IRAN HIGHLIGHTS 7

h t t p : / / w w w. t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m

OCTOBER 31, 2010

TEHRAN TIMES INTERNATIONAL DAILY

UNDER WESTERN EYES

Perseverance pays

he road continued gradually upwards and below

I passed new road constructions and mining operations. Forever above me as far as my neck
could stretch I could only see mountain, green hill side
shrouded in clouds. One effect of this is that I had no
clue as to the length of the climb. Orange stands were
prevalent; I could spot them a mile off. Often a small
child of no more than eight would be tending them and
upon seeing me would run in hot pursuit and hand me
fruit. It was nearing lunchtime and the roadsides were
full of families all sat at their tablecloths mowing down
their lunch. Their car would often be parked in front
of them to maintain a little privacy. Failing this people
dined on the riverbanks or sometimes even on the
bonnet of their car.
The narrow road wound through the high mountain walls
and every fifty meters or so a new vista of overhanging rock
would present itself. My predictions of the distance remaining till the summit had been horrifically optimistic and I discovered this in one stomach sinking moment.
I emerged from the gorge to a large expanse of
mountain, above me distant specs disappeared into
the clouds, they were cars!! I groveled my way slowly
round each hairpin bend, the only thing which kept
me going was the beat of music in my ears. A brief
let up came when a group of guys and their chubby
friend, a chef who lives in France invited me for tea.
We dined on cakes and took in the magnificent views.
They informed me I had six miles till the summit, this
may seem like a short distance but when you are carrying an extra fifteen kilograms of useless weight up a
mountain every meter covered becomes apparent.
My quads ached so much that I had to keep standing out of the saddle, but this put strain on my shoulders which also felt ready to give way. In addition to
this I was at cloud level and it was so cold I could see
my own breath. The only thing that kept me warm was
the ridiculous amount of heat that I was generating cycling. Each corner I rounded in anticipation of the top
but instead another switchback disappearing into the
clouds would present itself. The traffic by this time resembled rush hour in London, it was so busy that the
police the road in one direction. It was now like a giant
racing game for all the cars! Long after giving up all
hope of reaching the end of the climb I hit some flat, I
had reached the summit.
Then the fun started, it was only an hour till sunset
and the vast mountains and valleys which stretched

Karaj-Chaloos Road is a vital route that connects Tehran and the

southern part of Alborz to northern Iran.

before me were particularly striking at this time.

I turned myself onto crazy mode and started the descent. This involved pedaling as fast as I could and racing cars down the mountainside, I was in heaven! The
imbibing of coconut biscuits on the way down made
me realize just what a monumental climb it had been.
Sunset was fast approaching but there was no way in
hell that I would waste the colossal descent I had earned.
The last hour was done in darkness, but I had become
fixated on reaching Karaj. Every time the road flattened
out I would slow to the pace of a snail, my legs hurt so
much that pedaling with any force was difficult. Thankfully, it was almost all downhill and my pain was mostly
resigned to my ears. I was repeatedly deafened by the
noise of traffic in the tunnels which I passed through. One
hundred and thirty miles covered I arrived in Karaj.
A call to Nader and I was almost home and dry. The
only problem was that I needed a local to describe to
him my location. I spent a good five minutes wielding
my phone at a bemused old man, finally he realized I
wanted him to speak on it. Five minutes later Nader
magically appeared and drove us back to his house.
Dinner awaited me and some much welcome sleep.
At times today I felt like packing it all in, sitting by
the side of the road and throwing my bike in the hedge.
These would periodically be replaced by feelings of
elation or joy; it was an emotional see-saw. Yet once
again I learnt a lesson, perseverance pays. Of course
Iranian hospitality makes this a little easier.
I woke unbelievably sore, I ached and still do ache
from head to toe. My body took a real beating yesterday. Nader despite fasting was kind enough to provide
me with breakfast. A lot of honey is produced in this
region and so if featured in my breakfast. Walnuts,
honey, bread, cheese and fruit a nice light start in comparison to the Rammazan meat feast that Nader had
offered as an alternative.
We took the car and for once I was happy to sit
as opposed to walking. Karaj is very industrial; I can
even taste it in the air. Opening the car window was a
bad idea and rather than cool refreshing air I had the
warm exhaust fumes belched from a truck. We visited
a building which was formerly used to accommodate
guests, a giant atrium composed of many arches on
the periphery.
(Source: Tourists personal blog)
(To be Contd.)

