Empire of the Roses (15 days / 14 nights)

Tehran – Hamadan – Kermanshah – Ahwaz – Shiraz – Yazd – Esfahan – Tehran

 

Day 01: Tehran (Air) 
Flight to Tehran by… at … Arrival and transfer to hotel.

 

Day 02: Tehran
Full day city tour of capital:

  • Visiting Iran Bastan museum (Archeological museum): Object from prehistoric period to Sassanian VIIIth C. the potteries, cylinders, bone or stone made objects…
  • Sa’d Abâd palaces: once occupied by Qadjar dynasty, Sa’d Abâd was once again rebuilt and put to use by Pahlavi during the period of 1920 to 1976… Visiting Green palace (Kakh-e Sabz), and white palace (Kakh-e Mêlât)
    Lunch in a traditional restaurant.
  • Crown Jewelry museum: a vast collection of jewelry with inestimable value.
    Dinning in a typical restaurant in the north of Tehran.

 

Day 03: Tehran / Hamadan (360 km)
Departure to Hamadan city.  It was once one of the ancient world’s greatest cities. According to ancient Greek historians, Hamadan is the Median capital in 728 BC… Visiting:

  • Alaviyan Dome (Gonbad-e Alaviyan): built in 12th century, the dome-less brick tower remains famous for the whirling floral stucco added in the Ilkhanid era….
  • Bouali Sina (Avicenna) Mausolum.
  • ESTHER & MORDECAI TOMB: was once Iran’s most important Jewish pilgrimage site. Traditionally this is considered to be the burial site of Esther (for whom a book in the Bible’s Old Testament is named) and her cousin/guardian Mordecai (who possibly wrote it). Jewish orphan Esther had married Xerxes I (Biblical King Ahasuerus) who’d ditched his first wife, Vashti, for being too much of an early feminist. Esther’s better-honed feminine wiles are later said to have saved the Jews from a massacre planned by Xerxes’ commander…
  • Ghanjnamet (Treasure Book): achemenian cuneiform rock carvings (486-466 BC).
    Dinning in hotel.

 

Day 04: Hamadan / Kermanshah (180 km)
Drive to Kermanshah. On the way:

  • Kangavar: famous 2300 –year-old Anahita Temple
  • Bisotun: at Bisotun these cliffs are inscribed with a series of world-famous bas-relief carving dating from 521 BC. You’ll pass a club-wielding little Hercules statue from 148 BC. A little further is a very eroded Parthian relief of Mithrades II …
    Lunch in a traditional restaurant.
    p.m. visiting of Kermanshah:
  • Taq-e Bostan: a towering cliff inscribed with some extraordinary Sassanian bas-reliefs.
  • Tekkyeh Mo’aven ol-Molk: Distinctively Shiite, Hosseinyehs are shrines where plays are acted out during the Islamic month of Moharram, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hossein at Karbala (AD 680)
    Dinning in hotel.

 

Day 05: Kermanshah / Ahwaz (460 km)
Full day driving to Ahwaz city.
On the way, visiting nomads of regions Kermanshah and Ilam provinces…
Visiting Pol Dokhtar (virgin bridge).
Arrival Ahwaz arround 19:00.
Dining in hotel.

 

Day 06: Ahwaz / Susa / Ahwaz (240 km)
Full day excursion to Susa (Shush), an important Elamithe city from about the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, Susa was burnt around 640 BC by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, but regained prominence in 521 BC when Darius I set it up as the Achaemenids’ fortified winter capital…
Another interesting visit of Susa is the Tomb of Prophet Daniel. Muslim pilgrims crowd the glittery interior of the tomb. In fact, he’s semi-mythical Jewish figure who supposedly served as a faithful satarap (administrator) to Darius the Great (522-486 BC).Dubiously recorded in the Bible as having ‘tender love with the prince of the eunuchs ‘(Daniel 1, 9) he is best remembered for unenviable ordeals in lions’ dens… these exploits were already over 300 years old when recorded in the Old Testament (Daniel 6, 16-23); 

Then, 20 km far from Susa:

  • Haft Tappeh: with the curious sarcophagus, it was probably a small Ziggurats dating from around 1400 BC…
  • Choqa Zanbil: One of Iran’s Unesco World Heritage sites, Choqa Zanbil’s magnificent brick Ziggurat is the best surviving example of Elamithe architecture anywhere…
  • Shushtar: discovering of artificial ancient “watermills”

Return to Ahwaz around 19:00. Dinning in a local restaurant.

