Kerman (pop 850,000)

Kerman Province

Islamic Republic of Iran

May 25, 2022

Salam,

During his lifetime, General Qasem Soleimani was a controversial military and political figure in Iran.  I learned that some families were supportive of him.   Others not.

But in response to his untimely death of “unnatural causes” in 2020 at the airport in Baghdad, Commander Soleimani was elevated to the status of a revered national hero.  Hundreds of thousands attended his many funeral processions around Iran.

Qasem Soleimani is buried here in the Kerman Martyrs Cemetery.  Each day a government official arrives to lay a wreath at his grave.  He is joined by dozens of other mourners from Kerman and from Qanat-e Malek, Soleimani’s home village.  Black clad women prostrate themselves on the black granite marker.

Rafsanjan City

(pop. 137,000)

Kerman Province

Iran

May 25, 2022

Hello,

On the drive north from Kerman City to Yazd, we stop for lunch where we meet a group of pistachio farmers. (Rafsanjan is known as the largest producer of pistachios in the world.) Ali invites us to visit his farm.   How can we refuse?

After a leisurely snack and drink, Ali introduces us to his foreman and the Afghani workers.  In Iran, Afghanis are a highly respected group.  They arrive on time, put in a full day’s work, and are scrupulously honest.  (Apparently in Iran there are now four million Afghanistan immigrants/exiles/refugees.)

Ali takes us on a tour of his farm including the production and storage areas. He is quite proud.  And like everyone else I meet in Iran, overly generous.  

Yazd

Yazd Province

Iran

May 26, 2022

Yazd

The historical city of Yazd was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

Because of generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings, Yazd has a unique Persian architecture.  It is nicknamed the "City of Windcatchers."  It is also very well known for its Zoroastrian fire temples, cisterns, underground channels, water coolers, Persian handicrafts, handwoven cloth, silk weaving, Persian cotton candy, and its time-honored confectioneries.

The Amir Chakhmaq Complex is a prominent structure in Yazd.  It is noted for its symmetrical sunken alcoves and a mosque.  It also contains a caravanserai, monastery, bathhouse, cold water well, and confectionery.  During the Iran–Iraq War and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with the United States, many Iraqis and Afghanis came to inhabit the Amir Chakhmaq Square.

Kharanaq Village

Yazd Province

Iran

May 27, 2022

Hello,

On the desert drive from Yazd to Kashan, I made a detour to the  4000 year old village of Kharanaq to see the 1800 year old Castle.

Then another detour to Nain for another castle, and lunch!

Jan

Kharanaq  Village

This 4500-year-old city is surrounded by mountains on one side and desert on the other. Many buildings in Kharanaq are completely collapsed and ramshackle. But the remaining mosque from the Qajar period, and a shaking minaret from 17th Century, and the caravanserai of the city have been reconstructed.

Kashan

Isfahan Province

Iran

May 30, 2022

Yes, that’s me, second from the left wearing a black shirt and scarf.

The man on my left is holding a 1000 Thai Baht note.  Two young men are holding books.

Here’s the story:

In Kashan, my guide Mehran and I stroll down a busy street in an area popular with tourists.  Outside an international book shop, I spot a rack filled with books in English.  A “must stop!”