Iran > The tombs of Cyrus and Darius

At eight o’clock, the bus is ready at the hotel. And what a bus it is! The bus has a distinctly hippie-era vibe—red with yellow stripes, with “Only God” written in large letters on the back. The interior is even more remarkable. The dashboard is decorated with plastic flowers, a tea set, flags, and streamers. The bus is driven by Reza, a calm-looking driver—not at all what you’d expect for a bus like this. We leave Yazd. Reza navigates the large bus smoothly through the busy traffic, skillfully applying the “law of the strongest.” Occasionally, he alerts other road users of his presence with a loud honk. Outside Yazd, the roads are much quieter, and we make good progress. Iran’s highways are in excellent condition—wide, well-maintained four-lane roads. In Abarkuh, we stop at an ancient cedar tree, said to be between 3,000 and 3,500 years old. I strike up a conversation with a family having a picnic by the tree. Communication is mostly with hands and gestures. Soon, I am offered nuts, and they clearly think I haven’t taken enough. I thank them politely. The whole family is introduced, and when I ask if I can take a photo, they insist on a picture with me included as well.

Iran - Wind towers act as air conditioners Wind is guided down inside and blows out the warm air on the other side

A little further on, in the town, we visit the Aqazadeh House, an old traditional merchant’s house. Reza shows us the different rooms and leads us via a narrow stairway to the roof. Through a maze of rooftops and stairs, I wander over the merchant house’s roof. The house is under extensive restoration; below, construction workers are building a new terrace. They gesture to show me a path to reach them via a staircase. To great amusement, I follow the indicated route just to say hello. The roof also features beautiful wind towers, ingeniously designed to direct wind in from one side, down through the tower, and out the other side, ventilating the house—an early form of air conditioning. At the edge of Abarkuh, we also view a cooling tower—a tall, pointed structure designed to keep the interior cool by its shape and construction. Back on the bus en route to Shiraz, Reza gestures to me, pointing at a thermos next to the passenger seat and shouting “Té, Té!” He also points to some plastic cups. He has made tea for us. I distribute the tea in the bus, and Leen adds some of the famous sweets from Yazd’s Sweetshop. At midday, we make a lunch stop. On a grassy area in front of a restaurant, we organize a picnic. Leen has arranged delicious sandwiches, and we eat our lunch in the sunshine. In the afternoon, we drive quickly toward Shiraz. Along the route, there are two remarkable sights: Pasargadae, with the tomb of Cyrus, and Naqsh-e Rustam, with the tomb of Darius. Only one archaeological site is officially on the program, but perhaps we can visit both before sunset. At Pasargadae, we first explore the Fortress of Toll-e Takht—a large stone palace foundation from 2,500 years ago.

Iran - The Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae Cyrus was buried here around 2500 years ago

Through various excavations, we finally reach the Tomb of Cyrus the Great, the main site of Pasargadae. Cyrus was buried here 2,500 years ago, and his grave still attracts many Iranian visitors daily. A few dozen kilometers from Shiraz lies the Naqsh-e Rustam complex, where Darius’s tomb is carved into the rock. We have just enough time to visit the site before it closes. The enormous tombs remind me of Petra in Jordan. As I walk along the rock face, I realize how little I actually know about this ancient history and resolve to study it further. A downside of our late visit is the sun’s position: it has just risen behind the rocks, casting a shadow across the tombs. For the best photos, one should ideally come in the morning—but you can’t have everything. It is past seven when we enter Shiraz. Reza has to ask for directions to the hotel but then drives the bus smoothly through the busy streets right to the front. In the evening, we walk into Shiraz to have dinner. It is already dark, and bright neon lights illuminate the many shops. I am surprised by the wide and modern selection in the stores along Zand Boulevard—a feature I did not expect in Iran. Zand Boulevard is the main street in the city of 1.7 million inhabitants. We follow the boulevard to the bazaar. According to the Lonely Planet, a restaurant should be located here. There are many small stalls with various goods, but no restaurant. It turns out we were looking at the wrong number on the map. We decide to take a taxi to the restaurant. The driver doesn’t know it, nor does a helpful passerby. Together, they conclude that the restaurant no longer exists. One of them calls the number listed in the Lonely Planet, but the line is dead—no restaurant. We decide to go to another restaurant along Zand Boulevard, Hali Baba. The waiter is startled when we arrive. It turns out that previous travelers had difficulty explaining what was available. Essentially, only two set menus can be ordered, along with some lunch dishes. Most drinks are sold out except for dough (salted yogurt drink), Fanta, and water. After some hesitation, the waiter finally comes out of the kitchen. We decide not to make it too difficult for him, pointing to dishes on other tables and drinks in the cooler. He visibly relaxes. All the dishes are placed in the center of the table, and we eat a bit of everything. The meal is not gourmet, but it is fun to eat this way. Around ten o’clock, walking back to the hotel, we notice street vendors setting up. Shops along the boulevard have closed, and sellers display their goods on mats in front of the stores, hoping to make some last-minute sales. Unfortunately, many of the vendors are children.