Iran - the land of the Persians awaits explorers

Iran is a mysterious country full of attractions. Persians are proud to be able to welcome visitors to their homeland. Despite certain inconveniences, every traveller should put Iran on their list of destinations. I will tell you what is worth seeing on a short stay, what will surprise you and what will downright shock you.

The first association most of us have on hearing the name "Iran" is that it is a dangerous, intolerant, unpredictable, hostile and fundamentalist country. If we were to go by stereotypes, we should never set foot there. The reality is a pleasant surprise.

Iran is not that far from Poland at all, and the time difference of 2.5 hours (winter 2018) is much easier to cope with than the one that troubles you when flying to the Americas or South-East Asia. The best-value way to fly to Iran from Poland is with Ukraine International Airlines #UIA. I chose to fly from Modlin to Kyiv with #Ryanair. As a bonus I got a day to explore the Ukrainian capital, but you can opt for a shorter connection of a few hours in Kyiv without having to leave the airport. The total price for both flights on special offer is around 500 PLN. The plane from Kyiv lands in Tehran in the middle of the night, and the return departs at dawn. I found a way to get through that short night quite comfortably while waiting for the plane. I write about sleeping at the airport, visas, money, the internet, headscarves for women and other things worth considering before you go in a separate article

There is a joke about two blondes trying to work out whether the right word is Iraq or Iran?. Well, apart from the stereotypes I mentioned earlier, we know little about this country, and yet Iran's history stretches back unbroken for 2500 years. Some of us, when we start reading about Iran, will be surprised that Arabs do not live there (they make up only 2% of the population) and that Arabic is not spoken, even though Islam dominates. The Persians, who form the vast majority, speak Persian. The religion, although it is still Islam, is different from that in most countries in the region. Shia Islam differs from Sunni Islam in many details and is, in short, more tolerant. Shia mosques have 2 minarets (not one), and people pray 3 times a day (not 5). It is surprising that for many hundreds of years Iranians resisted the new religion imposed on them, which replaced the previously dominant Zoroastrianism. If the makers of the film "Bohemian Rhapsody" are to be believed, the funeral of Farrokh Bulsara, better known as Freddie Mercury, was held according to the Zoroastrian rite, the religion of his Parsi parents from Zanzibar. In some isolated areas of the country, Islam only began to dominate after 800 years (!!!). It is as if, after the baptism of Mieszko I in 966, the last Poles had only converted from paganism to Christianity around the time of the November Uprising of 1830.

There is a total ban on drinking alcohol in Iran, so don't expect to sit down in the evening in a bar over a pint of beer or a glass of chilled prosecco. There is a local "beer", non-alcoholic and flavoured. I didn't try it, so I can't say whether it is worth it. I did taste freshly squeezed pomegranate juice: superb! Rumour has it that, underground, Iran's gilded youth from wealthy homes throw parties awash with alcohol. The Armenian minority, for whom drinking alcohol is part of their cultural identity, is allowed to produce home-made wine and moonshine. I was very surprised to hear stories of vineyards stretching for hectares in the north of the country, by the Caspian Sea, from which the Armenians probably derive no benefit at all. Some Iranians comment wryly on the changes in society's behaviour since the clergy came to power: "We used to drink alcohol outside, in café gardens, and pray at home; now we pray outside and drink in the privacy of our homes". Incidentally, during my entire stay in Iran I did not once (!!) see anyone praying, and the mosques looked deserted.

In Iran's bazaars you feel....strange. There is none of the accosting and shouting so familiar from the Middle East and North Africa ("only 1 dollar, my friend"), nor the haggling that starts at the slightest sign of interest. Iranian bazaars are quiet and calm; you stroll among the goods on display and look at them, and only when you show a wish to talk will the seller take an interest in you. You won't get much off, maybe 10%, 20% at most. Iranians call Poland Lahestan. It is a pleasant name to Polish ears, as it brings to mind the legendary tribe of the Lechites, Lech and Lechia from Polish founding legends. To continue the linguistic thread, the word "Allah" is nothing other than the word Lah (God, Lord) combined with the prefix "Al", which together gives us "the God" / "the true God". That is why Lahestan in Arabic also means Land of God/of the Gods.

Iran prides itself on being a country of 4 seasons. What does that mean? Pick any of the 365 days in the calendar, and you are guaranteed that somewhere in Iran you will find snow, somewhere flowers will just be coming into bloom, somewhere else the leaves will already have turned red, and the water in one of its seas will still be inviting you to swim.

