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Bam |
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| Bam is a pleasant
town where the eucalypts are likely to make any Aussie
homesick, and the date palms clearly indicate a desert
oasis. But it's the incredible ancient city which makes
Bam truly special. Although some of the surviving structures
must have been built before the 12th century, most of
what remains dates from the Safavid period (1502-1722).
Up to 13,000 people once lived in this 6 sq km (2 sq mi)
city until it was abandoned following an Afghan invasion
in 1722. The city was abandoned again in about 1810 after
bloodthirsty invaders from Shiraz popped in, and then
was used as an army barracks until the 1930s. It is now
completely deserted. Numerous steep and narrow stairways
lead to the pinnacles of the outer clay wall which almost
circles the entire city. From the wall you can see the
curved ice house, which housed enormous chunks of ice
in winter, melting to become drinking water in summer.
The inner citadel dominated the town - the extraordinary
echo in the garrison is thought to be a deliberate, ancient
loudspeaker system. Bam is in south-eastern Iran. The
bus from Tehran, 1260km (780mi) away, takes about 21 hours,
so you might consider flying. There are two flights a
week between Tehran and Bam, and more frequent flights
between Tehran and Kerman, which is about three hours
north-west of Bam by bus or shared taxi. Off the Beaten
Track |
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Gonbad-矋avus |
| Gonbad-矋avus
is a spectacular tomb tower, a stunning memorial to the
remarkable Ghabus (of which 'Kavus' is a corruption),
a prince, poet, scholar, general and patron of the arts.
He ruled the surrounding region at the turn of the 11th
century and decided to build a monument to last forever.
The 55m (180ft) tower was completed in 1006, six years
before Ghabus was slain by an assassin. Gombad is 93km
(58mi) north-east from Gorgan, a sizeable town in northern
Iran near the Caspian Sea. Minibuses leave about every
hour from the special Gombad terminal. There's also a
daily bus from Tehran, 470km (290mi) south-east of Gombad.
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Chogha Zambil |
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| Alongside the
Dez River, the remarkably well-preserved ziggurat of Chogha
Zambil is the best surviving example of Elamite architecture
anywhere, and it has now been registered with UNESCO.
Originally it had five concentric storeys but only three
remain, reaching a total height of some 25m (82ft). It's
hard to believe that such an imposing landmark was lost
to the world for more than 2500 years, which it was until
being accidentally spotted in 1935 during an oil company's
aerial survey. Chogha Zambil is in southern Iran, near
the Iraqi border, 45km (28mi) east of Shush, which is
accessible by train and bus from Tehran. Because Chogha
Zambil is way off the beaten track, you should consider
chartering a taxi or getting a bus to drop you off at
the main highway turnoff and then hitching. |
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Masul纯font |
| Masul矏f all
the traditional and unspoiled mountain villages in the
Caspian Province of Gilan, Masul矲ates as the most breathtakingly
beautiful. It's a cool 1050m (3444ft) above sea level
and, formed by several irregular levels of terraced cream
houses, appears to have grown out of its surroundings.
So steep is the slope that there isn't even a network
of alleys - instead the flat roofs of many houses form
a pathway for the level above. There are few facilities
here (just one hotel and restaurant, although you may
be able to get a room in a local home), but Masul禳 inspired
setting makes it worth the effort to get here. Masul矩s
56km (35mi) from Rasht, which is six hours north-west
by bus from Tehran. From Rasht, take a succession of shared
taxis or charter your own. |
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