Let's go Iran - Part 1

Let's go Iran - Day 1 (18/4/2018)

A group of 16 went to Iran on our own, meaning we booked our own flights and our tour in Iran with an Iranian agency, no Malaysian tour company involved. 

First day in Tehran: Colestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, first built in the 16th century, current version mid-19th century. Shown the Karim Khani Nook (meaning of nook: a secluded or sheltered corner in a big place) and the Hall of Mirrors. Glass and mirrors are extensively used in the internal decoration in the halls, unique in Iran.

伊朗游 - 第1天 (18/4/2018)

我们是一个16人自己组的团，在伊朗由一个伊朗旅游公司招待。

今天在首都德黑兰：十六世纪建的王宫，十九世纪重修，一个联合国教科文组织世界遗产。一个静修角落和一个玻璃大厅。厅里内部装饰用很多玻璃和镜片，非常特殊。

Imanzadeh Shrine at the north of the city, with a mosque and a section in memory of Shia martyrs.  Beautiful Islamic architecture. 

这是城市北部的一个教堂/祀庙组合，为记念什叶派殉道着而建，一流回教建筑。

 

Let's go Iran - Day 2  

Being sanctioned by the US and the EU, Iran is not doing well in her economy. But we don't see beggars or people in tatters on the streets. Streets in Tehran are clogged with cars. Petrol is about RM 1.30 a litre for private cars. 

伊朗游 - 第2天

因为受到欧美的经济制裁，伊朗的经济并不好。不过街头没看到乞丐之流，首都德黑兰塞车严重，汽油每公升马币一点三令吉。

 

Iran's currency unit is Rial. 100 RM gets 1.2 million Rial. We are all multi-millionaires here.

伊朗的货币单位是里亚尔，马币一百令吉换一百二十万里亚尔。我们都是千万富翁，小费以万来派，不皱眉。

 

Today left Tehran for Hamedan, 360 km to the west. Hamedan was an old capital of Persia. Saw the 2 Ganjnameh Inscriptions, carved in granite, one by King Darius the Great (ruler around 521- 485 BC) and another by his son. Each about 2 m by 2 m, and 6 m up on a slope face.  Each in 3 old languages. Shown the English translation of Darius' Inscriptions. All kings boastfully aligned themselves to their gods. 

今天去了哈美单，伊朗西部，离德黑兰360公里。哈美单是伊朗最古老的城市。波斯是世界古文明之一，而哈美单是古波斯的首都。看了两幅山边的石刻帝王题词，有两千五百年历史，有三种古文字。照片所示是英文翻译，两个皇帝自吹自擂，自称天之子。

Let's go Iran - Day 3  

Today we travelled from Hamedan to Kermanshah, also an old capital of Persia. Visited the Bisotun Inscription, an inscription and rock relief authored by King Darius the Great 2,500 years ago. Stories about his victorious conquests. A UNESCO World Heritage site. The 1st photo shows the low mountain with the relief somewhere in the middle. The place is under restoration and visitors could not get near. The 2nd photo shows details of the main relief, shot from a poster.  People in the relief are life-size.

伊朗游 - 第3天

今天从哈美单去格曼砂，还在伊朗西部，格曼砂也是波斯故都。参观了在比苏顿的大壁雕，壁雕在第一张照片的中部，在修复中，不能走近，只能在十米外遥望。壁雕表扬帝王的战绩，图文并茂，两千五百年历史，也是联合国教科文组织世界遗产。第二张照片所示的大壁雕细节，从海报上拍的。

Also visited Taq-e Bostan, a site with 2 large caves and several reliefs dating to the 4th century AD. Shown the oldest rock relief: the crowing ceremony of King Ardashir II, as witnessed by God Mithra standing on the left.

也参观了波士单古迹，有两个大的石窟和几个壁雕。第二张照片里的壁雕显示某个帝王的就位大典，见证者是站在左边的拜火教的弥達神。

Let's go Iran - Extra 1, Shia Muslims

Friends are asking: are the Shia Iranians very conservative?

