Top 10 Must-See Sites in Iran
For millennia the country today known as the Islamic Republic of Iran has been traversed by settlers and traders, people with distinct linguistic and cultural traditions, some shared with others, some unique, which have melded to form the national consciousness of today’s state. Islam arrived in the 7th century of our era and has remained dominant but not exclusive: in my experience where Ramadan and Nou Rouz overlap, it is the ancient tradition of celebrating the vernal equinox which takes precedence.
Although Islamic culture furnishes many of the more obviously attractive sites the traveller aspires to see, it is, perhaps, even more rewarding to examine the remains left by earlier groups. Although it must be admitted that many of these, such as Jiroft, Choga Zanbil, Ziwiyeh and Tepe Yahya, lie too far off the well-trodden routes to be easily accessible and, if visited, are often dusty and far from spectacular ruins. Some of them are also deprived of their fragile and often extraordinary decorative elements. However, the more important artefacts brought to light from these and other sites can often be explored in the galleries of excellent museums of Tehran such as the National Museum and the Reza Abbasi Museum (see below), as well as in some collections outside Iran.
But not all ancient sites in Iran consist only of crumbling mud brick walls or are characterised by their inaccessibility. Perhaps the greatest draw of all for today’s visitor is the 6th century BC Achaemenid site of Persepolis, and running a close second must be the various Sasanid rock cut reliefs from the period immediately prior to the arrival of Islam. Sasanid art and architecture influenced that of the early Islamic world in Iran. The sites I would most recommend are Taq-i Bustan and Naqsh-i Rustam.
1: The Mausoleum of Oljeitu, Sultaniyeh
Notwithstanding the forest of scaffolding, I must confess this site took my breath away the first time I saw it. This 14th century structure, inspired by the Sasanid arch at Ctesiphon (Iraq) was originally intended to house sacred Shi’i relics. It represents an advance in Islamic architecture and is seen by some scholars as anticipating the Taj Mahal. The Ilkhanid ruler Sultan Oljeitu whose name in Mongolian means 'blessed', had his capital here. He was baptised a Christian and later converted to Buddhism before embracing Islam. Within Islam itself, he was first a Sunni. The Mausoleum was intended to house the remains of his teacher, and later Shi'i when it was designated as Oljeitu's own resting place.
2: Taq-i Bustan
Now often thronged with pilgrims en route to the Shi’i holy sites in Iraq, Taq-i Bustan was probably a frontier area. The rock cut reliefs from the early centuries of our era show investiture scenes of Sasanid kings in the presence of gods and goddesses from the Zoroastrian pantheon. Among them we see Ahura Mazda, Anahita pouring a libation, and a radiate depiction of Mithra stands on a lotus and holds the barsom for tending the sacred fire. Judging from the vivid depictions of boar hunting, the place was probably also a favourite hunting ground for the kings.
3: Masjid-i Jami, Isfahan
This is one of those buildings that cause the hairs to rise on the back of my neck. The oldest portions of this noble mosque date back to the 10th century AD but excavation has revealed it was built above an older fire temple. The winter prayer hall is adorned with majestic floriated plaster work inscriptions from the 14th century rule of Sultan Oljeitu. For those preferring colour to monochrome, there is also exquisite tile work mainly from the Safavid period. The bare brick with light and shade created by raised and sunk geometric patterns and the soaring domed spaces penetrated by shafts of light from distant clerestory openings, create a spiritual context whatever one’s beliefs. For those preferring colour to monochrome, there is also exquisite tile work.
Despite its fame and status, nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of Persepolis.
4: Masjid-i Shaykh Lotfallah, Isfahan
A private royal mosque named after the spiritual preceptor of the Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas. Robert Byron, the author of The Road to Oxiana found the building one of the most beautiful he saw on his travels, and I have always found it one of my ‘desert island’ choices. A tile-lined corridor – necessary to achieve the correct orientation – brings the visitor into the single domed prayer hall with its full height squinches and breath-taking mosaic tile work, satisfying with its colour scheme limited to blue, turquoise and natural.
5: Bagh-i Dawlatabad, Yazd
Bagh-i Dawlatabad is a relatively modern (18th century) complex in this traditional town on the edge of the desert. It consists of an enclosed garden whose chief attraction lies in the pavilion sited axially on the main water channel which passes below it. The water is part of the elaborate cooling system so necessary in the harsh, hot desert climate. Breezes are drawn into the building by means of the enormously tall badgir or wind tower and the air then cooled further as it passes over the water which circulates around the complex, refreshing the air as it passes. The sense of pleasure within the building is enhanced by the fountains and coloured glass. Today's curious visitor may gaze up and wind tower and marvel. The chief attraction lies in the pavilion with its fountains, coloured glass and enormous badgir or wind tower up which the visitor can gaze.
6: The Ice House, Abarku
Abarku certainly saw more prosperous times when it lay on the busy cross desert trade routes. Although many of its once fine buildings – mosques and tombs – are crumbling now, modes of life made obsolete by the advent of abundant electricity still cling on here in the form of wind towers, underground cisterns and ice houses. In the cold winter months, ice was manufactured in the lee of walls in the Ice House to be stored underground for use in the searingly hot summer months. The ice was manufactured in shallow, man-made channels in the lee of specially constructed walls to guarantee shade; the ice was then stored underground, below the dome and insulated with saw dust, for use in the searingly hot summer months.
7: The Mausoleum of Shaikh Abd al-Samad al-Isfahani, Natanz
Dated to the early 14th century, and commemorating a Sufi saint, this tomb complex boasts a turquoise tiled roof shaped like that of a tent. The adjacent minaret still boasts its sparse glazed decorations and upper level muqarnas (honeycomb moulding). Beautiful Seljuk plasterwork ornaments the interior here along with that of the nearby principal mosque. Natanz lies secluded in mountains in the province of Isfahan.
8: Persepolis
Despite its fame and status, nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of the giant platform with so many columns and other structures still standing.
Its true purpose is still discussed – was it solely intended for the celebration of the vernal equinox, Nou Rouz, as the presence of the tribute bearing subject nations shown in the low reliefs might imply?
Today Persepolis is in many ways over-protected, with its wooden overlay of the ancient stone steps leading up to the platform and particularly the incongruous ‘shelter’ along the sculpted Apadana stairway which, according to many, serves no purpose other than to cause awkward shadowed areas for the photographer. The time here never seems long enough before logistics or thirst and heat drive the visitor away.
9: Naqsh-i Rustam
Naqsh-i Rustam is a jolly site and good value, too. At the base of an imposing limestone cliff are the signs of all three of the major ancient civilisations of Iran: the Achaemenid, the Parthian and the Sasanid.
Standing in front of the cliff is a massive built structure of unknown use from the Achaemenid period, while at the top of the cliff several imposing Achaemenid tombs have been excavated, including that of Darius.
The lower part of the surface contains mainly high reliefs of various Sasanid kings overcoming their Roman adversaries, and to the extreme left traces of reliefs left by their predecessors, the Parthians.
10: Reza Abbasi Museum, Tehran
The Reza Abbasi Museum has selected first-class items representing Iranian cultures from earliest times, the 2nd millennium BC, to the Qajar period of the early 20th century and all most beautifully displayed. It is an oasis of wonder and a magic house. The displays are arranged chronologically on several floors. The objects exhibited include artefacts made of baked clay, metal and stone from pre-historic times to pottery and metal objects, textile and lacquer painting belonging to the Islamic period. There is jewellery from the pre-Islamic period as well as examples of calligraphy and painting on various supports from the Islamic period.
All photographs by Hilary Smith
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