Hyrcanian Forests – Gorgan, Golestan Province, Iran
Photo by Ramin Nouri

The unique Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests with an area and length of about 55,000 km2 (seven percent of Iran’s area) and 850 km are located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, covering parts of five provinces (North Khorasan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Gilan, and Ardebil). The history of these forests dates back to 25 to 50 million years ago during the Quaternary glaciations era. Hyrcania refers to the old name of Gorgan city in Greek language, known as Jorjan or Vorkan as well and “Vorkan” according to the inscriptions remained from Achaemenid era. Due to its various endemic flora and fauna, these forests were inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in Baku on July 2019, introducing them as the country’s 24^th site and the second natural site.

The plant biodiversity of this ecoregion with mountains ranging from low to high altitudes and 3200 species consists of 44 percent of the vascular plants that are found in Iran. For example, 150 endemic tree and bush species such as Parrotia, Buxus, Taxus baccata and Juniper can be found in these forests. In terms of fauna, these forests are habitat of 180 species of birds and 58 species of mammals such as Cervus elaphus, Persian fallow deer, Panthera pardus tulliana, brown bear, and wolf. The government of Islamic Republic of Iran and United Nations Development Program have started a common five-year project to protect biodiversity of these forests

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Persepolis (derived from Greek Pérsēs and pólis meaning the Persian city) or Takht-e Jamshid (literally meaning Throne of Jamshid – an Iranian mythological king) is the remains of Achaemenid (550 – 330 BCE) palace that Darius I, known as Darius the Great (522 – 486 BCE) began its construction in 518 BC after creating a vast terrace on the foot of Rahmat (Mercy) mountain. The buildings on the platform occupied an area of about 135,000 km2; the construction of the palaces and terraces began under the command of Darius I, and were continued in the era of Xerxes (496 – 465 BCE), Artaxerxes I (465 – 424 BCE), and Artaxerxes III (359 – 338 BCE). After the invasion of the Alexander of Macedon in 334 BC towards the east, Iranian forces were defeated, the Achaemenid dynasty was overturned, and Persepolis was destroyed.

The goal of Darius was not to create an administrative and/or political center, but a center for Iranian festivity and ceremonials. Some palaces on the terrace were residences for the imperial family and some were allocated to reception and formal greetings.

Persepolitan architecture is distinguished for its use of the quadrilateral spaces and Persian columns, construction of buildings on the terrace, application of wooden ceilings, cut and carved stones, column bases, and capitals, designing portals, and utilization of glazed tiles in interior spaces. It is interesting to know that no mortar is used in the construction of Persepolis and metal clips are employed to join stones together.

Persepolis, Gate of all nations – Marvdasht, Fars Province, Iran

Columns are a distinctive feature of Persepolis. Researchers believe that the combination and integration of various artistic practices including Greek, Egypt, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and in particular local style in the construction of Persepolis had led to the creation of columns with distinctive capitals that cannot be found in any other cultures. The height of some columns reaches up to 20 meters with capitals of zoomorphic and legendary creatures.

The main buildings at Persepolis include the Great Stairway, the Gate of All Nations, the Apadana, the Hall of Hundred Columns, the Tripylon Hall, the Hadish Palace, the Tachara, the Queen’s Palace, and the Imperial Treasury.

Plan of Perspolis
Infographic by Parinaz Ghashghaie

The Great Stairway, the Gate of All Nations

The entrance to the palace is located northwest of the yard and is accessible by a double-reversed staircase. Each staircase includes 111 stairs of 6.7 meters long, 10 cm height, and 38 cm wide. By climbing the stairs, the gate of all nations with a pair of lamassus (guardian winged-bulls with the heads of bearded men) show off. A trilingual inscription (in Elamite, Old Persian, and Babylonian) in the name of Xerxes is carved above each doorway jamb praising Ahura Mazda, the creator and sole God of Zoroastrianism, and introducing Xerxes and the magnificence of the building. The gate opened to a waiting room for representatives of different nations to precede their group for meeting Achaemenid kings. Archaeologists believed that this hall was completed at the time of Xerxes (496 – 465 BCE).

