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Omar Khayyam

2020/08/16/0 Comments/in Other /by Iran Tourism

Omar Khayyam was a polymath, scientist, philosopher, and poet of the 11th century CE. Whereas his mathematical works and poetry have been the subject of much discussion, his recently edited and published philosophical works have remained a largely neglected area of study.

In what follows, we shall review and comment on the salient features of Khayyam’s poetry and philosophy, their relationship with one another, and Khayyam’s pioneering views on mathematics.

English-speaking readers know of his extraordinary work through the translation of his collection of hundreds of quatrains in Rubaiyat, an 1859 work on the “the Astronomer-Poet of Persia”.

He made such a name for himself that the Seljuq sultan Malik-Shah invited him to Isfahan to undertake the astronomical observations necessary for the reform of the calendar.

To accomplish this an observatory was built there, and a new calendar was produced, known as the Jalali calendar. Based on making 8 of every 33 years leap years, it was more accurate than the present Gregorian calendar, and it was adopted in 1075 by Malik-Shah. In Isfahan he also produced fundamental critiques of Euclid’s theory of parallels as well as his theory of proportion.

Omar Khayyam

Omar’s poems had attracted comparatively little attention until they inspired FitzGerald to write his celebrated The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, containing such now-famous phrases as “A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread; and Thou,” “Take the Cash, and let the Credit go,” and “The Flower that once has blown forever dies.” These quatrains have been translated into almost every major language and are largely responsible for coloring European ideas about Persian poetry.

Some scholars have doubted that Omar wrote poetry. His contemporaries took no notice of his verse, and not until two centuries after his death did a few quatrains appear under his name.

Even then, the verses were mostly used as quotations against particular views ostensibly held by Omar, leading some scholars to suspect that they may have been invented and attributed to Omar because of his scholarly reputation.

Garmsar Salt Mines

2020/04/04/0 Comments/in Garmsar, Natural Attractions, Semnan /by Iran Tourism

Salt and tourism hub of salt Iran Semnan province can be called dome and several salt mines in the province could be one of the most important phenomena geomorphological and geological attractions convert. Salt mines between Eyvanaki and Garmsar, resulting from the activities of Qom salt dome. Visit the mines in the control area with basic room and will be picked up. This style of rainwater harvesting to prevent mine. Stand tall ceilings and huge salt mines and in front of the illusion is astonishing.

Salar salt mine is located in Garmsar, a city in Semnan province. It sits in a unique geographical location, between Firouzkuh and Damavand in the north, Semnan in the east, Qom and the Salt Desert in the south, and Varamin in the west. On the other hand, one of the most interesting mines is the ancient Kuhdasht salt mine and due to the extraction of salt, a tunnel or cave is formed with a length of 1.5 kilometers. A low, arid, red-brown ridge scalloped into corrugated hills follows the Garmsar–Qom Hwy south. The outer form of this mine is in the form of a mountain that by the extraction of salt from this mine, a handmade cave has been created. There are dark colored salt stones at the entrance to the cave, and as we move forward, the colors of the rocks become lighter and lighter. Many salt droplets like sharp spears hang from the ceiling of the cave. A vibrant, colorful corridor extends 1.5 kilometers across the salt mine. In the part of Kuhdasht-e Kohan Salt Mine in Garmsar, a green lake has been created by rain, which shines as a jewel and enchants you. In this cave, the salt columns with height of 12 meters add to the beauty of this natural attraction. Salt rock has many therapeutic properties that can be useful in treating some physical and mental illnesses.

Meymand Village

2020/03/05/1 Comment/in Architrcture , Art and Handicraft, Kerman /by Iran Tourism

Meymand is a village in Kerman Province close to the city of Shahr-e babak where the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, Ardeshir the Unifier, is said to have been born. Based on archeological finds, experts believe the village is 3,000 to 8,000 years old. The village thrived under the Sassanid’s and even today Middle Persian words are common in the dialect spoken by villagers. Meymand village has been continuously inhabited for 2000 to 3000 years making it one of Iran’s four oldest surviving villages. Meymand resembles Cappadocia in Turkey and Kandovan Village in East Azerbaijan Province in that all three have stone-carved homes. Unlike Cappadocia which was abandoned by its residents, Meymand is still inhabited and while Kandovan was built to protect its population from attacks by the invading Mongol army in the 13th century, there is no evidence that Meymand ever came under attack. The village is a UNESCO world heritage site and was awarded UNESCO’s 2005 Melina Mercury prize.