 

Day 07: Ahwaz / Shiraz (540 km)
Departure to Shiraz. On the way visiting of Bishabour:
Visiting of fascinating ruins of ancient city of Bishabour (or Shapour’s City); it was the grand capital pf possibly the greatest of the Sassanian kings, Shapour I. This capital was built by Romans taken captive after their Emperor Valerian was defeated in AD 260… the interesting visits are:

  • Anahita Temple: where a stairway leads underground to a pool around which the faithful once walked and prayed. Some fine Irano-Roman mosaics remain, but the best is now in the Louvre museums.
  • Rocky walls bear six large bas-reliefs commemorating, among other historical moments, Shapour’s investiture as king and his victory over Roman invaders….

Arrival a 19:00. Dinning at hotel.

 

Day 08: Shiraz / Persepolis / Shiraz (50 Km.)      

Excursion to Persepolis.

  • Persepolis – capital of achemenains (518 B.C.):
    This site of ruins was considered the capital of empire for 2 consecutive centuries. Visiting the entrance staircase of Persepolis; through the Gate of Nations, we have access to palaces of Darius, Xerxes and Artaxerxes, palace of hundred columns and Apadana.
    300 meters of staircases with the walls decorated by bas-reliefs representing submitted countries peoples.
  • About 4 Km of Persepolis one of the most important achamanians and Sassanian sites in Iran. It was there, in the mountain Kuh e- Hossein that Darius the first and three of his successors have chosen for building their tombs upon it. Visiting Naqsh –e Rostam: visiting the tombs of four of the achemenains kings: Darius the 1st. Artaxerxes the 1st., Xerxès the 1st., and  Darius the 2nd.

 Lunch in a local restaurant: LANEH TOVUS.
Return to Shiraz at 14:00.
Visiting of Shiraz monuments:

  • Bagh-e –Narendjestân (Narendjestân garden) “is one of the most beautiful houses of Shiraz. Situated in a garden, it was reconstructed by one of Shiraz’s aristocratic families of merchant class in 19th century…
  • Hafiz and Saadi mausoleums: lots of Iranians consider these monuments the most important landmarks across Shiraz.
    Dinner in a traditional restaurant.

 

Day 09: Shiraz / Passargad / Abarkouh / Yazd (420 Km.)  
Departure to Yazd via:

  • Passargad (75 Km. in the north of Persepolis). Visiting the Capital of achemenains dynasty founded by Cyrus The Great in 530 B.C. A simple death-bed chamber, built upon a six-staired pedastal; the tombe was contained by a huge garden during the achemenian rulership.
    The inspiration for the architecture is still an open discussion: it is told that it may be inspired by the mainframe of Mesopotamian Ziggurats or Ourarturian on the other hand there are certain beliefs which give the credit to Greece or Anatolian for the mainframe of this specable landmark.
    Lunch box.
    Continuing by Abarkouh city, for visiting:
  • Friday Mosque
  • Sacred Cypres
  • Tours of refrigeration
    Arrival Yazd about 19 :00.
    Dinning in hotel.

