Thread by @carolemadge

Iran is a country with a long and rich history where many civilisations thrived, stretching back thousands of years. With 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, each with its own story to tell, Iran offers an incredible variety of archaeological & cultural wonders.
#IranianCulturalSites

From ziggurats to ancient palaces, Zoroastrian temples, sublime mosques, Christian monasteries, and beautiful Persian gardens, there is no shortage of wonderful places to explore in Iran.
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In April 2019, I went on a two-week archaeological tour of Iran. Our “Glory of Persia” tour took us to Iran’s 4 ancient capitals: Susa, Ecbatana, Pasargadae and Persepolis. We traced the roots of the Elamites, Achaemenids, Parthians, Sasanians and Safavids.
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My travel article for the latest issue of @AncientHistMag on exploring Iran.
The fantastic hospitality of the Iranian people, along with the impressive offering of historical sites, beautiful landscapes & delicious food, made this trip one of my favourites!
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@AncientHistMag The most famous archaeological site in Iran is Persepolis. Founded ca. 518 BC by Darius the Great, Persepolis served as the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire & was intended to display the splendour of an empire that stretched from Greece to India.
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@AncientHistMag One of the beautiful traditional houses built by wealthy merchants during the 19th century in Kashan. The houses are full of aesthetic wonders, including elaborate stucco work, stalactite ceilings, painted murals & gorgeous coloured glass and wood panelling.
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@AncientHistMag One of the most magical places I visited in Iran was Yazd, the city of windcatchers (badgirs) and mud-brick houses. It is the centre of Iran’s small Zoroastrian community, where the flame of the Zoroastrian Fire Temple is said to have burned for 1,500 years.
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@AncientHistMag Naqsh-e Jahan in Esfahan is one of the largest squares in the world & is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Built at the beginning of the 17th century, it is an impressive testimony to the level of social & cultural life in Persia during the Safavid era.
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@AncientHistMag Some photos of the pavilion of Ali Qapu located on the western side of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Esfahan. The palace served as the official residence of Persian Emperors of the Safavid dynasty, and is regarded as the best example of Safavid architecture.
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@AncientHistMag This is the Shushtar Hydraulic System, a Sasanian era (3rd C AD) water irrigation system that included watermills, dams, tunnels & canals. The mills, one of which is still functioning, were used to grind wheat & barley. An extraordinary piece of engineering!
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@AncientHistMag The ruins of the Temple of Anahita at Kangavar, dating back to the Seleucid or Parthian eras. The temple was part of a major sanctuary erected to Anahita, the goddess of water and fertility who was worshipped in ancient Persia alongside Ahura Mazda.
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@AncientHistMag Naqsh-e Rostam, the necropolis of the Achaemenid dynasty where monumental royal tombs were cut out of the rock. The site features four burial tombs of Achaemenid kings as well as eight Sasanian reliefs depicting vivid scenes of imperial conquests.
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@AncientHistMag Bishapur is known for its Sasanian-era bas-reliefs and the ruins of what was once a royal city. Bishapur was built in AD 266 on the order of Shapur I by Roman soldiers who had been captured after the defeat of the Roman emperor Valerian.
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@AncientHistMag Chogha Zanbil is a magnificent 3300-year-old Elamite complex. The principal element of this complex is a brick ziggurat, a large stepped pyramidal temple dedicated to the Elamite divinity Inshushinak. Chogha Zanbil was the first Iranian World Heritage Site.
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@AncientHistMag Firuzabad is an ancient Sasanian city located south of Shiraz. The ruins include the fortifications of a Sasanian castle, a beautiful bridge as well as the enormous palace of Ardashir. Firuzabad is part of the Sasanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region.
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@AncientHistMag Inhabited since the end of the 5th millennium BC, Susa was one of the main Elamite cities before becoming the capital of the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 4th century BC. Darius the Great made Susa one of his residences by constructing a palace complex.
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@AncientHistMag Shiraz is also home to exquisite mosques and beautiful gardens. My favourite sight was the Nasir al-Molk Mosque (Pink Mosque) with its use of pink tiles and stained-glass windows. This mosque is, undoubtedly, the most photographed building in Shiraz.
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@AncientHistMag The Jameh Mosque of Na'in is one the oldest mosques in Iran and was built between between the 10th & 11th centuries. Although it may seem modest and austere from the outside, its interior is beautifully decorated with finely detailed stucco work.
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@AncientHistMag The ruins of the Narin Castle in Na'in are thought to be of a Zoroastrian fire temple or of a military fort, both from the pre-Islamic Parthian and Sassanid eras. The structure is composed of roughly-shaped mud bricks and boasts a large moat.
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@AncientHistMag Some Sasanian reliefs at Naqsh-e Rajab (about 5 km north of Persepolis), where four limestone rockface inscriptions and bas-reliefs feature the investitures of Ardeshir I and Shapur I, as well as Shapur’s military victory over the Rome.
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