Iran Educational Tours

The Islamic Republic of Iran, heir to the ancient traditions of Persia and the cradle of the modern Islamic Revolution, is located at the cross roads of East and West. Iran, as one of the major countries along the Silk Road, has always had a particular importance because of its special position geographically and culturally. Persia thus became an important channel for the transfer of ideas, language, literature as well as science and technology. As a result, the road to Persia became a symbol of humankind’s desire to travel, to explore and to learn about oneself as well as to learn from the diversity of the human experience.

This past October of 2002, Jerry Dekker led a trip to Iran. Jerry, fluent in the Persian language, has lived and traveled in Iran for several years. The purpose of this and future trips was to follow in the footsteps of those who throughout the centuries have traveled to Iran in order to broaden their world perspectives. An educational tour to Iran therefore provides access to the rich, dynamic cultural traditions of this country as well as makes it possible to observe first hand a society in the process of Islamic revolutionary transformation.

Iran Educational Tours are organized in such a way as to provide the broadest educational and cultural experience by developing unique insights into Islamic art and architecture,
Islamic mysticism, ancient Persian civilization, environmental activism, Persian literature, Iranian handicrafts, Islamic revolutionary theory and practice as well as an in depth look at the Iranian response to globalization.

Our next journey through Iran is entitled Iran - The Silk Road and is scheduled for September 09 through September 23 of 2003. Please contact Jerry Dekker at jdekker@earthlink.net for full details or questions regarding this tour such as costs, deposits, visa application procedures, hotel information or a detailed description of the itinerary which is outlined below.

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Iran - The Silk Road
Day 01	Arrival - Tehran	Arrival at Tehran Airport, after greeting process transfer to hotel and rest. Although human settlement of Tehran dates back to Neolithic times, Tehran is a relatively new city established by the Qajar Dynasty in 1758 and declared the capital of Iran in 1794. Today Tehran is a bustling, modern metropolis of more than 12,000,000 people situated at the foot of the Alborz Mountains at an average of just over 4,000 feet above sea level rising up to over 7,000 feet in the Northern suburbs. Overnight Tehran.
Day 02	Tehran - Kerman	Full day city tour of Tehran including Archaeological & Islamic Art Museums. The Archaeological Museum, which is the finest museum in Iran, exhibits the most ancient artifacts from all periods and major sites in the country. In the evening we fly to Kerman, a city dating from the 3rd Century B.C.E. Overnight Kerman
Day 03	Kerman - Bam - Mahan - Kerman	Full day excursion to Bam which is a well preserved medieval city created out of the red clay of the surrounding desert. Bam is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was founded during the Sassanian Period between 224-637 C.E. After visiting Bam we drive to Mahan, a Sufi pilgrimage site, visiting the Mausoleum of Shah Nematollah-e-Vali and the beautiful Bagh-e-Shahzade Gardens. Return to Kerman for an overnight.
Day 04	Kerman - Shiraz	Drive to Shiraz, the capital of Iranian kings for several centuries with stops en route visiting the beautiful landscape as well as Bakhtegan Lake. Overnight Shiraz.
Day 05	Shiraz - Persepolis - Shiraz	After breakfast an excursion to Persepolis and Naghsh-e-Rostam. Persepolis was the ancient capital of the Persian Empire built by Darius I in 518 B.C.E. and destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C.E. Persepolis is considered by many to one one of the most beautiful and spectacular archeological sites in the world today. Naghsh-e-Rostam is the site of the royal tombs of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 B.C.E.) Return to Shiraz for overnight.
Day 06	Shiraz	After breakfast a full day tour of this beautiful city taking in the gardens of Eram and Naranjestan, Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, the Koran Gate, the Vakil Bazaar and the tomb of the Sufi poet and mystic Hafez. Overnight Shiraz.
Day 07	Shiraz - Yazd	Full day drive to Yazd via Passargad, the site of the tomb of Cyrus the Great, and the town of Abarghu. Overnight in Yazd.
Day 08	Yazd	Full day tour of Yazd, a city of about 320,000 inhabitants located at the edge of the desert of Dash-e-Kavir. Yazd was an important center for pre-Islamic Zoroastrianism and there remains a substantial Zoroastrian community there today. Marco Polo passed through Yazd on the Silk Road which passed through here in the 13th Century C.E. The city, having become a major caravan stop on the Silk Road was spared destruction by Genghis Khan and Timur in the 14th Century. According to UNESCO Yazd is one of the oldest cities in the world and contains some of the best examples of Persian architecture. Our tour will include the Friday Mosque, the Zoroastrian Fire Temple and Towers of Silence, the Mir Chekmaq Mosque and the Dowlatabad Garden. In addition we will see the unique architecture of the badgirs or wind towers. Overnight Yazd.
Day 09	Yazd - Nain - Isfahan	Early morning drive to Isfahan visiting the city of Nain en route. Nain is located at the geographical center of Iran and is famous for its beautiful carpets. Overnight Isfahan.
Day 10	Isfahan	Half day tour of Isfahan. Isfahan is a city of about 1,300,000 and is considered by many to be the classical Persian city because of its spectacular architecture and setting on a beautiful river which runs through the center of town. During the reign of Shah Abbas I in the 16th Century Isfahan became the center of some of the most beautiful and inspiring art, architecture and carpets to be found anywhere in the Islamic world. The tour includes the Imam Square, one of the largest squares in the world built in 1612, the Ali Ghapu Palace constructed in the 18th Century as well as the Imam and Sheikh Lutfullah Mosques built in the 17th Century which are some of the most stunning examples of Persian architecture. After a stroll through the Isfahan Bazaar there will be an evening visit to the beautiful Isfahan bridges on the Zayendeh River where we can have tea at a traditional teahouse. Overnight Isfahan.
Day 11	Isfahan	Full day free at leisure. Overnight Isfahan.
Day 12	Isfahan	Half day tour taking in the Friday Mosque, a virtual museum of Islamic architecture from the 11th to the 18th centuries, the Armenian Orthodox Vank Cathedral and the Shaking Minarets. Afternoon free. Overnight Isfahan.
Day 13	Isfahan - Tehran	Drive back to Tehran visiting the beautiful city of Natanz on the way with its famous Friday Mosque. We will also pass through the city of Kashan known for its beautiful carpets and then ultimately we arrive in the city of Qom, the cradle of the Islamic Revolution. Evening arrival in Tehran. Overnight Tehran.
Day 14	Tehran	Early in the morning visiting Beheshet-e-Zahra and the Imam Khomeini Mausoleim. After lunch city tour including a visit to the Carpet & Reza Abbasi Museums. In the evening the tour ends with a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant. Overnight Tehran. (Due to the working days of the Museums) Over night Tehran
Day 15	Tehran - Departure	Transfer to Tehran International Airport for return flight home.




Please contact Jerry Dekker at jdekker@earthlink.net or jerry@irandoostan.com or Info@iraneducationaltours.com for complete details on the Iran - The Silk Road tour as well as other educational tours which are being planned which will include a nature tour of National Parks in Iran , an ethnographic tour of the Nomads of Iran, an Iranian Cinema workshop and a Sufi Tour of Mystical Iran.