Meymand is one of the districts of Shahr-e-Babak, and is one of the spectacular villages of Iran. Here there are a mass of crypts, with 15 stony, circular and roof-less chambers. The same covers an area of approximately 400 sq. m. This vicinity seems to be a place of burial, as skeleton bones and other articles have been found there. The ancient houses in this rural settlement resemble minarets constructed in the breast of these hard stone mountains. In this minaret shaped dwellings which are very strong and durable, are chambers, corridors and pillars displaying an intriguing architecture.

Meymand has extremely cold winters and mild summers. Villagers live a semi-nomadic lifestyle moving between four different settlements in the village throughout the year. From the end of winter until late spring, villagers live in Sar-e Aghol houses on the southern fields. There are in two different types Sar-e Aghol homes: Markhaneh and Mashkdan. Markhaneh structures are circular houses built partially underground to shelter inhabitants from the wind. They have low dry stone walls and roof coverings of wood and wild thistles. Temperatures inside these homes seldom vary and are almost always consistent. Mashkdan homes are built above ground and have dry stone walls with conical roofs made of branches. Some of the buildings used to house cattle have barrel vaulted brick or stone roofs.

Skiing

2020/03/02/1 Comment/in Other /by Iran Tourism

Skiing, recreation, sport, and mode of transportation that involves moving over snow by the use of a pair of long, flat runners called skis, attached or bound to shoes or boots. Competitive skiing is divided into Alpine, Nordic, and freestyle events. Competitions are also held in events such as speed skiing and snowboarding.

The oldest known skis date to between 8000 and 7000 BC and were discovered in Russia. Early skis have been found in many areas of northern Europe. Some of the first skis were short and broad, resembling snowshoes more than modern skis. Skiing certainly was not confined to Europe, though, as the first written references to skiing are from the Han dynasty and describe skiing in northern China. Many peoples who lived in climates with snow for many months of the year developed some form of skiing. Skiing also has long been employed for military purposes. Norwegian men on skis reconnoitred before the Battle of Oslo. There are much types of skiing as bellow.

Nordic Skiing

Nordic, or classic, skiing consists of techniques and events that evolved in the hilly terrain of Norway and the other Scandinavian countries.

Alpine Skiing

By the start of the 20th century, a second upstart style of skiing competition had joined the older established cross-country skiing races and ski-jumping contests of Nordic skiing. Modern Alpine competitive skiing is divided into four races—slalom, giant slalom, supergiant slalom, and downhill; each of which is progressively faster and has fewer turns than its predecessor on the list.

Freestyle Skiing

Freestyle skiing focuses on acrobatics and includes three events: acro, aerials, and moguls. Mogul skiing, the navigation of large bumps (moguls) on the slope, was incorporated into competition shortly after the introduction of aerials.

Governing Body

In 1924, International Ski Federation, was founded as the world governing body for skiing.

Early skis designed for sport and recreation were made from one piece of wood, often hickory, but laminated constructions began to be used in the 1930s. In the 1950s plastic running surfaces on the bottom of skis increased their speed and durability. By the 1990s skis were typically made by surrounding a foam core with wood, wrapping both layers with fiberglass combined with Kevlar, aluminum, titanium, or carbon for strength, and finally adding a plastic base. As early as the 19th century, Norwegians and others had designed skis with sides that curved up to form parabolic profiles when seen from an end.