Answer: absolutely not. Certainly more open than the Sunni Arabs. For example, woman's attire is much more open. Clothing is certainly colourful though black is common. And head covers are less restrictive. Have not seen any with full face cover. For the younger ones, strands of hairs are purposely exposed at the forehead. The girls are not shy to be photographed too. 

The 2nd photo is a painting at the lobby of our hotel in Hamedan: the Last Supper featuring Jesus Christ. Certainly not to please foreign tourists, there are few foreign tourists in this remote town. Open minded or not, your take?

伊朗游- 号外1，什叶派教徒

有朋友问：什叶派回教徒的伊朗人是不是很保守？我的看法：不，比逊尼派的阿拉伯人开明得多。拿女人的衣着来比较，虽然黑色长袍普遍，其他颜色的也大有人穿。头巾也多花样，头发没包“完”也没问题，只露双眼的脸罩还没看到。年轻女人的额前的头发多是外露的。她们也不拒绝你拍照。

在哈美单我们的旅馆大厅，挂了一副“最后晚餐”的画，讲耶稣的故事，够开明吧！这可不是为外国旅客而挂，伊朗很少外国旅客，尤其在这个较偏僻的哈美单。

 

Beautiful Iranians - the Iranians are Persian in race, great facial features, moderate physique. Pretty women everywhere.

伊朗人是波斯族，波斯女人面目姣好，眼大鼻尖，身材适中，美女满街。记得倚天屠龙记的小眧吗？

 

Let's go Iran - Day 4

Kermanshah is an agricultural province in west Iran, mostly Kurds. Today we boarded a 16-seater mini bus to roam the mountainous region for a day. Nothing spectacular though. Showing scenes at a village named Hajij: house against a steep rock slope, a hall and a Kurd elder. 

伊朗游 - 第4天

格曼砂是个西部省份，库尔德族聚居地，农业为主。我们今天换乘小巴在这省的山区兜了一天，翻山越岭，可惜没什么看头。展示一个村落的景色：依石壁建的屋，一个厅和一个库尔德长者。

 

Let's go Iran - Extra 2, tourists

Despite its plentiful resources and 22 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Iran has relatively few foreign tourists because of the US and EU sanctions. Recently Chinese tourists start to come so we could hear greetings of “ni-hao” once in a while. Foreign tourists are very much welcome here. You are their friends because you ignore the American's call to boycott them. Everybody is so friendly. Even the older rural folks smile at you. Probably some have not seen such yellow-skin people before or heard of a place called Malas-si. The Iranians like to have picnic at the parks and if you make eye contact with them surely you will be invited to join them. The younger ones would catch hold of you for a selfie too. We are the hunted. 

伊朗游 - 号外2, 游客

伊朗的历史悠久，旅游资源丰富，有二十二个联合国教科文组织世界遗产。可惜因为受到欧美的制裁，游客不多。近年开始有中国游客，所以有时有人会以“你好”来问候我们。他们非常欢迎游客，每个人都向你微笑，因为你是他们的朋友，你不理会美国人号召的制裁， 就是他们的朋友。年轻的也会“抓”你来合照，也许在这偏僻的西部，他们有的还没见过黄皮肤的人，当然很多人也不知道 Malas-si 在哪里。

Should foreign women tourists cover up their heads too? Yes, simple head gear will do, like this group enjoying juicy water melon by the roadside. By the way the watermelon costs less than one Ringgit a kg.  Women are allowed into the mosque too, no additional clothing needed if it is an ordinary mosque. But if the mosque complex includes a shrine for mourning a martyr then a special overcoat is needed, provided free of charge.

外国女游客也需要用头巾把头发“包”起来吗？是的。就像这群在路旁吃西瓜的游客。哦，“我的美人”一公斤只卖一零吉。女人也可以进入回教堂。如是普通回教堂，也不需要再包装，如果这教堂有为追思先亡而建的祀庙，那女游客可要加一个外套才可进入，本地女人也一样。外套免费供给。

Let's go Iran - Day 5

Visited Tekyeh Moaven al-Molk in Kermanshah. A tekyeh is a shrine built for public mourning of martyrs for Shia Muslims. This one was completed in 1903, and famous for the tiling work which narrates the history of politics and religion of Iran. Intricate tiling work using various techniques. A local woman visitor told me that this is a rare place where woman images are featured in a religious building.

