Persian culture has survived many invasions – the Greeks, the Seljuks, the Mongols and the Tartars have all, at one time, endangered the country and at the same time, contributed richly to its intellectual and artistic history. Join Persian scholar, Peter Morgan, on a journey where vast monuments serve as vivid testament to the extraordinary history of this country.
The trip begins in Tehran – a capital city enclosed by a ring of green hills. Admire the magnificent Crown Jewels and the unbelievable Peacock Throne now on view to the public. Fly north to Mashhad – a holy city of pilgrimage. In a complex system of buildings and courtyards dominated by a turquoise blue cupola, rests the tomb of Shi’ite Islam’s most venerated saint – Imam Reza who died in 817. In the heart of Kerman discover the covered bazaar, mosque and a seventeenth-century bathhouse. Inside, admire intricate tile work and vaulted ceilings. Close to Kerman is the desert town of Mahan with its exquisite shrine to Shah Nemat-ollah Vali, a Sufi master. Enjoy dinner here on the grounds of a palace where an elegant garden has been built around stepped pools and fountains.
Drive to Yazd along an old trading route that leads to India. The olive-green desert plain is home to numerous caravansaries. These fortified desert hostels were once the backbone of merchant trade and now lie abandoned and decomposing. The fairy-tale skyline of Yazd, the color of sun-scorched desert, is dominated by badgers, wind-towers that draw in even the faintest breeze and circulate it through a house. Explore the old quarter and its Friday Mosque, one of Iran’s most beautiful with its towering minarets. En route to Shiraz stop at the small oasis town of Abarkuh, once a prosperous trading center and now notable for its crumbling medieval mosque. Nearby is Pasargadae, the birthplace of imperial Persia, where in 550 B.C. King Cyrus the Great defeated the King of Media. The site which is not fully excavated is on a windswept grassy plain dotted with palaces, a temple and the limestone tomb of Cyrus.
It was Cyrus’ heir, Darius the Great, that built Persepolis as his ceremonial capital of an empire that was larger and more efficiently run than any other in the ancient world. On the walls leading to the Apadana, or audience hall, superb bas-reliefs depict the flow of ritual processions that once passed through the palaces. The golden age of Persian Islamic architecture occurred in the early seventeenth-century under Shah Abbas I who built his royal capital in Isfahan. Spend three days exploring this beautiful city whose centerpiece is the vast Meideun Square built to accommodate Shah Abbasi’s palace and two magnificent mosques. En route to the Caspian Sea, stop at Abyaneh where a traditional dialect, way of dress and life have been preserved. Head north and enjoy the transition from desert climate to sub-tropical and, as one reaches the sea, the olive groves give way to terraced rice paddies and tea plantations. Return home from Tehran.
Group size is limited to 20 travelers.
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