This is the first of two photo albums following my journey through Iran, where I spent three weeks exploring the must-see sites as well as places off the beaten track.
You may want to check out my earlier Iran photo albums: Women of Iran (with an introduction to Persia and Iran), and Ashura (on Iran's Islamic festival of grief).
Uploaded on: 2018-12-29.
Map showing Iran location (opens in OpenStreetMap)
We mostly travelled by car - that meant hiring a driver with his car so as to avoid hassle of renting on our own, which is meant to be rather time-consuming in Iran. Our bags would never completely fit in the boot, so we had to keep some on our lap.ISO 200, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/1250s.
As I often do while travelling, I got local people to help us out here, too. The Iranians are remarkably hospitable, and it made our experience even better to be able to use their intrinsic knowledge of their home country. In the photo, my friend Ammar learning some Persian phrases from Elham, a girl local to Tehran.ISO 100, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/160s.
This is the Golestan Palace in Tehran. The former royal complex of the Qajar dynasty that ruled Iran between 1794 and 1925. [1] Behind it, a more contemporary building stands, overwhelming the grace of this "land of flowers".ISO 100, 42mm, f/8.0, 1/320s.
The design here is the typically Islamic horror vacui, or fear of empty spaces. You can also see human figures represented here, so not exactly following the restrictions of the faith. This is one of the 17 structures of the palace, called Karim Khani Nook. [1]ISO 250, 14mm, f/4.5, 1/50s.
My friend, Ammar, joined me on this trip, having family ties to this country. His family were very excited for him to go, and his uncle (living in Qom, Iran) made sure he was safe during the entire trip, giving him a daily phone call with precise instructions that Ammar politely ignored.ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.4, 1/1250s.
The Edifice of the Sun is about a century older than the previous structure, and was meant to be inspired by "foreign structures". [2] The clock tower reminded me of the (Western) clock tower at Saladin's Citadel in Cairo.ISO 100, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2500s.
Dorota told me she wanted to visit Iran because it's ancient, mysterious, and not frequented by tourists like, for example, Egypt. We both soon noticed how going to Iran seemed almost ordinary to people in Poland, while in Britain it was considered an insanely risky venture bordering madness (due to how the country is perceived in the UK).ISO 110, 50mm, f/1.4, 1/50s.
This place is referred to as the roof of Tehran, and it features prominently in photos of the city. My travel companions and I only made it there at night, so I got an opportunity to play with my camera at ISO 12800. An Iranian man offered me his speed light!ISO 12800, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/30s.
One of the important sights I was after was the Alamut Castle - a mountain fortress that was the headquarters of the Shi'a Nizari Ismai'lis. They were the "original assassins" - men supposedly addicted to hashish around the time of the Crusades, tricked into believing in the paradise of afterlife while under influence, and then willing to die in order to return. That's the folklore, and it inspired the Assassin's Creed franchise. Whether that was actually the truth, we don't know, but the story was popularised in the West by the writings of Marco Polo. [4]ISO 200, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/680s.
The landscape of Iran isn't what one might expect, as these are not Arabia-style deserts, but mainly mountains instead. Some of these rocks are volcanic in origin, and they were often carved by water. [8]ISO 200, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/640s.
We randomly met Farzaneh, the garrulous Iranian who smashed a menu on Ammar's head for his being an Arab, a punishment he stoically accepted. I wrote briefly on the Iranian-Arab dynamic earlier.ISO 200, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/1100s.
This is the Imamzade Hossein - a mosque/mausoleum for the eighth son of the 8th Imam Ali al-Ridha. [4] Here, Farzaneh was told her outfit was too revealing, so she had to wear another scarf on top of her scarf. Once you enter, the area has a relaxed, almost playful atmosphere.ISO 1100, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.
Qazvin is meant to be Iran's capital of calligraphy, boasting many famous calligraphists from different eras of Persia's history, many of them developing their own style of the Arabic script. [5]ISO 250, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.
Although the old masters of calligraphy complain that the youth are too busy with their smart phones to spend years learning the art, Mohadese is an exception. She's a psychology student, but she's been learning calligraphy for some time, and she made a gift for me with her pen. Thanks! We also received gifts from the master-calligrapher.ISO 100, 50mm, f/1.4, 1/80s.
We attracted quite a bit of curious attention in the North West of Iran, and it only kept increasing. In Zanjan, people were asking - "Why would anyone come to Zanjan?". People had their photos taken with us, while I, making a Persian grammar mistake due to fatigue, asked an elderly man whether he was looking to get laid in the evening. (facepalm)ISO 640, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/3200s.
One of the reasons for visiting Zanjan was the nearby cave called Katale Khor ("mount of sun" [6]). This man was our guide, and I attempted to converse with him in Persian. Thanks to my Persian teacher's help in near real-time, I was able to have relatively sophisticated conversations with the locals, translating my friends' questions about local fauna and flora, for example the local lizard population.ISO 3200, 23mm, f/2.0, 1/60s.
We decided to have a break from travelling in cars, as it had by then destroyed our will to live and spines alike. Let's take a train instead, it was suggested. There were 300 km between Zanjan and our next destination, so we expected the afternoon journey to take 3 hours at the most. Imagine our surprise when they brought us food and duvets for the night! The journey took hours and hours, and we arrived in Tabriz around 5 in the morning, completely knackered.ISO 3600, 14mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.
