Raphael Kessler

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Iran

 

Iran is one of those countries that most people hear of and instantly jump to conclusions about. Generally complete misconceptions based on media bias involving terrorists and Ayatollahs. My experiences in Iran were very positive, I found the people warm, helpful and hospitable and the country has a fascinating cultural wealth dating back thousands of years.

I have borrowed the following image from Frank and Peggy a couple of Dutch friends of mine, it shows the political feeling towards the United States in the form of a mural on the wall of the former US embassy in Tehran. For some reason I did not take a photo myself.

Iran - Tehran - Former US Embassy Wall

Iran has some issues with its international perception. Both how it regards other countries and how other countries believe it to be, particularly regarding religious tolerance. When I was in Hamadan, I visited the tomb of Mordechai and Esther. The custodian of which said that he found being Jewish in Iran to be no problem at all. Furthermore, the government were paying for the maintenance and development of the mausoleum, which was also used for religious services by the local (small) jewish community.

  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Hamadan mausoleum of Mordechai and Esther
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Hamadan Mordechai and Esther's tombs
 

Esfahan is home to what is quite possibly the world's most beautiful mosque. The Blue Mosque of Esfahan is covered in tiles and is extremely large (first ten pictures). It is at one end of Emam Khomeini square which is extremely large and as well as housing the mosque, also has a palace, the bazaar and another mosque (shown below), the dome of which changes colour during the day as the sun moves and the light alters.

  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque door
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque entrance
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque minarets
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque through portal
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque corner
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque dome
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque dome interior
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque interior
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Esfahan - Blue Mosque and Emam Khomeini Square

Persepolis is the ancient remains of what was the Persian capital. It was destroyed by Alexander the Great, some say due to envy, some say maliciously and others claim it was probably just an accident. Whatever it was, the remains give a glimpse of how impressive the city must once have been. Unfortunately, people have seen fit to carve their names in to the monuments over the years, including Henry Morton Stanley, who famously presumed upon Dr David Livingston in Ujiji in 1871.

  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Persepolis Columns
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Persepolis gates and columns
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Persepolis Gate
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Persepolis
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Persepolis stair carvings
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Persepolis - relief carving
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Persepolis - relief carving procession
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Persepolis - relief carving up the stairs
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Persepolis - relief carving up the other side
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Persepolis - carving graffiti

Not far from Persepolis are the tombs of several former Persian rulers, generally called either Xerxes or Ataxerxes. The detail of the rock carving in the pictures below do not give any scale. In fact this detail is several metres high and larger than life, carved directly into the cliff face. Next to these tombs is a Zoroastrian fire temple, shown in the fourth and fifth pictures.

  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Detail of Xerxes tomb
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Xerxes tomb
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2014 - Iran - Xerxes tomb
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Zoroastrian fire temple
  • (c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Zoroastrian fire temple

In some places one is fortunate enough to see the things of fable. The Arg-E-Bam in the east of Iran is one such place. It appears just like the mud brick cities of film and stories such as the Thousand and One Nights. The place is now quite serene, when I visited there were about four other tourists in the whole city. It is quite interesting to note that people lived there up until quite recently. It is sad to note that this no longer exists, as there was a significant earthquake a couple of years after I visited which devastated the area.

(c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Arg-E-Bam city of made of mud - sadly destroyed by earthquake

This is more of the Iran that many people think of, women wearing Chadors. The majority of women in Iran apparently want to do away with the Chador, but at the moment it is a legal requirement. This aside women in Iran have many more opportunities than in many other Middle-Eastern countries, although it is far from equality.

(c) Copyright - Raphael Kessler 2011 - Iran - Women in their chadors
 

 

All the images and text on this website are the copyright sole property of Raphael Kessler and cannot be copied or reproduced without his express permission. 
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