dabir x h (IR30,000)isideallycomple- (lambstewed withalmonds) 728 9741; Shahid AshrafiSt;medium 728 9741;Shahid noon-3pm &7-11pm) Iran Air

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( 10am-2.30pm &5-10pm) Surveyed byagi- Surveyed 727 8506; Bahmany Bldg, 727 8506;Bahmany x dugh

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424 4185;basement, (churned sour lonelyplanet.com 824 8610;Beheshti ( dandeh kabab h x h h 11.30am-3pm Combin- 722 7184; noon-3pm & 9am-3pm & , plus

7pm Sat-Thu) St) intimidating 15 Khordat (Labab) overpass. (Labab) intimidating 15Khordat fromthe southeastslip-road ofstart the Azadi Sq. to25,000) departfrom GumrukStclose west cornerof Kermanshah. are soldby lonelyplanet.com Rah-e-Karbala terminal terminal Rah-e-Karbala the Iraqborders) thequite separate uses visiting Palangan. (IR12,000, onehour),which workswellfor to break thesavari journeyinKamyaran hours), butstrangely itcanprove cheaper (IR40,000). (IR10,000,2½hours) andsavarisbuses 1¼ hours) toKhorramabad. there are (IR4500/15,000, minibuses/savaris IR10,000/50,000, 40minutes) fromwhich tinue bysavari toNurabad(perperson/car (IR2000,3.5km)andcon- by shuttletaxi of adrought-stricken Scotland.Crosstown reminiscentsurrounded bymoorlandbluffs utes), asizeable towninanagriculturalvalley Taavoni 13,TBT with aminibustoHarsin (IR3800,45min- via but it’sgenerally much quicker inhops.Start Andimeshk bus viaEslamabad (IR35,000,4½hours), 9hr TaavoniFor Khorramabad, 7hasan8.30am 75,000 IR29,000 8am,9pm 5pmIranPeyma frequent (west) IR60,000 12hr Tehran 9hr IR70,000 9hr Tabriz IR45,000- Orumiyeh IR60,000 8hr IR60,000 Esfahan 6am, 9hr 5pm Ahvaz Pars 6pm-10pm Peyma cluding advancetickets officessell in- Sq. Several Azadi Sq.Use savaris orbus2fromAzadi are sideby sideabout8kmnortheastof The huge mainbusandminibusterminals BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI etnto ae uain Departures Duration Destination Fare to almostanywhere. Useful options: side theHotel Nobovat, which offers tickets St; heil andvery handy Savaris toBisotun (IR5000, 25minutes) Savaris toPaveh (back/front IR20,000/ Transport toIlamandQasr-e-Shirin (for For Sanandaj, savaris costIR35,000(two For Hamadan there are direct mini- h ( x 8am-6pm Sat-Thu, 10am-1pmFri) 727 1115; fax 727 1116; Kashani St; 727 1115;fax1116;Kashani Iran Peyma and othertravel agencies. Tagh BostanTravel

(Javad Sq) (Javad Pars Peyma (Sabuni St) , Taavoni 7

( inthesouth- (Modarres St) x , 824 6222;Vila Setareh So- Setareh h

(Modarres 9.30am- be- lowing the mighty cliffs west.You’ll passa cliffs lowing the mighty alargeThen walk through carpark fol- (east). entering Bisotun’sswings90º right savari from Kermanshah where theroad Stone istoEgyptologists. significant toPersia-philes astheRosetta ing breakthrough thatrenders Bisotun as phering of thecuneiformscripts,athrill- his transcriptionslater allowedthedeci- inscriptionsinstead. Nonetheless,those tootle uptoGanjnameh( p205 ) andcopy didn’tjust eccentricity, norwhyRawlinson time off toattempt solife-threatening an to knowhowhissuperiors gave himthe papier-mâché castsof texts. these It’shard dangling formonths over theabyss tomake localsby Henryofficer bemused Rawlinson Persian). In1835,eccentricBritisharmy ‘lost’ languages (Elamite, AkkadianandOld pounding uponDarius’greatness inthree surrounded bycuneiforminscriptionsex- make thesceneis outfromgroundlevel, purity) hovers overhead. hardto Though har receiving chained supplicantswhilea The key Darius feature isawell-preserved were awardedUnescorecognition in2006. carvings bas-relief ofinscribed withaseries world-famous from Sahneh.At cially majestic whenapproaching Bisotun are cliffs Bisotun these manshah–Hamadan road,lookingespe- of Ker- thebusy,partlyindustrialised linethenorthflankAwesome drycliffs x Bisotun AROUND KERMANSHAH 8.30pm. to windaroundtheone-waysystem until bound), butnorthbound have shuttle taxis drive usefully the‘wrongway’(north- buses Sq forTaq-e OnModarres Bostan. St,city totheterminals andtoMo’allem usefully from AzadiSqheadinalldirections, most dat Sqpasstheairportgates. Shuttle taxis Bisotun-bound from15Khor- shuttletaxis Around Getting take years. e-Shirin, butconstructionwillprobably (Iraq)viaKermanshahBaghdad andQasr- A newrailwayisplannedlinkingTehran to TRAIN WESTERN IRAN •• Around Kermanshah WESTERN IRAN••AroundKermanshah To reach the carvings jump outof aTo reach the carvings 0832 (winged Zoroastrian‘angel’ denoting dating from 521 BC. They datingfrom521BC. ﺑﻴﺴﺘﻮﻥ

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199 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Shahrderi; s/dwithbreakfast US$25/37; Shahrderi; toilet) are distinctly aging. our scheme, butbathrooms(withWestern coffee-and-cream apleasant now uses col- look of thecorridorceilings. Room décor mosphere, typifiedbytheBluePeter DIY failed toridtheDariushof its1970’sat- protect thelovely building). battles withthegovernment (tryingto while theowner(wantingtodemolish it) fornow oldhotelclosed delightful issadly vand Sq,Taq-e Bostan;d/tw/tr/steUS$58/87/112/136) per’; well,nottheoriginalobviously. Sup- tranceway features ‘Last Leonardo’s clean, comfyandnew.Theperfumeden- have a1970’sCindyDollfeel butare 110% up tosixintwobedrooms,which might apartmentswithfullkitchens sleep tained IR300,000/350,000; restaurants aroundKashani Sq. near the Taq-e andseveral carvings Bostan tion of kabab cafésandopen-airteahouses There’s agreatwith saffron). concentra- tion that’susually yellowandflavoured ‘bread-rice’; confec- aroundsemi-sweet cookies(literallyarchetypal NanBerenji and confectioners Kermanshah’s selling near OjakCrossingthere are snackstalls Blvd Around AzadiSqandonMotahhari Eating Blvd;aptIR600,000; 6666; Motahhari Hotel Karbala MIDRANGE &TOPEND 198 goat. toilets. Accessupstairs guardedbyastuffed albeit withsmallshowerbooths andsquat bathrooms. remain fairly characterless withwar-torn the recently redecorated rooms atKarbala some attractive mouldingsinthefoyer,but slippers. extras downtominibar,kettle andlogo-ed and restrained. Roomshave alltheusual are elegantlyinternational décor andservice tric white-stone ‘castle’façade,butinterior hotels thenew Jamshid Hotel hasaneccen- thebestofEasily Kermanshah’s top-end IR150,000/250,000) Bisotun Hotel Meraj Hotel Hotel Meraj Jamshid Hotel Dariush Hotel Dariush Hotel-Apartment Lizhan Hotel-Apartment WESTERNIRAN••Kermanshah ( x

(Kashani St) (Kashani a

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199 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN said tohave layers,said theinner had seven into anopulent city.Itsmassive walls were ades theMedian of grew capital Ecbatana andoverhere dec- in728BC, succeeding Median kingDeiokes fortifiedapalace According toancientGreek historians, History over-rated. Sadr Caves ( p206 are), butthese vastly Iranian visitors isitsproximity totheAli retreat, Hamadan’s maindrawcardfor Sq.ApopularsummerImam Khomeini above theragged neo-colonialcupolasof capped MtAlvand(3580m)preening itself there are impressive of glimpses snow- often hazy,butonarare, clearspringday cember toMarch. Inthesummerairis snow-prone andfreezing coldfromDe- madan isgraciouslycoolinAugust,but plain,Ha-curiosities. Sittingonahigh tions andthere isascattering of historical the citycentre are given over toexcava- antiquity remains, butsignificantpartsof world’s greatest cities.Pitifullylittleof Hamadan wasonceoneof theancient Known inclassicaltimesasEcbatana, x HAMADAN Keshvari.town, justbeyondBank is a10-minute Bisotun walkeastthrough hneh (andthenceKangavar andHamadan) The savari stopforKermanshah andforSa- THERE&AWAYGETTING 1685 caravanserai. tofindawell-restoreddiggings, butunused west, crossingsomelumpyarchaeological to scribbling.Walk10minutes’ further gotaround IInever scription thatKhosrow smoothed inthe7thcenturyADforanin- greatest challenges. Infactitwasartificially with climbers whoconsideritamongIran’s huge, smooth fordecentphotos. light a goodzoomlensandearly-morningsun- reliefs above face east,high this,requiring Themain inscription bySheikh Alikhan. partly overwritten bya17th-centuryArabic a very eroded ting onarockyledge. Alittlefurtheris (albeitwithrecently replacedBC head)sit- club-wielding little 200 Some 200mbeyondthemainsite isthe 0811 /pop528,000 WESTERNIRAN••Hamadan Farhad Tarash Parthian relief of Mithrades II ofMithrades relief Parthian Hercules statue rock face, popular rockface,popular from148 ﻫﻤﺪﺍﻥ , coffeenets are withinablock. andceilingnetting. Three other of smiley-faces,hearts h are deceptively longifyou’re walking. Hegmataneh blocks between Hill.Distances Tappeh-ye andtheexcavation Mosallah site of to thenortheastaroundlumpyhillof distorts to simplyas‘meydan’.Thewheel hub of Sq,widelyreferred ImamKhomeini with sixavenues radiatingfromthecircular Frisch’s design master plan is acartwheel Orientation Karl Frisch. engineer ern cityplanin1929byGerman redesignedtury andwastotally toamod- It begantorecover inthemid-19thcen- 18th centuryfollowingaTurkish invasion. (1386), butonlyhitamajor declineinthe byMongols(1220)andTamerlanetations Persian, Hamadan suffered theusualdevas- Hegmataneh (Meeting Placeof Sufis)inOld 60 years inthelate 12thcentury.Knownas forsome undertheSeljuks gional capital mid-7th centuryAD,butitbecamethere- somewhat after theArabconquestin nasties alike, Ecbatana/Hamadan faded nence beside theRoyalRoadatBisotun( p199 ). that herecorded hisachievements instone withhimself by Dariuswhowassopleased were kicked outagainwithinsixmonths his summercourt. Persians, andKingCyruswasusingit for ithadfallentotheAchaemenid 550 BC one aslongthatof classicalAthens.By two coated ingoldandsilver, theouter Telephone office TELEPHONE Sub PostOffice PostOffice Main POST Sib Coffeenet Rozhan Coffeenet Arshia ACCESSINTERNET Information down Shari’ati St. down Shari’ati h h

After centuriesof wealthandpre-emi- The Medes but retook thecityin521BC

(Khaje Rashid Blvd;perhrIR8000; Rashid (Khaje (Khaje Rashid Blvd) Rashid (Khaje (off BualiSt) (Mahdiyeh St)Take ashuttletaxi (Mahdiyeh (Imamzadeh Sq;perhrIR7000; (Takhti St;perhrIR8000; (Takhti lonelyplanet.com ὈὈ ὈὈ lonelyplanet.com 4 6 1 3 2 5 HAMADAN Ganjnameh (6km) Abbassabad Hilltop Park(2km); Hotel Eram(300m); To BualiHospital(50m); Natural History(1km) Museum of Daneshgah Blvd Modares Sq Mardom

Bank Melli...... Ali SadrTravelAgency...... Farshchi GuestHouse...... Buali Hotel...... Baba TaherHotel...... Arian Hotel...... Sang-e Shir...... Jameh Mosque...... Imamzadeh-ye Hossein...... Imamzadeh-ye Abdollah...... Excavations)...... Churches...... BuAli Sina(Avecinna)Mausoleum.... Borj-e Qorban...... Baba TaherMausoleum...... Alaviyan Dome...... Telephone Office...... Sib Coffeenet...... Main PostOffice...... Organisation...... Coffeenet Rozhan...... Coffeenet Arshia...... shr&Mrea ob...... C4 Hegmataneh Hill(Ecbatana Esther &MordecaiTomb...... Hamadan CulturalHeritage SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION

Park Besat Blvd Besat AC

Mahdiyeh St 8 ὈὈ ὈὈ Sq Felestin

23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

l B v n i t d 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

s e l e

Imamzadeh Sq F Pasdaran Blvd Pasdaran C4 C5 Shokrien (Qods) St C4 C6 B3 D5 D6 C4 C4 B4 C4 C4 C5 D5 B3 B4 A6 C5 C6 C6 D5 B4 24 Baba Taher Park Kermanshah (189km) Sanandaj (176km); Ali SadrCaves(85km); To Lalejin(32km); Hotel Yass...... Hamadan GuestHouse...... Future HotelKhatam...... Pottery Shops...... Chaykhuneh Baharestan...... Kaktus...... Kaghazi Pizza-Coffee...... Delta SofrakhaneSonati...... B5 Ordibesht Hotel...... (see26) Marmar Hotel...... SHOPPING TEAHOUSES &CAFÉS EATING

B Asad Abadi Blvd Abadi Asad

ὈὈ ὈὈ

Eshqi St Eshqi

a h s i a n B K l v d 10

3 Enqelab Blvd 16 Sepah Ma'sumi St Ma'sumi

Hospital Khomeini Imam Ayatollah

27 Baba Taher St Taher Baba A la 21

v 32 35 Khaje Khaje iy

a Baba Taher

n Dibaj St Rashid Ein-ol-Qozzat Zangeneh Sq Passport B 38

Office La

29 28 7 lv St Forat Hekmetaneh Sq

Saidiyeh St Blvd d

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Site Jehad (Azadi)

Khomeini Path

Ekbatan St Ekbatan 25 Pedestrian Imam 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 Sq

Sq 12

2 Buali St Buali 39

Topchi St To Airport;Qazvin(234km); 30

B3 C4 C5 C5 C6 C4 C4 B4 Buali St Buali Park Esar WESTERN IRAN••Hamadan 33 17 SinaSq Bazaar

BuAli Takhti St Takhti 23 Tehran (336km) 22

15 Qazvini St Qazvini 26

13 Blvd Mofateh Terminal Qadim...... Terminals...... Shuttle TaxistoImamKhomeiniSq.. Shuttle TaxistoGanjnameh...... C3 Seiro Safar...... (see26) Savaris toTehran...... Kermanshah...... Main MinibusTerminal...... Main BusTerminal...... Iran Peyma...... (see23) Iran Alvand...... (see25) Asre Iran...... (see18) TRANSPORT Shuttle TaxistotheBus&Minibus Savaris toKavangar,Asadabad&

Nozabeyk St Nozabeyk

Aref Zaman-e-Hamadani Blvd Zaman-e-Hamadani

T 31 a l 34 5 e q M a Shohada St

ὈὈ n ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

a 0.3miles 500m 0 0 i d St a n i Farhang St B

30m-Jolan St 30m-Jolan a f

o t

t e h d M B l v To Hezaroyek d Shab (600m) 11

4 Sq Mofatteh Blvd Mellat Bridge Hava'i 20 Tappeh-ye Mosallah

To Nushijan(65km); D Amir

Sang-e Shir Esfahan (492km)

Malayer (80km); Shohada

Kabir St Kabir

17 Shahrivar St Shahrivar 17 Arak (162km);

Sq St Shir Sang-e Beheshti St Beheshti

Kargar St Kargar 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 19 Sq Ferdosi

Khayyam C3 C4 C3 C4 B3 C3 C2 201 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN said tohave layers,said theinner had seven into anopulent city.Itsmassive walls were ades theMedian of grew capital Ecbatana andoverhere dec- in728BC, succeeding Median kingDeiokes fortifiedapalace According toancientGreek historians, History over-rated. Sadr Caves ( p206 are), butthese vastly Iranian visitors isitsproximity totheAli retreat, Hamadan’s maindrawcardfor Sq.ApopularsummerImam Khomeini above theragged neo-colonialcupolasof capped MtAlvand(3580m)preening itself there are impressive of glimpses snow- often hazy,butonarare, clearspringday cember toMarch. Inthesummerairis snow-prone andfreezing coldfromDe- madan isgraciouslycoolinAugust,but plain,Ha-curiosities. Sittingonahigh tions andthere isascattering of historical the citycentre are given over toexcava- antiquity remains, butsignificantpartsof world’s greatest cities.Pitifullylittleof Hamadan wasonceoneof theancient Known inclassicaltimesasEcbatana, x HAMADAN Keshvari.town, justbeyondBank is a10-minute Bisotun walkeastthrough hneh (andthenceKangavar andHamadan) The savari stopforKermanshah andforSa- THERE&AWAYGETTING club-wielding little 200 1685 caravanserai. tofindawell-restoreddiggings, butunused west, crossingsomelumpyarchaeological to scribbling.Walk10minutes’ further gotaround IInever scription thatKhosrow smoothed inthe7thcenturyADforanin- greatest challenges. Infactitwasartificially with climbers whoconsideritamongIran’s huge, smooth fordecentphotos. light a goodzoomlensandearly-morningsun- reliefs above face east,high this,requiring Themain inscription bySheikh Alikhan. partly overwritten bya17th-centuryArabic a very eroded ting onarockyledge. Alittlefurtheris (albeitwithrecently replacedBC head)sit- Some 200mbeyondthemainsite isthe 0811 /pop528,000 WESTERNIRAN••Hamadan Farhad Tarash Parthian relief of Mithrades II ofMithrades relief Parthian Hercules statue rock face, popular rockface,popular from148 ﻫﻤﺪﺍﻥ , coffeenets are withinablock. andceilingnetting. Three other of smiley-faces,hearts h are deceptively longifyou’re walking. Hegmataneh blocks between Hill.Distances Tappeh-ye andtheexcavation Mosallah site of to thenortheastaroundlumpyhillof distorts to simplyas‘meydan’.Thewheel hub of Sq,widelyreferred ImamKhomeini with sixavenues radiatingfromthecircular Frisch’s design master plan is acartwheel Orientation Karl Frisch. engineer ern cityplanin1929byGerman redesignedtury andwastotally toamod- It begantorecover inthemid-19thcen- 18th centuryfollowingaTurkish invasion. (1386), butonlyhitamajor declineinthe byMongols(1220)andTamerlanetations Persian, Hamadan suffered theusualdevas- Hegmataneh (Meeting Placeof Sufis)inOld 60 years inthelate 12thcentury.Knownas forsome undertheSeljuks gional capital mid-7th centuryAD,butitbecamethere- somewhat after theArabconquestin nasties alike, Ecbatana/Hamadan faded nence beside theRoyalRoadatBisotun( p199 ). that herecorded hisachievements instone withhimself by Dariuswhowassopleased were kicked outagainwithinsixmonths his summercourt. Persians, andKingCyruswasusingit for ithadfallentotheAchaemenid 550 BC one aslongthatof classicalAthens.By two coated ingoldandsilver, theouter Telephone office TELEPHONE Sub PostOffice PostOffice Main POST Sib Coffeenet Rozhan Coffeenet Arshia ACCESSINTERNET Information down Shari’ati St. down Shari’ati h h After centuriesof wealthandpre-emi- The Medes but retook thecityin521BC

