Our fourth and final destination was Kashan, another
relatively small desert town. More of those winding alleys between mud walls,
which soon became a maze. The final days of an incredibly beautiful and
fascinating journey.
Kashan
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| Kashan historical house |
Kashan is famous for its "historical houses",
19th-century houses of wealthy traders. You might say city palaces. Some are
ghostly ruins. Most have been restored and become a landmark or hotel. We
looked at some of them closely. Around several courtyards, over three floors,
one of which is underground, were numerous dwellings. A winter cellar that
caught the sun, a summer cellar in the shade, kitchens, water distribution
rooms, reception halls, a mirror hall, there is no end to it. Some rooms have
stained-glass windows, some have decorations and paintings and sculptures.
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| kashan bathhouse |
Then there was the Sultan's bathhouse. Beautifully restored,
with different rooms, corridors, domes, paintings, tiles. The boiler room, the
hot water supply, the changing room, the shaving area and the blood outlet area
... It was like a fairytale, especially when we climbed the roof. It was a curved
scape with upright domes, on top of which were small top-domes with tiny round
windows, against the desert city backdrop. Because nothing was straight, it looked
like a cross between a skateboard track and a collection of Martians.
On the map I saw a strange part of the city without alleys.
On the satellite photo it looked like a circular wall with green in it. It was quite
a search, because there seemed to be no way leading there. But through a
mausoleum and a covered alley and a parking lot we reached a park that hit a
high mud wall. You could climb up there easily. Indeed, from the top you looked
down a circle of about 500 meters in diameter, it looked like a crater wall.
And a lot of vegetable gardens, some just plowed, others green. Mind blowing.
With some effort we climbed down on the inside. We walked
across a narrow footpath along a small irrigation canal to the other side,
where there was a pointed dome that we now knew from cisterns and ice houses.
Undoubtedly it had to do with the former water supply. Now it looked like it had
been restored on the outside, but out of use.
Later we read that the mud walls are the remnants of a
1,000-year-old city rampart. Discovering this hidden treasure was the kind of
bonus that gives great satisfaction to a city walk.
Iran - past, present and future
Almost 40 years ago, the uprising against the Shah began,
which led to the revolution that has shaped modern Iran. The clergy in power,
in a complex interplay of influences - the president, the parliament, the
spiritual leader, the revolutionary guard.
20 years ago I was in Iran, halfway the current age of the
Islamic Republic. Has it changed a lot in those 20 years? In some ways yes, in
some ways not.
The Western media still paint a totally distorted picture of
Iran. We are thinking of a primitive country full of terrorists and extreme
Ayatollahs - while this century has unmistakably seen greater support for
terrorism by Western ally Saudi Arabia.
Still it is probably the most friendly, sweetest and most calm
people I know. People like to have a chat with us, are interested without being
intrusive. The public space is clean and feels calm and safe. Despite it being a strict Islamic country, mosques
are not prominent and there is no loud call to prayer five times a day. The
streets are cozy, mixed, young and old, modern and traditional. There are many
small shops that are open to the street, busy old bazaars, and also large
modern shopping malls.
Because of the boycott and wrong decisions, the country has
ended up in a permanent economic crisis. As a result, it has developed less
than was potentially possible, but you would still compare it with Southern
Europe rather than with an Asian country.
Although much equipment is out of date, there is a
reasonably working infrastructure; there are no power cuts; the level of
education is high; telephone and internet are used extensively. As a result,
the average Iranian has a better view of the outside world than 20 years ago;
on Instagram there is de facto
freedom of speech; tourism has increased.
The future of Iran depends both on world politics and on
domestic politics. Economic despair could well be the biggest destabilizing
factor. Will the country remain isolated or will it be connected?
Finally/more
Do you want to read more about what we ate in Iran? Take a look at Lily's travel guide
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