Iran - A tale of tea, sand and kebab

Badger badger badger

The roofscape of ancient town Yazd is covered by badgirs. These are ingenious constructions acting as medieval air conditioning systems. And they really work!

Yazd

Desert rose

The 1800-year old palace was built by Ardashir Babakan, the founder of the Sasanian empire. But even among the deserted ruins, life finds a way. However it's not really a rose but a papaver (opium poppy).

Ruins of Ardashir-Kwarrah

Black on green

There are worse things to do in the afternoon than having a picnic in the grass while waiting for the sunset.

Naqsh-e Jahan in Esfahan

Life between the rocks

Somewhere in Meymand

More tea

Invited for tea in village somewhere in Meymand

Chickens

Trying to catch breakfast at nomad camp

Open air kitchen

Having breakfast in nomad camp

Below the minarets

We sat down in the mosque at sunset and watched as the hordes of people arrived for the evening prayer, ushered by the endless pre-recorded chants from the loud minaret speakers.

Imam Mosque in Esfahan

Looking for Baal

Naqsh-e Jahan is the second-largest square in the world after Tiananmen Square in Beijing, or so they say. The kebab animals are quick and hard to spot from a distance, so pay attention.

Reine at Naqsh-e Jahan in Esfahan

Bridge over river Zayandeh

There used to be lovely tea houses located on the many bridges across the Zayandeh river. For various reasons they have been forced to shut down, one by one. The only one remaining is located on the north side of this 298 meters long bridge.

Si-o-Seh bridge in Esfahan

The sound of silence

Instead of a traditional burial, the Zoroastrians placed their dead on top of a Tower of Silence. The bodies were then picked clean by vultures and their bones later stored in the wall.

A Tower of Silence south of Yazd

Not really a final rest

Cyrus the Great was perhaps the greatest leader of ancient Persia, praised in the Bible for his humanitarian rule. The large tomb is located in his capital city of Pasargadae. Unfortunately it had already been plundered when Alexander the Great visited the site 200 years after Cyrus' death.

The tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae

Sins of the father

Since Xerxes sacked Athens in 480 BC after defeating 300 Spartans earlier at Thermopylae, it was probably inevitable that Alexander the Great had to burn Persepolis to the ground in retaliation 150 years later.

Palace of Xerxes at Persepolis

The rock

This is what happens when you mess with 300 Spartans. Notice the person for scale comparison.

The tomb of Xerxes at Naqsh-e Rustam

Cave man

Reine having tea in a cave in Meymand

Roadblock

The path was blocked by an unexpected obstacle, so we tried some social engineering.

Somewhere in Meymand

Lay a brick

The 1800 year old town of Meybod consists of mud-brick buildings. This man is creating bricks by mixing clay with straws.

Worker in Meybod

Welcome to Mos Eisley

The 1800 year old town of Meybod consists of mud-brick buildings with gardens featuring pomegranade trees.

Meybod

Raiding the citadel

The town of Rayen is located at the foot of Mount Hezar, the 4th highest mountain in Iran.

Surveying the citadel ramparts in Rayen

Ascend

Just one more hill. Just one.

Climbing kaluts in Dasht-e Lut

King of the hill

It's great fun climbing the kaluts (sand castles) in the Lut desert towards Afghanistan.

Reine in Dasht-e Lut

Lawrence of Persia

My poor shoes will never recover from this.

Reine waiting for the sunset over kaluts in Dasht-e Lut

Leave in silence

The kaluts remind me of the Monument Valley in North America.

Sunset in Dasht-e Lut

Tea time

Somewhere in the middle of the bazaar we found a great tea house with live music and the local speciality: Kolompeh cookies. These sweets contains dates, walnuts and spices.

Bazar-e Vakil in Kerman

House of strength

Attending a Zurkhaneh training/workout. This is the most fascinating nonsense I've seen in a long time.

Zurkhaneh at Saheb A Zaman in Yazd

Bazaar boys

Just outside the Bazar-e Vakil in Shiraz

Mirror mirror

This is the tomb of Emir Ali. The walls are covered with mirrors and the tomb itself is located in the center.

Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze in Shiraz

The lost boys

The really cool guys are hanging around beneath the bridges.

Under the Khaju Bridge in Esfahan

Raiders of the lost ark

Bazar-e Vakil, Shiraz

The keymaster

The Chak Chak temple is the most important pilgrimage site of the Zoroastrians. The brass door is embossed with Zarathustra and the keymaster was a man who had lived here alone for ten years, with his entire family left in Tehran.

The guardian of Chak Chak temple

Inside the fire temple

Admiring the view from Ateshkadeh-ye in Esfahan

Life is good

Even though it's alcohol free and tastes pineapple, you can still have a cold beer at sunset sitting on a rooftop.

Amir Chaghmagh Square in Yazd

One more for the road

This guy dropped tons of tea on our table until we had to ran away.

Azari teahouse in Tehran

Of love, wine and nightingales

The 12th century poet Hafez remains an idol 700 years after his death. The marble tombstone is visited by happy faces and the area more resembles a picnic spot than a burial site.

Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz

Salty feet

The salt lake is really salt. I tried.

Reine at Daryache ye Namak

Headhunter

The proud chef with a sheep head.

Tehran

Braaaaaains

After eating eyes and tongue, it's time for the brain dessert.

Reine eating sheep brain in Tehran

Braaaaaains

This is where zombies goes for a late night snack. The mind is a terrible thing to taste.

Having sheep brain in Tehran

Roadrunner

The insane traffic of Tehran is more unpredictable than an earthquake and twice as dangerous.

Driving north in Tehran

Behind the wheel

Lotfali Khan Street in Shiraz

Follow the light

This town really needs better signs.

The anonymous entrance of our hotel in Yazd

Crossroads

The shrine of Imam Reza is so large that two freeways cross beneath it.

Imam Reza Street in Mashhad

Light at the end of the tunnel

Bazar-e Vakil in Shiraz