Silk Route

Set at the foot of the Alborz Mountains, Tehran is home to 14 million people and Iran’s political and social melting pot. Here one can see all the components and contradictions of Iranian society, from traditional chadors to modern fashion, from the National Jewels Museum to miles of unsightly concrete block buildings. While Tehran’s size and bustle, markets and youthfulness can be an assault on the senses, a relaxing glass of tea is never far away.

Western Iran has been at the centre of many of civilization’s earliest empires, with its fortunes shifting between trading glories and military decimation. Spinning over mountains and past dense forest, our route takes us to Tabriz, once an oasis, now a sprawling city renowned for its Blue Mosque, whose early history is enshrouded in mystery as the possible site of the biblical Garden of Eden.

From Tabriz we’ll quickly come to the Turkish border. Our first day in Turkey will be by the Ishak Pasha Palace, an 18th century Ottoman castle built into the side of a mountain, a wonderful place to enjoy a cold beer after the “dryness” of Iran. Afterwards green hills open up into plains where Kurdish shepherds tend their herds. As Mount Ararat, reputedly the resting place of Noah’s Ark, sits high in the sky, life appears to have changed little since biblical times.

Countries: Iran and Turkey