Thread: Iran

Right, so last year I spent 4 months inside the Axis of Evil

And somehow - somehow - I survived So maybe not quite so evil, after all...

Like Egypt, there is some old stuff about, but overall Iran is in much better shape than Egypt; surprising, given the sanctions and corruption.

I'll start with the old stuff:



So this is Naqsh-e-Rostam, in Fars province (near Shiraz). 5 of the ancient Persian Shahanshahs (emperors) are interred there: Darius I, II and III, Artaxerxes, and Xerxes too (the one from "300"). It's 3 000 years old. The little people at its base give you an idea of the size of the thing.



This is the Gate of All Nations at Persepolis, which was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great (or Alexander the Arsonist, if you prefer) set it on fire in 330 BC.



The front of the Gate of All Nations, where the satraps (subservient kings) would enter the palace to pay tribute to the emperor. The image's face was destroyed by the Arabs when they invaded in the 7th Century, converting the Persians from Zoroastrianism to Islam.



All the walls are highly decorated. This one represents the Persian New Year (Now Rooz), one of the few pre-Islamic festivals which is still celebrated in Iran today.



These guys represent The Immortals; the emperor's bodyguard.



This is the "Homaa", a griffon-like creature. The Gate of All Nations is visible in the background.



An example of the script the Persians used to use...



...And the Arab-style script they use now.

Nice.

A few more...



This is the "Arg", or fort, in Shiraz (which is where the world-famous grape originally comes from - in fact, Iran was the first place to make wine...).
tomcat should recognise this place.



Bagh-e-Eram, Shiraz. Used to be one of the Shah's palaces.



Baazaar-e-Vakil; a really old market, Shiraz.



Restaurants in Iran are cool. Loads of them have platforms to sit on (like some places in Thailand). This one in Shiraz was in an old "hammam", or bathhouse.

Originally Posted by kidneystone

Nice post Boonmee. the present might be nice also are they all whackoes as wacho bush portrays them or is the truth for more ordinary?

There are whackoes everywhere, in my experience. But the Iranians I met were all (with very few exceptions) really friendly, polite and generous. They give you free taxi rides and stuff - even after you hand them the money, they give it back to you -it's really weird.

Yazd. Still loads of Zoroastrians living in this town, in fact.



A deserted village outside Yazd. This is something which is happening a lot in modern Iran; loads of villagers upping sticks and leaving for the big city.



Dasht-e-Kavir; huge desert near Yazd.



We had a bonfire, drink and a dance in the Dasht-e-Kavir; all totally illegal in Iran (women aren't allowed to show their hair in public, let alone dance) but, hey, there are no police (or mullahs) in the desert

Originally Posted by Boonmee

Excellent stuff matey. I like this pic very much.

Yeah, it was a cool place; had a hole in the roof to let the light in, hence the weird light cast in the pic.

beautiful, keep them coming. Lots of memories.

My first tenant was Iranian. Lovely bloke.

Originally Posted by aging one

beautiful, keep them coming. Lots of memories.

You were in Iran, ao? Where? When?



Who says I don't have the balls to put my own pic on here?!
This one is entitled "Boonmee in a salt lake in the Dasht-e-Kavir".



The 1 000 yr-old village where we stayed, Dasht-e-Kavir.



...And the guesthouse we stayed in. The owner was a dude; huge guy with a massive beard - total pothead, liked playing his didgeridoo (not prison slang, no). Married to a French bird. He reminded me of some of my Thai mates from Ko PP, actually.

Born and raised in Arabia. Went there twice on our short vacations. Two weeks. Back then so much more alive and open than today.

coolio piccies Boonmee