Coffeenet 9am-10pm) Good connection anddecoratedwithlots 9am-10pm) Goodconnection 9am-2pm & 4-9pm) Handy for the Arian Hotel. 9am-2pm &4-9pm)HandyfortheArian 8am-10pm) Slowerconnection. under Parthian dy- andSassanian (Khaje Rashid Blvd;perhrIR8000; Rashid (Khaje (Khaje Rashid Blvd) Rashid (Khaje (off BualiSt) (Mahdiyeh St)Take ashuttletaxi (Mahdiyeh (Imamzadeh Sq;perhrIR7000; (Takhti St;perhrIR8000; (Takhti lonelyplanet.com ὈὈ ὈὈ lonelyplanet.com 4 6 1 3 2 5 HAMADAN Ganjnameh (6km) Abbassabad Hilltop Park(2km); Hotel Eram(300m); To BualiHospital(50m); Natural History(1km) Museum of Daneshgah Blvd Modares Sq Mardom

Park Besat Blvd Besat AC

Mahdiyeh St 8 ὈὈ ὈὈ Sq Felestin

23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

l B v n i t d 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

s e l e

B Asad Abadi Blvd Abadi Asad

ὈὈ ὈὈ

Eshqi St Eshqi

a h s i a n B K l v d 10

3 Enqelab Blvd 16 Sepah Ma'sumi St Ma'sumi

Hospital Khomeini Imam Ayatollah

27 Baba Taher St Taher Baba A la 21

v 32 35 Khaje Khaje iy

a Baba Taher

n Dibaj St Rashid Ein-ol-Qozzat Zangeneh Sq Passport B 38

Office La

29 28 7 lv St Forat Hekmetaneh Sq

Saidiyeh St Blvd d

Pastor St 14 Eshqi St Eshqi Shari'ati St Archaeological Sq 36 Ekbatan 40 Ὀ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Sq 37 18

Site Jehad (Azadi)

Khomeini Path

Ekbatan St Ekbatan 25 Pedestrian Imam 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 Sq

Sq 12

2 Buali St Buali 39

Topchi St To Airport;Qazvin(234km); 30

B3 C4 C5 C5 C6 C4 C4 B4 Buali St Buali Park Esar WESTERN IRAN••Hamadan 33 17 SinaSq Bazaar

BuAli Takhti St Takhti 23 Tehran (336km) 22

15 Qazvini St Qazvini 26

Nozabeyk St Nozabeyk

Aref Zaman-e-Hamadani Blvd Zaman-e-Hamadani

T 31 a l 34 5 e q M a Shohada St

ὈὈ n ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

a 0.3miles 500m 0 0 i d St a n i Farhang St B

30m-Jolan St 30m-Jolan a f

o t

t e h d M B l v To Hezaroyek d Shab (600m) 11

4 Sq Mofatteh Blvd Mellat Bridge Hava'i 20 Tappeh-ye Mosallah

To Nushijan(65km); D Amir

Sang-e Shir Esfahan (492km)

Malayer (80km); Shohada

Kabir St Kabir

17 Shahrivar St Shahrivar 17 Arak (162km);

Sq St Shir Sang-e Beheshti St Beheshti

Kargar St Kargar 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 19 Sq Ferdosi

Khayyam C3 C4 C3 C4 B3 C3 C2 201 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 8am-noon Fri) cally IR10,000&apen; 2285; 12 Zangeneh Lane;admissionbydonation,typi- now grantedroutinely. are staff assured usthatapplications forvisaextensions green railingsandguarded byarmedsoldiers. Butfriendly The austere concrete buildinglooksforbiddingbehindhigh Blvd; Rashid 1st fl,Khaje questions. andhappytoanswergeneral staff are super-friendly Although acommercialagency,theEnglish-speaking Blvd; just tovisittheirdelightfulQajarmansionandgardens. coming It’sworth pamphlets asthoughitwere Christmas. loadupvisitorswithbeautifulbooksand lish butmerrily & 2-5pmSat-Thu, StaffspeakminimalEng- 8am-11amFri) St; Arefin Farsi;Qazvini Nazari, Gagh-e mane Jahangardi; tomb tower This vaguelyTolkeinesque, 14th-century ESTHER &MORDECAITOMB Sights Office Passport VISA EXTENSIONS Organisation Heritage Hamadan Cultural Agency Ali SadrTravel TOURIST INFORMATION 202 Hebrew inscriptionshave repainted been are few andsomeof andfarbetween the Jewish pilgrimage site. daysvisitors These coincidentally dyingwhileon areturn trip toHamadansome 14yearslater. stormed Hamadan releasing BuAli whothereupon withAbuJafarfortherest worked ofhislife, Perhapsrival rulerbasedin Esfahan. thesuspicionswere true. Fourmonthslater theEsfahanis when hispatrondied, Avicenna wasthrownintoprisonforcorresponding withAbuJafar,a he successfullytreated theailmentsofrulingemirandwaspromoted tovizier. However, his illustriousprospective sponsor,droppeddead. InitiallyBualiproved inHamadan,where luckier Kavus, meantBuAlifledwestwardsto Jorjan (Gonbad-e Bukhara p342 ) onlytoarrive asQabus, and photographicmemoryhadhim running ringsaroundhisteachers. Politicalintriguesin of viewsaboutthemanwhoseegowas reputedly asgreat ashisintellect. inspire agolden ageofIslamicscholarship.However, thisphilosophy,rapidlyledtoapolarisation andal-Farabi),(following al-Kindi hisblendingofAristotle’sideaswithPersian philosophyhelped ofNewton’s. were And centuriesahead oils are ideasonmomentumandinertia His extracted. aromatherapy youcanthankBuAliforthedevelopment ofsteam distillationwithwhich essential Ifyou’repher, physicistandpoetAbuAliIbnSina(AD afanof 980–1037),‘BuAli’Sinaforshort. earlier. Itsauthor,remembered intheWestasAvicenna, thegreat wasinfact Iranianphiloso- the great medical encyclopaedia, Had youstudiedadvancedmedicinein17th-centuryEurope, your‘text book’wouldhave been BUALI SINA WESTERNIRAN••Hamadan h Born in what is today Uzbekistan, BuAli studied medicine in Bukhara where hissharpmind BuAlistudiedmedicineinBukhara Born inwhatistodayUzbekistan, 9am-1pm &4-7.30pmSat-Thu, 10am-noonFri)

was once Iran’s most important was onceIran’smostimportant ( EstervaMordekhay; Aramgah-e x (Edareh Gozannameh; 827 4771;www.hamedanmiras.ir, h h ( x 8am-noon &3-6pmSun-Thu, 8.30am-2.30pm Sat-Thu) 828 2011; Khaje Rashid Rashid 828 2011;Khaje ﻣﺮﺩﺧﺎی h x

8.30am-noon ﻭ 826 2025; Canon Medicinae.

ﺍﺳﺘﺮ (Saze- x

ﺑﻘﻌﻪ 252

ideal tip. tor of foreign pens,which thusmake an the innertombarea. He’s anavid collec- scull-cap (provided) before crawlinginto telling you (in French orFarsi) todona the 400kgstone-slabdoortotowerand willscurryouttogreetRajad you,opening bell (noEnglish sign)andhopefullyRabbi greyhigh barrier–ringthedoor metal Hamadan. arenewedto sanction Jewish colonyat her husband,Yazdgerd I(rAD399–420) whopersuaded Shushan-Dokht, ish queen, that thetoweractuallycommemorated Jew- bepurelymight allegorical.Somesuggest andMordecai(Morduk?) Esther (Ishtar?) reminiscenteerily of gods, Babylonian Mordecai’s enemy)Haman. Withnames sacre plannedbyXerxes’ commander(and tohavesaid saved theJews fromamas- ther’s better-honed feminine wilesare later being toomuch of anearlyfeminist. Es- who’d ditched hisfirst wife, Vashti, for married Xerxes I(BiblicalKingAhasuerus) sibly wrote it).Jewish orphanEstherhad her cousin/guardianMordecai(whopos- the Bible’sOldTestament isnamed)and burial site of Esther(forwhomabookin beyondreadability. stylised understand them,thattheyhave become so often couldn’t whoevidently bythose Incredibly, thishadbeenwritten 600years The towerismostlyhiddenbehind a Traditionally thisisconsidered tobethe lonelyplanet.com sion IR4000; of theunfinished votive Islamicembroidery. tiled Alaviyan familytombcovered with the interior attheback)isplain-blue ugly. Byron in enrapturedThis ornamentation Robert era.ing floralstuccoaddedintheIlkhanid brick towerremains famousforthewhirl- removed.long sincebeen Thedome-less reference, inaKhaqani immortalised has nomer, asthe12th-centurygreen dome, ‘trenches’ allows youtowalk above the most interesting of shed-covered several century, mostextensively inthe1990s.The excavated teams over byseveral the last tions of area the total have fitfully been Mausoleum Hamadan’s iconisthe OTHER MAUSOLEA &TOMBTOWERS lonelyplanet.com EMTNH IL h aemenid lies Hamadan’s ancientMedian andAch- lowhillIn themudbeneaththisscraggy HILL HEGMATANEH (Imamzadeh Sq) in its dowdy housing-estate setting. setting. in itsdowdyhousing-estate outoftower tomb,butitlookssadly place Qorban cient mulberrytree. The13th-century Hotel Yass inalittlecourtyardwithanan- Imamzadeh-ye Hossein Taher Mausoleum Mausoleum Taher successful istheheavily buttressed fromadistance. isbetter observed itself display onmedicinalherbs.Butthetower bilia, histombstone,asmalllibraryand single-room the fee (entryfromwest)allowsyoutosee inaugurated. Payingprobably saw theentry in Gonbad-eKavus ( p342 ), which Buali modelled onQabus’s1000-year-old tower unfinished concrete missile. Itisloosely 1954 towerthatlookssomethinglike avast, opalescent stonewall-slabs. calligraphy, inscribedhere onsomegently reason togoinsideunlessyouenjoyPersian prototype forThunderbird3.There’s little Lane; admissionIR3000; IR3000; A useful landmarkisthegoldendome A useful Of asimilarerabutarchitecturally less The 8am-4pm Tue-Sun, 8am-noon Mon) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book

In thecrypt(narrowsteps downfrom h isaclassic12-sided,pointy-roofed Alaviyan Dome 8am-5.30pm) city site h Road toOxiana,

(Aramgah-e BualiSina; (Aramgah-e . More appealingisthe1883 museum 8am-6pm summer,8am-4pmwinter) (Aramgah-e BabaTaher; admission (Aramgah-e ( x h . Itlookslike afailed of Avicenna memora- Imamzadeh-ye Abdollah , tucked behind the (Gonbad-e Alaviyan; Shahdad Alaviyan;Shahdad (Gonbad-e 822 4005;admissionIR4000 8am-7pm) BuAli Sina(Avicenna) butfranklyit’s x is nowamis- 826 1008;admis- . Smallsec- ﻫﮕﻤﺘﺎﻧﻪ Borj-e Borj-e Baba

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bed IR60,000; south restricted tomenonly. the mosque’ssixminarets. Someareas are blue tileworkthatcontinuesonfourof north impressively large brickdome. Thenew under restoration) over which there’s an Khomeini Sq. Sq. Khomeini conveniently tocentralImam located close These threeThese cheap BUDGET Sleeping JamehMosque into thecourtyardof the large Qajar-era A vaulted passage of thebazaarleads OTHER ATTRACTIONS ern edge of thesite. century of archaeology, theyspared apairof 19th- and demolishedtheirh ment relocated fromthehill inhabitants and Parthian coffins. Achaemenid pillar-bases fountains, Seljuk logical findsincludinglarge amphorae, gap,showingsomeofmental thearchaeo- nicely presented triestofillthe museum stituted oneof theworld’sgreat cities.A the lumpyremnants ashaving oncecon- gone of andit’shardtoenvisage course walls’ goldandsilver coatingsare long Thewalkways onwobbly scaffolding. excavations of earthenwallsusingplank 80,000/100,000/130,000, showersIR5000) x male-dominated place hasfour- and six-bed Most roomsare four-bedded. area of shared squattoiletsandwashbasins. giving vaguetouches of humanitytothe atmosphere, plasticflowers andsamovars friendly placewithsomethingof afamily erkhaneh the behestof AlexandertheGreat. at once guarded.Someclaimitwascarved the ancientcityof gates whose itEcbatana ‘monument’from not theonlysurviving looktwiceatwerea lion,you’dnever it of handsover 2300years. once Supposedly eroded beyondrecognition bytherubbing Sang-e Shir Sang-e Farshchi GuestHouse A few decadesagowhenthegovern- Hamadan GuestHouse 252 4895;ShohadaSt;tw/tr/q/5-bedIR60,000/ iwan iwan churches standards theFarshchi standards isacosy, p WESTERN IRAN••Hamadan leadsintoahall(currently islavished withpatterned isawalrus-sizedlumpof rock

) (admission free) , which remain atthesouth- This large, confusing and

mosaferkhanehs ( (Mosaferkhaneh-ye Farsi;(Mosaferkhaneh-ye x omes inthename 252 7577;EkbatanSt; . The off-line . Theoff-line By mosaf-

are

203 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN 8am-noon Fri) cally IR10,000&apen; 2285; 12 Zangeneh Lane;admissionbydonation,typi- now grantedroutinely. are staff assured usthatapplications forvisaextensions green railingsandguarded byarmedsoldiers. Butfriendly The austere concrete buildinglooksforbiddingbehindhigh questions. andhappytoanswergeneral staff are super-friendly Although acommercialagency,theEnglish-speaking 1st fl, Khaje Rashid Blvd; Rashid 1st fl,Khaje just tovisittheirdelightfulQajarmansionandgardens. coming It’sworth pamphlets asthoughitwere Christmas. loadupvisitorswithbeautifulbooksand lish butmerrily & 2-5pmSat-Thu, StaffspeakminimalEng- 8am-11amFri) St; Arefin Farsi;Qazvini Nazari, Gagh-e mane Jahangardi; Blvd; tomb tower This vaguelyTolkeinesque, 14th-century ESTHER &MORDECAITOMB Sights Office Passport VISA EXTENSIONS Organisation Heritage Hamadan Cultural Agency Ali SadrTravel TOURIST INFORMATION 202 Hebrew inscriptionshave repainted been are few andsomeof andfarbetween the Jewish pilgrimage site. daysvisitors These coincidentally dyingwhileon areturn trip toHamadansome 14yearslater. stormed Hamadan releasing BuAli whothereupon withAbuJafarfortherest worked ofhislife, Perhapsrival rulerbasedin Esfahan. thesuspicionswere true. Fourmonthslater theEsfahanis when hispatrondied, Avicenna wasthrownintoprisonforcorresponding withAbuJafar,a he successfullytreated theailmentsofrulingemirandwaspromoted tovizier. However, his illustriousprospective sponsor,droppeddead. InitiallyBualiproved inHamadan,where luckier Kavus, meantBuAlifledwestwardsto Jorjan (Gonbad-e Bukhara p342 ) onlytoarrive asQabus, and photographicmemoryhadhim running ringsaroundhisteachers. Politicalintriguesin of viewsaboutthemanwhoseegowas reputedly asgreat ashisintellect. inspire agolden ageofIslamicscholarship.However, thisphilosophy,rapidlyledtoapolarisation andal-Farabi),(following al-Kindi hisblendingofAristotle’sideaswithPersian philosophyhelped ofNewton’s. were And centuriesahead oils are ideasonmomentumandinertia His extracted. aromatherapy youcanthankBuAliforthedevelopment ofsteam distillationwithwhich essential Ifyou’repher, physicistandpoetAbuAliIbnSina(AD afanof 980–1037),‘BuAli’Sinaforshort. earlier. Itsauthor,remembered intheWestasAvicenna, thegreat wasinfact Iranianphiloso- the great medical encyclopaedia, Had youstudiedadvancedmedicinein17th-centuryEurope, your‘text book’wouldhave been BUALI SINA WESTERNIRAN••Hamadan h Born in what is today Uzbekistan, BuAli studied medicine in Bukhara where hissharpmind BuAlistudiedmedicineinBukhara Born inwhatistodayUzbekistan, 9am-1pm &4-7.30pmSat-Thu, 10am-noonFri)

8.30am-noon ﻭ 826 2025; Canon Medicinae.

