Central Iran ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﻣﺮﮐﺰی

© Lonely Planet Publications 221 Central Iran ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﻣﺮﮐﺰی Ever since Cyrus the Great’s dramatic rise from provincial overlord to ruler of the largest empire on earth, central Iran has been something of a showcase for the region’s great- est civilisations. The unrelenting splendour and majesty of Esfahan, the refined elegance of Shiraz and the mud-brick antiquity of Yazd, Abyaneh and Kharanaq are a fascinating contrast, representing the fusion over 2500 years of myriad cultures and starkly differ- ent terrains. Then, of course, there’s that monumental expression of artistic harmony commissioned by Darius I – Persepolis. With so much on offer, it’s no surprise that the towns of Iran’s central provinces are where you’ll probably spend the most time. But it’s not just about ticking off the popular sights, because central Iran has many an unsung gem. Kashan, with its splendid mosques, gardens and magnificently restored traditional houses, is one. If you want to get off the beaten track there’s the desert oasis of Garmeh, the cave village of of Garmeh, caravanserai stops such as Zein-o-din and Toudeshk, or the chance to camp with nomads in the Zagros Mountains. CENTRAL IRAN Central Iran’s people are as diverse as the places they live. In Qom they’re conservative and religious, Shirazis are laid-back and fun-loving, and the Qashqa’i and Bakhtiari nomads live a lifestyle dictated by nature. Often you will experience the region’s cultural richness and physical beauty in combination: sitting in the garden of Hafez’s tomb discussing the ways of the world with a Shirazi medical student, perhaps; watching a nomad woman make yogurt by hand; or drinking tea with a carpet salesman in Esfahan’s Imam Sq. Whatever it is you happen upon, central Iran is a place you’ll remember for a long time. HIGHLIGHTS Watch the sun set over Esfahan’s many- splendoured Imam Square ( p238 ) from the rooftop Qeysarieh Tea Shop ( p249 ) Sit on the hill behind the sublime Persepolis (p279 ), just soaking it all up Haggle over a carpet or kilim in the vaulted Garmeh arcades of Esfahan’s Bazar-e Bozorg ( p238 ) or Imam Square ( p238 ) Esfahan Lose yourself in the historic laneways of Yazd Yazd ( p255 ), and find yourself in a traditional Caravanserai Zein-o-din hotel Treat yourself to a dose of Safavid-era luxury in the wonderfully restored Caravanserai Persepolis Zein-o-din ( p267 ) Experience a real desert oasis at simple, silent Garmeh ( p254 ) 111-centraliran-ira5.indd1-centraliran-ira5.indd 222121 110/04/20080/04/2008 99:40:10:40:10 AAMM 222 CENTRAL IRAN •• Qom lonelyplanet.com 0 100 km CENTRAL IRAN 0 60 miles Qom Markazi D a s h t - e K a v i r Saruq Baghestan-e Olia Mashhad-eὄNamak Lake Razavi Arak Aran Ardehal Khorasan Ferdows Mahallat Kashan Niasar Esfahan Shazand Khur Abyaneh Khomein Natanz Tabas Golpayegan Garmeh Mt Karkas Ardestan Deyhuk Khonsar (3899m) Bayaziye Fereidun Daran Na'in Shahr Esfahan Toudeshk Chelgerd Najaf Abad Khorasgan Chak Shahr-e Kord Chak Farsan Yazd Zarrin Ardakan Kharanaq Chahar Mahal va Shahr D a s h t - e L u t Meybod Bakhteyari Ardal Shahreza Borujen Yazd Khuzestan Fahraj Taft Behabad Lordegan Mt Sir Saryazd Bafgh (4074m) Mehriz Zein-o-din Mehdi Abad Boyerahmad Abadeh Semirom Z Kermanshah va Kohgiluyeh a g Abarqu Pataveh r o Dehdasht s Fars Yasuj Eqlid M Anar Zarand Behbahan o Poolad Kaf Suryanu Sepidan n Dogombadan (Bavanat) t Marvast (Ardakan) Pasargadae a Rafsanjan Naqsh-e Rajab Bazm i Kerman Nur Naqsh-e Rostam n Sa'adatshahr s Bagein Abad Marvdasht Harat Shahr-e Babak Persian Bushehr Karim Khan Gulf Bridge Persepolis (Takht-e Jamshid) Bandar-e Kazerun Bishapur Shiraz Lake Kerman Gonave Tashk Lake Sirjan To Zahedan Kherameh Khark Borazjan Bakhtegan Baft (311km) Island Neyriz Bushehr Estehban To Bandar Ahram ὄFiruz Abad Abbas (207km) Despite the ever-present scaffolding the ﻗﻢ CENTRAL IRAN QOM x0251 / pop 1,070,000 / elev 931m shrine is magnificent. And if you are not Iran’s second-holiest city after Mashhad, going to Mashhad and have an interest in Qom (Ghom) is home to both the mag- the kind of devotion that is a hallmark of nificent Hazrat-e Masumeh shrine and Shiism, then Qom is worth a quick visit. the hardline clerics who have ruled the Note that little English is spoken in Qom. country since 1980. The genesis of the 1979 revolution can be credited to Qom, Orientation from where clerics had railed against the Hotels, restaurants and countless souvenir shah’s regime since well before Ayatollah shops coalesce around the Hazrat-e Mas- Khomeini was exiled in 1964. Today it umeh shrine and neighbouring Qom River. remains one of Iran’s most religious and The ‘river’, however, is so dry that it has conservative cities, where Shiite scholars been concreted over and is usually used as and students come from across the world a car park, market and late-night raceway. to study in the madrasehs. Buses stop at Haftdad Sq, 4.5km from the The ‘peoplescape’ of Qom is absorbing shrine, en route to and from Tehran. in its contrasts. Mullahs and religious students mix with a steady flow of pilgrims, Information and everywhere you look women wear the Bank Melli (Mar’ashi Najafi St) Slow as a wet week. head-to-toe chador. But even Qom is seeing Coffeenet (Mo’allem St; per hr IR6000; h10am-10pm) some change, and the odd figure-hugging International Telephone Centre (Mar’ashi Najafi St; manteau and made-up face. Still, travellers h7am-11pm) should be discreet and dress conservatively, Money Exchange (Mar’ashi Najafi St; h9am-8pm) particularly around the Hazrat-e Masumeh. SabaCenter Internet (x774 7711; A Khoshraftar The best place to sit and watch all this is at Alley, off Mar’ashi Najafi St; per hr IR6000; h10am- Astane Square, behind the shrine. 10pm) Good place to meet young people. 111-centraliran-ira5.indd1-centraliran-ira5.indd 222222 110/04/20080/04/2008 99:40:24:40:24 AAMM.

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