Apadana

By crossing the Gate of all Nations and the waiting hall, we arrive at the Apadana Hall that was the largest and most imposing palace of Persepolis; the audience palace of Darius I (522 – 486 BCE). It consisted of the main square hall of thirty-six columns, and three porticos each with twelve columns on the north, west and east sides. Its columns soared to a height of 20 meters and of the seventy-two columns once supporting the roof of the palace, only thirteen are still standing and the rest are fallen and broken.

Two grand Perspolitian symmetrical stairways were built in the north and east sides, nonetheless, the northern stairway demolished over time. Stone carvings decorate these monumental stairways, showing delegates of the 23 subject nations of the Persian Empire paying tribute to Darius I, giving him presents.

Hall of Hundred Columns

The Throne Hall is the second largest building of Persepolis. This 70×70 square meter hall was started by Xerxes I and completed by his son Artaxerxes I (465 – 424 BCE). Its eight stone doorways are decorated on the north and south with reliefs of throne scenes, and on the west and east with scenes depicting the king combating monsters. Researchers believe that the Throne Hall was used mainly for receptions representatives of all the subject nations of the empire.

Tripylon Hall

Council Hall or Central Hall is located in the southeastern corner of Apadana and the middle of other buildings. It is called Tripylon because it includes three grand gates. One of gates is sculptured with the representation of Darius I seated under the royal baldachin, Xerxes I, standing behind him, both on a monumental throne which is being carried into the hall upon the raised arms and hands of twenty-eight representatives of subject nations of the empire. The Central Hall opened to two columned porticos on the north and south. Reliefs of stairways suggest that the Throne Hall was used mainly for receptions for military commanders.

Hadish Palace

The Palace of Xerxes occupied the highest level of terrace and it was severely burned when Alexander of Macedon destroyed Persepolis as a revenge for his invasion of Athens. It had a thirty-six columned square hall, a twelve-columned portico on the north, a long balcony on the south, and some storage and guardrooms.

The Tachara

It is the oldest palace of Persepolis located in the south of the Apadana and some call it the Mirror Hall for its glossy rocks. Its main hall has a rectangular plan of 12 stone-made columns surrounded by smaller rooms and chambers. Inscriptions and Reliefs like the battle of “Lion and Bull” carved on the eastern and western entrance of the palace are critical features of the palace.

The Queen’s Palace (Museum)

The building of Persepolis museum was the palace for Achaemenid Queens and is one of the oldest structures work as a museum in Iran. It consists of the main hall with twelve columns, a portico with eight columns, several adjoining chambers, and a number of identical units on either sides of a long corridor. The collection of the Persepolis Museum consists of prehistoric, Achaemenid and Islamic eras.

The Treasury

The treasury of Persepolis is located in the east of the queen’s palace, and south of the Hall of a Hundred Columns consists of a huge yard in the eastern part surrounded by several columned porticos. An archive of 750 clay tablets from Darius I, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes I, carved with Elamite language explaining rules and regulations over labor workers and taskmasters as well as their wages paid from the treasury was notably found in the Treasury.

Palace of guardians, Tomb of Artaxerxes II (404 – 359 BCE), Tomb of Artaxerxes III (359 – 338 BCE), Unfinished Gate, Army road, Stone Well, Stone pool, Royal Hill, are among other places and structures of Persepolis.

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Meymand village is located in southeast of Iran and in central district of Babak county in Kerman province. The village is at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level in a 420 km2 area that displays the interaction of human and nature.

The weather of Meymand mountains is moderate and there are two springs and two Qantas watering the village. Natural features lead to the structure of Meymand rocky village. Beside this natural feature, the remoteness of the place, its ruggedness and the fact that it overlooks the hills, turned it into a suitable place to build a village that its location provides all the defense it needs. The basis for the form of architecture used in this village goes back to an ancient culture that specified mountains as sacred parts of nature and emphasized respect of elements. In this culture, mountains are the place of Gods like Mithra, the God of covenant.

The village was registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage in 2015.

