The Sounds of Tehran and Sites Unseen

2

Flying over the desert in Iran.
Flying over the desert in Iran.

 

On my last day in Iran, I listened to the sounds emanating up from the street.

The wail over loudspeakers of the call to prayer, a man singing in Farsi about Mohammed and about Allah.Even though the mosque where the speakers are is far way and I’m way up on the seventh floor, it comes through as a gentle reminder of where I am in the world.

The other sound that mixes with CNN on the television is the sound of the police yelling at motorists over their car loudspeakers. I am not sure what they are saying but you hear again again the crack of that speaker, as if they are admonishing someone for not moving along, or some other infraction.
I was a little nervous about who was coming to get me, but was assured after I called my friend Cyrus, a robust 68-year-old who runs a tour company called Caravan Sahra in Tehran. He climbs up mountains, skis and was proud to show us around his four-story office building in central Tehran.
Cyrus, who runs a travel company in Tehran.
Cyrus, who runs a travel company in Tehran

He counts many Italians, Brits and even some Americans as his clients. He goes to World Travel Market in London and ITB, the biggest travel show in the world in Berlin, where he serves tea and talks up Iran as a great destination.

I’ve really only scratched the surface here….there are incredible places like the Citadel at Bam, the ancient city with amazing buildings at Yazd and the natural wonders of far flung places like Kashan with its Fin Garden. This is a vast country and needs far more exploring by the writers of GoNOMAD, and I’m sure we will be back soon.