The hometown of Shams-i Tabrizi, the student of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, whose many books you have read and whose aphorisms you know, the city where the Silk Road passes, the hometown of Shahriar, one of the most important poets of Iran; Tabriz. Although the city lost many historical monuments as a result of the major earthquakes it experienced, it is trying to regain them. At night, I crossed into Iranian territory from the Gürbulak border gate in Doğubayazıt. The border is open 24 hours a day, I did not encounter any difficulties from the Iranian police at the gate, on the contrary, they always had a smiling face and looked at my backpack gently. As soon as I leave the door, the walking foreign exchange dealers approach you saying “There’s Tyumen – Dollar, bro.” My advice is to exchange a small amount of your money, because there is a slight exchange rate difference between foreign exchange offices. Since I missed the last bus from Maku, I did not want to stay in the town at night, so I agreed to take a taxi for 100,000 Tomans (68 TL) and arrived in Tabriz with a 3-hour journey. To rest, I went to Hotel Mashed, which I had planned before. I paid 70,000 Tomans (48 TL) for two nights at the hotel. The hotel is not bad, but it is enough for sleep 🙂 After a good night’s sleep, I wake up to the first day in Iran… My favorite time to start the day well is; Breakfast time: ) The menu is superb, after a small snack with bread (lavash), boiled eggs, tomatoes, boiled potatoes and tea menu for 2,800 Tümen (2 TL) at the fast food restaurant at the entrance of the Grand Bazaar, my first stop is the Tabriz Grand Bazaar (Muzafferiye). In 2011, it was included in the UNESCO List of Historical Monuments with the title of “the world’s largest covered bazaar”. It is said to cover an area of ​​approximately 1 square kilometer. Grand Bazaar; It consists of arastas, small bazaars, palaces, shops, corridors, mosques and baths. Muzafferiye Bazaar, with its large dome, is a beauty worth seeing. You need to spare 1 hour to visit this market. Grand Bazaar; It consists of Emir and Georgian Bazaar, Emir Arasta, Muzafferiye Bazaar, Keffaşan (Shoemakers’ Bazaar) and Haremhae Bazaar, Rasta Bazar and Masgeran (Coppersmiths’ Bazaar). After the tour here, next is Ark-ı Tabriz (Tabriz Castle) on Imam Khomeini Street. In the past, people sentenced to death were thrown from the walls of the castle, of which only the front walls and entrance gate remain standing. While I was going to the Azerbaijan Museum, which is on the street from here, I got lost and stopped an Iranian woman to ask her for directions (I didn’t think twice before asking, in fact, in my research before coming to the country, everyone said things like “don’t make eye contact with women!”). Even though I remembered this, I didn’t ask for directions. I asked: ) Thanks to the lady whose name I learned was Nefiseh, she was kind and took me to the Azerbaijan Museum. Entrance to the museum costs 5,000 Tomans (3.5 TL). The museum is truly excellent, the skeletons of two lovers lying side by side in the large tomb at the entrance are impressive. The reliefs and sculptures on the lower floor of the museum are worth seeing, especially the Lao Tzu Statue is a must-see. On the top floor, there are large Tabriz carpets and old historical coins. When my guide Nefiseh, who is Iranian but of Turkish origin, wanted to show me around Tabriz, I accepted without hesitation because it would save me time if someone who knew the city showed me around. From here, we visited the nearby Tabriz City Hall, Clock Tower and Iron Age Museum. We started walking to see the Gök Masjid Blue Mosque, which is 5 minutes away from here. While I was on the road, I couldn’t help but ask about their headscarves. Because the scarf they wore on their heads was far behind their hair, I felt like it was being covered by force. Nefiseh’s short and clear answer, “I would wear my headscarf today of my own free will, if there was no force, it doesn’t mean anything to me,” helped me understand many thoughts. Because when I look at the faces of Iranian women, I can understand that the shawls they wear on their heads are forced after a lot of make-up and the nose surgery that I have seen so many times. It is an incredible feeling to get lost among the columns in the garden of Gök Masjid. Its architecture truly shows its grandeur. Gök Masjid (Blue Mosque) also known as Masjid-i Kabud in Persian; This mosque, built by Cihan Shah, the ruler of the Karakoyunlus, in 870, is worth seeing. Be sure to add it to your program when you come to Tabriz. It is impressive that the building is built entirely of bricks and with blue tiles on the outside. The interior of the mosque is currently undergoing renovations. When entering Gök Masjid, you pay 10,000 Tümen (7 TL) for the ticket. From here we visit Khagani Park, which is in the next garden. Khagani is a famous Azerbaijani poet who lived in the 12th century. Tabriz is the most important city of East Azerbaijan Province, one of the largest provinces of Iran. There are not many languages ​​spoken in the city other than Azeri