ﺍﺳﺘﺮ (Saze- x

ﺑﻘﻌﻪ 252

In thecrypt(narrowsteps downfrom h isaclassic12-sided,pointy-roofed Alaviyan Dome 8am-5.30pm) city site h Road toOxiana,

ﺗﭙﻪ a ;

bed IR60,000; south restricted tomenonly. the mosque’ssixminarets. Someareas are blue tileworkthatcontinuesonfourof north impressively large brickdome. Thenew under restoration) over which there’s an Khomeini Sq. Sq. Khomeini conveniently tocentralImam located close threeThese cheap BUDGET Sleeping JamehMosque into thecourtyardof the large Qajar-era A vaulted passage of thebazaarleads OTHER ATTRACTIONS ern edge of thesite. century of archaeology, theyspared apairof 19th- and demolishedtheirh ment relocated fromthehill inhabitants and Parthian coffins. Achaemenid pillar-bases fountains, Seljuk logical findsincludinglarge amphorae, gap,showingsomeofmental thearchaeo- nicely presented triestofillthe museum stituted oneof theworld’sgreat cities.A the lumpyremnants ashaving oncecon- gone of andit’shardtoenvisage course walls’ goldandsilver coatingsare long Thewalkways onwobbly scaffolding. excavations of earthenwallsusingplank 80,000/100,000/130,000, showersIR5000) x male-dominated place hasfour- and six-bed Most roomsare four-bedded. area of shared squattoiletsandwashbasins. giving vaguetouches of humanitytothe atmosphere, plasticflowers andsamovars friendly placewithsomethingof afamily erkhaneh the behestof AlexandertheGreat. at once guarded.Someclaimitwascarved the ancientcityof gates whose itEcbatana ‘monument’from not theonlysurviving looktwiceatwerea lion,you’dnever it of handsover 2300years. once Supposedly eroded beyondrecognition bytherubbing Sang-e Shir Sang-e Farshchi GuestHouse A few decadesagowhenthegovern- Hamadan GuestHouse 252 4895;ShohadaSt;tw/tr/q/5-bedIR60,000/ iwan iwan churches standards theFarshchi standards isacosy, p WESTERN IRAN••Hamadan leadsintoahall(currently islavished withpatterned isawalrus-sizedlumpof rock

) (admission free) , which remain atthesouth- This large, confusing and

mosaferkhanehs ( (Mosaferkhaneh-ye Farsi;(Mosaferkhaneh-ye x omes inthename 252 7577;EkbatanSt; . The off-line . Theoff-line By mosaf-

are

203 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN quads (IR150,000forsingleoccupancy). showers forforeigners’. Mostroomsare toilet facilitiesformenandwomen‘free speaks someEnglish. There are separate erkhaneh unusually airy,thisno-nonsense tr/q IR100,000/150,000/180,000/200,000) Takhti St;s/tw/trUS$40/50/60) ignored shouldyouaskinFarsi. foreigner rack-rate of US$50:that’sbaldly or signage) excepttostate themisleading No English (spokenno showercurtain. The bathroomscouldbecleanerandthere’s bedspreads are unshadedlamps. litby bright you toroomswhere and crimsoncurtains so’. Very apt.Acreaky takes glasselevator In Japanese, mar-mar wouldtranslate as‘so- St; s/twUS$20/25) toprint. goes should becomplete bythetimethisbook atFelestinask. ThenewHotel Khatam Sq counts of 30%are notuncommonifyou dis- thanlocalrialprices.However, higher ‘foreigner rates’ inUS$thatare around 70% accommodation islacklustre andcharges fortheArian,Hamadan’sExcept better MIDRANGE &TOPEND tion desk. meydan as youwalkdownEkbatan Stfromthe beyondthefirstframed stairway alley-yard There’s noEnglishsign:take thegreen- the shared doors don’tlock. toiletswhose them.It’safairlylongwalktobetween person, butwillusuallyget thewholeroom per person. Foreigners payIR60,000per dorms forwhich localspayaroundIR20,000 204 ‘British style’. Thelobby hasacoupleof whattheyconsider the 2nd floor tosee opulent periodlook onthe4th.Checkout ernist lampson the 3rdfloorandamore gently appealing styleof décorwithmod- midrange hotel, each floorhasadifferent, spoken. Receptionisonthe3rdfloor. lettersis marked butnoEnglishis inLatin feeble-flush Western toilets.Thebuilding with institutionalbeds,agingshowers and TLC. Butfornowtheroomsare dreary Yass choice given couldbeapleasant some and someearly20th-centuryfeatures, the Arian Hotel Arian YassHotel Ordibesht Hotel Marmar Hotel Marmar WESTERNIRAN••Hamadan . Ask forhelpasthere’s norecep- iscompulsively cleanedandAli (

( ( x x With anexcellentlocation 252 3464;fax2512680;Shohada ( x 827 1840; Shari’ati St; tw IR300,000) St;twIR300,000) 827 1840;Shari’ati 826 1266; www.arianhotel.com; 826 1266;www.arianhotel.com; 252 2056;ShohadaSt;s/tw/ At thisinviting Bright and Bright mosaf- 50,000; basement, EshqiSt;qalyanIR10,000,meals IR20,000- (aka a greasy breakfast, fried-egg cheap photos andQuranicmurals.It’sidealfor charmingly sepia adornedwithmetalwork, cidedly down-market 100%maleteahouseis spoken. (from US$70)letalonerack-rates. English dued, butbarely justifythediscounted price rooms are thankfullysomewhatmore sub- tel colours. Thereasonably well-appointed while corridors test outthefullpalate of pas- dazzlingly garishfestival Vegas of Las kitsch mirror-tiled lobby andrestaurant offer a ais IR70,000) isaboutthebest. of which theBuAli’s(mealsIR40,000 to you’ll have toresort tohotel restaurants following have menusinEnglish. Forthat Apart fromHezaroyek Shab, noneof the Eating English isspoken. gratuitous Persepolis-aping columns.Some IR5000-12,000, snackmealsIR16,000-24,000) Baba Taher Sq;s/tw/steUS$103/134/161; and thechicken ‘biriyani’comes onaflaming withoutundue attention carpeted bed-seats pots,womencansmoke qalyanon Lalejin from outside. Tea (IR5000) comesinceramic restaurantDelta usingseparate stairs able ditional retreat liesbeneaththeunremark- west edge of town.SomeEnglishspoken. baths.boxes It’satthesouth- andhalf-length less impressively renovated withagingbed- aswishly upgradedlobby,roomsare Behind dizi IR7000; thin-crusted. pizzasarecafé whose refreshingly crispyand character tothisgently stylish two-room niture andafew Africanmasksbringsome Suites are aconsiderable step up. rics, butthebathroomsare ratheroutdated. fab- andfloralpseudo-silk WorldTV BBC site asmall branch of Maskan. Bank apartlyillustratedthrough doorwayoppo- old white-beards. Tofindit,headupstairs and ispopulated byphotogenically haggard o Chaykhuneh Baharestan Chaykhuneh Eram Hotel Buali Hotel Baba Taher Hotel Baba Taher Kaghazi Pizza-Coffee Kaghazi Delta Sofrakhane Sonati Delta Sofrakhane dizi h h ) lunch or a puff ontheqalyan, ) lunch orapuff 6am-7pm) ) The standard roomshave Thestandard fridge,

6am-7pm) (

( x x 825 2001;EramBlvd;dUS$75; Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels 825 0856;BualiSt;tw/steUS$87/138; This delightful neo-tra- Thisdelightful

This atmospheric,ifde- (

x ( x

422 6517;fax5098; ( x 825 3870;Pastor St;coffee 254 2777;ShohadaSt; lonelyplanet.com ( x pa Pine fur- 826 1813; abgusht pa ) The )

etnto ae uain Departures Duration Destination Fare across Ekbatan St. the centre (IR5000 garishrestaurantslightly isquite atrek from Bakhtiyari speaks fluent English. Call ahead. ahead. speaks fluentEnglish. Call Bakhtiyari a wideIrano-EuropeanmenuandownerPari 32km away. 32km away. ful, locallyfamouspottery fromLalejin, of theOrdibeshtHotel. Sq. yoghurt, mintandroasted redyoghurt, peppers. bademjan plate. Don’tmiss thescrumptious lonelyplanet.com and 11.30pm Taavoni 5,3.30pm 4hr 9pm,10pmAlvand Asre IR18,000 Iran 1.30pm IranPeyma Safar 2.30pm Seiro Zanjan 9hr 3½hr Tehran IR40,000 IR34,900 IR14,000 IR21,500 Rasht 6hr Orumiyeh 6hr 7-10.30am, Safar, 6-7pm Seiro Qazvin 9.15 11hr IR120,000 Mashhad 21hr 2-4pm 9.30am IR70,000 IR38,500 Esfahan Iran 8am, 8hr Asre Ahvaz 10.30am, Iran Peyma and ( ( the new from start busservices All long-distance BUS Agency Ticketsweekly). are soldbyAliSadrTravel Kish AirfliestoTehran (IR195,000,twice AIR &Away There Getting ( the Try contacting work, woodeninlay,ceramicsandcarpets. Hamadan region isfamousforitsleather- Shopping 50,000; St; localmainsIR15,000-35,000,EuropeandishesIR35,000- tastefully litifnotimaginatively decorated. popular middle-classkababrestaurants. It’s Kaktus remains oneof Hamadan’s most companies have citycentre eral carpetbazaar.in therathertatty Sev- 3pm &7-10.30pm) x x h Useful busdepartures: Kaktus Hezaroyek Shab 252 8622) 252 1213; 7am-noon &3-7pm) Seiro Safar Seiro Iran Alvand pottery shops pottery h ( p202 Tehran terminal

noon-3pm &7.30-11pm) (Buali Sq;mealsIR30,000-70,000; (IR12,000), eggplant paste (IR12,000),eggplant with h if you can’t find what you want if youcan’tfindwhatwant ) .

7am-noon &2-7pm)

( Down easy-to-missstairs, (

x x (1001 Nights; (BabaTaher Sq) dar baste Union of Carpet Co-operatives Union ofCarpet 252 2860) 252 5763) near ImamKhomeini

(Enqelab Blvd), Asre Iran Asre x taxi) butthere’s taxi) face each other and Thiscosyif are eitherside 824 5217;Farhang sell colour- sell ticket offices ticket ( x Iran Peyma butmost h 252 5376) kashka kashka noon-

Terminal Qadim daily).Use andAliSadr(several Qorveh) Bijar(at 11amandnoonvia in Qorveh), Kermanshah, Sanandaj (maybechanging jnameh is are well-organised withasign-up Sq.TheTehranpoints nearSepah savaris Tehran (IR120,000)leave fromrelevant gavar (IR15,000),Sanandaj (IR35,000)and layer waitoutside. Asadabad (forKangavar). Savaris toMa- andto Borujerd andontoKhorramabad), ices toMalayer (andthenceNahavand or more toTuyserkan, frequentbuses serv- ajae Literally translated as‘Treasure Book’, Ganjnameh AROUND HAMADAN block), IR1000(longer hop)orIR5000 forIR500(one madan’s cartographicwheel Shuttle runalongthespokes taxis of Ha- Around Getting ( Terminal Minibus Main There are twominibusterminals. Use the MINIBUS &SAVARI fresh snow. but few delaysafter goviaQazvin.Expect Takestan orthemore direct roadviaSaveh, Tehran take eithertheexpressway buses via terminals leave fromEkbatan St. baste) 9m-high waterfall 9m-high thatbecomesa popular venir andsnackbars. stalls Justbeyond isa stroll passingarow of teahouses, sou- tatty are avery obvious two-minute the carvings 8km fromthecentre. Fromthe parkingarea Hamadan’s westernmost extremity, some his dad,Darius. panelsimilarlycommemoratesA second onrockfacessome2mhigh. Babylonian) languages (Old Persian, Elamite andneo- the pointmessage isrepeated inthree such avery, very goodking.Toemphasise formakinghim arch (486–466 BC) Xerxes Ahura Mazda fromtheAchaemenid mon- modest thankyoutotheZoroastriangod texts turnoutinstead tobearatherim- Median treasure. translated, the Belatedly cryptic cluestohelpfindcaches of mythical cuneiform rockcarvings x Savaris toKermanshah (IR40,000),Kan- The site is in a rural mountain valley at valleyat The site isinaruralmountain 423 8669) WESTERN IRAN••AroundHamadan . Shuttle tothebusandminibus taxis

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN quads (IR150,000forsingleoccupancy). showers forforeigners’. Mostroomsare toilet facilitiesformenandwomen‘free speaks someEnglish. There are separate erkhaneh unusually airy,thisno-nonsense tr/q IR100,000/150,000/180,000/200,000) ignored shouldyouaskinFarsi. foreigner rack-rate of US$50:that’sbaldly or signage) excepttostate themisleading No English (spokenno showercurtain. The bathroomscouldbecleanerandthere’s bedspreads are unshadedlamps. litby bright you toroomswhere and crimsoncurtains so’. Very apt.Acreaky takes glasselevator In Japanese, mar-mar wouldtranslate as‘so- toprint. goes should becomplete bythetimethisbook atFelestinask. ThenewHotel Khatam Sq counts of 30%are notuncommonifyou dis- thanlocalrialprices.However, higher ‘foreigner rates’ inUS$thatare around 70% accommodation islacklustre andcharges fortheArian,Hamadan’sExcept better MIDRANGE &TOPEND tion desk. meydan as youwalkdownEkbatan Stfromthe beyondthefirstframed stairway alley-yard There’s noEnglishsign:take thegreen- the shared doors don’tlock. toiletswhose them.It’safairlylongwalktobetween person, butwillusuallyget thewholeroom per person. Foreigners payIR60,000per dorms forwhich localspayaroundIR20,000 204 Takhti St;s/tw/trUS$40/50/60) St; s/twUS$20/25) ‘British style’. Thelobby hasacoupleof whattheyconsider the 2nd floor tosee opulent periodlook onthe4th.Checkout ernist lampson the 3rdfloorandamore gently appealing styleof décorwithmod- midrange hotel, each floorhasadifferent, spoken. Receptionisonthe3rdfloor. lettersis marked butnoEnglishis inLatin feeble-flush Western toilets.Thebuilding with institutionalbeds,agingshowers and TLC. Butfornowtheroomsare dreary Yass choice given couldbeapleasant some and someearly20th-centuryfeatures, the Arian Hotel Arian YassHotel Ordibesht Hotel Marmar Hotel Marmar WESTERNIRAN••Hamadan . Ask forhelpasthere’s norecep- iscompulsively cleanedandAli (

( ( x x With anexcellentlocation 252 3464;fax2512680;Shohada ( x 827 1840; Shari’ati St; tw IR300,000) St;twIR300,000) 827 1840;Shari’ati 826 1266; www.arianhotel.com; 826 1266;www.arianhotel.com; 252 2056;ShohadaSt;s/tw/ At thisinviting Bright and Bright mosaf- 50,000; basement, EshqiSt;qalyanIR10,000,meals IR20,000- (aka a greasy breakfast, fried-egg cheap photos andQuranicmurals.It’sidealfor charmingly sepia adornedwithmetalwork, cidedly down-market 100%maleteahouseis spoken. (from US$70)letalonerack-rates. English dued, butbarely justifythediscounted price rooms are thankfullysomewhatmore sub- tel colours. Thereasonably well-appointed while corridors test outthefullpalate of pas- dazzlingly garishfestival Vegas of Las kitsch mirror-tiled lobby andrestaurant offer a IR70,000) isaboutthebest. of which theBuAli’s(mealsIR40,000 to you’ll have toresort tohotel restaurants following have menusinEnglish. Forthat Apart fromHezaroyek Shab, noneof the Eating English isspoken. gratuitous Persepolis-aping columns.Some IR5000-12,000, snackmealsIR16,000-24,000) Baba Taher Sq;s/tw/steUS$103/134/161; ais and thechicken ‘biriyani’comes onaflaming withoutundue attention carpeted bed-seats pots,womencansmoke qalyanon Lalejin from outside. Tea (IR5000) comesinceramic restaurantDelta usingseparate stairs able ditional retreat liesbeneaththeunremark- west edge of town.SomeEnglishspoken. baths.boxes It’satthesouth- andhalf-length less impressively renovated withagingbed- aswishly upgradedlobby,roomsare Behind dizi IR7000; thin-crusted. pizzasarecafé whose refreshingly crispyand character tothisgently stylish two-room niture andafew Africanmasksbringsome Suites are aconsiderable step up. rics, butthebathroomsare ratheroutdated. fab- andfloralpseudo-silk WorldTV BBC site asmall branch of Maskan. Bank apartlyillustratedthrough doorwayoppo- old white-beards. Tofindit,headupstairs and ispopulated byphotogenically haggard o Chaykhuneh Baharestan Chaykhuneh Eram Hotel Buali Hotel Baba Taher Hotel Baba Taher Kaghazi Pizza-Coffee Kaghazi Delta Sofrakhane Sonati Delta Sofrakhane dizi h h ) lunch or a puff ontheqalyan, ) lunch orapuff 6am-7pm) ) The standard roomshave Thestandard fridge,

6am-7pm) (

( x x 825 2001;EramBlvd;dUS$75; Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels 825 0856;BualiSt;tw/steUS$87/138; This delightful neo-tra- Thisdelightful

This atmospheric,ifde- (

x ( x

422 6517;fax5098; ( x 825 3870;Pastor St;coffee 254 2777;ShohadaSt; lonelyplanet.com ( x pa Pine fur- 826 1813; abgusht pa ) The )

noon-3pm &7.30-11pm) (Buali Sq;mealsIR30,000-70,000; (IR12,000), eggplant paste (IR12,000),eggplant with h if you can’t find what you want if youcan’tfindwhatwant ) .