Estimating when the village was created is a very difficult job, many researches have been done and many theories were made in this regard. Some believe that it was made in seventh and eighth century BC because Medes made several rocky monuments in the east of Iran and Mithraism was a common religion at the same time. Others attribute it to the end of Parthian dynasty and early Sassanid period. The second theory seems more probable because archeologists discovered potteries from the citadels and cemeteries around the village that were similar to those found in cities like Babak, Kerman and Sirjan that belonged to Sassanid era.

This village consists of more than 400 rocky houses that were made in mountains with a spiral shape in four or five stories. The yard of each house is the roof of the other house located in a lower level. In front of each house, there is a large bulge that is named Toql, a place like a terrace for sitting and spreading dried fruits. The residence place is about 2 meters high and with the areaof 7 to 25 m2. The internal spaces are square, rectangle, round and some have erratic shapes with wooden short entrances each 1.5 or 1.6-meter tall. Next to the entrance, in the wall, there is a hole with an object named kelidoon that through it the door is opened or closed. The most interesting sections of the village are as follows:

The Fire Temple

A place used like a temple to worship the Mehr and after Zoroastrianism it has been turned to a fire temple.

The Bathroom

It is located in the lowest surface than other places and next to the river where the water came from and then disposed. The bathroom consists of three sections including an internal space, locker space and heating area.

Kicheh

The valleys of the village are known as Kicheh. Each Kicheh is about 1 to 2.5 meters wide and links the houses to each other. The structures of Kicheh have been made with accurate calculations and not by chance.

The Corridor

It is the main section of a neighborhood used for cooking foods and baking bread.

The school

A small area used as the cultural center of Meymand village. It used to be a manor house that was donated and turned into a school. Due to the increasing population of the village a new school was built and the old school turned into the cultural center.

The cemetery

Like any other city or village, the residents used a place far from their living area as the cemetery. It is located in the southern region of the village and the tombstones were designed with the name of God, prophet and Shiite Imams. Some of the larger tombs had animal motifs as well.

The Hosayniya

It is located in the center of village and consists of three short arched halls (iwan). It was created by the combination of several residential places and in an irregular form. It is about 200 m2 with four stony pillars about 1.80 to 2-meters high. The pillars are what keep the Hosayniya stable. In the past a stony pulpit was attached to the first column that has been destroyed and replaced with a wooden pulpit.

The mosque

It was made by combining several residential places. The mosque is about 120 m2 and has a round and irregular form. The roof of the mosque is placed over three stony columns, each 2 meters tall. The entrance gate of the mosque is the only way to the outside and the sole provider of natural light.

What makes the village unique is that it is the only rocky village of the world that is still active and in the other words people are still living there.

The village was registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage in 2015.

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Infographic by Negar Ganji & Farzaneh Abangar | Persia Advisor

The Second World War was a nightmare that happened only 25 years after the First World War when the countries were still struggling with the consequences of the First World War. This war was the bloodiest war in the history which had nearly 70 million victims. The ruins remained from the war was only one side of this tragedy. After war, the world was a complete failure, misery and sadness. Critical situation of the post-war countries made officials to find the real causes of such universal wars to prevent the repetition of these frightening experiences.

United Nation held different sessions and invited various countries to take part and present their plans and opinions. The cause of wars and the ways to prevent them were discussed during these sessions. They concluded that the main causes of war were lack of knowledge and tolerance and ignorance of the people was also another main cause. Some of the programs have been arranged to focus on education, to avoid the possibility of occurrence of the upcoming wars and to prepare people to be more tolerant and understanding. The outcome was the establishment of “The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization” or UNESCO.

This organization tries to improve understanding among people from different cultures and nations through educational programs. Besides, it attempts to preserve what is remained of the already damaged earth from further destruction. At last, by emphasizing and highlighting the cultural properties of each nation, interest in other cultures is risen. Having these goals in mind, UNESCO arranged the registration of Natural and Cultural Heritages.

