MASHAD
Visit the tomb of Iran’s greatest poet
In a country spoilt for choice when it comes to great poets (Rumi, Sa’adi, Hafez, Omar Khayyam et al), one man stands above all the others as the father of Iranian national identity. Ferdowsi, a 10th-century son of a landowner, devoted 35 years of his life to crafting the Shahnameh, the “Epic of Kings”, in which the legendary birth of Iran is recounted in poetic form. Ferdowsi died penniless at the age of 90, but his home is a shrine to the great work, as well as to the poet himself, who is buried under a tombstone carved with scenes from the epic poem. Kamin Mohammedi
SHIRAZ
Roam Iran’s most architecturally distinguished bazaar
Determined to make this city of nightingales and poets as famous for being a trading centre, ruler Karim Khan Zand commissioned the great Vakil bazaar. Vaulted brick ceilings make it cool in summer and warm in winter, while shafts of bright light cut through the interior via openings in the ceiling. All avenues seem to lead to Serai Mushir, an open courtyard, with a central pool, lined by shops, where you can pick up the best of Iran’s handi-crafts. The bazaar’s bathhouse, Hammam-e Vakil, is now a traditional restaurant. Kamin Mohammedi
TEHRAN
VIEW SOME PROVOCATIVE STREET ART
The sides of buildings along Tehran’s wide highways are used for a peculiarly post-Revolutionary brand of art – the outsize mural. The most famous is the anti-American mural that depicts a huge American flag with skulls for stars and the stripes traced by raining missiles. It bears the legend “Down with the USA”. Much like the mural, such sentiments have largely faded, but the location, in the very heart of downtown Tehran, makes the painting hard to forget. In Aban Street, on the corner of which this mural is located, is Tehran’s hippest hangout, Café 78, owned by an Iranian-American photographer and populated by expats and artists. A gallery in the basement hosts contemporary art. Kamin Mohammedi
Take a sightseeing bus around Iran’s capital
Tehran is not renowned for the splendour of its historic sights and monuments. In an effort to help visitors discover what the city does have to offer, tourist chiefs have taken inspiration from London’s open-top sightseeing buses. A fleet of red-painted buses now weaves around the city taking in attractions such as the ex-Shah’s palaces, the bazaar, the jewel and carpet museums, and various religious shrines. The buses are currently single-decker, but plans are afoot to introduce London-style double-deckers. Kamin Mohammedi
SMOKE SHISHA IN A MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
Sohanak is a hilltop village northeast of Tehran where it has recently become fashionable to go hiking. Tehranis come to enjoy the cool, clean mountain air and, afterwards, eat at one of the many outdoor restaurants. To follow, order sweet tea and a shisha (ghalyoon in Farsi) and look over Tehran and its blinking lights laid out like an elaborate carpet beneath you. Kamin Mohammedi |
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