Iran Adventures

Many have been afraid to visit iran and is a land shrouded in mystery. Tehran is the capital of Iran and you take your life into your hands if you try and cross the busy streets. Some western visitors in Tehran are still unwelcome. Iran still hates america and calls it the country of satan. The old iran is emerging from behind the veil of fundamentalism.

Zoroaster was born thousands of years ago and devised a way of belief in one god that is still prevalent today. These beliefs are at the center of our civilizations of today. The Elburz Mountains are west of Tehran and are extremely isolated. You can wait for hours or days for a bus or a truck to come along. So get used to waiting. If you are lucky a kind truck driver may give you a lift deeper into the mountains. The Elburz mountains are one of the great barrrier ranges of asia. Some of these peaks are over three thousand meters high. They are a haven for people who want to keep their independance. This is the lair of the assassins.

Alamut is a rocky sky scraper thrusting up into the sky. It has an extraordinary shape and some people believe it has special powers. If you are looking for a natural fortress Alamut is it. The man who lived at the top was Hassan al Sabbah. Hassan Sabbah invented the concept of political murder or assassination. He is said to have powers over his followers by drugging them with hashish. At the bottom of the cliff hundreds of assassins met their doom at the orders of Hassan. There are caves at the top where the ancient assassins would have lived. You can build a fire and camp for the night and remember the ancient times of the assassins.

Further on into the mountains of North-west Iran you come to a place called Tahkt-e-Suleiman, Solomon's Throne. It is high in the mountains so there will be snow everywhere. Legend has it that King Solomon struck the ground with his staff and hot water came out so that Queen Sheba could have a hot bath. Near here, Zoroaster is supposed to have been born. Eternal flames were tended my magi. From here , two magis set off in search of a new born boy led by a star. Near here is the biblical land of Nod, where Cain slew Abel. Near here is also supposed to be the garden of eden. But now it is a barren windswept wilderness.

The home of the iranian troglodytes is called Kandovan, a village high up in the mountains. The houses are dug out of the sides of the hill. The Iranians are hospitable and will invite you into their homes. If you are lucky you may get to hear the shepherd musicians play their peculiar and haunting music. During the day, flocks are taken out to pasture.

Esfahan is one of the holiest cities in Iran. No other city in Iran compares with it. It lies within the very heart of the country. Thousands of years before European culture emerged out of the dArk ages, isfahan was a center of learning and culture. The acoustics in the Mosque are perfect. In Esfahan the wrestlers practice and do exercises with heavy clubs. The trainer is also the spiritual leader. The wrestlers do the whirling dervish dance, then get stuck into the wrestling itself. Inside a bridge there is a tea house where retired wrestlers pass their time and tell stories about their old wrestling days. You have to be hospitable and take a puff of the hookah which is filled with aromatic tobacco. High above Esfahan there is a hill you can climb to visit and old ruined temple that come from a time long ago in the time of Zoroaster.

Further south-east of isfahan is Persepolis an ancient persian city in ruins. Alexander the great destroyed Perseopolis when he invaded Persia. Near Parsa there are still remaining Zoroastrians who have ceremonies with fire. In the heart of the ancient nation of iran, a sacred fire burns. It has not been extinguished for centuries and it lies at the root of most current beliefs in the world. It is the place where time and history began.The fire is a symbol of the light and spiritual illumination. To get to the original fire lit by Zoroaster you can go by camel into the desert along the old silk route that was travelled by Marco Polo. You will forget that the modern age exists. Chak Chak, near Yazd, is built into the rocks and this is where the sacred flame resides. It is one of the most important Zoroastrian shrines and you have to wash yourself before entering into the presence of the sacred flame. The fire has been going for two and a half thousand years. Zoroaster first conceived of one god, a battle between good and evil, and other fundamental modern religious beliefs.

Iran Resources

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