This is the next instalment of my travelling impressions from our trip to the west of Iran in June. One more to go!
On Wednesday 16 June after lunch we left Hamadan. About 95 km from Hamadan lie the remains of an ancient temple: sources are at a variance whether it was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis or to Anahita, the ancient Persian goddess of water. Investigations indicate that it dates from late Seleucid/early Parthian times.
Driving westwards, an immense rockface is visible through the wide plains from tens of kilometres away. The modern road follows the trail of the Achemenid Royal Road which ran from what is now western Turkey across the Zagros mountain range, Hamadan (or ancient Ecbatana) and then turned southwards to the imperial capital Susa. The Bisotun rockface is a UNESCO listed world heritage site and carries stone reliefs recording Darius’ victories. The almost perpendicular rockface must have functioned as a huge billboard, proclaiming the glory of the Achemenids to the world and, it is assumed, to Alexander the Great. I climbed up until the Hercules statue, carved in 148 BCE and carrying an inscription on Greek, until I sprained my foot and that was the end of my climbing ambitions. I had to satisfy myself with the descriptions of the carving provided by brave daughter and husband who climbed up to the relief.
We arrived at Kermanshah at about 8 pm, and visited the Taq Bustan complex, located in the old hunting grounds of Sassanid kings. In celebration of the glories of their reigns, two grottoes or arcades are carved on the rockface, depicting the Tree of Life, the goddess Anahita and a Sassanid king, whose identity is uncertain. The complex also contains a pool with paddling boats and is surrounded by traditional kebab cafes.
Time was getting on, so we left Taq Bustan at about 9.30 pm to look for a hotel room, and then, once again as in Hamadan, because we did not have any identification that showed we are related, we had to visit the branch of the local police responsible for public places. We stopped at a garage to ask for directions to this place. When the mechanic heard what our problem was, he invited us to stay in his house. “This is no empty formality,” he said, “like the Tehranis do. Really, by God, if you don’t find a room or you don’t get the document, you are more than welcome to stay the night.” We thanked him and went on our way.
After chatting with the two young officers on duty, we got the coveted document that would allow us to check into our hotel room.