Infographic by Negar Ganji | Persia Advisor

Cultural Heritage is divided into Tangible and Intangible Heritages. Tangible Heritages are historical monuments and Intangible Heritages include rites, customs and spiritual values of a country. UNESCO considered all the countries as parts of the body that share their heritages and try to preserve them.

Many countries joined UNESCO since its establishment; Iran is also one of these countries.

24  Cultural Heritage , 14 intangible heritages as well as 10 works in world memory list have been shown in the following chart.

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The province has a mountainous nature that surrounds parts of the Alborz, Talesh, and Qaflankuh Mountains. In the mountainous parts and lower altitude areas, the province has cold and semi-humid climates, respectively.

The archaeological excavations carried out in the area show that the history of the province dates back to prehistoric times. For example, the findings in Galjik Cave approve a human settlement with a history of 16 to 30 thousand before the birth of Christ. The ancient human-made objects including open-air fire temples belonging to the Parthian (247 B.C.- 224 A.D.) and Sassanid (224-651 A.D.) Empires indicate that the valley of Qizil Üzan and Zanjan-rud Rivers were popular in ancient times.

Following the attack of Hulagu Khan to Ismaili Castles and the collapse of the Abbasid caliphate (750-1258) in Baghdad, Iran including Soltaniyeh (Zanjan province), Maragheh, and Tabriz cities became the center of the Ilkhanate government (1256-1335). However, Zanjan was first destroyed upon the invasion of Mongol but Oljaitu is known as Muhammad Khodabandeh, the most famous king of the Ilkhanate dynasty, built the historical city of Soltaniyeh near Zanjan.

Zanjan province benefits from a diversity of attractions encompassing natural and cultural/historical resources.

The Soltaniyeh Dome, which has been registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is the most salient historical work in the province.

Chalabioghlou Mausoleum, Dashkasan Temple, numerous caves with historic engravings, Katale Khor Cave, Mah-Neshan colorful Mountains, Zanjan’s historical bazaar, bridges, castles, and caravanserais are among the tourist attractions of this province. Also, Zanjan’s handicrafts include handmade steel knives, filigree, traditional shoe, and metalworking, among which the most famous ones are steel knives.

The eatable souvenirs of the province include almond, walnut, and grape. Its native cuisines are Suti Aush (rice pudding), sour Aush, Yaaq Shurba (a kind of soup) Qara Shurba (boiled meat and bread), Irdak (a mixture of flour and milk), and different types of meals made of meat. Finally, Shahab Al-Din Sohrevardi (philosopher) and Hossein Monzavi (contemporary poet) can be considered the province’s prominent figures.

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Ardabil province with about 17,800 square kilometers is the 24th biggest province of the country. According to the latest country division in Iran, it has ten cities and about two percent of the country’s total population live in this province. Its center is Ardabil that whose old name was Artavil meaning “The City of Righteousness”.

Most residents of Ardabil province are called Azari who speak Azerbaijani. In some parts of the province including Talysh and Tat, the indigenous people speak with Talysh and Tati languages. Ardabil was considered a part of East Azerbaijan province until 1993 but became an independent province following the approval of the government.

Therefore, the history, culture, and events of Ardabil province are mixed with the history of Azerbaijan territory. Most historians attribute the construction of Ardabil to Peroz during the Sassanid Empire (224-651 A.D.). It was also one of the important cities of Azerbaijan during the Parthian Empire (247 B.C. – 224 A.D.). Ardabil was destroyed following the invasion of Mongol and although soon its reconstructions began, it took years the province to return to the previous flourished time.

During the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736), Ardabil experienced its zenith. According to the inscriptions that remained from this era, Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, the ancestor of the Safavid kings built his home and monastery in Ardabil to develop his religious activities. This monastery had the privilege of being located on the roads of Gilan, Aran, Azerbaijan, and Anatolia with the spiritual influence of Sheikh Safi himself. At the time of Sheikh Jouneid, the monastery turned into a Shiite center.

In recent years, the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili as one of the important tourist attractions of the province has been registered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

In addition to Sheikh Safi al-Din, Shah Ismail I, his wife and a number of Chaldoran martyrs are also buried in the tomb. What makes the place incredibly appealing is the combination of various decorations such as mosaic tiles, muqarnas (vaulted decorations), stucco of inscriptions, paintings, silvering, and gilding.