7am-noon &2-7pm)

( Down easy-to-missstairs, (

x x (1001 Nights; (BabaTaher Sq) dar baste Union of Carpet Co-operatives Union ofCarpet 252 2860) 252 5763) near ImamKhomeini

Terminal Qadim daily).Use andAliSadr(several Qorveh) Bijar(at 11amandnoonvia in Qorveh), Kermanshah, Sanandaj (maybechanging jnameh is are well-organised withasign-up Sq.TheTehranpoints nearSepah savaris Tehran (IR120,000)leave fromrelevant gavar (IR15,000),Sanandaj (IR35,000)and layer waitoutside. Asadabad (forKangavar). Savaris toMa- andto Borujerd andontoKhorramabad), ices toMalayer (andthenceNahavand or more toTuyserkan, frequentbuses serv- ajae Literally translated as‘Treasure Book’, Ganjnameh AROUND HAMADAN terminals leave fromEkbatan St. baste) block), IR1000(longer hop)orIR5000 forIR500(one madan’s cartographicwheel Shuttle runalongthespokes taxis of Ha- Around Getting ( Terminal Minibus Main There are twominibusterminals. Use the MINIBUS &SAVARI fresh snow. but few delaysafter goviaQazvin.Expect Takestan orthemore direct roadviaSaveh, Tehran take eithertheexpressway buses via 9m-high waterfall 9m-high thatbecomesa popular venir andsnackbars. stalls Justbeyond isa stroll passingarow of teahouses, sou- tatty are avery obvious two-minute the carvings 8km fromthecentre. Fromthe parkingarea Hamadan’s westernmost extremity, some his dad,Darius. panelsimilarlycommemoratesA second onrockfacessome2mhigh. Babylonian) languages (Old Persian, Elamite andneo- the pointmessage isrepeated inthree such avery, very goodking.Toemphasise formakinghim arch (486–466 BC) Xerxes Ahura Mazda fromtheAchaemenid mon- modest thankyoutotheZoroastriangod texts turnoutinstead tobearatherim- Median treasure. translated, the Belatedly cryptic cluestohelpfindcaches of mythical cuneiform rockcarvings x Savaris toKermanshah (IR40,000),Kan- The site is in a rural mountain valley at valleyat The site isinaruralmountain 423 8669) WESTERN IRAN••AroundHamadan . Shuttle tothebusandminibus taxis

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Dare mer) IR5000/150,000; IR50,000/250,000/200,000; (Mehmansara; ised commercial- highly For mostIraniansthese x Ali SadrCaves a while. each way).Findingaridebackcantake probably have tocharter (fromIR10,000 frequent you’ll at weekends, butmidweek the Esther&MordecaiTomb.They’re fairly 20 minutes departingfromShari’ati Stnear Shared (IR2000)take approximately taxis THERE&AWAYGETTING yet bracing Mt Alvandmakingforrelatively convenient lead directly upthepeacefulfore-slopes of paths long-distance with rubbishbutseveral weekends thesite canget crowdedandmessy ice-climbing spotwhenfrozeninwinter. At 206 near Tuyserkan ( opposite ). (opposite ). Tuyserkan near across MtAlvand’slowerslopestoOshtoran mer aroadwindsonvery attractively right and there’s a even Stalls peaceful getaway andpossibletrekking base. and thelocationwould make itadelightfully pricesarerooms. Outof season negotiable tau rant andreasonable roomswith bath- bound exterior. freshingly warmcompared withthesnow- cool, sobringasweater. In winter it’s re- cal superlatives. Insummerthecaves feel ern hasmanymore steps thangeologi- thebigcentralcav-colourfully lit,though together paddle-boats. route Theboat is trip ontheunderground river inroped- andendwitha20-minutebegun. Youstart with no‘escape’possibleonceyou’ve thecavesthrough take abouttwohours themiddle. flowingthrough Visitsdeep) ofheight 40m,with ariver (upto14m major disappointment. youareLebanon, besttobeprepared fora more impressive equivalentsinFranceor agree. ifyouhave Indeed visited vastly greatest not touristattraction.Youmight A narrowlanecontinues4kmtotheTarik Close tothecaveClose entrance The caves toamaximuminternal rise 0812 WESTERNIRAN••AroundHamadan constitute quite simplywestern Iran’s around the cave ent caves ski slopes ski

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( h /fax 5533312;tent/tw/bungalow . 8am-4pm winter,8am-9pmsum- Thu & Fri winter) Thu &Fri teahouse pa x 553 3440;locals/foreigners ) hasadecentres- rance sell drinks sell rance withinthe cave. andinsum- ﻋﻠﻴﺼﺪﺭ Ali SadrHotel

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IR1000 byshared taxi. tion Sq(Meydan Enqelab) 2kmnortheast, Savaris forHamadan leave fromRevolu- savaris leave toBorujerdandNahavand. 1km southwestof Taavon Sqfromwhich from TusiBlvd(theringroad),lessthan It’s amidtrees andsuburbanfields,visible frozenwellintosummer.winter wouldstay iceputinsidein alent of freezer: adeep ally locked). equiv- Thiswasthemedieval beehive-domed ma- have tochange inMalayer (pronounced and Borujerd orNahavand you’llprobably Taking Hamadan publictransportbetween x Malayer not entrancefees. including return transportandsnacksbut Hamadan ( p202 ) costIR4500perperson Hamadan’s AliSadrTravel Agency in Ohlea Mihamlar able mudwallsof fortifiedfarmvillage ping brieflyenroute toadmire theremark- return withwaitingtime:considerstop- 1½ hours). Taxis wantaroundIR200,000 timesdaily(IR7000,Sadr village several From Hamadan, runtoAli minibuses THERE&AWAYGETTING 5pm) dian Citadel comparatively fertile plainsthisunique Sitting onan abrupt pimpleof hillamidflat, NUSHIJAN (TAPPEH NUSH-EJAN) Around Malayer forces around 331BC. plundered byAlexandertheGreat’s Greek incredible wealthwaseventually seized and Persia warringwithGreece: thetemple’s of hisGreek wife. Notthatstopped undertheheavycultural influenceacting ‘water goddess’,heseems to have been Anahita Anahita temple insolidgoldtohonourKangavar’s erxes II(404– wall-papering starting 359 BC) Artax- Mazda. So whenAchaemenianking a monotheisticfaithworshipingAhura four elementsbutitwasfundamentally Zoroastrianism hadalwaysvenerated the ANAHITA 0851 /pop181,000 loy originally hosted thefortifiedgrain -ya). Ifso,lookoutfortheancient ( ( x ﺁﻧﺎﻫﻴﺘﺎ attheroadside. Tours by 225 1225;admissionIR4000; ) asananthropomorphic Yakhchad-e Mirfattah Yakhchad-e lonelyplanet.com ﻧﻮﺷﻴﺠﺎﻥ h (usu- ﻣﻼﻳﺮ 8am- Me- who had been exiled to Babylon. Maybe exiled toBabylon. who had been he Habakkuk wasprobably amongsttheJews sibly aguardianof thetemple of Solomon, a vitriolicrantagainst theChaldeans.Pos- within theBible’s OldTestament is mostly of Jewish prophetHabakkuk, book whose The towerisconsidered tobethetomb 500m off Shahid Ashraf EsfahaniBlvd. ting inagardenonthewestedge of town, with clamshell-grooved conicalroof sit- bricktowerwalnuts. It’saneight-sided your mouthfullof famous Tuyserkan’s Gonbad-e-Hayaquq-Nabi 1991); butthemaintouristattractionis lonelyplanet.com a 17th- century This ancientcityhasacovered bazaarand x (Towiserkan) Tuyserkan the rear of level acertain athleticism toreachneed takes justthree minutes. you’ll However, from which climbingtothesite entrance carparkpart-wayupthehillock a second uptop.Thendrive on600mto you’ll see mud-daub walls,arches andtunnelsthat models andpictures of tomake the sense exhibition centre use where friendlystaff climbingthehill,stopatsparse Before version fromtheMalayer–Hamadan road. nonetheless makes aworthwhile3kmdi- by steel-girders withuglyshed-roofing, but It’srelativelysettlement. smallandshaded stores andtemples of a7th-centuryBC liest fire temple. what archaeologists have dubbedIran’sear- which are the(rather plain)remnants of Farsi. Ahandygreeting is basi Museum( p114 ). Falak-ol-AflakKhorramabad’s ( p209 ) orTehran’s NationalMuseumofIran( p104 from whichtoprocure Lurish bronzes. Todayadmiringsuchbronzes ismucheasierthanksto ) andRezaAb- ‘wastes ancientgravesites brigands,banditsandpoliceire ofcivilisation’assherisked seeking until wellintothe20thcentury.In1931valiantFreya Starkconsidered Lorestan tobethe manyKurds,remainedness’ suchthattheLors,like predominantly semi-independentnomads allsettledagriculture.that wipedoutvirtually Lorestan lapsedintolawlessnomadic‘backward- often mundanepurposes. The Lurish goldenagewasdestroyedbycenturiesofmedievalwars aries ofmetallurgical technology, castingexquisite bronzes whosefinedecorationbeliestheir warriorswereAround 1800BC,thesepolytheistichorse-breeding pushingforwardthebound- to Westerners oftheirhazilydocumented forebears. forthemagnificentbronze-crafts Kassite Call themLurish, LoriorLor,theseproudpeople(around2%ofIran’spopulation) are bestknown THE LORSOFLORESTAN 0852 /pop39,000 The basedonOldPersian Lorilanguageisadialect withadditionsfromArabicandmodern apadana madraseh (audiencehall)behind . Try saying thatwith. Trysaying (totally rebuilt (totally in damaqechaq ﺗﻮﻳﺴﺮﻛﺎﻥ ı (are youwell?);‘delicious’is IR80,000, twwith/withoutbathroomIR70,000/60,000) Mir Razi Mausoleum Mausoleum Razi Mir to agoldendomedmosqueenroute), is released them in538BC. ‘retired’ totheHamadan area after Darius up Ashrafi Blvd. and savaris (IR7000) departfromfurther gavar (IR2700) (45km)towhich minibuses Sq. Alternatively you couldchange inKan- departsat8amfromBasij rect busservice ing summer-only). ( p205 tocharter) youwill need (dur- ataxi roadviaOshtorantain andGanjnameh Sarabi suburb.Forthevery scenicmoun- 3km eastof thebazaarinTuyserkan’s via Joukar,departingfromapoint some (IR20,000) toHamadan around loopright runs theplace. someone tofindtheelderlygentleman who Farshid Sq.There’s noreception: justask thebazaarandpassage halfwaybetween The sign(inFarsi) leadsintoashopping and justgetting inisquite anadventure. better value thananythinginHamadan Iranian life. Roomsaren’t fancybutthey’re a great way toimmerse yourself inrural Tadayon attheunsuspecting to stay is peacefulandattractive. Hamadan’s Taher Baber towerbutthesite architecture isalongthelumpsomelinesof Razi-ed-Din-e-Artisani (died1627).The Mir a 1975memorialtoSafavid sufipoet In thehillsabove town(passingclose If you’re headingforKermanshah, adi- (IR6500)andsavarisMinibuses Becoming oneof thefirst foreignersBecoming ever WESTERN IRAN••AroundHamadan ( x 422 0006; Bahonar St;sIR41,500, d&tr 422 0006;Bahonar tomdara. ( x 4228420; admissionfree) Mosaferkhaneh Mosaferkhaneh 207 is

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Dare IR5000/150,000; mer) IR50,000/250,000/200,000; (Mehmansara; ised commercial- highly For mostIraniansthese x Ali SadrCaves a while. each way).Findingaridebackcantake probably have tocharter (fromIR10,000 frequent you’ll at weekends, butmidweek the Esther&MordecaiTomb.They’re fairly 20 minutes departingfromShari’ati Stnear Shared (IR2000)take approximately taxis THERE&AWAYGETTING yet bracing Mt Alvandmakingforrelatively convenient lead directly upthepeacefulfore-slopes of paths long-distance with rubbishbutseveral weekends thesite canget crowdedandmessy ice-climbing spotwhenfrozeninwinter. At 206 near Tuyserkan ( opposite ). (opposite ). Tuyserkan near across MtAlvand’slowerslopestoOshtoran mer aroadwindsonvery attractively right and there’s a even Stalls peaceful getaway andpossibletrekking base. and thelocationwould make itadelightfully pricesarerooms. Outof season negotiable tau rant andreasonable roomswith bath- bound exterior. freshingly warmcompared withthesnow- cool, sobringasweater. In winter it’s re- cal superlatives. Insummerthecaves feel ern hasmanymore steps thangeologi- thebigcentralcav-colourfully lit,though together paddle-boats. route Theboat is trip ontheunderground river inroped- andendwitha20-minutebegun. Youstart with no‘escape’possibleonceyou’ve thecavesthrough take abouttwohours themiddle. flowingthrough Visitsdeep) ofheight 40m,with ariver (upto14m major disappointment. youareLebanon, besttobeprepared fora more impressive equivalentsinFranceor agree. ifyouhave Indeed visited vastly greatest not touristattraction.Youmight A narrowlanecontinues4kmtotheTarik Close tothecaveClose entrance The caves toamaximuminternal rise 0812 WESTERNIRAN••AroundHamadan constitute quite simplywestern Iran’s around the cave ent caves ski slopes ski

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ﻏﺎﺭ

IR1000 byshared taxi. tion Sq(Meydan Enqelab) 2kmnortheast, Savaris forHamadan leave fromRevolu- savaris leave toBorujerdandNahavand. 1km southwestof Taavon Sqfromwhich from TusiBlvd(theringroad),lessthan It’s amidtrees andsuburbanfields,visible frozenwellintosummer.winter wouldstay iceputinsidein alent of freezer: adeep ally locked). equiv- Thiswasthemedieval beehive-domed ma- have tochange inMalayer (pronounced and Borujerd orNahavand you’llprobably Taking Hamadan publictransportbetween x Malayer not entrancefees. including return transportandsnacksbut Hamadan ( p202 ) costIR4500perperson Hamadan’s AliSadrTravel Agency in Ohlea Mihamlar able mudwallsof fortifiedfarmvillage ping brieflyenroute toadmire theremark- return withwaitingtime:considerstop- 1½ hours). Taxis wantaroundIR200,000 timesdaily(IR7000,Sadr village several From Hamadan, runtoAli minibuses THERE&AWAYGETTING 5pm) dian Citadel comparatively fertile plainsthisunique Sitting onan abrupt pimpleof hillamidflat, NUSHIJAN (TAPPEH NUSH-EJAN) Around Malayer forces around 331BC. plundered byAlexandertheGreat’s Greek incredible wealthwaseventually seized and Persia warringwithGreece: thetemple’s of hisGreek wife. Notthatstopped undertheheavycultural influenceacting ‘water goddess’,heseems to have been Anahita temple insolidgoldtohonourKangavar’s erxes II(404– wall-papering starting 359 BC) Artax- Mazda. So whenAchaemenianking a monotheisticfaithworshipingAhura four elementsbutitwasfundamentally Zoroastrianism hadalwaysvenerated the ANAHITA 0851 /pop181,000 loy originally hosted thefortifiedgrain -ya). Ifso,lookoutfortheancient ( ( x ﺁﻧﺎﻫﻴﺘﺎ attheroadside. Tours by 225 1225;admissionIR4000; ) asananthropomorphic Yakhchad-e Mirfattah Yakhchad-e lonelyplanet.com ﻧﻮﺷﻴﺠﺎﻥ h (usu- ﻣﻼﻳﺮ 8am- Me- who had been exiled to Babylon. Maybe exiled toBabylon. who had been he Habakkuk wasprobably amongsttheJews sibly aguardianof thetemple of Solomon, a vitriolicrantagainst theChaldeans.Pos- within theBible’s OldTestament is mostly of Jewish prophetHabakkuk, book whose The towerisconsidered tobethetomb 500m off Shahid Ashraf EsfahaniBlvd. ting inagardenonthewestedge of town, with clamshell-grooved conicalroof sit- bricktowerwalnuts. It’saneight-sided your mouthfullof famous Tuyserkan’s Gonbad-e-Hayaquq-Nabi 1991); butthemaintouristattractionis lonelyplanet.com a 17th- century This ancientcityhasacovered bazaarand x (Towiserkan) Tuyserkan the rear of level acertain athleticism toreachneed takes justthree minutes. you’ll However, from which climbingtothesite entrance carparkpart-wayupthehillock a second uptop.Thendrive on600mto you’ll see mud-daub walls,arches andtunnelsthat models andpictures of tomake the sense exhibition centre use where friendlystaff climbingthehill,stopatsparse Before version fromtheMalayer–Hamadan road. nonetheless makes aworthwhile3kmdi- by steel-girders withuglyshed-roofing, but It’srelativelysettlement. smallandshaded stores andtemples of a7th-centuryBC liest fire temple. what archaeologists have dubbedIran’sear- which are the(rather plain)remnants of Farsi. Ahandygreeting is basi Museum( p114 ). Falak-ol-AflakKhorramabad’s ( p209 ) orTehran’s NationalMuseumofIran( p104 from whichtoprocure Lurish bronzes. Todayadmiringsuchbronzes ismucheasierthanksto ) andRezaAb- ‘wastes ancientgravesites brigands,banditsandpoliceire ofcivilisation’assherisked seeking until wellintothe20thcentury.In1931valiantFreya Starkconsidered Lorestan tobethe manyKurds,remainedness’ suchthattheLors,like predominantly semi-independentnomads allsettledagriculture.that wipedoutvirtually Lorestan lapsedintolawlessnomadic‘backward- often mundanepurposes. The Lurish goldenagewasdestroyedbycenturiesofmedievalwars aries ofmetallurgical technology, castingexquisite bronzes whosefinedecorationbeliestheir warriorswereAround 1800BC,thesepolytheistichorse-breeding pushingforwardthebound- to Westerners oftheirhazilydocumented forebears. forthemagnificentbronze-crafts Kassite Call themLurish, LoriorLor,theseproudpeople(around2%ofIran’spopulation) are bestknown THE LORSOFLORESTAN 0852 /pop39,000 The basedonOldPersian Lorilanguageisadialect withadditionsfromArabicandmodern apadana madraseh (audiencehall)behind . Try saying thatwith. Trysaying (totally rebuilt (totally in damaqechaq ﺗﻮﻳﺴﺮﻛﺎﻥ ı (are youwell?);‘delicious’is IR80,000, twwith/withoutbathroomIR70,000/60,000) Mir Razi Mausoleum Mausoleum Razi Mir to agoldendomedmosqueenroute), is released them in538BC. ‘retired’ totheHamadan area after Darius up Ashrafi Blvd. and savaris (IR7000) departfromfurther gavar (IR2700) (45km)towhich minibuses Sq. Alternatively you couldchange inKan- departsat8amfromBasij rect busservice ing summer-only). ( p205 tocharter) youwill need (dur- ataxi roadviaOshtorantain andGanjnameh Sarabi suburb.Forthevery scenicmoun- 3km eastof thebazaarinTuyserkan’s via Joukar,departingfromapoint some (IR20,000) toHamadan around loopright runs theplace. someone tofindtheelderlygentleman who Farshid Sq.There’s noreception: justask thebazaarandpassage halfwaybetween The sign(inFarsi) leadsintoashopping and justgetting inisquite anadventure. better value thananythinginHamadan Iranian life. Roomsaren’t fancybutthey’re a great way toimmerse yourself inrural Tadayon attheunsuspecting to stay is peacefulandattractive. Hamadan’s Taher Baber towerbutthesite architecture isalongthelumpsomelinesof Razi-ed-Din-e-Artisani (died1627).The Mir a 1975memorialtoSafavid sufipoet In thehillsabove town(passingclose If you’re headingforKermanshah, adi- (IR6500)andsavarisMinibuses Becoming oneof thefirst foreignersBecoming ever WESTERN IRAN••AroundHamadan ( x 422 0006; Bahonar St;sIR41,500, d&tr 422 0006;Bahonar tomdara. ( x 4228420; admissionfree) Mosaferkhaneh Mosaferkhaneh 207 is