Residents who reconcile modernity

with nomadic traditions

CELEBRITIES

Most complex
subjects in
simple terms

Iranian nomads display their equestrian skills

Compiled by our staff writers

his article aims to portray Kohkiluye

va Buyer Ahmad as Irans less
known province with an area of
16,264 sq. km.
The province has long been known as a
nomadic region and the home of migratory
tribes. Some of them, however, have settled over the past couple of decades in the
region, and engaged in animal husbandry,
horticulture and other economic activities.
It is bounded on the north with Charmahal va Bakhtiari and Esfahan Provinces, on
the south with the provinces of Fars and
Bushehr, and on the west with Khuzestan
and Bushehr Provinces. The provinces
diverse climate boasts of having both cold
and warm temperatures.
Fertile soil, abundant water, ample forests and lush pastures are factors making
Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad as an economically strategic province.
Animal husbandry is by far the most significant economic activity of the Kohkiluye
va Buyer Ahmad residents. Thanks to its
mountainous surfaces, the province has
long been a major hub of livestock breeding. The activity is carried out in two ways.
Villagers are involved in settled animal husbandry, while the nomadic tribes move their
cattle from one place to another, based on
the suitability of climatic conditions.
Due to severe shortage of fodder, a
large percentage of nomads have settled
in the urban or rural areas.
In recent years, however, some modem
cattle and sheep-breeding units have been
established across the province.
Thanks to its diverse plant species, Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad is a suit able place
for apiculture. There are both traditional
and modem apiaries in the province, run
by local farmers.
The apiaries serve, both, to fertilize the
flowering plants and fruit trees, and supply
the needed raw materials sought by the
wax-producing companies.
Poultry farming has considerably developed in the province. The farming units raise
chickens both for their meat or eggs, meeting
the needs of the urban dwellers. Every rural
or nomadic family also raises a number of
hens or roosters, either for domestic use or
subsistence. If the required health services
including vaccination can be affected, poultry
fanning can become a lucrative rural and nomadic business in the province.
Agriculture is the second most important
economic activity after animal husbandry
among the Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad
residents. Along with barley and wheat,
the people grow rice in the southern areas
which enjoy sufficient rainfall.
Other agricultural produce of Kohkiluye
va Buyer Ahmad include grains, cereals,
fodder, corn and summer crops.
One of the major agricultural activities of
Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad is horticulture.
The relative shortage of smooth lands in
the eastern and north-eastern parts of the
province has prompted the farmers to opt
for the mountainous fertile valleys for cultivation.
Besides, the smooth lands are particularly devoted to the cultivation of apple, grape,
walnut and citrus fruits. Buyer Ahmad farms
are generally used for the cultivation of apple,
Sisakht for grape, and Kohkiluye, Gachsaran
and Cheram for the cultivation of pomegranate, date and citrus fruits.
Major provincial towns
The main provincial towns are: Buyer
Ahmad, Yasuj, Kohkiluye and Gachsaran.
Buyer Ahmad: Due to its ethnic and

