of emerging travel destinations. Whilst the
leadership may be a regime, the majestic
landscapes lapping the land scream freedom.
Iridescent mythic mountains ring-fence
plateaus and basins, serrated peaks glint in the
hazy heat as I cut gravel for days. Beguiling
backdrops belie bodies of water; the Caspian
Sea, Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf, popular
holiday spots for Iranians.
Persian conquests &
invasions
In it’s former life as ‘Persia’, the land was
credited with the creation of some of the
world’s most formidable dynasties. A long
and convoluted history of invasions, from
Alexander the Great to the Arab Muslims to
Gengis Khan and the Mongols, has seen Iran
frequently clawing at democracy, only to be
overthrown into a new regime.
The culmination of millennia of invasions has
been the Islamic Revolution since 1979, which
firmly installed religious orthodox Shi’a leadership, a regime that endures. On the streets, this
translates as mandatory hijabs (headscarves)
for women and full-length loose clothing,
meant to hide any hint of a figure. Although
interpretations vary, every female abides the
law, including tourists.
Tourism in Iran
So what prompted my visit? In the aftermath of
independence, the world’s eyes have lingered
upon this politically unsettled vacuum on the
tourist map, which cradles a treasure trove of
history. Aided by the Iranian government’s
recent decision to loosen the chokehold for
visas, international arrivals are growing from
the hundreds to thousands.
This year, Iran features on the Top Destinations
of 2014 lists of major global travel publications
and newspapers. Though still on the US State
advisories list with warnings and the British
FCO list advising against ‘all but essential
410
travel,’ Iran has been stable for some years
and, as I find, is richly hospitable. No other
country I’ve visited contrasts so wildly from
its international persona. I’ve never felt so
welcomed by a people eager to engage in
open intelligent conversation, with invitations
to their homes for family meals and being
passionately guided through their beloved
country. And in provincial towns where the
hospitality doesn’t always translate, intricacies of culture, architecture and landscapes
will keep you in awe. As for the hijab, even
that’s an experience to which one acclimatises
surprisingly quickly.
Iranian officials recently made a landmark US
state visit; a sizeable step for two countries
that have been glacial since the seventies. On
the ground right now, young professionals are
jobless and struggling to afford to live. The
battle shows no sign of surrender, although,
talks are set to resume between the US and
council of Iran over nuclear ambitions. If a
compromise can be reached, it could signal the
let-up of strict sanctions, currently crippling
everyday Iranians with rising prices.
Since the US visit, tourism arrivals have
increased from the hundreds to the thousands
Facilities for tourists are minimal and I see
little sign of change. But you don’t visit Iran for
the ‘facilities’.
Bazaars, mosques &
minarets
You’re lured by the dusty incense-filled
warren of bazaars, myriad mosques and
minarets emblazoned in mosaics, fabled cities,
well-preserved ruins of great Persian empires
and wealth of world heritage sites. With a
history of spawning poets, philosophers,
scientists and mathematicians, the legacies
of whom form the foundation of modern
medicine and thought, it’s no wonder that
world-class art, architecture and archaeology
pervade every corner.
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