Wadi Rum is a 720 square kilometre desert area which has been inhabited by various human cultures since 10,000 BCE. These days it is home to many camels, 4WDs and Bedouin people, many involved in the blossoming tourism industry. T E Lawrence spent time in Wadi Rum in 1917 -18 during the Arab Revolt and when in 1962 the film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ came out about his wartime efforts, Jordan’s tourism industry got a kick start. The place is particularly popular with trekkers and […]
Art
Israel Museum
‘Israel Museum’ is a bit of a misnomer as there are several museums and art galleries in the one place as well as sculptures and models outside. We spent most of a day here during our stay in Jerusalem, starting at the model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period. This was a model of the ancient city at its peak just before the Great Revolt in 66 CE when it was destroyed. The model has a scale of 2cm = 1 metre and […]
Outdoor Art in Tehran
No visit to Tehran is complete without a look at the former US Embassy and the dramatic anti-American images on its walls. These images, commissioned by the government, show an Iran that is sometimes represented in western media, yet one which we rarely saw evidence of. Whilst palaces, nature, ancient historical sites, deserts, hospitable people and great food contribute strongly to the impression of the country, for the tourist a place like this is also interesting to see, as the events that emerged from here […]
Esfahan
Esfahan is home to about 1.8 million people and is Iran’s number one tourist destination – and with good reason. It is a beautiful city and we were lucky to see it when the river was full of water (not always the case!). The first night we were there our lovely couch surf host Mohammad and his sister took us into town where we walked along the Zayandeh River admiring many different bridges, old and new. The Si-o-seh bridge (pictured below) was built between […]
Colour Explosion – Hormoz Island, Iran
Wow- Hormoz is a geologist’s dream and an inspiration for artists with Rainbow Valley, numerous salt caves & fascinating colours everywhere. The 42-sq-km island is an hour on the ferry from Qeshm and aside from a very small settlement at the port the place is virtually uninhabited. Most people who visit hire a tuktuk with driver to take them around the island for a few hours before taking the last ferry home that day. A few choose to explore on foot and carry a […]