伊朗游 - 第5天 

在格曼砂参观了一个回教什叶派的祀庙，祀庙是什叶派的特色建筑，供教徒哀悼殉道先贤的建筑。此祀庙1903年建成，大小约是一间七八个教室的学校。有非常精美的瓷砖壁画，讲述伊朗政治和宗教的历史故事，画法多彩多姿。一位本地女游客告诉我，这些画中有不少女人，在别的地方是少见的。

 

Afternoon at Khorramabad, a city with some 330,000 people. Roamed around the old bazaar. Beautiful giant roosters for sale at RM 50 each, and a doll-like little girl.

下午在格兰阿罢，入口三十三万。游览了他们的大巴扎：大公鸡一只50零吉，一个娃娃型的小女孩。

 

Let's go Iran - Extra 3, Shia - Sunni conflict

The Shia and Sunni do not defer much in theology, but significantly on which blood line should lead the community. After the death of Prophet Mohammad in 632, one group was led by his father in-law and they became the Sunni. The other group was led by his son in-law and these became the Shia. They are at war ever since. You see, the in-laws are the trouble makers!

Iranians are predominantly Shia. Shia constitute about 15 to 20% of the Muslims in the World.

The head of the Sunni were the Caliphs while the Shia the Imans. The 3rd Shia Iman, Husyan ibn Ali (grandson of Prophet Mohammad) and his family were ambushed and murdered by the Sunni at the Massacre of Karbala in 680. And that started the public mourning tradition of the Shia martyrs and the building of public mourning buildings called tekyehs, one of which we visited in Kermanshah on Day 5.

Shown here a street mourning scene we happened to see in Khorramabad on Day 5, on the anniversary of the martyrdom of one of the early Imans. Dense smoke from burning incense is suffocating. Not too different from our Chinese doing their ancestor worshipping round. Also a photo of a shrine in Tehran we visited in Day 1 showing people honouring the martyrs, bowing and presenting flowers.  

伊朗游 - 号外3, 什叶派和逊尼派的纠纷

这两个回教主流在教义上大同小异，不同的是谁应该领导徒从。先知穆罕默德在632年去世后，一派由先知的岳父为首，这是后来的逊尼派。另一派则由先知的女婿为首，这就是什叶派。这两派从那时斗到现在。

伊朗人八、九成是什叶派。全球回教徒中，什叶派佔一成半至二成。

回教发展初期，什叶派的第三任领袖，Husyan ibn Ali，(先知穆罕默德的孙子)，在680 年被逊尼派埋伏杀害，全民哀悼。什叶派就有这追思哀悼先贤的传统，后来还发展成专为哀悼先贤而建的祀庙。

第一张照片所示的是第五天在格兰阿罢看到的街景，人们哀悼一个早期殉道领袖，烧很多香，和我们华人在路边烧香祭拜很相似。第二张照片是第一天去的一个祀庙拍的，人们为殉道先贤献花祈祷，像是拜关帝爷。

 

Let's go Iran - Day 6

Today we go south to Isfahan, some 420 km on mostly 4-lane, 2-way roads. Travelling takes most of a drizzling and cold day. Nothing to show, just a view at a dam area and our driver buying hot water by the roadside, self-service style.

伊朗游 - 第6天

今天南下伊斯法罕，420 公里，下了整天的毛毛雨，也走了一整天。示一个水坝边的景色；我们的司机路旁买自助热水。

Let's go Iran - Day 7

Now in Isfahan, a former Persian capital and currently the 3rd largest city in Iran. Spent the whole day at the giant Shah Square, built in the early 17th century as a caravanserais and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shown part of the square, the Ali Qapu Palace and some cyclists ready for action.