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN IR4000; agvr famous 2300-year-old That’s virtuallyallthatremains of Kangavar’s hillside inthemiddleof Kangavar town. ancient column-bases tumbledowna grassy A chaos of rockylumps,dressed-stones and x Kangavar 17th-century used) an impressively restored (butcurrently un- road, theTuyserkan–Kangavar A 5kmsidetripoff FARASVAJ (p205). Ganjnameh Mt Alvand’sfoothillsfromShahrestan to can blocktheroad’scontinuationacross when snowcapped,buttoomuch snow looksuperb an arrayof These mountains. pass withgreat viewsacrossbroadvalleysto walnutgrovesthrough a low thencrosses passes The 20kmroadfromTuyserkan livedit hadbeen intillrelatively recently. and much of theinterior lookingasthough with allfourcorner-towers well-preserved mud-walled fortress iscomparatively intact extensive ruinsof mountain-backed village of On agrassyknollabove thelow-rise, OSHTORAN Around Tuyserkan 208 wild goats. protectingform anature ibexand reserve down a passing bus or use the Nahavand ter-down apassing busoruse and Kangavar there). ForKermanshah, flag there’s asingledeparture pointforHamadan change cars halfwayinAsadabad (easy as east of prove the ruins.Itmight quicker to a basic a quietlyattractive bazaar area where there’s main Hamadan Stculminates road).Raja’i in Stfrom AraqiSt(the as youwalkupRaja’i with stubbycolumnsiseasilyviewed forfree pressive of stonewalltopped section 5m-tall all theearthquakes thattoppledthem.Anim- massive 4ftindiameter. Andattheforceof that created such perfect stonecolumns,a ping enroute. attheworkmanship Marvel Kermanshah–Hamadan roadsoworthstop- ing alongdetour,it’sconveniently onthe bulk of there are excellentviews towardstherugged Chamran St.Returningtothemainroad The savari terminal forHamadan is2km 0837 /pop58,000 WESTERNIRAN••Khorramabad h Farasvaj mosaferkhaneh Mt Khan Gormaz Mt Khan 8am-sunset) hasamodest . Whilenotreally warrant- caravanserai Qal’eh HamzaKhan (2863m) whose slopes slopes (2863m)whose . Anahita TempleAnahita Safavid bridge Oshtoran atthetopof (admission (admission ﻛﻨﮕﺎﻭﺍﺭ are the ﻓﺮﺳﻮﺝ . This ﺍﺷﺘﺮﺍﻥ and and

1830s, the governors moved intoa mansion Falak-ol-Aflak (Heaven of Heavens). Inthe so impressively that itbecameknownas veloped itintoaclassicalfortress thatsoared the residence of Persian governors whode- later became around AD1600.Thecitadel 12th centuryuntilsubjugated byShah Abbas powerful clanwhoruledLorestan fromthe wasbuiltherecitadel the bytheAtabegs, Sangi cistern. from archaeological clueslike theGerdab-e- milling systems over 1500years ago,judging ‘lost’ citiesthathadadvancedirrigationand Shapurkhast orof Samha. Bothare ancient wasthesitegree of whetherKhorramabad lithic cave-dwelling sites. Historiansdisa- which have foundatleastfive been Palaeo- bydry,impressivesandwiched cragsin and theLori(Lurish)people. Mountains province, thegloriousZagros fromwhich todiscoversible base Lorestan nonetheless scenicallyappealingandapos- Little visited byforeigners, is Khorramabad x KHORRAMABAD Kangavar, andforHamadan viaMalayer). and themainnorthernbusterminal (for theBorujerdterminaltle between (south) blueminaretoctagonal, isvisibleasyoushut- markable central, eye-catching ifarchitecturally unre- Torab Agha include themural-filled 1852 Iran–Iraq War. Mosque tookadirect bombhitduringthe graced alocalhill.AndthehistoricJameh temple thatonce Seleucid of the193BC shopping centre (Abuzar Sq),there’s nosign fragments plonked intheNikanjamPassaj that history.Apartfromacoupleof column thetownhaslittletoshowHowever, forall Arab-Muslim victoryover Persia. Sassanid battleinAD642thateffectively sealed otal 2000 years ago. Itwasalsothesite of apiv- Great’s Nicatorwellover general Seleucus Nahavand wasfoundedbyAlexanderthe x Nahavand savari hopsviaSahnehand/orBisotun. minal atthewestern endof townandmake In theMiddleAges afortifiedcentral liesinalong,widegorgeKhorramabad Minor attractionsifyou’re passingthrough 0661 /pop339,000 0852 /pop67,000 Nabi-e SardabMosque Nabi-e (former bathhouse), andthe (formerbathhouse), lonelyplanet.com . Its gilt-tipped, . Itsgilt-tipped, Hamam-e Haji Haji Hamam-e ﺁﺑﺎﺩ ﻧﻬﺎﻭﻧﺪ

ﺧﺮﻡ hr IR6000; shadarat; AlaviSt; Sts. Motahhari/Enqelab slowcoffeenets around grindingly The bestofseveral from beside Bank Melli (noexchange). from besideBankMelli minutes) foraflatUS$1commission.Take anAlavitaxi 12.30pm Thu)Changesmoneyrelatively painlessly(10 4090; www.lorestanmiras.org, inFarsi; admissionIR4000; Orientation interesting museum. and thefortress becameaprison.It’snowan academy) (nowamilitary at thecastle’sbase lonelyplanet.com AA-LALK eight-towered unmissable This FALAK-OL-AFLAK Sights Organisation Heritage Cultural Lorestan Hassan Niknam TOURIST INFORMATION Post office POST Police StationNo5 POLICE REGISTRATION BankofIran Development Export MONEY SabzCoffeenet Shaba-key AryaNet ACCESSINTERNET Information hotels. andseveral way) hoststhebusoffices Shari’ati St(themainAhvaz–Hamadan high- busy one-way system. Bypassingthemelee, driving isawkwardthankstoaninfuriating attractively linedwith Around thefortress, narrowcentralstreets are touch withmembersofthelocalclimbingfederation. helper.as guideandtourist Hecanputmountaineersin Hotel,speaksgreat Englishandacts manages theKaron Dignifiedandwell-informed,Hassanco- yahoo.com) miss uptwofloorsnearShohodaSq. Aflak Lane; 6718; www.lorestanmiras.ir; Lorestan University,Falak-ol- given awayfree bybetterhotels. speaks English,buttheirbeautifulmapsandbrochures are alley besideGhavaminFinance. The officeisaround800mfromKyoSq,entered froman copyandfillaformstatingwhere you’llstay. passport/visa or present passport askfor‘Amaken’, Khorramabad) registration (necessarytostayincheapguesthouses (Motahhari St;perhrIR7000; (Motahhari h h In ayardoffthecastleaccesslane. 8am-8pm) Reasonable connection, easyto connection, 8am-8pm) Reasonable 7am-2pm Sat-Thu) Nobodyintheoffice ( h x ( 9.30am-3.30pm Sat-Wed,9.30am- x 0916-361 1135;niknamhassan@ 218 2864;Valiasr Ave) For chinar (Imam Khomeini St;per (Imam Khomeini (plane) trees, but (plane)trees, but h (Bank Tose- ﺍﻻﻓﻠﻚ castle 9am-9pm) (

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ﻗﻠﻌﻪ 220

around 40kmaway. heads recently discovered atSangTarashan, hoard of Lorestan bronze daggers andaxe- able) andanexhibitionculminates witha regional attractions (English version avail- ate toeach theme. Avideo-roomshows off life accompaniedbyfolkmusicappropri- graphic museum courtyard formavery well-presented your behaviour. ian’ watches outforyoursafety aswell ‘falling danger’ spotswhere a‘disciplinar- phone towerbehindit. photogenic tilltheybuiltabigmobile tele- low-key Zaid-ibn-e-Ali andhoststhemodern scarves unremarkable alotof bazaarsells colourful none vastlyphotogenic. Khorramabad’s minor curiosities,manyvery historicbut If youhave timetokillthere are several OTHER SIGHTS h deep castle deep (see p211 ) agratingcovers thedizzyingly photo.a posed Above theinviting tribalgarbfor can dress upinBakhtiyari ist trinkets intoacourtyardwhere you weaves of uppastsellers Lurishtour- tacky the crenellated battlements.Theentrance andoffersnight extensive cityviewsfrom looks especiallydramaticwhenfloodlitat city centre fromarockypromontory.It Sq) Shari’ati Stisan humans around40,000 years ago. with caves tohave said hometoearly been rockyslopeindented isasteep ply. Behind once provided theproto-city’s water sup- oldest. Springwater wellsupwithinand tobetheworld’s voir, 18mindiameter, said isa1600-year-old stonereser- Sassanian The mainbuildingsaroundtherear In astone-edged circlebeside thundering ai q ShimsherabadSq ShimsherabadSt AlaviSt St Imam Khomeini KyoSq Daneshju St Used Basij Sq MeydanShaqayeq Sq 22 Bahman Name Commonly Imam HosseinSq Official Name KHORRAMABAD NAMES STREET 8am-6pm, 8am-8pmsummer) WESTERN IRAN •• Khorramabad WESTERN IRAN••Khorramabad Tavasuli Mosque well withtilednorthfaçade. The showingvignettes of Lurish (43m), butthere are other inscribed stone inscribed (Shakaster St) (Shakaster Gerdab-e-Sangi dominates the

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galow IR310,000; US$20/30) but mind those bones. but mindthose to Yalda, thefriedtrout(IR26,000)isgood speaks excellentEnglish. are obligingdodgy, butstaff andHassan frequent washingandwater supplyremains vinylfloorsmorewood-effect coulduse and cosmeticallyimproved rooms.The has given theKaron aswishnewfoyer,lift US$45/60; breakfast US$20/30/37; h 35,000; English. speak iflesspolished.Somestaff passable arecastle views(egroom127).Bathrooms windows withsittingareas. Afew have rooms incream andpastel-blue have bay ble behindthetrees of thepark,attractive lonelyplanet.com Cheap butunexciting Eating een bedspreads.een good bathrooms,woodenfloors andvelvet- boating lake. Theyare fullyrenovated with peacefully perched above thepopularKyo galow unitswithcrazy-paving wallsare IR150,000/360,000/480,000/580,000) It’s nicerthanitsounds! room tucked behindapartysupplyshop. tive sundaesinwhatlooks like asauna- espressos (IR10,000)andamusinglycrea- feel make thisacongenial placetotaste toned wall paintingsanda gently upmarket single travellers overpriced. butotherwise Toilets are shared. It’sbearablevaluefor flowers showerbooths. andcurtained-off rooms have tiledfloors, displaysof plastic pansive restaurant, sparklinglyclean,new 12,000; than CDs.ALorestan specialityis are often serenaded bycaged birdsrather St.Fancieralong Motahhari restaurants Mehmanpazir Iranwithnicer versions gusht: mound of rice. Shahrdari Inn Shahrdari Yalda Venon Hotel Shaqayeq Hotel ITTIC Tourist Inn Tourist ITTIC Shem ShadNemune Hotel Karon Hotel Moka Moka noon-3pm &6-10pm) h mostof lurkingina aboiledsheep h

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(Ajon Minaret; ShaqayeqSq) (Ajon Minaret; Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book ( x 221 9529; Shari’ati St;s/tw/tr 221 9529;Shari’ati Shapuri bridge Shapuri The friendly Iran ThefriendlyIran (Pol-e- might 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B5 B4 B4 B1 A1 A6 A4 B4 B4 B3 A6 B5 B4 A1 B4 A5 B5 A4 A4 A4 A4 A4 B1 A4 A6 A4 B3

galow IR310,000; US$20/30) but mind those bones. but mindthose to Yalda, thefriedtrout(IR26,000)isgood speaks excellentEnglish. are obligingdodgy, butstaff andHassan frequent washingandwater supplyremains vinylfloorsmorewood-effect coulduse and cosmeticallyimproved rooms.The has given theKaron aswishnewfoyer,lift US$45/60; breakfast US$20/30/37; h 35,000; English. speak iflesspolished.Somestaff passable arecastle views(egroom127).Bathrooms windows withsittingareas. Afew have rooms incream andpastel-blue have bay ble behindthetrees of thepark,attractive lonelyplanet.com Cheap butunexciting Eating een bedspreads.een good bathrooms,woodenfloors andvelvet- boating lake. Theyare fullyrenovated with peacefully perched above thepopularKyo galow unitswithcrazy-paving wallsare It’s nicerthanitsounds! room tucked behindapartysupplyshop. tive sundaesinwhatlooks like asauna- espressos (IR10,000)andamusinglycrea- IR150,000/360,000/480,000/580,000) feel make thisacongenial placetotaste toned wall paintingsanda gently upmarket single travellers overpriced. butotherwise Toilets are shared. It’sbearablevaluefor flowers showerbooths. andcurtained-off rooms have tiledfloors, displaysof plastic pansive restaurant, sparklinglyclean,new 12,000; mound of rice. gusht: than CDs.ALorestan specialityis are often serenaded bycaged birdsrather St.Fancieralong Motahhari restaurants Mehmanpazir Iranwithnicer versions Shahrdari Inn Shahrdari Yalda Shaqayeq Hotel Venon Hotel ITTIC Tourist Inn Tourist ITTIC Shem ShadNemune Hotel Karon Hotel Moka Moka noon-3pm &6-10pm) h mostof lurkingina aboiledsheep h

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN IR60,000) and Borujerd. tion bysavaris for bothKhorramabad Blvd. Incomingtrainsare metatthesta- onBeheshti offices fromtaavoni midnight pickuppassengers aroundbound buses andBorujerd.Esfahan- to Khorramabad andscorchingly fastsavaris runminibuses tion, 2.5kmeastof thebusterminal where through-street 1.5kmwestof thetrainsta- spots. It’sinaparkoff Dorud’smain rant featuring great photosof localbeauty roomsandadecentrestau-comfortable through beautiful, remotethrough andvirtually This super-scenic railway trundlesTHE DORUD-ANDIMESHK RAILWAY ( tory, Dominated byahuge, cementfac- satanic x Gahar Dorud &Lake AROUND KHORRAMABAD of thebazaar. jamsaroundtheback traffic gling through Kashani SttoTakht Sq,returning bywig- SttoSabzSqthenup up ImamKhomeini More centrally,anorthbound route runs northbound duetotheone-waysystem. (Shimsherabad–Kyo) withtwodiversions Sqs and22Bahman Basij and between along Shari’ati St(Shimsherabad–Shaqayeq) Handy routes (IR1000)run shuttle-taxi Around Getting the time. St. Scarilyfastsavaris take barely half northeast upShimsherabad (Daneshju) 212 summer IR200,000/300,000) erkhaneh-e Baharestan erkhaneh-e Dorud. e-Astaneh views justifythecarjourneyasfar food andtent. Even ifyoudon’thike, great four hours out,lessback.Bringyourown trek skirts4070m and poniesare usuallyavailable here. The 23km fromDorud.Inmidsummerguides uge hut,carparkanddrinking-water spring The trailheadis Gahar hiking tobeautiful,mountain-ringed x The porticoed The porticoed Friendly buteasy-to-miss,thebasic 0665 /pop103,000 WESTERNIRAN••AroundKhorramabad 422 0020;BeheshtiBlvd;tw/trIR170,000/250,000, Dorud , famedforitssucculent is upstairs opposite Dorud’scinema. , a mud-house village 18kmfrom , amud-house is useful asalaunching pointfor isuseful Haft Cheshmeh Haft Mt Oshturan

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ﺗﻠﻪ , , ebrated are Thecel- tocollapse. dangerously close Mosque Jafari blue-domed St.TheSeljuk strung outover akilometre offcentral jerd’s three remaining historicmonuments, 2006 earthquake damaged seriously Boru- mountain-backed town.SadlyaMarch madan you tocrossthislarge, need might andHa- Khorramabad In transitbetween x Borujerd lonelyplanet.com Mosque vet foritseye-catching mossy Mountains’ before nicknamed the‘Vel- Khorramabad acanyon10km through road southpasses agricultural valley fromNurabad.The grandeurattheendofa certain a long, be American)crashednearby. unmanned dronespy-plane(presumed to briefly madeworldnewsin2005 when an of the ‘wild’Lurishtribesbeyond.Thetown curely withinamud-walledfortress, infear garrisonof Persiansnervous huddledinse- here inthe1930s, allthatremained wasa by thetime Freya cametomb-raiding Stark amajor hadbeen city.However, Alashtar Tamerlane’sBefore 14th-century ravages, Alashtar Valley of centre, theupscale mains scaffolded. reopened butitsunusual,conicalspire re- Hamadan change inMalayer. Hotel. For1km northwestof theZagros to Nahavand andMalayer around start main terminal 600mnearer town.Savaris the centre usingthe with mostminibuses from DoraSq,around5kmsoutheastof (IR10,000, 45minutes) andKhorramabad elevators. views take rooms202to207.Creaky glass Forthebestmountain scuffed. look slightly picture windows,butcarpetsare to starting Scandinavian-style pineinteriors andvast Roomshave section. traditional teahouse restaurant andappealingifpriceypseudo- sive three-storey modernatrium,decent mini-cable car. Thehotel hasanimpres- a ‘geyser’lake anda(currently broken) withpark-liketraction initself grounds, 4901; tw/steUS$95/115) Alashtar’s mountain-rimmed setting has setting mountain-rimmed Alashtar’s On apronouncedhill2½kmnorthwest Savaris leave regularly forDorud 0622 /pop257,000

andfineQajar-era (Safa St) Imamzadeh Jafar remain assections closed is alocaltouristat-