Iran really is a huge country, and it can take a very long time to move between places. As a result, a few more distant places had to be dropped from our schedule, and even so, we spent loads of time on the move.ISO 100, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250s.
We visited the Azerbaijan Museum - Iran has a historical region called Azerbaijan (not the same as the country with that name). This seems similar to the Macedonia situation in Europe, where the Iranians claim their Azerbaijan is the original Azerbaijan, not the independent state with that name. The lands where today's Azerbaijan (the country) is were once part of Persia, then ceded to the Russian Empire, then became independent after the dissolution of the USSR. In the photo, Iron Age remains.ISO 1100, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.
As Ammar was climbing this hill, I yelled to the man in Persian: "You must help him!", pointing at Ammar. Ammar didn't need help, but I thought I would practice my Persian for a laugh. The man frantically ran down to pull Ammar up the hill.ISO 100, 24mm, f/6.3, 1/250s.
Swan boat sits at the salt lake of Urmia in Iran. Once the greatest lake in the Middle East, it has shrunk to 10% of its size due to damming. It must be incredibly romantic to visit its islands surrounded by salty waters. Due to tight schedule, we did not have the time.ISO 100, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/4000s.
In Kashan, we ran into this boy, who asked us to be photographed, and was absolutely thrilled by it. I've sent this photo to the hotel nearby where we stayed - hopefully they can show it to him.ISO 640, 23mm, f/2.0, 1/60s.
Poland and Iran have long had a relationship, sharing common goals (driven by the fear of the Ottoman Empire). Qajar Persia rejected the partitioning of Poland (and, curiously, so did the Ottoman Empire). Iran has welcomed Polish refugees on more than one occasion. The Polish military commander Izydor Borowski, who - in the absence of a Polish state at the time - fought for the French, was sent to Haiti to quell the uprising of the slaves (the Haitian Revolution), but joined the freedom fighters instead - went on to become a Persian Vizier and Emir, modernising the army of Iran. He died in battle, becoming a Persian hero, and is buried in Isfahan. [10] [11]ISO 500, 23mm, f/2.0, 1/60s.
In the arid climate of Iran, it is of great importance to collect whatever water you can. Traditionally, water would be collected in underground cysterns like this one. They would also be used for defensive purposes.ISO 8000, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.
The disks are called turbah, and they are using during salat (daily prayer) to symbolise earth. Its use is compulsory in most schools of Shi'a Islam. The most favoured soil is that of Karbala. It allows Muslims to technically prostrate on soil without getting their clothes dirty. [12] The Salafis reject this practice. The beads are called tasbih [13] - see also rosary.ISO 100, 38mm, f/2.8, 1/160s.
What a fantastic idea - they've turned an old caravanserai (roadside inn) into a hotel, where you get to stay in merchants' rooms. Due to their construction (similar to that of yakhchals - ancient coolers), they require no air-conditioning. Sleep on the silk road with style.ISO 200, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/320s.
Pakyan means arrow, and it's an Iranian automobile!, albeit heavily inspired by Western designs and engineering. Referred to as the Iranian chariot, it is no longer being produced.ISO 12800, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/50s.
For me, one of the most exciting aspects of being in Iran was flying my drone. Apparently, it's not quite legal without a permit - which I did not hope or bother to get. Towards the end of the trip, the police knocked on my door early in the morning, just a day after some drone flights. That scared the hell out of me! They searched my room and memory cards, but then left me alone after I humbly apologised. They were professional and restrained. But who told them? I am almost sure it was our driver, the bastard! I f**k his sister.ISO 200, 23mm, f/8.0, 1/200s.
My friend Luca urged us to visit the village of Abyaneh - so we travelled there, as he promised there would be "many old women wearing traditional clothes". We didn't see a single one. We saw one old woman, but as soon as I reached for my camera, she showed me her middle finger, and walked away.ISO 200, 23mm, f/8.0, 1/340s.
We left Abiyaneh - which we called the safest village in the world, as there are nuclear facilities nearby protected by artillery (aimed at Israel).ISO 200, 23mm, f/8.0, 1/340s.
This is a badgir - or windcatcher. An ingenious device capturing wind from above, and pumping it into the hot courtyards and rooms below. One of those I saw in Yazd even had fans allowing one to control the amount of the wind getting inside.ISO 100, 38mm, f/2.8, 1/2500s.
Dorota in the Agha Bozorg Mosque in Kashan - the most impressive mosque in the city, built in the 18th century, and named after a "great lord" (whose father declared a jihad against the Russians).ISO 100, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/160s.
Kashan is famous for its bazaar, a clever structure built to decrease temperature and regulate sunlight, while keeping ventilation going. They used to not only trade here, but also produce pottery and tiles. All of Kashan was levelled in an earthquake in 1778, and rebuilt afterwards, thus becoming an example of Qajari architecture.ISO 1000, 14mm, f/5.0, 1/50s.
The wonderful Borujerdi House is a nineteenth century architectural marvel that has been transformed into a museum. There is an entire cluster of historical buildings around here. It sports two iwans, an architectural feature that originated in Mesopotamia centuries before Islam, and can be seen in Cairo or Samarkand.ISO 2200, 14mm, f/3.5, 1/50s.
