We had a trip by car from Mashhad in North-west of Iran to Shiraz located almost in the middle, and these photos belong to places we visited on our way and Fars province where Shiraz is its capital.
Qom Province
Just outside Qom city lies the expansive Salt Lake, a unique landscape with bright white stretches and pockets of vegetation. In one of the photos, you can see Hamid wandered across lake’s salt-crusted surface and in one of the photos I took his photo sitting among colourful mushy-looking vegetation.
Semnan Province
Meyghan Salt Lake beautiful shrubland. A few minutes driving on the route built across the salt flats, all around us was a white field which felt like we are on a different planet. Since heavy and fast trucks were taking rocks of sodium sulfate out of the lake and sometimes dropping them, we didn’t dare to go much further!
Arak Province
Mojen Waterfall in Arak Province is a testament to the power of nature. Over centuries, water has carved its way through stone, creating this spectacular waterfall. These photos are taken in Autumn when we could pick wild barberries but preferred not to because of the thorns.
Fars Province
Fars is the beating heart of Persian history, with some of Iran’s most iconic sites, including Nasir al-Mulk Mosque and Takhte Jamshid (Persepolis).
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz is known worldwide as the “Pink Mosque” due to its striking use of pink tiles and intricate stained glass. Built in the late 19th century during the Qajar era, it’s a rare combination of classical Persian architecture and the colorful artistry unique to Shiraz. Arriving early in the morning, we could capture these photos with rainbow-like effect as sunlight poured through the stained glass windows, casting vibrant patterns that were rapidly stretching and loosing shape caused by sunrise. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the places we visited in other three photos but will find out in our next visit.
Takhte Jamshid, also known as Persepolis was once the grand ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. As we walked among its towering columns, intricate bas-reliefs, and monumental gateways, we could almost feel the presence of ancient history. There is a lot to write about this place as Persepolis remains one of Iran’s greatest archaeological treasures, a site that reflects advanced architectural knowledge of ancient Persia.