伊朗游 - 第7天

今天在伊斯法罕，伊朗第三大城市，也是波斯故都。一整天我们都在沙阿广场。这广场非常大，建于十七世纪，是联合国教科文组织世界遗产。示广场的一部份，阿里瓜部王宫和一群如箭在弦上的车手。

 

Visited the Chehel Sotoun Pavilion built in the 17th century for royal entertainment and reception. The 20 columns on the front terrace are 18 m high and made of cedar wood from Lebanon. There are many wall frescos inside.

这是十七世纪建的一间楼阁，供国王娱乐和招待宾客用。前台有二十支木的柱子，高十八公尺，楼阁里面有多巨副壁画。

 

There is a huge bazaar here. We had tea (and coffee too) at the Azadagan Tea House, uniquely decorated with antique on the walls and ceilings, like lamps and match boxes, cigarette packets, etc

这里有个大巴扎，我们在一间茶屋喝茶叹咖啡，这间茶屋装饰得很特别，古董满屋。

 

And some young visitors to the square.

小朋友也来广场游览。

Let's go Iran - Day 8

Still in Isfahan. Visited the Vank Cathedral of the Armenian Church. The Armenians came here in the early 17th century. The Armenian Church is an independent church separated from the main Catholic Church in the mid-5th century due to some theological differences.

This church was originally built in the 1660s. The exterior is rather plain but the interior is elaborately decorated, with frescos, gilded carvings, etc. 

伊朗游 - 第8天

还在伊斯法罕。今天参观了亚美尼亚教的大教堂。亚美尼亚教本是天主教的一派，五世纪时分支出去。亚美尼亚人在十七世纪初移居此地。

教堂建于十七世纪中期，里面装饰非凡，艳丽堂皇，大幅壁画满壁。

Pigeon towers - for centuries Isfahan relied on nitrogen-rich pigeon droppings as fertilizer for the fields. Special tower homes were built to attract the pigeons. The towers could be as big as 20 m in diameter and 20 m high, with space up to 14,000 birds. The pigeons were naturally attracted to the honeycomb surfaces of the tower, which resemble their habitat in rock crevices. Once the towers numbered in the thousands. But due to the use of artificial fertilizers there are very few pigeon towers in use now. This one in town still attracts some pigeons.

鸽楼 - 鸽粪是上等有机肥料。世代以来，伊斯法罕的农民建了特别鸽屋，吸引鸽子来栖息排粪。这些鸽楼，最大的圆周可达二十公尺，高二十公尺。以前鸽楼数以千计，现在只剩数百，因为化学肥料已取代有机肥料，不需鸽粪鸽楼了。

 

Went to the city bird park, said to have 300+ species. Shown a cock with long baggy trousers, and a white peacock "in bloom".

去参观了市内的飞禽公园，示一只穿着长裤的公鸡和一只开屏的白孔雀。

 

Let's go Iran - Extra 4, Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions in the World. It was the state religion of Persia from around 600 BC to 650 AD until Islam took over.

It believes in one God, human free will and judgement after death. The maxims are relatively simple. The main one is “think good, speak good and do good". There are some 200,000 followers in the World today, in India and Iran.

Fire and water are the agents of ritual purity and their temple is called the Fire Temple. There are 3 grades of fire, the highest is Atash Behram or Fire of Victory.

Shown is the symbol of the religion, called Faravahar, which has grown into a secular icon of Iran. It is a man seated on a winged sun disk, with many interpretations of its meaning. Many Iranian festivals, even the New Year, are based on old Zoroastrian tradition, despite the country is now an Islamic republic.

伊朗游 - 号外4, 拜火教

拜火教是地球上最古老的宗教之一。从公元前600到公元650，它是波斯的国教。中国史书称它为袄教，北魏时传入中国。

拜火教信唯一真主，人有自主意志，死后接受审判。教规简单，最主要的是“思好意，讲好话，做好事”。现在地球上还有大约二十万信徒，多在印度和伊朗。 

火和水是净化人生的主要媒介。他们的庙宇被称为火庙，火分为三个等级，第一级的称为凯旋之火。

照片所示的是拜火教的标志，名为法拉瓦哈，含义不明确。它也是伊朗的标志之一。虽然伊朗现在是回教国，有很多伊朗的节日，如伊朗新年，还是跟随拜火教的传统。