It is also a country of beautifully decorated, colourful mosques and sad grey, black, brown and beige clothes on the streets. While women occasionally allow themselves some interesting colourful extravagances, men never stray from the muted palette. The muted effect on the streets is reinforced by the fact that 80% of the cars on the road are white. You can imagine that my red fleece caused a real "wow!" effect wherever I appeared.

Isfahan (Esfahan)

Many cities have something we associate them with. Istanbul links two continents, New York never sleeps, Zakopane is Poland's winter capital, and in Wąchock (the butt of Polish jokes) they roll up the tarmac at night. Iranians, in turn, believe that Isfahan should be for us almost like half the world. Why? Because once you have toured Isfahan and taken in its wonders, it is as if you have seen at least half the beauty of the whole earth. Nice, isn't it?

There are a few places in Isfahan you simply must see. First, the bridges. Seeing the 400-year-old Bridge of 33 Arches (Si-o-se-pol) or the somewhat younger Khaju Bridge is an obligatory part of the programme. The two are quite similar: built of brick, with closely spaced spans creating an effect of symmetry. The bridges are there, but you see the river flowing less and less often. Centuries ago it already appeared only irregularly, in winter and spring, and recently the situation has got even worse since its flow was diverted to irrigate the fields along its course. The bridges are worth seeing not only by day but also at night, when young people gather on the lower level, often making music.

Another must-see is Imam Square. It is the second-largest city square in the world, after Beijing's Tiananmen. It does not feel so monumental, as the whole area, enclosed by buildings, resembles a park, with trees, shrubs and fountains. In summer Iranians like to have family picnics there, and all year round, day and night, you can admire mosques more than 400 years old and an interesting palace. Two historic mosques are an integral part of the frontages surrounding the square. The size of the Imam Mosque is evident from its main entrance alone, above which rises a richly decorated portal 30 metres high. Inside, you pass through a succession of courtyards, halls and patios. Further on are Koranic schools. The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is quite different: intimate, almost hidden, with no courtyard or minarets. There is a theory that it was linked by a secret tunnel to the royal palace opposite, so that the king's entire harem could go to prayers unobserved. Everyone entering the main hall cranes their neck, looking for the characteristic outline of a peacock. Because the dome is built in several layers, the light coming in creates a beautiful glow. It can only be seen from one side of the hall, and the peacock's tail unerringly points the way to Mecca.

Ali Qapu Palace is a somewhat boxy building with a large terrace on the first floor. This terrace is the best place to view the whole square. Not much of the palace's furnishings has survived, but the Music Room on the top floor is worth a look. Its uniquely designed ceiling guarantees perfect acoustics, with unwanted echo reduced. Apparently this was not only so that music could be enjoyed, but also so that women's voices, reserved for the king's ears alone, could not be heard. The entire Imam Square complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two-storey buildings surrounding the square are reminiscent of Kraków's Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), and they do indeed serve a commercial purpose, as their arcades house shops and behind them stretches the bazaar.

Isfahan is home to one of the most distinguished hotels in Iran. It is an ancient caravanserai that in 1957 was turned into the exclusive Abbasi hotel-museum, a 10-minute walk from the historic centre. Although the rooms are somewhat the worse for wear, the beautiful Persian garden with fountains and little bridges that forms the inner courtyard, and the breakfast room, are very impressive.

On the other side of the non-existent river that divides the city in two lies the Armenian Quarter. Of the city's 13 Christian churches, the most interesting and important is the Armenian Vank Cathedral there. Inside are beautiful, colourful biblical paintings, and outside plenty of Christmas decorations. After all, I was there just before Christmas.

Abyaneh

Only a few elderly residents remain in the village of Abyaneh. The young have left for the cities, escaping the hard life in the mountains. Old, stooped women make their way slowly along the steep lanes between the brick buildings. Part of their traditional dress is a huge white shawl that covers not only the head but reaches down to the hips. The men, by contrast, like to wear wide black trousers with a dropped crotch. The day I was there was cold, and the women had thrown on an extra shawl for warmth. In winter the village battles with all-pervading snow and frost, the houses need constant repairs, and larger goods can only be delivered by donkey. Abyaneh looks most beautiful seen from the hill opposite. It nestles against the mountainside, and its red houses, whose roofs are covered with shiny metal sheeting, look from afar as if they had been dusted with freshly fallen snow.

Kashan

In Kashan you can see one of the most beautiful, and in a sense original, Persian-style gardens. This way of laying out plants, using water and walling the garden off from the surrounding desert was devised in what is now Iran in deep antiquity. The concept, layout and execution still amaze. The Fin Garden is one of the oldest and finest. Four channels with small cascades and fountains radiate symmetrically from a central pool. Today you can visit similar gardens closer to home, for example in Andalusia in Spain, but it was in Iran that the concept was born centuries ago.

