MIR Corporation's Travel Blog:
Ancient Persia, Modern Iran

Follow along with MIR Corporation Tour Specialist Meaghan Samuels as she explores beautiful and enigmatic Iran on MIR's Ancient Persia, Modern Iran small group tour.

• Day 1: Arrival in Tehran
• Day 2: Tehran
• Days 3-4: Tehran, Bandar-e Anzali, Masuleh Village
• Day 5: Tehran, Yazd
• Day 6: Yazd
• Days 7-8: Yazd, Kerman
• Days 9-10: Kerman, Shiraz, Persepolis
• Days 11-12: Shiraz, Firuzabad, Yasuj
• Day 13: Yasuj, Isfahan
• Day 14: Isfahan, Tehran

April 10, 2008

This morning we have one last stop in Tehran before departing for Yazd: the Carpet Museum. Many of the travelers in our group are carpet lovers and for them this stop seems the Mecca of carpet tourism. We are all overwhelmed at the grand size of the exhibited carpets, and we are dwarfed against them as we lean in to look close at the finely woven threads.

Our extensive tour includes a lecture on Persian symbolism in carpet art; we learn that the cypress tree is commonly featured as an icon of eternal life. Many are designed with the typical paisley pattern, while many others are uniquely created as family trees. The colors are exceptional and we happily spend a few hours wandering the museum, picking our favorites and studying the details.

After the museum we have lunch in a nearby restaurant where I have an opportunity to chat with an Iranian woman in the restaurant. We discuss many topics; among them we talk about the high rate of unemployment among young Iranians and the contributing factors. Some 70 percent of the population of Iran is under 30 years of age. She points out that there are more girls in the universities than there are boys, which creates a problematic dichotomy since men are still expected to head families and be breadwinners. Woman are obtaining degrees she explains, but not using them. Additionally, if a young man does not pass the entrance exam for higher education right away, then he is required to complete mandatory military duty for 2 years.

We also discuss the way in which the youth push the envelope when it comes to dress code under Islamic law. She tells me that every spring foreigners come to Iran, and they see scarves slipping lower and lower, and couples holding hands in public, and that they assume things are changing in Iran. This is however not the case, she explains that there is always an inevitable push back by the local law enforcement. Then the scarves come back up and people become careful again. She is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to speak with her.

This afternoon we fly to Yazd for two overnights.

Photos from this leg of the tour (click to enlarge):