Iran by Andrew Burke

Author:Andrew Burke
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781742203492
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Published: 2008-10-20T10:00:00+00:00

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WHO’S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR?

As you wander around the narrow streets of Kashan look carefully at the doors. Most have two knockers: one round and fat, the other long and thin. These were designed to give off different sounds so that those in the house would be able to tell whether a man or woman was knocking and so decide who should go to the door – vital in a society where women lived in purdah (in seclusion or behind a veil).

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Imamzadeh-e Habib Ibn-e Musa

The revered Shah Abbas I might well be turning in his grave at the senseless destruction wrought on what was once a fine Seljuk-era shrine (off Imam Khomeini St). Shah Abbas chose to be buried here because he revered the saint Habib Ibn-e Musa. The king’s low, black porphyry tombstone is near the shrine’s entrance, but almost everything else from the original tomb has been cleared away and replaced by a bigger, uglier concrete monstrosity.

Two of the highlights, a magnificent lustre mihrab and a carpet woven for the shah’s tomb, are in the National Museum of Iran.

Soltaniyeh Mosque

Lost in the midst of the labyrinthine bazaar is the Seljuk-era Soltaniyeh Mosque. The current structure was built in 1808 by Fath Ali Shah and now houses a madraseh, which is not open to women.

ALONG THE FIN ROAD

There are several sights worth a quick look on the road to Fin Garden. If you decide to walk, it’s all downhill if you start at Fin. Otherwise, jumping on and off buses is easy enough, or hire a taxi.

Imamzadeh-ye Abu Lolou

Off the left of the road as you come from Kashan, the Imamzadeh-ye Abu Lolou (Amir Kabir Rd; 9am-4pm) is the shrine to the man believed to be the assassin of Omar, the second Muslim caliph. It dates to the Seljuk or Mongol periods, though it has been heavily renovated since. The shrine is notable for its fine, slender dome.

Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim

The delightful Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim (Amir Kabir Rd; 9am-4pm) shrine was built in 1894 and boasts European-style painted ceilings, colourful tiles, tall minarets and a pretty courtyard. The conical, tiled roof is distinctive to this area and chances are you’ll have seen it on posters long before you arrive. It’s clearly visible from the main road to Fin.

Tappeh-ye Seyalk (Sialk)

One of the oldest and richest archaeological sites in central Iran, the Tappeh-ye Seyalk (Sialk, Seyalk Mound; off Amir Kabir Rd; 7.30am-sunset) has given up a plethora of interesting pottery pieces, metal tools and domestic implements made from stone, clay and bone. They date from as early as the 4th millennium BC. More significant, perhaps, is the structure itself – what is emerging from the dust is clearly a ziggurat (stepped pyramidal temple), and some Iranians are claiming this predates those of the Mesopotamians.

It is still a (seasonal) working dig and, while visitors are welcomed, there are few facilities. Most finds have been moved to museums, including the National Museum of Iran in Tehran and the Louvre in Paris.

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