The book of memories – 2. Armenia and Iran
For the second entry in this walk down memory lane I’ve decided to put together two countries that are close to each other but completely different in almost anything: Armenia and Iran. The first is now a small country, its history is tied to Christianity (it is usually recognized as the first country to officially adopt Christianity as the state religion in history) and, at least on a cultural and political level, it is part of Europe. Iran on the other side was the cradle of the Persian empire and the current Islamic republic is one of the largest and most populous countries in the Middle East. I did not visit them during the same trip, I went to Armenia first then to Iran the following year, but both are part of my Silk Roads project so I think this can be an interesting coupling (check out the post about my travels for more details about this project).
Talking about the silk and spice routes, there is one thing to consider when associating the older routes to modern countries: in the Eurasian region there have been big changes over time in how empires/countries were divided, even in recent years, so I usually prefer to consider the historical maps in my project even if of course traveling is then done in the current countries. This means that Iran at the time was the center of all the routes, collecting silk coming from the east and spices from the sea, while old Armenia and the caravansaries spread across its mountains were the road towards Europe. The images below are historic maps of the region to better give an idea about how it looked like in the past.
Before digging into details and pictures about my trips, one fair warning about both destinations: I’m not going to analyze or discuss politics here, but the current situation in both countries is not easy, with zones that unfortunately are still probably to be avoided and honestly nobody can tell when or how things will get better, so always remember I was there about 7-8 years ago when tourism was “flourishing” in the region. Another thing to consider is that because of culture and religion there are customs and traditions you are expected to follow even if you do not agree with any of those. It’s your choice to go there, so if you do, be aware of dos and don’ts and respect the people and their country. These destinations are not for everybody, but if you travel with the right mindset, both have a lot to offer and a lot of people is willing to welcome you.
Armenia
My journey in Armenia was a short on the road loop starting and finishing in Yerevan, the capital with the iconic mount Ararat in the background (when clouds and pollution allow for a clear view since it is not that far but still in Turkey). The city itself did not win me over, it has its nice mix of old and new, having an almost 3000 years old history that the Soviet period did not ruin luckily even if it had a clear influence, but I think it is not clear yet if and how it will evolve and I would not go over a walk from Victory Park down to Republic Square across the city center for a visit. In a way it represents a little the people of the country that seemed to me a little too stuck in the past and the bad things happened instead of trying to imagine and build the future keeping all the good things.
Moving away from the city, the country has a lot to offer if you like me are looking for remote places with plenty to see and no one to bother you. Being it a monastery, a caravansary or a natural wonder, most of the times places to see are lost in the mountains and, even if distances are relatively short, it can be a challenge to reach the destination while the scenery along the way is always a treat.
Tatev Monastery is probably the most famous and visited thanks also to the newly built aerial tramway which I believe still holds some Guinness world records, but also Khor Virap and Noravank are well worth a visit. I would recommend also a visit to Lake Sevan area, old Khndzoresk near Goris on the east and Arevik national park in the south close to the border with Iran.
Iran
Also my visit to Iran was honestly too short, unfortunately initially plagued by the loss of my baggage when arriving (Italian airline at fault). The country really deserves much more time to be fully explored in all its relevant regions and I really suggest to consider discovering this beautiful country when traveling is not at risk. World news and governments are what they are, but I can assure the people there will make the experience well worth the effort, my only regret was not having more time for my trip. My “better to avoid” advice is just about driving: get a local driver especially around Teheran and big cities and forget about the stress of surviving the Iranian traffic.
After a short stop in the capital, Teheran, too big and chaotic for my taste where I mostly went shopping to cover for the lost baggage, I focused on the central part of the country and its ancient history, starting of course from Shiraz and its elegant palaces and gardens to then reach Persepolis and the archeological site of Naqsh-e Rostam. Persepolis is now mostly in ruins but it has still a feeling of its past glory that captures the visitor and never fails to impress. It is in a desertic region and temperatures during the day can get pretty hot, so better go there prepared or in cooler hours.
The second city in my tour was Yazd, tied to the Zoroastrianism (an ancient Iranian religion and one of the world’s oldest organized faiths) and the Eternal flame which is burning in the Fire Temple. What I liked most about the place was how it is well preserved in its old structures and still gives a clear idea of how Persian architects managed to find smart solutions to make possible living in an arid desertic area. Wind towers and Yakhchals (ancient ice houses) are part of the traditional landscape in the city and are still used, since the solution is simply perfectly working as it is.
My last main stop was the vibrant, young and beautiful Esfahan with its iconic square and bridges (unfortunately there was no water when I was there, but that meant I could also cross them from a different perspective). There’s really a lot to see here, everything around the main square is well worth a full visit, hard to name something above everything else, so I’ll focus more on the images. I also really enjoyed walking around the city and meeting the people and numerous university students to get to know better the new generations of the country. Again, I’m not going into politics here, but let me say that it is much more useful and rewarding a casual lunch with the locals than a year of news on TV.
Once my stay in Esfahan was over, unfortunately I only had time to get back to Teheran with very short stops along the way and say goodbye to this beautiful country. I haven’t seen half of it and, even if I’ve been multiple times in surrounding areas (more maybe in future posts), I’d really like to return in the future to complete the missing zones.