Hyrcanian Forest

2020/02/12/1 Comment/in Natural Attractions /by Iran Tourism

According to UNESCO, Hyrcanian Forest form a unique forested massif that stretches 850 km along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The history of these broad-leaved forests dates back 25 to 50 million years, when they covered most of this Northern Temperate region. These ancient forest areas retreated during the Quaternary glaciations and then expanded again as the climate became milder. Their floristic biodiversity is remarkable: 44% of the vascular plants known in Iran are found in the Hyrcanian region, which only covers 7% of the country. Hyrcanian Forest (also known as Caspian Forest), extends from the south of Azerbaijan to about 900 km to the east to the Iranian northern provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan. This forest forms the outermost boundary of the west-Eurasian memorial deciduous forests to alpine thorn cushion corridors and forest-free dry vegetation of the Iranian highlands and Central Asia.

The Hyrcanian Forest cover the northern slope of the Alborz Mountain in Iran at the southern edge of the Caspian Sea and it contains very rich ecosystems due to the particular orographic and climatic situation. Hyrcanian forest contain the most important and significant natural habitats for conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. It also contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. It is outstanding examples in the record of significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms and significant geomorphic or physiographic features. It is also outstanding example representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, ecosystems and communities of plants.

To date, 180 species of birds typical of broad-leaved temperate forests and 58 mammal species have been recorded, including the iconic Persian Leopard. The ecosystems of the property support populations of many forest birds and mammals of the Hyrcanian region which are significant on national, regional and global scales. To date, 180 species of birds typical of broadleaved temperate forests have been recorded in the Hyrcanian region including Steppe Eagle, European Turtle Dove, Eastern Imperial Eagle, European Roller, Semi-collared Flycatcher and Caspian Tit. Some 58 mammal species have been recorded across the region, including the iconic Persian Leopard and the threatened Wild Goat.

Ferdowsi Shahnameh

2020/02/11/1 Comment/in Other /by Iran Tourism

The Shahnameh, Book of Kings, is an epic composed by the Iranian poet Hakim Abul-Qasim Mansur and completed around 1010 CE. It is structured according to the mythical and historical reign of 50 Persian Kings. The epic chronicles the legends and histories of Iranian kings from primordial times to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century CE, in three successive stages: the mythical, the heroic or legendary, and the historic. Ferdowsi began the composition of the Shahnameh’s approximately 100,000 lines as 50,000 couplets each consisting of two hemistichs 62 stories and 990 chapters, a work several times the length of Homer’s Iliad, in 977 CE, when eastern Iran was under Samanid rule. It took Ferdowsi thirty three years to complete his epic, by which time the rule of eastern Iran had passed to the Turkmen Ghaznavids. The Shahnameh was written in classical Persian when the language was emerging from its Middle Persian Pahlavi roots, and at a time when Arabic was the favored language of literature. As such, Ferdowsi is seen as a national Iranian hero who re-ignited pride in Iranian culture and literature, and who established the Persian language as a language of beauty and sophistication. Ferdowsi wrote: “the Persian language is revived by this work.”

The earliest and perhaps most reliable account of Ferdowsi’s life comes from Nezami Aruzi, a 12th-century poet who visited Tus in 1116 or 1117 to collect information about Ferdowsi’s life. According to Nezami Aruzi, Ferdowsi Tusi was born into a family of landowners near the village of Tus in the Khorasan province of north-eastern Iran. Ferdowsi and his family were called Dehqan which means landed, village settlers, urban and even farmer. A thousand years ago during Ferdowsi’s lifetime, books were written and reproduced by hand, making book production labor- intensive and expensive. Adding illustrations increased the expense. A simple basic manuscript copy could cost as much as a horse – often an entire stable and sometimes the farm. Books therefore were not written for public consumption. Ferdowsi sought the patronage of the then rulers of Iran. The famed amount that Ferdowsi expected to receive for his Shahnameh was a gold piece for every verse. It influenced not just Persian speakers but also the cultures of Turkic peoples in Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Georgian, Kurdish, and Pashto literary traditions. The Shahnameh continues to be one of the main pillars of the modern Persian language.

