HIGHLIGHTS Commonwealth • Join our Study Leader, Iranian-American Club Travel journalist Azadeh Moaveni, and Club 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor travelers on a journey through , where San Francisco, CA 94105 vast monuments serve as testament to the extraordinary history of this country. • Explore Tehran, the country’s capital, including a visit to the basement vault of the Bank Milli Iran to view the spectacular Crown Jewels, and learn about the thriving Iranian contemporary art scene. • Discover the gardens of Shah Goli, the amazing tile work of the Blue Mosque, and the town’s colorful bazaar in Tabriz. • Experience the country’s center of Zoroastrianism in Yazd where the most traditional Persian architecture is found. • Visit the Fars Museum in Shiraz and take an excursion to the magnificent ruins of Persepolis – one of the most remarkable archaeological sites found in the Near East. • Take in the beauty of Isfahan where brilliant blue-tiled buildings and majestic bridges are often recognized as the perfection of Islamic architecture. • Enjoy excellent cuisine and art and the warmth of the people of Iran throughout the journey.

October 9 - 23, 2014 Led by Azadeh Moaveni U.S. to TEHRAN work due to the quality of the work, the Thursday, October 9 finesse of the designs, and the harmony Depart the U.S. of the overall composition. Continue on to the gardens of the Shah Goli (the TEHRAN Royal Lake), a popular site for summer Friday, October 10 picnicking and musical performances, Upon arrival, transfer to the former and learn about qanats, a rather Intercontinental Hotel, now the Laleh extraordinary system of irrigation, Hotel. which can extend for miles. End the day at the fabulous bazaar of Tabriz which What to Expect TEHRAN is known for its silverwork and jewelry. Saturday, October 11 B,L,D Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Tehran Participants must be in good health concentrating on its excellent museums. TABRIZ and able to keep up with an active Visit the Archaeological Museum Wednesday, October 15 Today begins with an excursion to group. In order to participate one with its fine collection including a stone capital of a winged lion from the Saint Stepanos Monastery. Dating should be able to walk 1-2 miles Susa. Explore the Glass and Ceramics back to the 7th century, this is part of a comfortably, use stairs without Museum of Iran and the Contemporary UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated handrails, and be able to walk and Art Museum. B,L,D on the south-eastern fringe of the main stand for periods of two hours at zone of the Armenian cultural space, time. TEHRAN the monastery once constituted a major Sunday, October 12 center for the dissemination of Armenian

Visit to the Reza Abbasi Museum culture in the region. This church, along Fall is a lovely time to travel in which is home to a superior collection with St. Thaddeus, are the last regional Iran when temperatures range of Persian miniatures. View the remains of this culture that are still in from 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Iranian crown jewels. This spectacular a state of integrity and authenticity. The infrastructure in Iran is quite collection of jewels, stored in the Return to Tabriz mid-afternoon. Dinner good with modern roads and buses. basement vault of the Bank Milli Iran, and overnight at the hotel. B,L,D contains the world’s largest uncut Hotels are comfortable with private diamond as well as the Peacock Throne. SHIRAZ bathrooms and air-conditioning. B,L,D Thursday, October 16 Food is freshly prepared and we In the morning, enjoy a short excursion eat at delightful local restaurants. TEHRAN to the intriguing troglodyte village of During the program participants Monday, October 13 Kandovan. The Kandovan people have carved their houses in the rocks and still should be dressed modestly and Head to northern Tehran to visit Khomeini’s home where one is allowed live in them as in ancient times. Return women will be required to have a glimpse of the dwelling. Enjoy lunch to Tabriz and connect with an afternoon their head covered while in public in a lively neighborhood, then stop flight to Shiraz. Upon arrival enjoy an areas. More details will be provided at the Zahir ol Dowleh Cemetery, the orientation tour of this city known for upon registering for the trip. resting spot for many of Iran’s writers its nightingales, poetry, and, at one time, and artists. Close by is the garden home wine. Transfer to the Homa Hotel for of Dr. Hesabi, a prominent Persian dinner and overnight. B,L,D scientist. Enjoy tea here before returning to the hotel. B,L,D SHIRAZ Friday, October 17 TABRIZ Today we enjoy a full day excursion to Tuesday, October 14 Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Fly to Tabriz, the capital of East Achaemenian Empire and one of the Ajerbaijan. Until recently Tabriz was world’s most beautiful and spectacular the second largest city in Iran. Visit the archaeological sites. This palace city Blue Mosque of Tabriz, considered a was built by craftsmen from around masterpiece of Iranian decorative tile Darius’ vast empire. Superb bas reliefs

