PERSIA Rays of Splendor - World Travel Market Latin America

PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 1
Arrive in Imam Khomeini international airport, after greetings you will transfer to the
hotel and overnight there.
Day 2
Tehran, the capital city from 19th century is now home to 12 million residents. It is
situated in the foothills of the Alborz Mt. where 60 km to the northeast is the highest
peak, Damavand 18,000 foot. We begin the capital tour with a visit to Golestan Palace.
The complex houses the Versailles-inspired mirror – encrusted Marble Throne Hall
used for the coronation of the last Shah, and a well-laid out Ethnographic Museum.
This palace is located beside Tehran’s bazaar which is famous for its history and
architecture. You will have a short stroll there. After lunch we visit another palace, the
last home of the last Shah of the last dynasty, the Pahlavis. At Sa’adabad Palace we
visit the Mellat Palace (if open) and the Green House. We end the day with a visit to
the National Jewels Museum which houses a staggering array of crown jewels that
were used by the Qajar and Pahlavid royalty and court members, as well as jewels
brought from India by Nader Shah. Dinner this evening is at a traditional restaurant
mainly frequented by locals.
Sa’adabad Palace
Golestan Palace
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 3
Tehran is famous for its museums and today we visit three of the best. One of the
most acclaimed is the outstanding National Museum which displays finds from the
7th millennium BC through the Sassanid era. Many artifacts and large stone reliefs
from Persepolis are here, as well as a fine collection of items from prehistoric times
up to the Sassanid Dynasty. The next is the Carpet Museum which you visit the
most magnificent art of Iran. The Carpet Museum of Iran exhibits a variety of Persian
carpets from all over Iran, dating from 18th century to present.
The third one will be Music museum. This museum in 2 floors provides you a complete
collection of traditional music instruments of Iran. You could taste the sound of Iranian
music everywhere in this museum. At the end we fly to Shiraz and overnight there.
National Museum
Carpet Museum
Music museum
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 4
Today, explore Shiraz, the City of Roses and Nightingales. Visit the tomb of Hafez,
Iran's greatest lyric poet and the tomb of Sa’adi who his poems and tales rills in every
Iranian life. Quran gate, the entrance of Shiraz will be our next stop. After visit Quran
gate, we continue the tour to see illuminated Shah Cheragh sanctuary at night (from
outside) or Ali ebne Hamzeh Mosque with its excellent mirror tiles interior. Today
you will have free time to leisure in Shiraz. At the end we come back to hotel and
overnight in Shiraz.
Day 5
Quran gate
tomb of Hafez
The day will start by visit the Eram Garden, with its beautiful cypress-lined avenues
leading to an elegant summer palace. Continue to the pink-tiled nineteenth-century
Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque and the Narenjestan Gardens, with the richly decorated
pavilion featuring a mirrored porch set among graceful trees. Visit the tomb of Hafez,
Iran's greatest lyric poet. Late this afternoon, spend some time in the famous Shiraz
bazaar and overnight in Shiraz.
vakil mosque
tomb of Sa’adi Shah Cheragh
sanctuary
Eram Garden
Nasir-ol-Molk
Mosque
Narenjestan Gardens
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 6
An early start takes us to Persepolis (Takht-é Jamshid), the heart of the Persian
Empire. Here, walk through a complex of palaces and temples that is said to be
one of the architectural wonders of the world. Massive winged bulls, derived from
Assyria but given a characteristic Persian stateliness, greet us at the head of a grand
stairway wide enough for five horses to ride abreast. The stairway leads up to the
vast platform on which the entire site is built. On the stairway up to the Apadana, the
reception hall to the palace of King Darius I, survey the hundreds of figures carved
in low relief exactly as Darius and Xerxes saw them. They look so fresh they might
have been carved yesterday. The small museum at Persepolis has been created
from the ruins of a building called the “harem of Xerxes”. Nearby, visit Naqsh-e Rajab,
where magnificent Sassanian reliefs are located in an alcove in the rocks. At Naqsh-e
Rostam, gaze upon the immense memorial carved for the Sassanian Ardashir I after
his conquest of the Parthians. The oversize frieze remains a powerful testimony to his
victory and subsequent coronation as king of Iran. Hewn into the great vertical bluff
of tawny rock are also the four elaborate tombs belonging to the great Achaemenid
rulers Darius I, Xerxes, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II. Just below these tombs are eight
large reliefs from the Sassanian dynasty, depicting imperial conquests and royal
investitures. On one of them, the Roman Emperor Philip the Arab is shown kneeling
in respect before the renowned Persian king, Shapur I. Then it’s on to Pasargadae to
see the impressive, elevated Tomb of Cyrus, and to walk through the different sections
of the ancient city: the Residential Palace, the Audience Hall, the Gatehouse, and the
curious Zendan-e Soleiman. Drive a short distance to view the fire plinths behind
Pasargadae. Continue to Yazd and overnight for two nights in Yazd.
