Naqsh-e Rostam doesn’t look like more than a few holes in the side of a hill of limestone. This hill is where four great leaders of Persia once laid to rest – Darius the Great, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I and Darius II. These men lived at a time where brother killed brother in order to gainContinue reading “Naqsh-e Rostam: Achaemenid Empire and Murderous Sibling Rivalry”
Category Archives: Iran
Pasargadae: How Alexander the Great and UNESCO saved it
Pasargadae looks pretty barren today and its simple remains says nothing of how great of a leader Cyprus was to Persia. The limestone tomb contained a golden coffin which rested on top of a table also made of gold. Tall trees, flower beds, pools and waterways encircled the resting place of Cyprus the Great.Continue reading “Pasargadae: How Alexander the Great and UNESCO saved it”
Persepolis and a few “Great” Leaders
Persepolis is an amazing vision and one has to imagine what it must have looked like before Alexander the Great buried most of it to the ground. There are many theories Alexander did this despite the fact that he did admire Cyrus the Great and didn’t destroy his burial grounds. He even went so farContinue reading “Persepolis and a few “Great” Leaders”
Persepolis and the Shah’s Last Party
Persepolis is where the first Persian Achaemenid Empire celebratory capital and 2500 years later the site for a hell of a party hosted by Shah Reza and his lovely wife Farah. The ruins of Persepolis date back to 515 BC and Cyrus the Great chose its location and began its construction. Darius the Great firstContinue reading “Persepolis and the Shah’s Last Party”
Pic of the Day: Shiraz’s Bibi Dokhtaran Mausoleum at night
Iran Pic: Fantastic view of the Bibi Dokhtaran Mausoleum from the roof of the Our Suite at the Niayesh Traditional Hotel in Shiraz Iran. Great place to smoke some Shesha and toss back a few pomegranate Danjeh Aria’s after a day of touring Persepolis.
Hidden away in the mountains of southern Iran pics: Shapur City
Yeah…not what the Fox News is going to show you but here’s what really is found near the Zagroes mountains in south central Iran. Bishapur aka Shapur City
Trip to Iran: Shiraz Jet-lagged and caffeinated
The ride to the hotel is pretty much a blur. We learned that a light rail line would be completed sometime. Construction started in 2001 and it’s still not completed. I can relate since I spent most of my childhood waiting for the completion of the “Big Dig” in Boston. Mahmoud also informed us his sisterContinue reading “Trip to Iran: Shiraz Jet-lagged and caffeinated”
Pictures of the Tomb of Saadi in lovely Shiraz Iran
The city of Shiraz is full of gardens and the tomb of Saadi is a place that should not be missed while visiting. Back in March 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama quoted Saadi’s Gulistan in a videotaped Nowruz (New Year’s) greeting to the Iranian people in March 2009: “There are those who insist that we be defined by our differences. But let us remember theContinue reading “Pictures of the Tomb of Saadi in lovely Shiraz Iran”
Iran Tour: the not so ugly four-letter word
We arrived in Shiraz in the early hours and there’s nothing like be greeted with a smile and have a car waiting at 4am. The tour was going to take us through the center of Iran – starting in Shiraz and ending in Tehran. We decided to go overland the whole way for a fewContinue reading “Iran Tour: the not so ugly four-letter word”
Tomb of Hafiz in Shiraz
The Musalla Gardens is where the great Persian poet K’aja Sams-al-Din Mohammad Sirazi or later more famously known as Hafiz lays to rest. A tall pillared mosaic ceiling and slender outlying evergreens shade Hafiz’s marble resting place. The works of Hafiz are influential in modern Persian society with its timeless themes, romantic dreams, and abilityContinue reading “Tomb of Hafiz in Shiraz”
Day 1 and 2: JFK to Shiraz via Ataturk International
Our ride from JFK to Shiraz and here’s how it went down: Airbus from Manhattan to JFK (1 hour) JFK to Istanbul (10 hours + 6 hour layover + 7 hour time shift) Istanbul to Shiraz (3.5 hours + 2 hour delay + 1.5 hour time shift) Shiraz Airport to hotel (longer than normal halfContinue reading “Day 1 and 2: JFK to Shiraz via Ataturk International”
Iran: What to pack ladies and what to tell the man to wear
What to pack What men and women wear when visiting an Islamic ruled country like Iran is something most travelers should take time to study. Men travelling to Iran should not plan on wearing shorts or short pants in Iran no matter what the temperatures are like. It used to be against the law for men to wearContinue reading “Iran: What to pack ladies and what to tell the man to wear”
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