nomadic inhabitants, the Buyer Ahmad

district was for long administered by the local khans. In 1951, the town administration
was changed from khanate to gubernatorial system.
Buyer Ahmad has the most annual rainfall, after the areas in northern Iran. The
province is particularly famed for its abundant supply of water, mountainous climate
and spectacular landscapes.
The Zagros mountain chain which has
74 summits with altitude of over 4,000 meters and dubbed as
Irans Alps, stretches from the north to
the south of the province.
The district has a variety of tourist attractions including the historical hillocks
from the Safavid era, tile gorgeous mountainous town of Sisakht, countless apple
gardens and vineyards, the waterfalls of
Margun, Yasuj and Bahram Beigi, as well
as the breathtaking valleys and bays.
Yasuj lies at the foot of Den a mountains.
Quite outstanding among the Iranian cities
and towns, Yasuj is shrouded by a vast oak
forest, which both enhances its beauty and
gives a temperate climate for its residents.
It is an exceptionally attractive resort.
Kohkiluye is an ancient town, bounded
on the south by Behbahan, on the east by
Yasuj, and on the west by Ramhormoz and
Bagh-e Malek.
As the most populous district of the
province, Kohkiluye comprises 19 villages
and 1,200 hamlets.
Kohkiluye has two distinct climates:
warm and cold. The southern areas of the
town are normally warm, while the northwestern mountains are icy and have long
winters.
The town of Dehdasht, located in the
Kohkiluye district, was historically called
Belad-e Shapur. Its construction attributed to Shapur I, Dehdasht was formerly
a major venue for the exchange of goods
between Isfahan, Fars and Khuzestan
traders.
According to historical documents, Iranian commander Arye Banan entered the
town after a fierce and brave battle with
Alexander the Great at Dehdasht. Also.
the inscriptions carved on tile rocks in the
Servak Valley substatiate the existence of
an ancient town near Dehdasht.
Gachsaran was formerly called Gonbad
Moljan or Molqan. Before the formation of
the Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad Province,
Gachsaran was a part of the Khuzestan
Province. The town is predominately resided by the Lor and Turk tribes who migrated
to the area during the Seljuq era.
Gachsaran has a relatively warm and
dry climate, with the temperature rising up
to 50 degrees centigrade sometimes. At
tile centre of Kohkiluye is the town of Dogonbadan, which comprises two areas: one
resided by the National Iranian Oil Company personnel and the other by the indigenous inhabitants.
Religious sites
There is a wide spectrum of mausoleums of imamzadehs located in different
spots of the province, ranging from the
heart of high mountains to the deep valleys
and smooth plains.
The many religious places in the province attest to the peoples deep faith and
bond with religion. The indigenous people
purify their hearts and frequent the holy
places, where they peacefully worship the
Omnipresent Lord.
The province is home to mausoleums of
several Imamzadehs - the descendants of
the holy imams. The mausoleums gener-

ally consist of a room or two, built in the

local architectural styles.
Off the main road, outside Yasuj, there
is a frequently visited mausoleum housing Imamzadeh Pahlevans tomb. The
building consists of a room and a dome.
Nearby, there are a number of tombstones
inscribed with calligraphy.
Another outstanding place in the province is the Mausoleum of Imamzadeh
Chelle Khan, which has a relatively vast
room, a small chamber right under the
cupola and another small room which has
been calved out of stone. The monument
probably consisted of four cupolas, each of
which situated on a separate room, whose
pillars narrowed down into a common column at the centre of the room.
The dome bears the distinctive architectural style of the province. The facade
of the dome looks like a beehive, typical of
the roofs built in Khuzestan or more prominently in the shrine of Prophet Daniel in
Susa.
Bibi Hakime, located between Genave
and Gachsaran is a major Islamic monument, visited by large numbers of pilgrims.
The building is famed for its beautiful ceiling, hall and tomb. Imamzadeh Bibi Hakime is believed to be the daughter of Imam
Jafar Sadegh -the sixth infallible guide of
the Prophets Household.
Zarih-the metal or wooden grid surrounding the tomb-was repaired a few
years ago, but overall, the monument has
remained intact despite being located at
the heart of the mountain.
Nearby is a warm-water spring where
the ailing seek medication. The mausoleum is the rendezvous of several hundred
people each year, streaming in from across
the country and even from as far as the
Persian Gulf littoral sheikhdoms.
Ancient places
There are several ancient sites across
Kohkiluye va Buyer Alunad, namely:
Servak Valley: The valley is a treasure
trove of Elamite era. The first archaeological research on the valley was conducted
by the tsarist Russian diplomat.
During the reign of Qajar king Mohammad Shah, the Russian researcher embarked on studies of the wall of the valley
which depicted Artemis, the Greek goddess of moon and hunting.
Shapurs Tomb: Not far from the wild
park of Dehdasht is a square tomb, made
of stone and gypsum. It is the tomb of the
Sassanian king Shapur, after whom Dehdasht was named.
There are also some fire temples across
the province, the most famous of which is
the Farzuk four-column temple, which
lies off the old Shiraz-AIjan artery route.
The temple, which has survived the test of
time and several natural phenomena, has
four intact 12-metrehigh columns.
There are many old fortresses in Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad. The fortresses
are reminiscent of the brave guards and
warriors who marched in and out of the
town, to defend the peoples lives and
property. Among the fortresses found in the
province are Ghale Dokhtar and Gach.
The fortresses and ramparts of Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad mainly fall into four
major categories: 1. Fortresses built in the
pre-Islamic era. These are primarily known
as Dokhtar fortresses. 2. The Islamic-era
fortresses which have been widely studied.
3. Fortresses set up under the Atabek reign
in Fars. 4. Fortresses built after the Timurid
and Safavid eras. The latter confirms the
power of the ancient ruling tribes.