Pasargadae
Naqsh-e Rostam
Persepolis
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 7
Located in the remote desert, the old city of Yazd is built almost entirely of adobe
and is an architectural wonder. To deal with the extremely hot summers, many old
buildings have magnificent wind towers, with large underground areas to circulate
cooling air. It was the second city (after Venice) that was officially recognized
by UNESCO for this vernacular style. Yazd has been a Zoroastrian center since
Sassanian times. Zoroastrians still make up a significant minority of the population,
and the Atashkadeh in Yazd is the most important Zoroastrian fire temple in Iran. The
sacred flame visible behind a glass in the interior of the fire temple is said to have
been burning for over 1500 years. We visit the temple and its grounds, and then a
Tower of Silence, or dakhma, where in Zoroastrian funerary tradition the bodies of the
deceased were placed, to avoid contaminating the earth. We continue our walking
tour of the city starting at the 12th century Masjid-I-Jame. It is particular noted for the
height of its iwan and minarets but it also has startling tile work in a deep turquoise
color, and a winter side gallery with transverse vaulting giving the appearance of a
European cathedral. Its alabaster panes allow filtered light from clerestory windows
which gives it a particularly warm glow. We spend some time here before we cross
a square where there are some very good carpet and embroidery shops (for which
Yazd is well known) before continuing on to Zendan Iskandar set in a pleasant treelined courtyard. There is an excellent atelier here where the artisans can replicate the
intricate designs in the mosque in the tables and panels.
In the afternoon visit Bagh-E-Dolatabad, a unique octagonal house with the tallest
wind tower in the city. Here we get a demonstration of the effectiveness of these
towers first hand. Later we visit the Amir Chakhmaq with its distinct facade. From
there we spend some time in the bazaar where we can buy some of the city’s famous
cookies and carpets.
Amir Chaq-maq Takieh,
Bagh-E-Dolatabad
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 8
We start our day by driving to Isfahan and en route we will visit Meybod. An ancient
city with a most popular and remarkable handcraft. In this city we will visit Abbasi
Karvansaraye and continue our trip to Nain and visit another masterpiece of Iran’s
architecture. The Jame mosque. The initial construction of Jame Mosque dates
back to the 8th Century CE, but the whole of the complex has been constructed
incrementally.
One of the oldest mosques in Iran, its magnificent plasterwork over the niche, the
marvelous brickwork around the yard, and its silent basement - which may have
been used as a fire temple before the mosque was built here - are only a few of the
remarkable features of this mosque.
This mosque has no Iwan and dome as do the other famous mosques in Esfahan
and Yazd. A 28 m tall octagonal minaret was added to the mosque almost 700 years
ago.
If you stand in the middle of the yard, you will find yourself surrounded by fourteen
columns, each one adorned with a unique and intricate pattern of brickwork. In
opposite side of Jame mosque, Pirnia house is awaiting for visit. A perfect example
of this region's desert houses in terms of architecture and art which was constructed
in the Safavid Period. The house consists of an exterior, an interior, a deep garden, a
silo room and all of the facilities that a lord’s house needed to have at the time it was
constructed. After visiting this house we continue our way to Isfahan and go to hotel
till tomorrow.
Jame mosque
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 9
Iranians say that their lovely city is “half the world.” The capital of the Safavids from the
16th century on, Isfahan is said to have the most beautiful bridges, and we will view
two of them today, as we visit a myriad of spectacular sites. These include one of the
world's biggest squares, Naqsh-e Jahan, created in the 17th century as the center of
the city. The huge, open plaza is framed by a wall of arches and surrounded by two of
the Islamic world's most impressive mosques, the Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah and the
Masjed-e Emam. Both houses of worship contain magnificent architecture and tilework. Walk through the Ali Qapu Palace with its enchanting music room and balcony
overlooking the Maidan where the Safavid kings sat to watch polo tournaments.
Finish our day in the Qeisarieh Bazaar, located just off the Maidan, where hundreds
of shops and stalls offer a rich variety of carpets, tiles, block printed cloth, miniature
paintings and jewelry. We will overnight for two nights in the Isfahan.
Naqsh-e Jahan
Ali Qapu Palace
Masjed-e Emam
Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 10
Friday Mosque
Today's further exploration of Isfahan takes us to several memorable sites. First, visit
the magnificent Friday Mosque with its famous Uljaitu Mihrab of the Il-Khanid Period.