Zagros Hotel (Imamzadeh Lane) Soltani (Imam)

ﺑﺮﻭﺟﺮﺩ ( x Jameh has 350 brick bridge of which onlyasingle chunky town that’s namedfora 3rd–10th century travel via St around2kmnorth of thecentre. They (IR35,000, 3¾hours) departfromEnqelab 4½ hours) andmore frequent savaris Sq. Beheshti alanedirectlya hiddenyardoff westof forShush (IR2250,45minutes)buses use Ahvaz Sq.Mini- depart fromBeheshti leave frequently fromSa’at Sq. Savaris for (IR75,000, 4pm). to Tabriz (IR100,000,2.30pm)andShiraz Volvo). Theyalsohave overnight Volvos 10am (IR32,800)and8pm(IR70,000, runs toEsfahanat7.45am(IR42,000), Sq onthesouthernringroad.IranPeyma market conditioners actuallycool. in mid-flow. Don’tassumethattheair- ambitious redecoration worksstopped patchy décorgives theimpression that have goodbathroomsbutthecuriously Sqs.Rooms Sa’atandBeheshti between larly outstanding larly outstanding falafels, burgers, kababsandsomeparticu- Sqoffering samosas, surround Beheshti overpriced atforeigner rates. vastly double IR316,900/479,600),butseem rooms justabout justify localprices(single/ with balconiesanddecentlyequippedbath- the zoo-funfair andbusterminal. Rooms pa IR140,000/170,000/200,000) Southern Bypass; terminal booked ex-Andimeshk atthenew fromAhvaz canalsobe Almost anyservice BUS, MINIBUS&SAVARI &Away There Getting Rostan Hotel thescenicday-traintoDorud.if taking and Shushtar. here tosleep You’llneed transport connectionstoShush, Dezful Flat, uninteresting Andimeshk hasuseful x ANDIMESHK lar picnicsites. grassyareas here Several makebluffs. popu- For Khorramabad, minibuses (IR12,000, minibuses For Khorramabad, Savaris toDezful(IR2000,15minutes) Just eastof AzadeganSq,therelatively up- Many snackbars andsmallrestaurants 0642 /pop174,000 ) isoutof thecentre buthandyfor Hotel Bozorg Andimeshk Bozorg Hotel

(Azadegan Sq) (Azadegan WESTERN IRAN••Andimeshk Pol-e-Dokhtar

( x 422 2100;fax9295;s/dUS$64/91; dizi , 1.5kmsouthof Beheshti 424 1818;ImamSt;s/tw/tr . ishandilycentral (Virgin Bridge) a

(Andimeshk Grand; ﺍﻧﺪﻳﻤﺸﻚ main bus

213 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN IR60,000) and Borujerd. tion bysavaris for bothKhorramabad Blvd. Incomingtrainsare metatthesta- onBeheshti offices fromtaavoni midnight pickuppassengers aroundbound buses andBorujerd.Esfahan- to Khorramabad andscorchingly fastsavaris runminibuses tion, 2.5kmeastof thebusterminal where through-street 1.5kmwestof thetrainsta- spots. It’sinaparkoff Dorud’smain rant featuring great photosof localbeauty roomsandadecentrestau-comfortable through beautiful, remotethrough andvirtually This super-scenic railway trundlesTHE DORUD-ANDIMESHK RAILWAY summer IR200,000/300,000) ( tory, Dominated byahuge, cementfac- satanic x Gahar Dorud &Lake AROUND KHORRAMABAD of thebazaar. jamsaroundtheback traffic gling through Kashani SttoTakht Sq,returning bywig- SttoSabzSqthenup up ImamKhomeini More centrally,anorthbound route runs northbound duetotheone-waysystem. (Shimsherabad–Kyo) withtwodiversions Sqs and22Bahman Basij and between along Shari’ati St(Shimsherabad–Shaqayeq) Handy routes (IR1000)run shuttle-taxi Around Getting the time. St. Scarilyfastsavaris take barely half northeast upShimsherabad (Daneshju) 212 views justifythecarjourneyasfar food andtent. Even ifyoudon’thike, great four hours out,lessback.Bringyourown trek skirts4070m and poniesare usuallyavailable here. The 23km fromDorud.Inmidsummerguides uge hut,carparkanddrinking-water spring The trailheadis Gahar hiking tobeautiful,mountain-ringed erkhaneh-e Baharestan erkhaneh-e Dorud. e-Astaneh x The porticoed The porticoed Friendly buteasy-to-miss,thebasic 0665 /pop103,000 WESTERNIRAN••AroundKhorramabad 422 0020;BeheshtiBlvd;tw/trIR170,000/250,000, Dorud , famedforitssucculent is upstairs opposite Dorud’scinema. , a mud-house village 18kmfrom , amud-house is useful asalaunching pointfor isuseful Haft Cheshmeh Haft Mt Oshturan

ﺁﺑﺸﺎﺭ Tale-

ﺳﭙﻴﺪ . It

ﺗﻠﻪ , , ebrated are Thecel- tocollapse. dangerously close Mosque Mosque Jafari blue-domed St.TheSeljuk strung outover akilometre offcentral jerd’s three remaining historicmonuments, 2006 earthquake damaged seriously Boru- mountain-backed town.SadlyaMarch madan you tocrossthislarge, need might andHa- Khorramabad In transitbetween x Borujerd lonelyplanet.com vet foritseye-catching mossy Mountains’ before nicknamed the‘Vel- Khorramabad acanyon10km through road southpasses agricultural valley fromNurabad.The grandeurattheendofa certain a long, be American)crashednearby. unmanned dronespy-plane(presumed to briefly madeworldnewsin2005 when an of the ‘wild’Lurishtribesbeyond.Thetown curely withinamud-walledfortress, infear garrisonof Persiansnervous huddledinse- here inthe1930s, allthatremained wasa by thetime Freya cametomb-raiding Stark amajor hadbeen city.However, Alashtar Tamerlane’sBefore 14th-century ravages, Alashtar Valley of centre, theupscale mains scaffolded. reopened butitsunusual,conicalspire re- Hamadan change inMalayer. Hotel. For1km northwestof theZagros to Nahavand andMalayer around start main terminal 600mnearer town.Savaris the centre usingthe with mostminibuses from DoraSq,around5kmsoutheastof (IR10,000, 45minutes) andKhorramabad elevators. views take rooms202to207.Creaky glass Forthebestmountain scuffed. look slightly picture windows,butcarpetsare to starting Scandinavian-style pineinteriors andvast Roomshave section. traditional teahouse restaurant andappealingifpriceypseudo- sive three-storey modernatrium,decent mini-cable car. Thehotel hasanimpres- a ‘geyser’lake anda(currently broken) withpark-liketraction initself grounds, 4901; tw/steUS$95/115) Alashtar’s mountain-rimmed setting has setting mountain-rimmed Alashtar’s On apronouncedhill2½kmnorthwest Savaris leave regularly forDorud 0622 /pop257,000

andfineQajar-era (Safa St) Imamzadeh Jafar remain assections closed is alocaltouristat-

Zagros Hotel (Imamzadeh Lane) Soltani (Imam)

(Azadegan Sq) (Azadegan WESTERN IRAN••Andimeshk Pol-e-Dokhtar

( x 422 2100;fax9295;s/dUS$64/91; dizi , 1.5kmsouthof Beheshti 424 1818;ImamSt;s/tw/tr . ishandilycentral (Virgin Bridge) a

(Andimeshk Grand; ﺍﻧﺪﻳﻤﺸﻚ main bus

213 WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN h the Entered from YaZahra Blvd, SqonKhomeini ANCIENT CITY Sights ofuntil theIslamicRevolution 1979. from1891more orlesscontinuously Service was continuedbytheFrench Archaeological thesite. Hiswork became thefirst tosurvey when theBritisharchaeologist WKLoftus ofsands time,onlyre-emerging after 1852 of MongolraidsShush disappeared intothe rian Christianstudy.Evacuated intheface grimage site andbecameacentre of Nesto- 310–379) itregained renown asaJewish pil- DuringShapurnian capital. II’sreign (AD Parthian re-emerged eras,Susa asaSassa- here. and Stillprosperous intheSeleucid ander marriedoneof Darius III’sdaughters Alex- andindeed ander theGreat in331BC, to Persepolis. time itwasprobablysimilaringrandeur Atthat aemenids’ fortifiedwinter capital. itupastheAch- whenDariusIset 521 BC Ashurbanipal, butregained prominencein bytheAssyrian king burnt around640BC was Susa middle of the3rdmillenniumBC, Elamite cityfromaboutAn important the History dise Coffeenet Across thesquare fromHotel Nazris matic Tombof Danielandbustlingmarket. archaeological site, splendidcastle,enig- antly small,relatively newtownwithavast cities of ancientPersia. Nowit’sapleas- Shush wasonceamongthegreatest (Susa) x SHUSH The TRAIN road inacanyonfurthernorth. brick arch remains, straddlingthemain 214 Tehran (14hours). originating inAndimeshkrunsovernight to Dorud viaBisheh (see p212 ). A9pmtrain but appallinglyovercrowded daytrainto onthebrilliantlyscenic if youwantaseat Sq). Arrive waybefore the5.30amdeparture blocks norththenonewestfromBeheshti tral, oneshortblockwestof Sa’at Sq(two The palace survived thecity’sfalltoAlex- The palacesurvived 10am-midnight) 0642 /pop44,000 WESTERNIRAN••Shush archaeological site archaeological train station

( x . (Taleqani St) (Taleqani 522 0780; Haft-e Tir Sq;perhrIR8000; 522 0780;Haft-e

(admission IR4000; ishandilycen- h ﺷﻮﺵ Para- 8am- 7pm, closes after heavyrain) 7pm, closesafter grave slab. Here, thisbehaviour however, ing thezarih grate aroundagreen-draped TombofDaniel grims crowdthe glittery interior of the As inatypicalimamzadeh, Muslimpil- TOMB OFDANIEL & 3.30-7pm, Tue-Sun) (Susa Park, St; Khomeini admission IR3000; new Some touristsvisitthisbright SHUSH MUSEUM dominated bythe asyouenter, thelandscapeisentirelyright southern flankof modernShush. Tothe Haft Tappeh ( opposite ). ( p218 ) andsomespookyclaymasksfrom Hercules fromMasjid-i statue Soleiman fromShush’stal include agiantbullheadcapi- Highlights work fromregional archaeological sites. ancientstone-andpottery- play seriously fivebeside it).Themuseum’s roomsdis- accesstrackisrightlogical site (whose that they’ve actuallyentered thearchaeo- Gate paved terrace. onthe are capitals horse partlypreserved with animalfigures. Acoupleof double- of columnstopped sixby22m-high ofstone bases whatwas oncean out. Atthenorthernrimare themassive fragments markstheformerroomlay- labyrinthofhigh brick-and-wattlewall onwhich a30cm- now justamuddyrise site of the521BC theentry ramp,youcanwalkthrough into thecastle’swestdoorway. a cuneiform-inscribedbrickincorporated local ArabandLurish tribesmen.Notice 1912 todefend researchers fromraidsby 1897and between Archaeological Service tress butwasinfactbuiltbytheFrench masterpiece lookslike for- anOmanidesert site of anElamite acropolis,thiscrenellated above ancientcaves andniches. of thecastlethere’s anearthenwatchtower foxes.darting desert Atthewestern side tery shards andthornthickets alive with towards thecastleamidmuddygullies,pot- far horizon.It’smore toloopback sensible barren, lonely undulationsstretching tothe To theeast,beyondpartlypaved Turning leftatthetopof thesite’s main , the Royal City (Aramgah-eDanyal), kiss- quite bymistake, thinking isamisleadingnamefor apadana Chateau deMorgan Chateau Palace ofDarius occupiesthewhole , a lion-hugging , alion-hugging lonelyplanet.com h 7.30am-1pm . Thatis apadana . Onthe museum Royal ,

worth bargaining. Shari’ati St.Prices are hazily defined soit’s From theminibus yardswalk300mup about 1kmfurther fromthehistoricalsites. but theplacelacks anyatmosphere andis rooms andare newerthantheApadana’s, ment (Daniel6,16-23). years oldwhenrecorded intheOldTesta- exploitsweredens. These already over 300 membered forunenviable ordealsinlions’ the eunuchs’ (Daniel1,9)heisbestre- as having ‘tender love withtheprinceof Dubiouslyrecorded intheBible486 BC). It remains open late intotheevening. bazaar area, twoblocksfromthemuseum. tombs, wasonlybuiltin1871. cone faceted spire, so typicalof Khuzestan present structure with itsdistinctive, pine- Mongol destructionisnotrecorded, butthe middle of theriver. bridgesuspended fromametal acrossthe holy remains coffin danglinginacrystal more fancifularrangement hadleftthe century, travellers reported thataneven perity tobothcommunities.Inthe12th years oneitherriverbank, bringingpros- Daniel’s boneswouldspendalternate wasarranged wherebyA compromise wanted ashare of thepilgrims’shekels. were missing outonthebonanzaand livingacrosstherivernearby, butthose wealth accruedtothetownsfolkliving Great acrosstheMiddleEast. from right tremely lucrative flowof Jewish pilgrims Daniel relics, Shush theybrought anex- satarap asafaithful ure served whosupposedly JewishIn fact,he’sasemi-mythical fig- has atbesttangential relevance toIslam. is particularlyintriguinggiven thatDaniel lonelyplanet.com Apadana Hotel Sleeping &Eating English. are friendlyandsomespeakrooms. Staff pressure canberatherlowintheupper andwater tolookalittle tatty is starting are thewallpaper fullyequipped,though a goodrestaurant, theApadana’srooms IR200,000/250,000; pa The tombcomplexiseasytofindinthe What happenedtothemduringthe Whatever thereal provenance of the Hotel Nazr Hotel ) (administrator)toDariusI(522– Comfortable andcentralaboveComfortable

( a x ( x ) 522 9611; Haft-e Tir Sq;tw/q522 9611;Haft-e /fax 5213131;s/twUS$22/33; Rooms have goodbath- WESTERN IRAN •• Choqa Zanbil & Haft TappehWESTERN IRAN••ChoqaZanbil&Haft tered andHaft-e nearthemuseum Tir Sq. Zanbil road. Zanbil unpaved short cutsouthtotheChoqa after crossingthetraintracksthere’s a1km themuseum, Beyond Andimeshk highway. (25kmaway). of ChoqaZanbil tion, restoration andpartialreconstruction Photo-rich theexcava- explanations detail including acuriousblacksarcophagus. palms. Itdisplaysarchaeological finds amidbougainvillaeaandsoaring fully set (admission IR2000; hq Zni’ mgiiet brick (admission IR5000; magnificent Zanbil’s Choqa One of Iran’sUnescoWorldHeritage sites, Zanbil Choqa side thesite, aUnesco-sponsored rendered thema littlemore interesting. Be- exciting, butrecent archaeological workhas Noneare mind-blowinglyaround 1400BC. to have datingfrom smallziggurats been otherwise-flat oasisarea. are thought Several Muddy Elamite-era mounds pimplethis TappehHaft TAPPEH &HAFT CHOQA ZANBIL return) andShushtar. (IR90,000 agency forChoqaZanbil taxis Apadana Hotel priced canarrange sensibly yardsacrosstheroad.The small, separate (IR2250, 38km)andDezfultheyuse the archaeological site. ForAndimeshk Blvd,800mnortheastoffrom Khomeini to AndimeshkorAhvaz. out of Shush, togofirst you’llusuallyneed many southbound goby.Heading buses centre, at2amwhen butnotnecessarily Shuttle headfromthispointintothe taxis 2kmeastofon themainhighway, town. often bepersuaded todroppassengers off enroute toAhvaz buses Long-distance can &Away There Getting when the golden floodlighting emphasises emphasises when the goldenfloodlighting arguably looksmost appealingafter dusk cess isprevented after 6pm,theziggurat can’t failtoimpress. ac- close Although isolation of ChoqaZanbil did semi-desert of ancientruins,thegreat bulkandsplen- tecture anywhere. Even ifyou’re notafan exampleof Elamite archi- best surviving Plenty of snackbars and The Haft Tappeh site theAhvaz– is3kmoff Minibuses toAhvazMinibuses departfrequently h h 7am-6pm, guarded24hr) 8am-5pm Sat-Thu) kababis isbeauti- are scat- ﭼﻐﺎﺯﻧﺒﻴﻞ ﺗﭙﻪ museum ziggurat isthe

ﻫﻔﺖ 215

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN h the Entered from YaZahra Blvd, SqonKhomeini ANCIENT CITY Sights ofuntil theIslamicRevolution 1979. from1891more orlesscontinuously Service was continuedbytheFrench Archaeological thesite. Hiswork became thefirst tosurvey when theBritisharchaeologist WKLoftus ofsands time,onlyre-emerging after 1852 of MongolraidsShush disappeared intothe rian Christianstudy.Evacuated intheface grimage site andbecameacentre of Nesto- 310–379) itregained renown asaJewish pil- DuringShapurnian capital. II’sreign (AD Parthian re-emerged eras,Susa asaSassa- here. and Stillprosperous intheSeleucid ander marriedoneof Darius III’sdaughters Alex- andindeed ander theGreat in331BC, to Persepolis. time itwasprobablysimilaringrandeur Atthat aemenids’ fortifiedwinter capital. itupastheAch- whenDariusIset 521 BC Ashurbanipal, butregained prominencein bytheAssyrian king burnt around640BC was Susa middle of the3rdmillenniumBC, Elamite cityfromaboutAn important the History dise Coffeenet Across thesquare fromHotel Nazris matic Tombof Danielandbustlingmarket. archaeological site, splendidcastle,enig- antly small,relatively newtownwithavast cities of ancientPersia. Nowit’sapleas- Shush wasonceamongthegreatest (Susa) x SHUSH The TRAIN road inacanyonfurthernorth. brick arch remains, straddlingthemain 214 Tehran (14hours). originating inAndimeshkrunsovernight to Dorud viaBisheh (see p212 ). A9pmtrain but appallinglyovercrowded daytrainto onthebrilliantlyscenic if youwantaseat Sq). Arrive waybefore the5.30amdeparture blocks norththenonewestfromBeheshti tral, oneshortblockwestof Sa’at Sq(two The palace survived thecity’sfalltoAlex- The palacesurvived 10am-midnight) 0642 /pop44,000 WESTERNIRAN••Shush archaeological site archaeological train station

