Tag: Iran

Architecture, Travel

Three Must Sees in Great(er) Kerman, Iran

Iran is full of “must see” places:  in almost two weeks, I averaged three sites a day and only scratched the surface. At the top of my list for southeastern Iran: the shrine to a 15th century mystic and poet who lived for 101 years.

Shah Nematollah Vali

Shah Nematollah Vali was a Sufi Master and poet born in 1330 in Aleppo. He traced his own descent from the seventh Imam and is considered the founder of the Sufi order Nimatullahi.  Continue reading “Three Must Sees in Great(er) Kerman, Iran”

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Kerman, Iran, Hamam-e Ganjali Khan
Architecture, Travel

Captivated by Kerman | Iran

While I was surprised by how much Tehran exceeded my expectations, I had no preconceptions about Kerman, in fact I had to look it up on a map when I saw my itinerary.  I hate to admit such ignorance, especially about a city/region that deserves more attention that it gets.  Kerman was settled in the third century, became well known for its cashmere and rugs,  and … Continue reading Captivated by Kerman | Iran

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Art, Museums, Travel

Tehran | Art and Culture

The visual arts in Tehran range from exquisitely preserved  masterpieces of the  early Islamic era to enormous freshly painted murals on the sides of buildings and everything in between. I could have spent days immersed in the masterpieces at The National Museum of the Islamic Era, which just reopened in August 2015 after a nine-year hiatus. A beautiful and serene museum,  its collection includes ceramics, stucco work, calligraphy, and illustrated manuscripts. Photos don’t begin … Continue reading Tehran | Art and Culture

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Travel

Tehran | First Impressions

My misconceptions about Tehran became abundantly clear from the moment I arrived.   Given the paucity of non-political coverage in the western press — only recently are destination travel articles beginning to appear — most of my expectations were based on friends’ recollections from their time pre-revolution, books which were perhaps dated as well, and the rare current movie such as A Separation and Taxi ( … Continue reading Tehran | First Impressions

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Travel

Iran |A Little Farsi Goes a Long Way

Smiles are a universal language that help break down barriers in so many places.  However, in advance of my recent trip to Iran, I decided to add a little Farsi to my repertoire.  It was one of the best decisions I made.  While Iranians are among the friendliest people I have encountered in my travels, they lit up when I tried to communicate in their … Continue reading Iran |A Little Farsi Goes a Long Way

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