Ardabil province is also known for its beautiful nature with its natural attractions of Sabalan Mountain, Sabalan Lake, Shorabil Lake, Neor Lake, Sareyn Hydrotherapy Complex, Asalem to Khalkhal beautiful road, Heyran Road, Fandoqlu Forest, and Alvars Ski Resort. Similar to other parts of Iran, Ardabil has its own handicrafts and cuisines. For example, Varni, a woven floor cover, is the most famous handicraft of the region among the nomads of Shahsevan.

There is also another form of weaving handicraft known as Masnad, which is a small carpet with sharp colors and nature-related patterns. Of its souvenirs, Sabalan honey, and Ghareh Halvah are the most famous ones. Ghareh Halva is a black sweet nourishing paste which is a mixture of natural wheat flour, sugar, and butter. Furthermore, Ash Dough is the most famous traditional food in Ardabil that is, a soup made of meat, yellow gram, sour yogurt, and water. This delicious dish came to be popular in other parts of the country as well, especially in the northern parts.

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The archaeological findings in Narin Qal’eh, Meybod city, referring to the Elamite Empire (2700- 539 B.C.) indicate that Yazd province was on the way from Ray city to Kerman and from Pars to Khorasan. Furthermore, it was one of the lands of the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.).

In the aftermath of the advent of Islam in 651 A.D., the central regions of Iran fell to the hands of Muslims, and a group of Arab tribes settled in this area. Later, Yazd became a part of the Daylamite’s territory but when they were dethroned, Rokneddin Sam founded the Atabegs of Yazd as a local Dynasty (1141-1319) in the city.

During this period, many monuments and mansions were built which are still considered among the city’s most magnificent historical buildings. Timurid Dynasty (1370-1507) also expanded the city by valuable buildings. Although Yazd province was not raided following the invasion of the Afghan tribes to Iran, Ashraf Afghan took control of the region including this province. Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925) also contributed to the splendor of Yazd by numerous monuments that are still in place.

Because of the geographical status of Yazd province, various natural attractions including desert areas are of special interest to both domestic and inbound tourists.

However, what makes the province more attractive are architectural styles of its clay buildings, introducing it as the second-largest clay city in the world according to UNESCO.

Importantly, the overall historical part of Yazd has been registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, while the province has other UNESCO-registered attractions i.e., Hasan Abad Qanat and Zarch Qanat, Dowlat Abad Garden, and Pahlavanpur Garden.

Other important attractions of this province are Zoroastrian Fire Temple, Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, Old Bazaar of Yazd, Historical Complex of Amir Chakhmaq, Yazd Jam-e Mosque, Chak Shrine, Zein-o-Din Caravanserai, Narin Qal’eh of Meybod, Hojat Abad  Vazir Historical Complex, Kharanagh Caravanserai and Mosque, Abarkooh Ice House, and Jameh Mosque of Fahraj.

The city also has special rituals like Nakhl Gardani, Sadeh, and Mehregan. Nakhl Gardani is the tradition of carrying a huge wooden cradle around the city to commemorate the tragic death of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein, and his companions, in Muharam which is the first month of Islamic Calendar. The province is also known for hosting the largest population of Zoroastrians and their different events and rituals including Mehregan and Sadeh.

Of the Yazd’s handicrafts, we mention hand-made Termeh (handwoven fabric), curtain, carpet, velvet, Zari Douzi (a kind of brocade), saddlebag, handkerchief, woven mat, canvas, Boqcheh, and blanket.

The eatable souvenirs of the province include various traditional sweets, while some of the local foods are Shouli Shalgham, Zucchini Stew, Lappeh Kufteh, Vinegar Aush, Sour Meat Stew, and Quince-Plum Stew. Finally, Vahshi Bafghi (poet), Mohammad Karim Pirnia (architecture and historian), and Mohammad Hossein Paply Yazdi (geographer) are among the prominent figures of the province.

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