Be a Prince in Persia

Be a prince in Persia

Jack Gleeson, The Dublin People

Being a princess is a little more difficult, but Northside People’s Jack Gleeson discovers that all visitors to Iran can expect to be treated like royalty.

Like the movie title, you could probably think of 300 reasons not to go to Iran, but you’d be depriving yourself of an experience of a lifetime. Zack Snyder’s recent epic blockbuster depicting Persians as savage war-mongers has angered an Iranian nation already suffering from decades of negative western perception.

But visitors to Iran are greeted with a warm welcome that makes our own cead mile fáilte seem almost hostile in comparison.

George Bush might have included the Islamic nation as part of his ‘axis of evil’ but as we discovered on a recent holiday to the cradle of civilization there can’t be a more friendly place on earth.

Iranian hospitality has to be experienced to be believed. Open minded visitors are fussed over, worried about and invited into the homes of curious locals, eager to promote their country.

The price to pay for this warmth and kindness is conformity. Foreigners are expected to respect the Islamic republic, so there’s no boozing and women have to adhere to Muslim dress code by wearing a headscarf in public.

Although many Iranian women wear the all-covering chador, many are pushing the style boundaries to the limit and the current fashion in Tehran consists of a thigh length, figure hugging jacket with headscarves pushed back to show off a variety of elaborate hairstyles.They also like make-up, but many haven't yet learned to differentiate between applying a little blusher and painting a barn door.
You’ll also notice many Iranian women, and quite a few men, walking about with bandaged hooters. There's more cosmetic surgery performed in Tehran than in Los Angeles and a nose job is something to brag about, so as far as locals are concerned there's no point in hiding it away until the scars heal.Iran is a huge country and visitors are often amazed at its diversity. Iranians love getting back to nature and with vast mountain ranges with snow topped peaks, miles and miles of coastline north and south, acres of green forests and enormous stretches of desert they’ve certainly plenty to choose from.

Most visitors begin their trip in the vast, congested capital of Tehran where the traffic is just mental. Motorbikes frequently mount the pavements and the few pedestrian crossings are largely ignored by motorists.Cars maneuver into whatever available space there is, muscling their way in front of each other and often avoiding a collision by a hair’s breath.Crossing the road is something of an adventure but Iranians have a developed a talent for just stepping into the maelstrom and artfully dodging their way across.We discovered you can learn this skill by closely sticking to their sides and following their every move for a couple of days until you suddenly find yourself confidently throwing yourself in front of speeding cars and somehow miraculously making it to the other side of the road.
Other than the chaos and excitement of the city’s bazaar, there’s not much to keep visitors in Tehran and Persian culture, history and hospitality is best experienced outside the capital.

Esfahan lies a few hundred kilometres to the south and is the jewel of ancient Persia. Iman Square is undoubtedly the highlight of this conservative city and is home to perhaps the most majestic collections of buildings in the Middle East, including two mosques and the stunning, six storey Ali Qapu Palace.

The vast square has changed little since it was built in 1602 and local families still enjoy walking around its splendid, atmospheric arched arcades.Further south again is another former Persian capital, Shiraz. Famed as a city of poets Shiraz is home to the Tomb of Hafez, an Iranian folk hero, but these days the city is also Iran’s pizza capital.

There mightn’t be any McDonald’s or KFC outlets but Iranians have developed a taste for fast food, which is a pity given the quality of the local cuisine.

As you’d expect, the kebabs are fantastic and Iranian rice is possibly the best in the world.

Most restaurants concentrate on kebab dishes but there’s plenty of other tasty options including some delicious vegetarian dishes.

Shiraz is also the stopping-off point for Persepolis – a vast historical site dating back to 518BC.

In its heyday the city spread over an area of 125,000 sq mt and it was here that all the people of the empire came to pay homage to the kings over the new year holiday.The ancient city was buried for centuries under mountains of sand until it was rediscovered in the 1930s. It’s now rightly revered as one of the greatest surviving masterpieces of ancient civilisation and Iranians are justifiably proud of it.

In a world rapidly succumbing to globalisation a visit to Iran is a breath of fresh air.

It’s a country of contradictions.

While women are expected to dress and behave in ways unacceptable to most westerners, they are also provided with equal opportunities and are treated with a respect not found western culture. Foreign women can safely travel alone and suffer none of the harassment often experienced in other Middle Eastern countries.

There are areas of poverty in Iran, but it’s not a poor country and while much of the nation appears to be stuck in a time warp, modern facilities aren’t hard to find.

As long as you’re prepared to leave western values behind, a trip to Iran will provide a holiday that will leave you breathless and wanting more.