"Life is a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most of all, experiences to enjoy..."
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| (Imam Khomeini Holy Shrine in Tehran) |
Day 02: Tuesday, 8 Mar 2016
Route: Tehran - Kerman
Distance: 986 km
Hotel: Tourist Hotel, Kerman
Our flight arrived in Tehran around 04.00 am in time for Subuh prayers. There was a make-shift open prayer hall and ablutions were done in the nearby wash rooms.
There was a long wait to settle our visas-on-entry and we had to purchase local insurance although we already have travel insurance.
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| (Arrival hall of Imam Khomeini International Airport) |
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| (The double-decker bus for the Tehran tour) |
Once we cleared Immigration and Customs checks, we were greeted by Mohamad, our local guide and boarded a double decker bus to Enghelab Hotel in Tehran for breakfast. During breakfast we changed USD300 into Iranian rials with the local agent with a promise that we could change back the balance of the rials to USD at the end of our stay in Iran at the same exchange rates.
After a hearty breakfast and freshened, we boarded the bus for the day tour to some of the historical sites in Tehran.
Imam Khomeini Holy Shrine, Tehran
The Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini houses the tomb of Ruhollah Khomeini and his family – his wife Khadijeh Saqafi and his second son Ahmad Khomeini – and some political figures like Hassan Habibi, Ali Sayad Shirazi, and Sadeq Tabatabaei. It is located to the south of Tehran in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.
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| (The complex is still under construction) |
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| (Picnic place around the complex) |
The place is still under construction, but when completed it will be the center piece in a complex spread over 5,000 acres housing a cultural and tourist center, a university for Islamic studies, a seminary and a shopping mall.
The site is used symbolically by government figures and a place of pilgrimage for followers of Ayatollah Khomeini.
After the visit we drove back to Enghelab Hotel for a late lunch and prayer break, then continued our day tour.
Museum of the Qasr Prison
It is formerly known as the Castle Prison and was one of the oldest political prisons in Iran. The former prison buildings and offices are turned into museum complex surrounded by a public park.
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| (The front facade of Qasr Prison) |
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| (A light air craft displayed outside the prison) |
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| (A brief history of the prison by the guide) |
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| (The main fighting arena of the prison) |
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| (A photo with the prison warden) |
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| (A typical prison cell) |
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| (Visiting the prisoners) |
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| (A prisoner's shredded body and soul) |
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| (The courtyard of the Qasr Prison) |
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| (A painting on the wall) |
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| (A poem written by a prisoner, displayed in the museum) |
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| (An interesting display in the prison museum) |
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| (Paisley designs on the wall) |
Jewelry Museum, Tehran
The Imperial crown jewels of Iran also known as the Imperial crown jewels of Persia include elaborate crowns, thirty tiaras, and numerous aigrettes, a dozen bejeweled swords and shields, a number of unset precious gems, numerous plates and other dining services cast in precious metals and encrusted with gems, and several other more unusual items such as a large golden globe with the oceans made of emeralds collected by the Iranian monarchy.
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| (The ticket to the museum) |
The collection is housed at The Treasury of National Jewels situated inside the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Photography was prohibited outside and inside the museum.
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| (The busy streets littered with yellow and green cabs) |
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| (Murals on the wall) |
By 4.30 pm we boarded the bus to the Mehrabab International Airport for our domestic flight.
Our onward Iran Air flight W5 THR/KER departed at 06.20 pm and arrived in Kerman around 08.00 pm. Mr. Mohamad flew with us to Kerman and the group was met by Mr. Hussein, another local tour guide who will be with us throughout our journey in Iran.
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| (Boarding the domestic flight to Kerman) |
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