When in Iran's Kashan, you must see at least one beautiful merchant's residence. My choice fell on Khaneh-ye Tabatabaei (the Tabatabaei House), built around 1880 with a fortune made trading carpets and samovars. Its colourful stained glass and "air-conditioning" systems still amaze today.

Traditional bathhouses can be found all over Iran, but the most beautiful is Kashan's Hammam Sultan Amir Ahmad. It is best to start by climbing onto the roof of this 16th-century building to see the funny-looking little domes with cylindrical glass windows that let light into the interior. Then you admire 16 beautifully decorated, colourful bathing rooms. Public baths have been banned in Iran, so this hammam is now just a museum.

Watch on YouTube

Iranian bazaars are a colourful and bustling world. Their alleys can stretch for several kilometres, with similar goods grouped in separate sections. Small restaurants and mosques, and sometimes bank branches, are an integral part of them. Wandering around the bazaar in Kashan, I came across a charming café, tucked away, far from the main alleys. Sitting on carpets, sipping cardamom tea or non-alcoholic beer and eating aubergine and chickpea dishes, you can listen to the murmur of water. Where does the water come from? The Khan café occupies the interior of a former bathhouse, a hammam. It is unique, authentic and charming.

Qom

Qom is a holy place for Shia Muslims, where pilgrims arrive day and night to visit the tomb of Fatima. The story of her short life and tragic death, and her family ties to the descendants of Muhammad, have built up a mystique around her and draw thousands of pilgrims to her tomb. Separate gates for women and men and a thorough (airport-style) security check precede entry to the vast courtyard of the huge shrine complex. Non-Muslims may feel uncomfortable there; entry to the most important places is forbidden, and women must wear a chador borrowed on site. Unlike those worn by real pilgrims, it is light grey with funny little flowers. It is borrowed at the entrance.

During the visit, an assigned guide, usually a local cleric, never leaves your side. The people who come here are deeply religious, and you feel it at every step. Taking photos is frowned upon, though tolerated. Furtively, when a large, heavy curtain was drawn aside for a moment, I managed to glimpse the massive tomb covered in blackened gold that is the goal of the pilgrimages.

Zurkhaneh

It has been proven many times that what makes the greatest impression on me when travelling is what I see for the first time. I have seen hundreds of mosques - from Kruszyniany in Poland to Singapore and Malaysia - but I came across a "Zurkhaneh" for the first time. And it was in Iran.

Zurkhaneh means "house of strength". It is the oldest surviving structured form of training for warriors and athletes. The training hall itself looks unique: it is round, and the actual training floor is sunken, about 1-1.5 metres below the rest of the room. Mirrors hang on the walls, along with pictures of the club's most distinguished members. Along the walls stand pieces of equipment for working particular muscle groups, and on a raised area there is a platform reserved for the musician-drummers. A row of fan heaters pointed at the big drums looks a little out of place; they are there to warm the natural materials the instruments are made of, so that they produce a better sound. Those training wear a special outfit, in which short embroidered breeches are particularly important.

The men perform a sequence of exercises, changing them when they hear a gong. Each of them is connected with the ancient art of war. Stamping the feet and legs and spinning rapidly on the spot warm up and stretch the body, and when performed rhythmically by an army of thousands on the battlefield, they lowered the enemy's morale (I found certain parallels here with the haka, which I described as one of my impressions from New Zealand - read about the Maori here). Another exercise is lifting a - really heavy - wooden shield. Lying on your back, you move it from side to side, imitating defence against a sword attack while lying down. Swinging large wooden clubs is another important element of the training. You swing them around your shoulders so that first one, then the other, is behind your back. A large curved chain with metal bells symbolises the archer's weapon. Passing the chain over your head builds the muscles needed to draw the bowstring quickly, aim efficiently and shoot from different positions.

The special equipment, the hall, the outfits, the trance-inducing music and other rituals led UNESCO to recognise the complexity and uniqueness of the exercises, and the fact that they have remained unchanged for centuries, as important elements of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

I must admit that this was a very strong point, if not the strongest, of the whole trip. You could feel special when one of the gyms was opened just for us, and then a singer was specially brought in, accompanying himself on a drum. Two volunteers who happened to be there demonstrated some of the exercises.

Iran made a big impression on me. The awareness that you are in contact with a culture suspended somewhere between Europe and India, the peoples of the Caucasus and the Arabs, is fascinating. It will probably be a long time before you can go there on an organised all-inclusive package, so for independent explorers it is a very tasty travel morsel.