 

Day 10: Yazd       
Full day city tour of Yazd:

  • Friday Mosque: the city’s most important Islamic landmark, and one of the most beautiful mosques of Iran
  • Alexander’s prison: an octagonal mausoleum, built on 1036-37.
  • 12 Imam Mausolum (Maghbareh-ye Davazdah Emâm), built in the same period as the prison.
  • Traditional Bazar of the city
    Lunch in an ancient hammam, transformed into a traditional restaurant.
  • Fire temple (Atashkadeh): built on 1934, its architecture is a combination of Iranian and European style.  The interior part of the Temple withholds a sacred Fire (can be viewed from the other side of a protective glass), which is now lit for 1500 years in a row.
  • The Towers of Silence: circular structures were used for Zoroastrian’s funeral. The corpses were always considered unholy, therefore burring them caused the soil and all the living creatures to be tainted. So, they used to leave the corpses up on the heights for the carnivore birds to rip the flesh from their body… afterwards they buried the bones underground.
  • The stone Mills of Hanna
    Dinning in hotel.

 

Day 11 : Yazd / Esfahân (300 Km)    
Continuing to Esfahân via:

  • Meibod city (poteries fabrication).
  • Mohammadieh village (known for the textile of desert)
  • In Nâin city, visiting of:  Friday Mosque, one of the most ancients’ mosques of Iran. Dated of Abbasside and bouyide of Xth century. The architecture is based on Arabic plan: court yard, without Eiwan…
  • Desert museum: a beautiful Safavides house from XVI th century, transformed to the anthropology museum.
    Lunch in Tourist Inn of Nâin. Arrival Esfahân around 18 :00.

 

Day 12: Esfahân
Esfahân, pearl of Iran. Golden Domes with enamel covered septum: Esfahan, by the legends, is told to be shaped from an image of Paradise.
Exploring the city: Royal Ground, surrounded by Imam Mosque with aquatic minarets and Ali Qâpu palace with its 6 remarkable floors, Sheikh Lotfollah mosque;

  • Lunch in a local restaurant Hani.
  • Friday Mosque: contains the most ancient relic of the city.  It is one of the most significant mosques of both Iran and Islamic art.
  • Haroun-e Velayât Mausoleum: built in the beginning of XVI th century, with facade decorated by the magnificent enameled mosaic…
    Dinner in a traditional restaurant.
    Followed by an interesting visit of Zourkhaneh, the home for Iranians traditional sport.

 

Day 13: Esfahân 
Continuing the visit of Esfahân:

  • Armenian Jolfa quarter: researchers chase back the precedence of this quarter to the era of Shah Abbas the Great. Vank cathedral symbolizes implantation of Armenian churches in Iran. 
  • 33 Arcs Bridge: 160m long, built in 1602; this magnificent bridge connects the two quarters of Chahar Bagh St. and Armenians.
  • 40 columned palaces (Tchehel Sotun): located in a beautiful garden and built by Shah Abbas the Great the 1st (1587-1629); the naming of this landmark has its own story to tell. The reason was that the shadows of the 20 standing coloumns were casted back to the viewer by the crystal-clear water of the pool, making it 40 columns to count. The columns also bear the weight of beautiful wooden roof, painted and decorated by beauteous inlaying work.
  • Leisure time for Bazaar, one of the richest and colored of Iran

 

Day 14: Esfahan / Kashan / Qom / Tehran (400 Km) 
Departure to Tehran via Natanz city:

  • Friday mosque: Built in 1304, rebuilt in 1325, by which its minaret was added to the complex. This stone-made one is alternatively decorated by brick and enamel…
    Continuing to Abyaneh village.
    Lunch in Kashan, and visiting:
  • Ebrahim mausoleum: founded by the Safavian’s, and decorated by the Qadjars.
  • Sialk prehistoric hills: oasis of Kashan was residential by the end of the 6th millennium. As a proof to this statement, we can appoint to the Neolithic site of Tapeh Sialk, situated in the margin of actual city. This site was abandoned around 8th century B.C. Tapeh Sialk presents us remarkable ceramics, which allow us to trace the evolution of technique: first hand made, then by wheel and kiln…Then to Qom, and visiting of holly shrine of Hazrat-e Massoumeh
    Arrival Tehran airport. Farewell dinner, and overnight in hotel near the airport.

 

Day 15: Tehran departure… (Air)
Transfer to Airport for return flight by… at … End of our services.