In search of Persia the Royal City of Persepolis and the desert people of Yazd,

Journal entry 8/11/2012
The flight from Bander took a mere hour saving us 9 hours on a bus. Valuable time now as we had to visit Shiraz and bus it to Yazd then onto Tehran on the night train.  My flight was the 16th out of Tehran to KL, time was now of the essence. Citt needed to extend her visa. Our information, the best place was Shiraz.

The intrepid travellers. Citt and Malcolm Williams (Blogger)

Shiraz 

There is no Shiraz in Shiraz. (not since 1979 revolution)
We arrived in Shiraz on the last flight out of Bander. It was near 1.00 am when we sought a taxi. The cabbie was a cheery bloke. He had a brother in Sydney (but they all seem to have a brother or uncle in Sydney). He was a fan of Harry Kewell and Mark Schwartz. His comments were pretty pointed as far as the government and clergy were concerned. "Too many domes and dead bodies in this country. We live in the past, it is time to get together and live life". 
Shiraz is a Holy City Pilgrims flock here to the silver mosque (Aramagh E Shah E Cherh). The burial place of Sayyed Mir Ahmad whom was murdered on this site in the 12th century, I will add an image later but first we gotta get a bed. 
Now we got to this hotel. (The cabbie wished us well and asked if we wanted to go to one he recommended.  "Hindsight is a wonderful thing", The clerk was onto us. At 2.00am he started to tap us up for a tour of Persepolis and beyond. Then hit us with a huge charge for the room. Taking cash and a deposit for the room. He got very indignant when we would not hand over the cash until we got a receipt. Cheeky bugger.

Morning
The very expensive room was comfortable and had hot water. Brekkie was included it was served in the most bizzare room. It was a huge room like a ballroom. The tables were in the middle and the food was around it on the walls. It had no windows and dinghy lights. 

The Citadel Shiraz

Citt did not say much as we slung our packs and headed downstairs to check out and get our deposit back. I knew she was waiting for "happy" to be on the desk. I reckoned this would be good but alas it did not happen he had gone. We did spot him spruiking to some poor unsuspecting tourists at Persepolis later.

The phone at the police station.  Ugh Oh does this mean something?

Our mission today was to find a hotel room and then get to the police station for Citt to extend her visa. Finding a hotel and securing a Visa took about 2 hours and our mission was done. The police were great after some money was paid in the right places and Citt was good to go.

Iran is famous for its stained glass and coloured mirrors. 

The beautiful ceramics of Iran

Shiraz is a beautiful city known as the city of art, poetry, wine and flowers, The seat of rich merchants since early times population 1,500mil.  Dating from 4000BC. Nearby is the Summer Palace of Persepolis. The summer palace built by Darius the great and destroyed by Alexander on his march over the Persians in 203AD.

Frescoes of Darius

Persepolis 
The centre of the known universe. Persian Empire 300BC
The meeting place for all subject in the Kingdom of Persia.
The Summer Palace of Darius the Great 300 BC 

The gates of Persepolits for the common people. The lions are symbolic guardians.

Alexander the Great 230AD was the first to vandalise and rob this Palace it is said he had a caravan of 300 camels and mules to carry  the gold and silver from the royal vaults. Since then it has been ripped apart by marauders and colonial powers. They say the best art and artifacts making up Persepolis are in The Louvre Paris. However the majesty of the place still remains. It is set high on a plinth cut out of a mountain.  

The site Persepolis the summer palace of Darius the Great 300BC

I first read of this place as a small boy. In our house the book case held "Great wonders of the ancient world". I loved this book and wanted to visit the temples and monuments illustrated in it. This was one of them, unfortunately in 1979 the door to Iran slammed shut due to the Islamic revolution. But life has a way of manifesting so here I am with my daughter who is as passionate as I. 

One of the last tea houses Shiraz. They had traditonal musicians playing for donation.

Aramamgah-E Shah_E Cheragh Tomb and Mosque

The town hall

We spent 2 days visiting the Mosques, Citadel and the many merchants houses open as historical museums. The Bazaar houses a carpet auction room. 
Our wish was to buy a carpet but we were told to wait till Tehran, the carpets were more varied and we could travel lighter on the remainder of our journey.

Carpet Bazaar Central Shiraz

Bazaar for the Bedouins

It is said "The journey is more important than the destination". And so it is. During the day we met a young man who took a keen interest in us and our stories. He at the end of our stay invited us to meet his family for a meal. He had been part educated in Australia while his father was studying and traveling the Outback of Australia gathering information for his thesis on "agriculture in the desert". 

That evening we spent with this family was to be not only enjoyabel but beneficial to Citt as the Dad was  a Professor at the University of Shiraz. He had a professional interest in Ethnic people and he had PhD at Macquarie University NSW. Citt and he disappeared into deep conversation. Citt is a specialist on Climate and effect on ethnic tribes

Look at this beautiful Family in Shiraz Citt 5th Right Professor and me 4 & 5 right.

The mother was a keen cook and she and I matched notes cooking in Australia vis avis Iran. She uses the SBS cook book. (That blew me away).
 It was very very late when we said our sad goodbyes to the warm hospitality and stories of this land called Persia. We were catching the first Bus to Yazd on the morrow,

Someone got away with this take a look.

Journal entry 11/11/12

Yazd

After a long 8 hours on a bus we arrived at the Silk Road Hotel, a modernised caravanserai situated in the ancient city walls.

Caravanserai in Yazd still as it was but for airconditioning and water.

Interior of the caravanserai

This place steps back in time. The ancient buildings are all still intact. The people are not modernised. They offer quiet respectfulness and go about their business.

Jahmal Mosque

Ahmir Chamaqu Complex market and mosque

2 good people form Yazd. One of those things you meet all the time eventually you talk.

Artist at work on a prcelain Vase in Alexanders  Artiste Prision

Around Yazd
These are the last of the Zoastrians. Here we see the Pillars of Silence, their temple high in mountains. Old cities deserted, occupied by carrion crows and sheep. The Quanat still running clean pure water from the mountains. A fee of 20c gets us into this city.

Zyoastrian hideaway temple Chak Chak

Zoastrian Temple Chak Chak

Ardakan ruins 

Citt at the Arakan ruins

Qanat system working well

Ardakan ruins

The old ice storage building in Abarque/Maeybod

We see hude ancient ice storage silos. Huge citadels ruined by earthquakes and maurauders. An ancient gym with an exercise programme like no other. The Bazaar is varied and huge with mosques and places of worship. 

Great mode of transport

Within the Bazaar are caravanserais still operating as hotels. Gold is in the markets, workmanship of the pieces is superb and the cost is the weight of the gold.

Yazd caravanerai main bedroom

Take a look at this Gymnasium practicing  the ancient persian strength exercises, Real very real.
http://youtu.be/gniQYt4VKqc
This city is a gem among the cities of the world and to us one of the most intriguing.
Sadly we must leave and we book the night train for Tehran the last city we will visit in our search for Persia.

Journal entry 14/11/12
The night train is a nightmare as men cannot travel in the same carriage as women and foreigners are not welcome. So we end up together after 3 moves. I would not leave Citt nor she me. We gave them a bit of a problem. 

Yes really, you bet (: ?