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iran

Faces in far away places (Photo Essay)

March 23, 2017

I think the biggest challenge of a travel photographer or travel journalist is to photographically capture the heart of a country – portraits of its people. Over many years I have captured some interesting portraits of many amazing people. Here are a few of my favourite portraits. See more at my NEW BLOG    Wadi Thughra, Petra, JORDAN I was exploring and truly admiring the rock-cut architecture and water conduit systems built during the 5th century BC in the ancient Nabataeans city now known at Petra. As much as I was intrigued but the stone carved city, I was slowly being sucked in [MORE...]

3 Beloved Spices of IRAN (by Rana Zia Ebrahimi)

August 12, 2015

Rana Zia Ebrahimi from Kerman Province, southern Iran, talks about three beloved spices of Iran - Saffron, Cumin, and Sumac. Spices are part of everyday life in Iran and Iranian cooks almost never go food shopping without stocking up on some fresh spices. Variety is really the key as most of the authentic Persian dishes call for very different spices. [MORE...]

Ruins of the Middle East (Photo Essay)

September 5, 2014

I somehow didn’t really care about exploring the Middle East until I arrived there. Well, isn’t this normally true that you don’t know what you are missing until you have experienced it. A highlight across much of the Middle East is the ancient ruins of which some of the most impressive are in Iran (Persepolis, etc.), Jordan (Jerash, Petra, etc.), Syria (Bosra, Palmyra, Apamea, etc.), Lebanon (Baalbek, Tyre, etc.) and others. If I have to pull out one exceptionally interesting country with ancient ruins, then it unequivocally must be Syria. Incredibly sad how Syria [MORE...]

10 Best ancient ruins of the MIDDLE EAST

September 3, 2014

There are many reasons to travel all over the Middle East (and arguably many reasons not to travel to the Middle East at all), though one of the strongest arguments in favour of travel is to explore the many ancient ruins. With a long history, the Middle East boasts some of the most incredible remnants of ancient civilisations. However, with war constantly raging at various burning points, one can only wonder how long these ruins will still be standing. Among the best ruins are those in Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, and Turkey. Palmyra, the ancient city in Syria, recently suffered damage [MORE...]

Iran (central region)

August 18, 2014

Flying high over southern Iran Journey through this fascinating country with a civilisation dating back thousands of years.  Visit ancient lost cities, mosques, temples, shrines, caravanserais, fortresses, castles, bazaars as well as some of the greatest desert and mountain scenery in the world. The central region of Iran offers enough to keep visitors very occupied for a few weeks.  Tehran is quite a nice city to explore. Take a train south to Kashan to see very old luxurious traditional Persian houses, ancient bazaars, and the incredible Masjed-e Āghā Bozorg mosque and camel stew with [MORE...]

Iran (northern region)

August 16, 2014

The northwestern region of Iran is more mountainous and known for its quaint mountain villages, which in winter are covered in thick snow. Stretching up to Iraq to the west, and Turkey and Azerbaijan in the northwest, this region also offers access to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. Tabriz is a nice city with quite a few attractions. Not far from Tabriz is the troglodytic village of Kandovan and halfway down to Tehran, not far from the Caspian Sea is the mountain village of Masuleh. [MORE...]

Iran (southern region)

August 9, 2014

The southern region of Iran is rich in historic architecture, ruins of ancient civilizations, fortresses and citadels, deserts with salt flats and oases, nomadic people, and great food. The cities of Shiraz and Kerman have interesting mosques, bazaars, and great restaurants. [MORE...]