( x . (Taleqani St) (Taleqani 522 0780; Haft-e Tir Sq;perhrIR8000; 522 0780;Haft-e

worth bargaining. Shari’ati St.Prices are hazily defined soit’s From theminibus yardswalk300mup about 1kmfurther fromthehistoricalsites. but theplacelacks anyatmosphere andis rooms andare newerthantheApadana’s, It remains open late intotheevening. bazaar area, twoblocksfromthemuseum. tombs, wasonlybuiltin1871. cone faceted spire, so typicalof Khuzestan present structure with itsdistinctive, pine- Mongol destructionisnotrecorded, butthe middle of theriver. bridgesuspended fromametal acrossthe holy remains coffin danglinginacrystal more fancifularrangement hadleftthe century, travellers reported thataneven perity tobothcommunities.Inthe12th years oneitherriverbank, bringingpros- Daniel’s boneswouldspendalternate wasarranged wherebyA compromise wanted ashare of thepilgrims’shekels. were missing outonthebonanzaand livingacrosstherivernearby, butthose wealth accruedtothetownsfolkliving Great acrosstheMiddleEast. from right tremely lucrative flowof Jewish pilgrims Daniel relics, Shush theybrought anex- ment (Daniel6,16-23). years oldwhenrecorded intheOldTesta- exploitsweredens. These already over 300 membered forunenviable ordealsinlions’ the eunuchs’ (Daniel1,9)heisbestre- as having ‘tender love withtheprinceof Dubiouslyrecorded intheBible486 BC). satarap asafaithful ure served whosupposedly JewishIn fact,he’sasemi-mythical fig- has atbesttangential relevance toIslam. is particularlyintriguinggiven thatDaniel lonelyplanet.com English. are friendlyandsomespeakrooms. Staff pressure canberatherlowintheupper andwater tolookalittle tatty is starting are thewallpaper fullyequipped,though a goodrestaurant, theApadana’srooms Apadana Hotel Sleeping &Eating IR200,000/250,000; pa The tombcomplexiseasytofindinthe What happenedtothemduringthe Whatever thereal provenance of the Hotel Nazr Hotel ) (administrator)toDariusI(522– Comfortable andcentralaboveComfortable

ﻫﻔﺖ 215

WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Company, theforerunner of BP. bytheAnglo-IranianOil 1935 aerialsurvey rediscoveredIt wasaccidentally duringa remained ‘lost’ formore than2500years. and,incredibly,banipal around640BC sackedThe townwaseventually byAshur- it hadalarge numberof temples and priests. when pecially intheearly12thcenturyBC bloomedes- DurUntash 13th centuryBC. Galinthemid- founded byKingUntash the summit (nowlost)was atemple accessi- custom in neighbouring Mesopotamia. At towers, notoneontop of anotheraswasthe of asaseries foundation level concentric storeys were erected vertically from the sides measuring105m.Theoriginal five against flooding.Ithasasquare planwith to guard base raised was builtonaslightly was fertile andforested, andtheziggurat patron of Shush. daysthearea Inthose the chief godof theElamite pantheonand wasdedicated toInshushinak, The ziggurat THE ZIGGURAT the was ziggurat ChoqaZanbil’s as ziggurats. tinctive pyramidal,tiered temples known made theirown.Thiswastheoriginof dis- Wheretains. they theyhadnomountains, tached great religious tomoun- importance ofThe ancientinhabitants proto-Iranat- HISTORY daylight. desert the structure’s formbetter thanthehazy 216 being forced-fed a‘soup’ofmolten gold. tematically by insulted thenbrutallykilled ( opposite ). Insomeversions hewassys- that hewasimprisonedinQal’ehSalosel vary Stories (p286). as toValerian’s fate, butShushtarisinsist Bishapur and ( p283) reliefsboastful carved Rostam atNaqsh-e thatherecordedhis victory theevent with Iwassoproudof Shahpur Sassanian king Roman Emperorever tobecaptured alive. vanquished Valerian, becametheonly (today’s feated attheAD259battleofEdessa legionnairestechnology andlabour: de- irrigation systems were builtusingRoman Some ofShushtar’sthenstate-of-the-art THE ROMAN CONNECTION raison d’être WESTERN IRAN •• Choqa Zanbil & Haft Tappeh WESTERNIRAN••ChoqaZanbil&Haft Ş anl ı urfa inTurkey).urfa Their leader, of thetownof DurUntash, from aparticularly photogenic angle. nearbytolookbackatthe ziggurat rise less, it’sstillworthstrollingupthe slight when thetemperature hits45°C.Nonethe- of toiletrymisdemeanours… especiallybad five lead downinto(unlabelled) here, ancient steps steep either,though see vated lated lamppost tofindsomemore, exca- main asphaltaccessroadtowardsan iso- Littleofdesses. thisremains. dedicated tovariousElamite godsandgod- living quarters of thetownand11temples Vestiges are stillvisible. Outsidewere the an incredible 45kmfromancientrivers. mate water became drier,qanatsbrought nels and originally acomplexof pleasure of theking.Aroundwallwas the columns where supplicantswouldseek the been of thenortheastern steps wouldoncehave courtyard protected byawall.Atthefoot wassurroundedbyapavedThe ziggurat AROUND THEZIGGURAT three millennia. forElamite preserved child, accidentally side it,astrangely moving and,be- the southwestcentralstairway) tospotisanancient Easy stones ofclarity astothepurpose the of English,butgesticulates withgruesome tipping the‘guide’.He speaksnotaword to dosoistheonlyapparent advantage of less youcrosstheropecordon.Permission inscriptions are noteasytomake outun- that lookslike aspiltbox of The tin-tacks. cuneiform isintricatelyaround eye-level inscribedin look very abrick-widestripat closely, they’relieve ifyou brandnew.However, couldbe- that an observer well-preserved oneach ofthat rise thefoursides. not allowedtoclimbtheremnant stairways ety. Even remains now thetaboo and you’re elite ofble onlytothehighest Elamite soci- to visitboth sites is assidetripson ataxi- There’s nopublictransport. Anideal way &Away There Getting Walk acoupleof minutes eastof the The structure ismadeof red bricksso . Descending is unwise asthepitstinks . Descendingisunwise Elamite royaltombs Elamite (halfwayalongthenorthwestside). Gate ofUntashGal Gate qanat , theworld’sspikyfirst alphabet channels. Oncethesite’s cli- tomb chambers , tworowsof seven . There’s little to sun dial lonelyplanet.com footprint tomb number (facing sacrifice sacrifice of an an of , tun- tion is a set oftion isaset ancient‘ plains, andthetown’smostfamousattrac- controlling theirrigationof the Khuzestan information office Sika; Shari’ati St;admissionIR5000; Shari’ati Sika; ir) Bridge, little thedelightful glass Empire Buildings. State of abuildingthatlookslike apairof mini per hourwaitingtime. somewhat of ananticlimax.AddIR15,000 you’d findHaft Tappeh’s lumpyziggurats Inreverse good primerforChoqaZanbil. Visit Haft Tappeh isa first, asitsmuseum charter fromShush toShushtar (IR130,000). lonelyplanet.com AEMLS Shushtar’s WATERMILLS Sights Coffeenet exchange). Thevery fast-connection 17 Shahrivar Sqmarked Melli byBank (no than 14imamzadehs. Thetowncentre is of artificialancient‘watermills’ andnoless there’s lotstodiscover includingacomplex citing surfaceof cityscape, today’slow-rise theinitiallyunex- Beneath ern Khuzestan. the endlessflatwatermelon fieldsof south- fadeinto Mountains of theexpiringZagros tegically where thelastcontoured red ridges historiccityofThe deeply Shushtar liesstra- x SHUSHTAR mission free; in their maps. Whilehere asmallmuseum peruse palm-tree courtyard. andenjoyriverhouses) viewsfromtheir room typicalof traditionalKhuzestani site almost as well by simply peering oversite almostaswell bysimplypeering thewatermillspickle shops. Youcansee building now home tosouvenir and steps besideanattractive blue-façaded vice turningamillstone. Entrance isdown de- anoldpaddle-wheel you canobserve reconstructednels. Onemillhasbeen so fed ancient man-madefeeder tun- through impressive consideringthatthewater is They’rewhen floodlitatnight. especially that are strangely mesmerising,especially a powerfularcof cascadingwater chutes aren’tActually, these buildingsatallbut 11pm) where brochures youcanget useful and In analleybehindtheShandravan 0612 /pop66,000 isacrossthesquare floor onthesecond shabestun

(17 Shahrivar Sq;perhrIR10,000; (17 Shahrivar x raison d’être 8am-2pm)

( x (abelow-ground sitting 622 0850;www.shushtarchtb. hostsasmall formillenniawas watermills Mostofi House h ﺳﻴﻜﺎ 8am-10pm)

ﺁﺑﺸﺎﺭﻫﺎی ’ ﺷﻮﺷﺘﺮ h (Abshari Persian tourist tourist 8am-

(ad- . being builttolandscapethescene. lel toanewerDezfulRdbridge. Aparkis for thebridge’s deterioration. atorial theoriesblamerebellions andfloods oilfields of Masjid-i conspir- Soleiman.Less alternative workatthenew(British-owned) nections, thusencouraginglocalstoseek The ideawastobreak Shushtar’s tradecon- deliberately dynamited byBritishagents. historians,itwasthen to someKhuzestani tion, untilaroundacenturyago. According remained albeitwithmanyarenova- intact, The bridge originallyhad45arches and boxedRoman captives (see text, opposite ). ing Arabs, theworkers andarchitects were wonder of theworldby7th-century invad- forirrigationandmills.Consideredessary a river by2m,providing level thewaters nec- with the orValerian’s Qaisar Band-i Bridge. Along the east. Shahrivar Sq thenthree minutes’ walk to times theyare very imaginatively lit. special occasions like NoRuzbutatsuch rediscovered. As yettheyare onlyopenon nean roomsandwater channels have been castle’s impressive subterra- Sassanian-era a moundof rubbleremains. the However, until the1920s.Sadly,above-ground, only three-storey pyramidalbuildingstoodhere (‘Kushk’) onthissite andanimpressive wasgovernedKhuzestan fromapalace to theattackers byatraitor. Forcenturies armies untilsecret tunnelswere revealed years againsttheinvadingArab-Muslim It’s alsohere that Persians heldoutfortwo have imprisonedRomanEmperorValerian. the river. Thisis where Shapur to Iissaid Castle The historicheartof Shushtar was SALOSEL QAL’EH Sassanid substantial ofruined sections thispartly About 400mwestof thebusterminal are SHANDRAVAN POL-E House signs totheattractively renovated better byclimbingthehillbehind:follow block southof 17Shahrivar Sq),oreven the parapetof theShari’ati Stbridge (one h Today thePol-eShandravan ruinsparal- The site isonelongblock northof 8am-9pm, variable). , a overlooking prominent cliff-hill ( x Band-e-Mizan bridge 622 3484; Abdullah BanuSt;admissionfree; 622 3484;Abdullah WESTERN IRAN••Shushtar cumweir,alsoknownas weir, this raised the weir,thisraised ﺷﺎﻧﺪﺭﻭﺍﻥ ﺳﻼﺳﻞ Marashi Marashi Salosel

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ﭘﻞ WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN the summit (nowlost)was atemple accessi- custom in neighbouring Mesopotamia. At towers, notoneontop of anotheraswasthe of asaseries foundation level concentric storeys were erected vertically from the sides measuring105m.Theoriginal five against flooding.Ithasasquare planwith to guard base raised was builtonaslightly was fertile andforested, andtheziggurat patron of Shush. daysthearea Inthose the chief godof theElamite pantheonand wasdedicated toInshushinak, The ziggurat THE ZIGGURAT the was ziggurat ChoqaZanbil’s as ziggurats. tinctive pyramidal,tiered temples known made theirown.Thiswastheoriginof dis- Wheretains. they theyhadnomountains, tached great religious tomoun- importance ofThe ancientinhabitants proto-Iranat- HISTORY daylight. desert the structure’s formbetter thanthehazy 216 Company, theforerunner of BP. bytheAnglo-IranianOil 1935 aerialsurvey rediscoveredIt wasaccidentally duringa remained ‘lost’ formore than2500years. and,incredibly,banipal around640BC sackedThe townwaseventually byAshur- it hadalarge numberof temples and priests. when pecially intheearly12thcenturyBC bloomedes- DurUntash 13th centuryBC. Galinthemid- founded byKingUntash being forced-fed a‘soup’ofmolten gold. tematically by insulted thenbrutallykilled ( opposite ). Insomeversions hewassys- that hewasimprisonedinQal’ehSalosel vary Stories (p286). as toValerian’s fate, butShushtarisinsist Bishapur and ( p283) reliefsboastful carved Rostam atNaqsh-e thatherecordedhis victory theevent with Iwassoproudof Shahpur Sassanian king Roman Emperorever tobecaptured alive. vanquished Valerian, becametheonly (today’s feated attheAD259battleofEdessa legionnairestechnology andlabour: de- irrigation systems were builtusingRoman Some ofShushtar’sthenstate-of-the-art THE ROMAN CONNECTION raison d’être WESTERN IRAN •• Choqa Zanbil & Haft Tappeh WESTERNIRAN••ChoqaZanbil&Haft Ş anl ı urfa inTurkey).urfa Their leader, of thetownof DurUntash, from aparticularly photogenic angle. nearbytolookbackatthe ziggurat rise less, it’sstillworthstrollingupthe slight when thetemperature hits45°C.Nonethe- of toiletrymisdemeanours… especiallybad five lead downinto(unlabelled) here, ancient steps steep either,though see vated lated lamppost tofindsomemore, exca- main asphaltaccessroadtowardsan iso- Littleofdesses. thisremains. dedicated tovariousElamite godsandgod- living quarters of thetownand11temples Vestiges are stillvisible. Outsidewere the an incredible 45kmfromancientrivers. mate water became drier,qanatsbrought nels and originally acomplexof pleasure of theking.Aroundwallwas the columns where supplicantswouldseek the been of thenortheastern steps wouldoncehave courtyard protected byawall.Atthefoot wassurroundedbyapavedThe ziggurat AROUND THEZIGGURAT three millennia. forElamite preserved child, accidentally side it,astrangely moving and,be- the southwestcentralstairway) tospotisanancient Easy stones ofclarity astothepurpose the of English,butgesticulates withgruesome tipping the‘guide’.He speaksnotaword to dosoistheonlyapparent advantage of less youcrosstheropecordon.Permission inscriptions are noteasytomake outun- that lookslike aspiltbox of The tin-tacks. cuneiform isintricatelyaround eye-level inscribedin look very abrick-widestripat closely, they’relieve ifyou brandnew.However, couldbe- that an observer well-preserved oneach ofthat rise thefoursides. not allowedtoclimbtheremnant stairways ety. Even remains now thetaboo and you’re elite ofble onlytothehighest Elamite soci- to visitboth sites is assidetripson ataxi- There’s nopublictransport. Anideal way &Away There Getting Walk acoupleof minutes eastof the The structure ismadeof red bricksso . Descending is unwise asthepitstinks . Descendingisunwise Elamite royaltombs Elamite (halfwayalongthenorthwestside). Gate ofUntashGal Gate qanat , theworld’sspikyfirst alphabet channels. Oncethesite’s cli- tomb chambers , tworowsof seven . There’s little to sun dial lonelyplanet.com footprint tomb number (facing sacrifice sacrifice of an an of , tun- tion is a set oftion isaset ancient‘ plains, andthetown’smostfamousattrac- controlling theirrigationof the Khuzestan information office Sika; Shari’ati St;admissionIR5000; Shari’ati Sika; Bridge, little thedelightful glass Empire Buildings. State of abuildingthatlookslike apairof mini ir) per hourwaitingtime. somewhat of ananticlimax.AddIR15,000 you’d findHaft Tappeh’s lumpyziggurats Inreverse good primerforChoqaZanbil. Visit Haft Tappeh isa first, asitsmuseum charter fromShush toShushtar (IR130,000). lonelyplanet.com AEMLS Shushtar’s WATERMILLS Sights mission free; Coffeenet exchange). Thevery fast-connection 17 Shahrivar Sqmarked Melli byBank (no than 14imamzadehs. Thetowncentre is of artificialancient‘watermills’ andnoless there’s lotstodiscover includingacomplex citing surfaceof cityscape, today’slow-rise theinitiallyunex- Beneath ern Khuzestan. the endlessflatwatermelon fieldsof south- fadeinto Mountains of theexpiringZagros tegically where thelastcontoured red ridges historiccityofThe deeply Shushtar liesstra- x SHUSHTAR palm-tree courtyard. andenjoyriverhouses) viewsfromtheir room typicalof traditionalKhuzestani in their maps. Whilehere asmallmuseum peruse site almost as well by simply peering oversite almostaswell bysimplypeering thewatermillspickle shops. Youcansee building now home tosouvenir and steps besideanattractive blue-façaded vice turningamillstone. Entrance isdown de- anoldpaddle-wheel you canobserve reconstructednels. Onemillhasbeen so fed ancient man-madefeeder tun- through impressive consideringthatthewater is They’rewhen floodlitatnight. especially that are strangely mesmerising,especially a powerfularcof cascadingwater chutes aren’tActually, these buildingsatallbut 11pm) where brochures youcanget useful and In analleybehindtheShandravan 0612 /pop66,000 isacrossthesquare floor onthesecond shabestun

(17 Shahrivar Sq;perhrIR10,000; (17 Shahrivar x raison d’être 8am-2pm)

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ﺁﺑﺸﺎﺭﻫﺎی ’ ﺷﻮﺷﺘﺮ h (Abshari Persian tourist tourist 8am-

