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City of Secrets
Sunday, 27 Oct, 2010
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Sitting with a bunch of local tourism people in Shiraz (Iran), I happen to mention the city’s cultural heritage and their poet, Hafez. “How many of you read poetry every day?” I asked. I got 100% response – all fifteen male, hard-bitten, hoteliers, tour operators, guides, unabashed, raised their hands.
Where else in the world would this happen? I thought.
And that’s not the only thing. In this, the second most important city of a Pariah state, hub of the ‘Axis of Evil’ if you go out for a walk on a balmy evening to Hafez’s tomb, you’ll find throngs of friendly people strolling in the heavily perfumed gardens. As soon as they realize that you’re a foreigner, they’ll talk to you. The main question that they will pose is “Do you think that we’re as bad as they say we are”.
The very same thing will happen if you visit the amazing jewel-chest of the 24 hour mosque. Enormous carpeted courtyard, fabulous fountains, sensational mosaics. People strolling gently. Open to Christians.
OK so it’s not all wonderful. There are real challenges in trying to get into the country – visas, fingerprinting, excessive security. Not only that, but when you get through all the hassle, you know that it’s not quite as free and easy as it appears. There is a peripheral hum of worry, to say the least – including the fact that Iran appears to be a BBC and Facebook no go zone.
But if your clients are adventurous and prepared to risk a bit of hassle, a visit to Shiraz could be very well rewarded – and reasonably simple when Iran Air starts a weekly flight from London Heathrow at the beginning of June.
First and foremost, the prices are amazing – due to the local currency (Rial) falling through the floor you can get accommodation and eat extremely well for very small amounts of money – for instance rack rate at a four star hotel can be as low as US$60 per room.
Being excluded from the world stage, to some extent, has also made Iran a tad more sustainable and Iranians possibly even more proud of their heritage.
Which means that tourists will mainly eat locally sourced traditional food rather than Big Macs and coke for instance.
The spread includes delicious juice and extract-based drinks (sour cherry, lemon, rose water, yoghourt with mint and more); an enormous range of well-cooked meats and fish (mainly barbequed); good cheeses and sheep’s milk yoghouts; quite amazing desserts and ice creams (including faludeh – a local pudding made from cream, starch and fresh lemon); a whole basket of local delicious fruits – persimmons, oranges, apples, lemons and apricots. And, of course, the whole range of dried fruit, almonds and pistachios for snacking on,
But, if you felt Shiraz was for Shiraz, then you’ll be disappointed – the vineyards disappeared many years ago and are now being fostered all over the world.
And the food, the drink, the friendliness are all just appetizers before the main course – there are simply very few places on Earth which have the depth of culture and history that is embedded in Shiraz.
You just need to walk around the city to feel it. The parks are full to brimming with locals picnicking (they’re allowed to bring a tent and stay if they wish). It just seems that they are engaging with their home city’s great attribute – a few thousand years of heritage manifest all around them.
Shiraz is variously known as City of Poets, City of Nightingales, City of Flowers, City of Mysteries and City of Secrets.
Close to Persepolis and many other sights that attest to its dramatic past – it’s certainly a mystery that Shiraz is such a well-kept secret.
Valere Tjolle
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Valere
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