Then it’s on to the Armenian Quarter to visit Vank Cathedral, built in the imperial style
and one of the first churches to be established in the city's Jolfa district by Armenian
immigrants transplanted there by Shah Abbas I after the Ottoman War of 1603-1605.
We shall also visit Chehel Sotun, a pavilion constructed as a reception hall for visiting
dignitaries by Shah Abbas II, and Hasht Behesht, an octagonal pleasure palace built
a few years later. This is our last night in Isfahan.
Chehel Sotun
Vank Cathedral
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 11
In the morning we leave Isfahan and drive to Kashan. It is the city of carpet and
rose with a rich culture and history. After arriving to Kashan we visit Fin garden. A
historical Persian garden that contains Kashan's Fin Bath, where Amir Kabir, the
Qajarid chancellor, was murdered by an assassin sent by King Nasereddin Shah
in 1852. Completed in 1590, the Fin Garden is the oldest extant garden in Iran.
After it we continue the sightseeing in Bojnourdis’ house with a rectangular beautiful
courtyard, delightful wall paintings by the royal painter Kamal-ol-molk, and three 40
meter tall wind towers. The tour finish after visiting the house and will go to the hotel.
Bojnourdis’ house
Fin garden
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 12
This morning we start our city tour in Kashan by visiting Agha Bozorg mosque which
built in the late 18th century by master-mimar Ustad Haj Sa'ban-ali. The mosque
and theological school (madrasah) is located in the center of the city. Agha Bozorh
Mosque was constructed for prayers, preaching and teaching held by Molla Mahdi
Naraghi II, known as Agha Bozorg. Tabatabaei House is our next stop. We will visit
another great house of Kashan. It was built in early 1880s for the affluent Tabatabaei
family.
It consists of four courtyards, wall paintings with elegant stained glass windows, and
includes other classic features of traditional Persian residential architecture. The tour
in Kashan will finish and we continue our way toward Tehran. Tonight we stay in
capital again and continue our tour tomorrow morning.
Agha Bozorg mosque
Tabatabaei House
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Day 13
After breakfast we will start our city tour and visit Niavaran palace, one of the last
Shah’s palace. The Niavaran Palace Complex traces its origin to a garden in Niavaran,
Tehran, that was used by Nasir edin Shah (16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) as a summer
residence. The palace erected by Nasir al-Din Shah in this garden was originally
referred to as The Niavaran Palace and was later renamed The Sahebqraniyeh
Palace. During the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi all the peripheral buildings
of The Sahebqraniyeh Palace, with the exception of The Ahmad-Shahi Pavilion (or
Kushk-e Ahmad-Shahi), were demolished and the buildings and the structures of the
present-day Niavaran Palace Complex were built to the north of The Sahebqraniyeh
Palace. In this period, The Ahmad-Shahi Pavilion served as an exhibition area of the
presents of the world leaders to Iran.
This would be the last night in Iran and our tour will finish today.
Day 14
The group will transfer to the airport for return flight.
Niavaran Palace
PERSIA
Rays of Splendor
Why Iran Doostan Tours
With more than two decades experience in Travel industry, Iran Doostan Tours (IDT) is
one of the pioneers of holding incoming tours to Iran which has been able to attract the
attention of its business partners, which are mainly valid, and well-known companies
and travel agencies all over the globe, by providing the best tour services and holding
the variety of successful and high quality tours. Iran Doostan Tours specialized in
organizing fully escorted academy and study tours, cultural custom made packages,
incentive, MICE, Adventure, Sport and Health tours to IRAN, individually or in groups.
Furthermore we have experience in organizing Silk Road Tours, joint tours with CIS
countries along the Silk Road in theme of Adventure, Culture and Nature tours.
In addition to the above mentioned activities, we provide services such as Iran visa
processing, transfers and transportation, hotel bookings, domestic and international
flight reservations, guides and interpreters in different languages, and holding
marketing workshops for commercial board, trade groups and exhibition and congress
participants.
Prosperously we established the first Desert Eco Camp which is recognized as the
world’s leading example of the best practice in responsible tourism development by
UNDSA in 2014 and according to the global standards for those interested in Iran
deserts including Iranian and foreign tourists. The above mentioned Eco Camp has
all the facilities for visiting natural attractions of the region, wildlife, star observation,
camel riding, and desert biking and hiking. Our Desert eco camp have been selected
as one of 18 best practice in Eco-sustainable eco-tourism .
IDT is proud to be awarded the first prize as the best Tour Operator among 3000
Iranian travel agencies and tour operators in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013. IDT
has also won the Golden prize for Iran Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence in
2008.
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