(ad- . with the orValerian’s Qaisar Band-i Bridge. Along being builttolandscapethescene. lel toanewerDezfulRdbridge. Aparkis for thebridge’s deterioration. atorial theoriesblamerebellions andfloods oilfields of Masjid-i conspir- Soleiman.Less alternative workatthenew(British-owned) nections, thusencouraginglocalstoseek The ideawastobreak Shushtar’s tradecon- deliberately dynamited byBritishagents. historians,itwasthen to someKhuzestani tion, untilaroundacenturyago. According remained albeitwithmanyarenova- intact, The bridge originallyhad45arches and boxedRoman captives (see text, opposite ). ing Arabs, theworkers andarchitects were wonder of theworldby7th-century invad- forirrigationandmills.Consideredessary a river by2m,providing level thewaters nec- the east. Shahrivar Sq thenthree minutes’ walk to times theyare very imaginatively lit. special occasions like NoRuzbutatsuch rediscovered. As yettheyare onlyopenon nean roomsandwater channels have been castle’s impressive subterra- Sassanian-era a moundof rubbleremains. the However, until the1920s.Sadly,above-ground, only three-storey pyramidalbuildingstoodhere (‘Kushk’) onthissite andanimpressive wasgovernedKhuzestan fromapalace to theattackers byatraitor. Forcenturies armies untilsecret tunnelswere revealed years againsttheinvadingArab-Muslim It’s alsohere that Persians heldoutfortwo have imprisonedRomanEmperorValerian. the river. Thisis where Shapur to Iissaid Castle The historicheartof Shushtar was SALOSEL QAL’EH Sassanid substantial ofruined sections thispartly About 400mwestof thebusterminal are SHANDRAVAN POL-E House signs totheattractively renovated better byclimbingthehillbehind:follow block southof 17Shahrivar Sq),oreven the parapetof theShari’ati Stbridge (one h Today thePol-eShandravan ruinsparal- The site isonelongblock northof 8am-9pm, variable). , a overlooking prominent cliff-hill ( x Band-e-Mizan bridge 622 3484; Abdullah BanuSt;admissionfree; 622 3484;Abdullah WESTERN IRAN••Shushtar cumweir,alsoknownas weir, this raised the weir,thisraised ﺷﺎﻧﺪﺭﻭﺍﻥ ﺳﻼﺳﻞ Marashi Marashi Salosel

217

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ﭘﻞ WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Jameh Lane) eventually becoveredeventually in fabulous blue Mohammad Taq Shushtari andshould it entombsthe20th-century philosopher Shrine Shushtari an rises Mohammad GolabiShrine Seyid theblue-domedAcross thewater you’llsee river toprovide water forthewatermills. e-Mizan progressfrom here onthe surveying would watch over theRomanprisoners local lore relates thatShapur’s slave driver though probably was)astonelighthouse, Kola Ferangi tower a great viewpointbesidetheoctagonal rangle of fruit-sellers. minaret and sitsinaquiettree-filled quad- the partly9th-century ancient foot isthesmallbutimpressive 11-arched horizon.Atitsliner againsttheevening of thebuildingresembles lights, acruise sacred relic. Colourfullydecked withstrings holy man,which isnowenshrinedhere asa swap hisheadfortheskullof along-dead records awomanbeheading herownsonto Daniel’s tombinShush. Agorylocaltale pine cone of acentraltowerreminiscent of from Ahvaz, Visible fromtheminibusasyouarrive OTHER SIGHTS 218 Just beyondtheHotel Jahangardi is A shortwalksouthof thebusterminal, nated documentary movies includingOscar-nomi- steps. oftwoinspiring Itisalsothesubject (in1927)tofollowtheirfoot- Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf’sBloomsburybuddy Vita feisty Bell(in1902) writers Gertrude like way betweenseasonalpastures) inspired herding migration(around350kmeach The nomadic traditionalgoat- Bakhtiyari’s THE BAKHTIYARI Khuzestan. is stillahighlightoftravel innorthern tent-camps intheirmake-shift Bakhtiyaris less glamorousimage,meetinghospitable forarather theflocksmakes toil totransport inant useoftrucksratherthanbare-footed migrations continue. Althoughthepredom- WESTERNIRAN••AroundShushtar See alsoIran’sNomads, p285 . (Sassanid weir)thatdivided the (Sassanid Lashgar Bridge People oftheWind iwan has atruncated, gently leaning Imamzadeh Abdullah of thevastnew . Currently inyellowbrick, , which looks like (and . (1976).Todaysome Jameh Mosque behindwhich Sheikh Alome Sheikh hasawhite

(Masjid (Masjid Band- s/d/tr IR100,000/120,000/150,000) with dates. hint of caraway)taste bestwhenstuffed koluche fruits.Local mous picklesandpreserved roast chicken (IR50,000 half-bird). roast chicken (IR50,000half-bird). vegetables withrice)scrumptiousspit- ments kababsand eatery makes afriendlychoice andsupple- var Sqof which thisdeceptively cavernous ofa goodselection eateries around Shahri- hence the ‘empty seat’ shrinebox.hence the‘emptyseat’ ofmade sightings the Mahdi (lastimam), haveat which aweddevotees supposedly meals IR25,000; Shushtar Mehmanpazir Sleeping &Eating considerably older such tilingalready gracesthebrilliantand tiling, Esfahanstyle. About 1kmfurther ajdiSlia pectors finally hita‘gush At 4am on 26May 1908, British oil-pros- x Soleiman Masjid-i AROUND SHUSHTAR and emerging nearHaft Tappeh. exists passingwithin5kmof ChoqaZanbil to Shush (90km),butagoodasphalt road or Andimeshk.There’s nopublictransport one hour),where youcantransfer forShush (IR5000, 1½hours) andDezful (IR2000, Sts. Very regular runtoAhvaz buses Shahriyar Almasand Sheikh Sq,between terminal is ablocknorthandwestfrom Shushtar’s single,handilycentralbus &Away There Getting bathrooms. clean, reasonably roomshave comfortable decide tocrankuptheirpartymusic.The tion that’speacefuluntilnocturnaltourists to themausoleafromthiswonderfulloca- besidetheriverRight youcangazeacross and sheets areand sheets cleanandnew. share thecommunal squattoilet.Mattresses a roomwithanOKbathroomorhave to apparently irrespective of whetheryouget stairs placecharges whatitfeels you’llpay, with reasonably neattiledfloors, thisup- Sarafat St;s/tw/trIR225,000/278,000/331,000; Several shops sell Shushtar’s fa- shopssell Several Restaurant Abshar Restaurant Hotel Jahangardi Hotel 0481 /pop108,000 (soft-centred biscuitswith a h 7.30am-3pm &5-10pm) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book

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x Saheb-al Zamanshrine Saheb-al ( x 622 1690,fax1692; 622 4805; Shahrivar Sq; 622 4805;Shahrivar 622 3288;SharafatSt; Recently rebuilt er’ atMasjid-i ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ (meatand . There’s pa

ﻣﺴﺠﺪ )

the river towards anewerbridge above tinct ancient ‘mill’remnants) stretch along concrete. of Aseries ‘ a mixof Safavid brickandmodernferro- Shapur I(AD241–272),today’s arches are date backtothereign of king Sassanian While thebridge’s stonefoundation pillars That’srathermisleading. bridge stillinuse’. Qadim Pol-e Shushtar andAndimeshk.Its 12-span makes aninteresting brief stopbetween at Takht-e Soleiman( p187 ). the Muslim-Arab invasionsashappened ‘cover’ toprotect thesite atthetimeof Mosque) wasprobablyconceived asa apparently ultra-Muslimname(Solomon’s gest aHercules cult.Masjid-i Soleiman’s foundherestatues andonnearbyhillssug- several sanctuary: aSeleucid later housed tohavethe birthplaceof Cyrus.Itseems temple oncestood.Others claimthiswas firewhich a6th-centuryBC somebelieve book, tory isbrilliantlyretold inDanielYergin’s Thewholethrillinghis- become essential. power, findingaplentifulfuelsourcehad having switched theirshipstopetrol- navy withacrucialedge inloomingWWI: form Iran’shistoryandprovide Britain’s Theresultcollapse. wasultimately totrans- of BP,whowere ontheverge of financial for theexplorationcompany,forerunners oil strike andcamejustinthenickof time was thefirst commerciallyviable Iranian Soleiman, nicknamedMiS(‘em-ai-ess’).It lonelyplanet.com invited in,ahandygreeting is tent-camps lands where thenomads’traditionalblack springpasture- Bakhtiyari passing through attraction isthe40-minute drive fromMiS ‘column’butthemain spindly 3.5m-high totheAndikaroad.There’sclose asingle, andstoneplatform larly enigmaticstairway by taxi), steam-engine. locked railingsalongwithanantiquated MiS’s centralpostoffice, visiblethrough YekNaftom EFL Sometimes pronounceddez- x DEZFUL (reply Bardnashandar On ahilloverlooking town(IR10,000 0641 /pop208,000 The Prize khubam Sar Masjid are easyto spotinApril/May. If , is200mupanalleyjusteastof is supposedly ‘theworld’soldest issupposedly ). Thankyouis (Bardneshandeh) isasimi- (Bardneshandeh) . Theoriginalfirst oilwell, isthestoneterrace on grinds ’ (ratherindis- beoumi bil, che-khoni? Dezful ﺩﺯﻓﻮﻝ .

1pm &3-8pm) northwest of the atMoghavematoff Yakoub Sq,600m Lays new bridge. fromShushtar drop Minibuses bound savaris leave fromtheeastendof the Andimeshk tothenorthwest.Andimeshk- tually allthatstopsDezfulmerging with to Tehran (IR255,000),theairportisvir- St; d/steIR250,000/1,500,000; ously cleaned priced riverside nearthesomewhatover-an oldbathhouse ised section; s/dIR84,000/113,500) ised section; h frequent), Esfahan (IR315,000,daily), Shiraz air tickets including toTehran (IR332,000, professionally run congeniala flight, modern roomsatthe 7200; MiS Highway; s/tw/dUS$64/91/91; Highway; 7200; MiS St;s/twIR200,000/300,000; 7206; Shari’ati ‘old’ tre. thisstretches Behind Dezful’sextensive .com; Azadegan St; .com; Azadegan ( Helpful English-speaking &Away There Getting the airport. are choice, beingjust2kmfrom asensible Parknow tions includethequietifbasic centralaccommodationop- Acceptable summer temperatures regularly top50°C. this vast,featureless, industrialcitywhere only likely reason totransit you’dchoose slave toaYemeni drugdealer. But hopefullynot(asAbu was)soldasasex could. You’llprobably wanttodothesame. AD 756in Ahvaz, butgotoutassoonhe drinkingsongs.Hehomoerotic wasbornin celebrated forwriting the onlyMuslimpoet Abu Nuwas(‘Father of Curls’)isperhaps x AHVAZ which the historic (Payam NoorBlvd) sided Khuzestani pineconetower.sided Khuzestani an attractive 1609mausoleumwithalop- on amore cliff-top, distant really look‘old’anymore.War, doesn’t Set 900bomb-hitsduringtheIran–Iraq taining x With three IranAseman weekly flights Using airportisthe thewell-served Kornasiyun Hamam 7am-2pm) 0611 /pop1,005,000 222 9849;fax6108; tayareh_travelagency@yahoo bazaar

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WESTERN IRAN WESTERN WESTERN IRAN Jameh Lane) e-Mizan progressfrom here onthe surveying would watch over theRomanprisoners local lore relates thatShapur’s slave driver though probably was)astonelighthouse, Kola Ferangi tower a great viewpoint besidetheoctagonal rangle of fruit-sellers. minaret and sitsinaquiettree-filled quad- eventually becoveredeventually in fabulous blue Mohammad Taq Shushtari andshould it entombsthe20th-century philosopher Shrine Shushtari an rises Mohammad GolabiShrine Seyid theblue-domedAcross thewater you’llsee river toprovide water forthewatermills. the partly9th-century ancient foot isthesmallbutimpressive 11-arched horizon.Atitsliner againsttheevening of thebuildingresembles lights, acruise sacred relic. Colourfullydecked withstrings holy man,which isnowenshrinedhere asa swap hisheadfortheskullof along-dead records awomanbeheading herownsonto Daniel’s tombinShush. Agorylocaltale pine cone of acentraltowerreminiscent of from Ahvaz, Visible fromtheminibusasyouarrive OTHER SIGHTS 218 Just beyondtheHotel Jahangardi is A shortwalksouthof thebusterminal, nated documentary movies includingOscar-nomi- steps. oftwoinspiring Itisalsothesubject (in1927)tofollowtheirfoot- Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf’sBloomsburybuddy Vita feisty Bell(in1902) writers Gertrude like way betweenseasonalpastures) inspired herding migration(around350kmeach The nomadic traditionalgoat- Bakhtiyari’s THE BAKHTIYARI Khuzestan. is stillahighlightoftravel innorthern tent-camps intheirmake-shift Bakhtiyaris less glamorousimage,meetinghospitable forarather theflocksmakes toil totransport inant useoftrucksratherthanbare-footed migrations continue. Althoughthepredom- WESTERNIRAN••AroundShushtar See alsoIran’sNomads, p285 . (Sassanid weir)thatdivided the (Sassanid Lashgar Bridge People oftheWind iwan has atruncated, gently leaning Imamzadeh Abdullah of thevastnew . Currently inyellowbrick, , which looks like (and . (1976).Todaysome Jameh Mosque behindwhich Sheikh Alome Sheikh hasawhite

(Masjid (Masjid Band- s/d/tr IR100,000/120,000/150,000) with dates. hint of caraway)taste bestwhenstuffed koluche fruits.Local mous picklesandpreserved roast chicken (IR50,000half-bird). vegetables withrice)scrumptiousspit- ments kababsand eatery makes afriendlychoice andsupple- var Sqof which thisdeceptively cavernous ofa goodselection eateries around Shahri- Mehmanpazir Shushtar Mehmanpazir Sleeping &Eating shrinebox.hence the‘emptyseat’ ofmade sightings the Mahdi (lastimam), haveat which aweddevotees supposedly considerably older such tilingalready gracesthebrilliantand tiling, Esfahanstyle. About 1kmfurther ajdiSlia pectors finally hita‘gush At 4am on 26May 1908, British oil-pros- x Soleiman Masjid-i AROUND SHUSHTAR and emerging nearHaft Tappeh. exists passingwithin5kmof ChoqaZanbil to Shush (90km),butagoodasphalt road or Andimeshk.There’s nopublictransport one hour),where youcantransfer forShush (IR5000, 1½hours) andDezful (IR2000, Sts. Very regular runtoAhvaz buses Shahriyar Almasand Sheikh Sq,between terminal is ablocknorthandwestfrom Shushtar’s single,handilycentralbus &Away There Getting meals IR25,000; bathrooms. clean, reasonably roomshave comfortable decide tocrankuptheirpartymusic.The tion that’speacefuluntilnocturnaltourists to themausoleafromthiswonderfulloca- besidetheriverRight youcangazeacross Sarafat St;s/tw/trIR225,000/278,000/331,000; areand sheets cleanandnew. share thecommunal squattoilet.Mattresses a roomwithanOKbathroomorhave to apparently irrespective of whetheryouget stairs placecharges whatitfeels you’llpay, with reasonably neattiledfloors, thisup- Several shops sell Shushtar’s fa- shopssell Several Restaurant Abshar Restaurant Hotel Jahangardi Hotel 0481 /pop108,000 (soft-centred biscuitswith a h 7.30am-3pm &5-10pm) Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels your stay Book

ghorme sabzi ( x (

x Saheb-al Zamanshrine Saheb-al ( x 622 1690,fax1692; 622 4805; Shahrivar Sq; 622 4805;Shahrivar 622 3288;SharafatSt; Recently rebuilt er’ atMasjid-i ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎﻥ (meatand . There’s pa

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the river towards anewerbridge above tinct ancient ‘mill’remnants) stretch along concrete. of Aseries ‘ a mixof Safavid brickandmodernferro- Shapur I(AD241–272),today’s arches are date backtothereign of king Sassanian While thebridge’s stonefoundation pillars That’srathermisleading. bridge stillinuse’. Qadim Pol-e Shushtar andAndimeshk.Its 12-span makes aninteresting brief stopbetween at Takht-e Soleiman( p187 ). the Muslim-Arab invasionsashappened ‘cover’ toprotect thesite atthetimeof Mosque) wasprobablyconceived asa apparently ultra-Muslimname(Solomon’s gest aHercules cult.Masjid-i Soleiman’s foundherestatues andonnearbyhillssug- several sanctuary: aSeleucid later housed tohavethe birthplaceof Cyrus.Itseems temple oncestood.Others claimthiswas firewhich a6th-centuryBC somebelieve by taxi), steam-engine. locked railingsalongwithanantiquated MiS’s centralpostoffice, visiblethrough YekNaftom book, tory isbrilliantlyretold inDanielYergin’s Thewholethrillinghis- become essential. power, findingaplentifulfuelsourcehad having switched theirshipstopetrol- navy withacrucialedge inloomingWWI: form Iran’shistoryandprovide Britain’s Theresultcollapse. wasultimately totrans- of BP,whowere ontheverge of financial for theexplorationcompany,forerunners oil strike andcamejustinthenickof time was thefirst commerciallyviable Iranian Soleiman, nicknamedMiS(‘em-ai-ess’).It lonelyplanet.com EFL Sometimes pronounceddez- x DEZFUL invited in,ahandygreeting is tent-camps lands where thenomads’traditionalblack springpasture- Bakhtiyari passing through attraction isthe40-minute drive fromMiS ‘column’butthemain spindly 3.5m-high totheAndikaroad.There’sclose asingle, andstoneplatform larly enigmaticstairway (reply Bardnashandar On ahilloverlooking town(IR10,000 0641 /pop208,000 The Prize khubam Sar Masjid are easyto spotinApril/May. If , is200mupanalleyjusteastof is supposedly ‘theworld’soldest issupposedly ). Thankyouis (Bardneshandeh) isasimi- (Bardneshandeh) . Theoriginalfirst oilwell, isthestoneterrace on grinds ’ (ratherindis- beoumi bil, che-khoni? Dezful ﺩﺯﻓﻮﻝ .

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