For additional information or to make a reservation, contact Commonwealth Club Travel Telephone: (415) 597-6720 — Email: [email protected] depict the flow of ritual processions. for its carpet making and also for its After a lunch sitting in the shade of mosque from the early Islamic period. grape vines, visit Naghsh-E Rostam Continue on to a private house that which contains the carved tombs of four has some superb 17th century stucco Achaemenian kings. B,L,D carvings. After a wonderful lunch, drive to Isfahan. Upon arrival transfer YAZD to the delightful Abbasi Hotel, a Saturday, October 18 converted caravanserai. B,L,D This morning explore the city of Shiraz stopping at the tomb of the celebrated ISFAHAN poet Hafez. The marble tombstone is Tuesday, October 21 engraved with a long verse from the Isfahan is perhaps the most beautiful of poet’s works. Continue on to the Fars all Iranian cities. The central focus of Museum. This octagonal pavilion this fascinating city, which never failed Tour Price Per Person: $5,995 houses a collection relating to the life to inspire and awe European merchants of Karim Khan. After lunch drive to and ambassadors to the Safavid court, is Single Supplement: $1,100 Yazd passing through many acres of the immense Maydan-e Shah, or Royal Based on min of 10 travelers and a max of 25 pistachios. Dinner and overnight at the Square. After lunch, spend the afternoon Moshir Garden Hotel. B,L,D. exploring the bazaar of Isfahan and Tour Price includes: learning more about traditional crafts in YAZD Iran. B,L,D • Accommodation as per itinerary Sunday, October 19 • Meals as listed in the program • Bottled water on the bus In Yazd stop at the home of the ISFAHAN Wednesday, October 22 • All sightseeing in a deluxe, air- former governor of the city to see and conditioned coach Admire some of the five bridges crossing learn more about traditional Persian • Internal flights the Zayendehrud River and wander architecture and the badgers, wind- • All entrance fees and special events listed through the city’s fascinating Armenian towers ingeniously designed to catch • Full lecture program and Study Leader quarter. In the afternoon view the a passing breeze. Enjoy a walking • Pre-departure materials and reading list Friday Mosque and the Palace of Forty tour through the covered streets • The services of a local Iranian guide Columns, a charming pavilion used to of the old quarter. Spend an after- • The services of a professional tour noon concentrating on the Zoroastrian receive dignitaries and ambassdors. manager who will accompany the religion. Explore a small village B,L,D group throughout the trip called Taft where a large number of ISFAHAN to U.S. • Gratuities Zoroastrians still live. We also stop at Thursday, October 23 one of the two Zoroastrian abandoned Does not include: Depart Isfahan in the early morning, Towers of Silence where, until forty • International airfare into and out of years ago, the dead were left at the arriving back in the United States today. Tehran (approximately $1,500) tops of the towers. B,L,D • Visa fees for Iran ($128 at time of *Itinarary is subject to change printing) ISFAHAN • Excess luggage charges Monday, October 20 • Medical expenses Drive this morning to Na’in, an impor- • Trip Insurance tant trade center. It is well-known • Items of a purely personal nature STUDY LEADER rights, social media and political change, and Iranian Azadeh Moaveni is an security issues. Azadeh began her career in 1999 as a reporter Iranian-American journalist in Cairo and joined Time magazine in 2000 as a Tehran and writer who specializes and then New York-based reporter, covering society and in covering Iran, having political stories across the . In 2003, she became spent over a decade reporting a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times to cover the war in throughout the region from . She has worked for the United Nations in Afghanistan bases in Cairo, Beirut, and and also writes book reviews for The New York Times Book Tehran. She is a former Middle Review and the Financial Times. East correspondent for Time magazine, and currently writes widely on Iran for Time, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and Azadeh has written two books – the bestselling Lipstick other publications. Jihad (PublicAffairs,U.S., 2005) andHoneymoon in Tehran (Random House, 2009) – which focus on the country’s youth culture, tangled ties with the West, and the rise of As one of the few American correspondents permitted to President Ahmadinejad. She is co-author of the Iranian work continuously in Iran throughout the 2000s, Azadeh Nobel Laureate ’s memoir, Iran Awakening has reported extensively on Iranian youth culture, women’s (Rider, 2007).

Please note the State Department has had a Travel Warning for Iran since 1979. You can read this Travel Warning at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_920.html. Our tour operator has operated many trips to Iran, including several fall departures in 2013. The Commonwealth Club and our tour operator are closely monitoring the situation in Iran and will not operate the trip if the situation within the country becomes hostile or unsafe.

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