Turkish, and it is the common wish of everyone that they want them to be accepted as Azeri Turks, to keep their culture alive, and to have Azeri Turkish taught in their schools. After visiting this place, we went to see the house of the poet Shahriyar, who was born in Tabriz and is loved by Iranians. Shahriyar’s house has been turned into a museum, and the items he used until his death are exhibited. Entrance to the museum is free. After a short visit here, I stopped by Azad Döner on Imam Khomeini Street to eat. I learned that his master had been trained in doner kebab for a long time in Turkey, it is definitely no different from our meat doner. Doner meat with bread and soft drinks 8,000 Tomans (5.5 TL). In the evening, we met with Shahram at the Clock Square. Shahram is a friend who speaks Turkish very well and travels between Türkiye and Iran. Thanks to him, he gave me all the detailed information about the country before he arrived and we exchanged ideas for the convenience of my program. We took a taxi and went to Abresan. Minibus taxi costs 1,500 Tomans (1 TL) per person. From Abresan, we changed taxi again and came to El Lake (Shah Lake) and Park. It is a wonderful park where people can breathe easy and walk, surrounded by magnificent greenery. There is a restaurant inside the lake. You can also have a pleasant time on the lake with a pedalo. Although Iran has dry lands, it is impossible not to be impressed when you see the importance they give to parks and greenery. My program for tomorrow; After waking up in the morning, go to Kandovan Village, which resembles Cappadocia in our country with the shape of fairy chimneys. In the morning, I had a snack of omelette and tea at a breakfast shop around the Grand Bazaar. Breakfast 3500 Tomans (2.5 TL). By the way, in Iran, omelette is menemen for us, I want you to be prepared to smile when you see it 🙂 There are two alternatives to go from Tabriz to Kandovan, the first one is a 60-minute journey by minibuses, minibus to Osku costs 1,500 Tomans (1 TL) per person, and from there, taxi. A taxi to Kandovan Village costs 7,000 Tomans, or you can take a direct taxi from Tabriz in 45 minutes. After long negotiations with the taxi, we agreed on 40,000 Tomans (27.50 TL), with the taxi waiting for me in the village for 2 hours. They charge 2,000 Tomens (1.35 TL) for each vehicle to enter the village. 🙂 Kandovan Village resembles a village built on a slope made of volcanic rocks. The only difference with Cappadocia is the people living in the rocks here. As far as I have learned, people will be evacuated from there in a short time and more importance will be given to tourism. Actually good idea. As you climb towards the volcanic rocks, you get a strong smell… But Kandovan Village is definitely a must-see when you come to Iran. Since the return from Kandovan was in the afternoon, we did not waste any time and visited the Makberetüş Şuara (Poets Monument) located in the large park on Tabriz Sakaül İslam Street. Shahriar’s tomb and museum are also located here. Iran has had many poets from Tabriz; Shahriyar, Esedi-i Tusi, Katran-ı Tebriz, Hümam-ı Tebrizi, Feleki Şirvani are the pride of the city and its most well-known poets. I recommend that you do not miss the Poets Monument when you come to Tabriz. From here we walked up to Eynali Mountain, where we could see the city better. You will see dozens of people, young and old, men and women, climbing the mountain. It is obvious that Iranians love mountaineering:) I travel to Tehran by bus at 23.30 at night, my journey will take about 6 hours and cost 19,000 Tomans (13 TL). Buses in Iran are very affordable. I recommend that you travel by bus with Ham Safar, Seiro Safar and Pmt companies. These companies provide VIP service and their seats are very wide and reclining. Before you set off on the bus, you are given a snack in a box and afterwards the water is self-service because there is no assistant on the bus. For your information: ) Tabriz; It is a beautiful city close to our culture, trying to develop and keep its historical values ​​alive. Traffic in the city is irregular but fluid, and underground and aboveground metro works are continuing to meet the transportation needs of the city. Almost the only language people speak; “Azeri Turkish”. People are very kind and when they feel that you are Turkish, they do their best to help you. You can find “walk-in money exchange dealers” in corners of banks and near exchange offices where you can exchange your money into Iranian Rials (actually known as tomans); My suggestion is to use exchange offices. I recommend using yellow taxis in the city and be sure to bargain; if the cost of your destination is 3,000 Tomans, they directly ask for 7,000-8,000 Tomans. There are many varieties of food you can eat. The fact that Tabriz is the only city without beggars in the country really impressed me. If you want to see Iran, I recommend you start from Tabriz. The best route; is to explore the country from north to south. For other articles on my blog, you can visit www.gezgininayakizleri.com. Mavimore Turizm is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307