Iran – 9 days ~ 3500 km
Interesting for us:
- Mausoleum of Il-khan Öljaitü in Soltanyeh – a 49 m high structure built in 1312 AD using innovative structural design: double-shell dome covered with turquoise-blue faience. It is the largest brick dome in the world close to the maximum theoretically possible and third largest dome in the world.
- Shoostar (Historical hydraulic system) – is an island city from the Sassanid era with a complex irrigation system. The infrastructure included water mills, dams, tunnels, and canals. Parts of the irrigation system are said to originally date to the time of Darius the Great, an Achaemenian king of Iran. It partly consists of a pair of primary diversion canals in the Karun river, one of which is still in use today.
- Isfahan – was once one of the largest cities in the world and can be traced back to the Palaeolithic period. It flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Safavid dynasty, when it became the capital of Persia for the second time in its history. It is famous for its Persian–Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the Persian proverb “Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast” (Isfahan is half of the world).
- Dasht-e Kavir desert – The Kavir was a series of vast lakes in the immediate post-glacial time, stretching to about 3,000 years ago. The Asian monsoon rain reached deep into central Iran at the time, bringing heavy summer rain that formed numerous lakes in the closed basins of central Iranian Plateau (800×320 km) that form the Kavir and other deserts in the area. Temperatures can reach 50 °C in summer. Day and night temperatures during a year can differ up to 70 °C
- Badab Soort Terrace Springs – the area consists of golden, orange a nd red stepped terraces of sedimentary rocks formed by deposits of minerals carried from nearby hot springs. The two springs of the travertine landscape are said to have medical properties. The glistening flats are amongst the most photogenic sites in Iran.