Mount Damavand

2020/02/07/0 Comments/in Amol, Mazandaran, Natural Attractions /by Iran Tourism

Mount Damavand is located around 60 kilometers northeast of the city in the eastern side of the Lar National Park where it towers above the surrounding area. It is located in southern part of Caspian Sea. Mount Damavand has an elevation of 5670 meters and its summit shows a small volcano crater. It is the highest point in the Middle East and the highest volcano in Asia. Mount Damavand is described as being a strato-volcano meaning that it is built up from layers of volcanic rock. It stands in an area which has been volcanically active and it rises from the southern rim of a 9 km wide caldera which is especially a large crater formed, when a volcano collapses into itself. There are certainly no historical records of Damavand erupting and scientific evidence shows that its last eruption occurred in 5300 BC. There could be a temptation to describe it as a dormant volcano, but the summit of Mount Damavand does emit spurts of hot sulfurous gases known as fumaroles and at lower levels, hot springs emerge indicating volcanic activity fairly close to the surface.

Mount Damavand is the highest volcanic peak in the Middle East which is also a national heritage site and national symbol of resistance and has a significant place in Persian mythology. In the topographic map of Iran, the location of Mount Damavand is marked as Central Alborz, an area known for some other prominent peaks such as Alam-Kuh and Tochal. There are more than 16 routes for climbing Mount Damavand the most popular being the southern route. Iranian Mountain Federation Camp in Polour village near Damavand usually serves as the first base for the mountaineers. There are shelters in all of the major routes including Bargah Sevom Camp on the southern route, Takht-e Fereydoun on the northeastern route and Sīmorgh shelter on the western route which is adored by mountaineers for its exquisite sunset view. There are several hot water springs and fumaroles from which hot sulfur emits forth, reminding the people that this beast of a mountain has a heart of fire beneath its snowy facade. In the Iranian myth of origin, Damavand is cited as the kingdom of Keyumars, the first human being and lawgiver. Jamshid, the mightiest king of Iran’s mythical history flew from the zenith of Damavand in a chariot driven by the subdued demons. Zahhak, the most atrocious villain in Iranian legends was nailed to a wall in Damavand by the great hero Fereydun. Arash, the tragic hero, sacrificed his life in throwing an arrow from the peak of Damavand to expand the territory of Iranian Empire.

Persian leopard

2020/01/29/192 Comments/in Natural Attractions /by Iran Tourism

The Persian leopard is the last remaining Panthera species in Iran after the extinction of the Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica and the Caspian tiger Panthera tigris virgata. The leopard has therefore a unique importance for the ecological health of wide areas of natural ecosystems in the country and for the cultural heritage of Iran. The Persian leopard has been widely distributed in West, South and Central Asia since the times of the Pleistocene, but became extinct in some areas. Iran’s mountainous north is home to the greatest concentration of Persian leopards left on earth. Larger than their African cousins, Persian leopards once roamed far into the Caucasus Mountains in central Asia, including parts of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Now, only scattered populations of these big cats remain in those countries, often in isolated patches far removed from others of their kind. Iran is leopards’ best chance for survival. Expanding villages, encroaching livestock and busy highways destroy habitat and create hazards for such a wide-ranging predator. In recent years, a new indirect threat has emerged as well: economic sanctions.

Although Iran has an impressive number of parks and protected areas, herders sometimes graze their livestock in prohibited zones. When leopards occasionally kill vulnerable cows or sheep, the herders poison the carcasses to get rid of the offending predator. Cubs are born with their eyes closed, eventually opening after 4-5 days. Their fur is thicker than that of adult Persian leopards. Weaning occurs at 3 months, by which time they start following their mothers on hunting trips. They make it out of their juvenile year only around 50% of the time, as out of a litter of four, only two reach adulthood. Being obligate carnivores, they eat ungulates like roe deer, goitered gazelle, West Caucasian tur, mouflon, wild boar, and onager. However, they can adapt to changes in their diet, depending on food availability. They spend a solitary life, except during the mating season and when a female is raising her cubs. Individuals have well-pronounced territories marked by ground scraping, tree scratching, and urine spraying. These leopards roar and growl threateningly, a trait that they share with tigers, lions and jaguars. It is because a part of their voice box, is actually replaced with a ligament, enabling them to stretch it to have a bigger sound passage, resulting in a wider pitch range.