rofessor Majid M. Naini is

a leading scholar of Rumi,
the 13th century Persian
mystic (Sufi), who has been the
best-selling poet in the U.S. for
the past several years.
Naini has been a keynote
speaker at over 500 national and
international conferences, seminars, workshops, symposia, and
talk shows. Experts say wherever Dr. Naini talks, everyone is
amazed by his electrifying and
mesmerizing rendition of Rumis
poetry and his ability to explain
the most complex subjects in
simple terms.
Many members of Dr. Nainis
audiences have commented
that he radiates warmth and
love and Rumis spirit moves
within him and they have been
transformed by his talks. Professor Nainis extraordinary gifts
are perhaps described best by a
recent workshop participant in
UCLA who stated, The depth
of his knowledge of Molanas
(Rumis) poetry and his ability
to recite a poem appropriate to
the subject on the fly and then
accurately translate it into English is unparalleled. However,
it is wonderful to hear someone
so passionately and eloquently
speak of love and peace.

MAJID M. NAINI

Naini received his B.S. Degree

in Electronics Engineering and his
Masters Degree in Computer Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science from
the University of Pennsylvania,
the birthplace of ENIAC, the first
general purpose electronic computer. Professor Naini has lived
and taught in four continents. For
over 30 years Dr. Naini has been
a student of mysticism, Sufism,
poetry, literature, history, traditions and cultures.
For most of the past 25 years
Dr. Naini has been a Professor,
Program Director, Laboratory
Director, Department Chair, and
College Dean at several universities throughout the world, such
as University of Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Colorado, Florida,
Oman, and Cairo in the fields of
Computer Science, Engineering,
and Information Technology.
In the U.S., he has presented
workshops and lectures at places
including the United Nations, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton
University, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, George
Washington University, Rutgers
University, Stanford University,
UCSD, UCLA, UCSB, Ventura
College, Caltech, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, John
Carroll University, and University
of Tennessee.
Professor Naini was honored
by the City of Tallahassee for his
talk, Rumis Teachings on Global Peace and Harmony at the
Mayors Summit for Race, Cultural, and Human Relations.
In Iran, Naini was honored as
the Special Keynote Speaker at
the two-day Rumi Celebration
of 2007 The Sun of Love at the
Niavaran Palace in Tehran.
Naini is the author of books
and papers in the fields of science, technology, mysticism,
and spirituality. His latest book,
The Mysteries of the Universe
and Rumis Discoveries on the
Majestic Path of Love, contains
Dr. Nainis own translations from
Rumis original Persian texts.