Persian Gazelle

2020/01/22/1 Comment/in Natural Attractions /by Iran Tourism

There are three species of gazelle in Iran, including Persian Gazelle, Jabir Gazelle and Mountain Gazelle. Persian Gazelle is the most abundant gazelle species in Iran; unfortunately, in 2008, it was added to the list of vulnerable and endangered animal species of IUCN. The species lives in 15 protected areas in Iran, among which Mouteh Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest populations of Persian Gazelle depending on natural ecosystems. Examining the cytochrome b region in a number of conserved areas of the species showed that all of them belong to a pure population of Persian Gazelle; however, the gazelles living in different habitats are significantly different from each other. Biometric studies on the skull indicated that the gazelles living in the Eastern and Western Zagros Mountains of Iran are distinct from each other.

Persian gazelle mostly feeds on plants with high protein content. Indian or Jabir gazelle is another species of gazelle living in Iran, which is considered as protected and endangered species in the country. Unfortunately, their species status has been so far controversial; thus, it has been not put on the IUCN list. However, there are strong morphological and molecular evidence suggesting that the animal belongs to the Jabir Gazelle species. This species is very similar to the Persian gazelle, but smaller in body size. It should be noted that three subspecies of Jabir gazelle have been identified in Iran. The Mountain gazelle is another species of Iran’s gazelles, which shows more specification in the body color than other species. The only habitat of this species is in the Faroor Island in the Persian Gulf. In general, the three valuable species of Iran’s gazelles are currently in need of need serious protection and support in order to prevent the extinction of such valuable biological resources and preserve them for future generations.

Persian Gazelle is larger than other species in Iran regarding body size, and the antlers are only seen in males. At present, the species lives sporadically in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, northern Tibet, southeastern Turkey, the Caucasus, Turkmenistan and some plains of Iran. It should be noted that the evidence and the taxidermied sample remained from Dasht-e Moghan gazelles indicate that the gazelles in the plain have been of the geographical races of this species.

Persian Cat

2020/01/18/232 Comments/in Other /by Iran Tourism

Persian World states that although the history of where this cat originated may be sketchy, breeding programs for Persians began in Italy and France as far back as the 16th Century. The breeding program advanced further and the development of the Persian as known today began in Great Britain. Persians were entered in the first cat shows in Great Britain in the 1800s, and they were a popular pet at the time. By the early 1900s, Americans began to import Persians into the United States. The Persian is usually a medium sized cat, although she is massive and heavily boned. With her masses of fur, she can appear larger than she really is. While there is no particular weight range the Persian should fall in, these cats should be full bodied and balanced. The Persian is an extreme-looking breed. The body is short, but thick with thick legs and a short, thick neck. The tail is short and the ears are small. The head is round with large, round eyes. When viewed in profile her face is flat and the nose changes direction so that what is seen is mostly the colored flesh on her nose.

The coat on a Persian is thick, full and long. It is fine, but should be lustrous and glossy. The ideal Persian coat has a fine texture and is long, thick and glossy. Variety is truly the spice of life when it comes to coat colors. This breed is divided into no less than seven separate coat color groups, with plenty of choices in each. You can find Persian cats in just about every solid color including black, blue, chocolate, red, lilac, cream and white. Most solid colors are accompanied by copper eyes, except for white Persians that either have copper, blue, or odd-eyes.

A Persian’s head is easily its most distinctive feature. It’s larger and generally rounder than that of the average cat, with large, round, wide-set eyes and a sweet expression. The ears are fairly small with rounded tips, and they should be set wide apart and tilted slightly forward. The cheeks are also quite round, and the short nose appears to be aligned with the eyes. Some Persian cats have the traditional “doll face” whereas others have a flatter face that is sometimes called “Peke face” because it’s like a Pekingese dog. The flat face Persians tend to be more popular at cat shows but also tend to have more health problems than doll face Persians.