Travel to Iran: Zoroastrian Sites

Kerman. The new Zoroastrian temple, outside view

Kerman - new Zoroastrian temple

Kerman - new Zoroastrian temple, inside

Kerman - Shah.Verahram.Izad, old kitchen

Kerman - Inside Shah.Verahram.Izad

Kerman - Old Zoroastrian temple, inside

Kerman - Zoroastrian-temple entrance

Kerman - Old Zoroastrian temple

Kerman - "Atashgah" street

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Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. View at night

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Story of the Peer: In the name of God. As it appears in historical and religious documents, as well as the legends passed amongst generations, during the reign of Yazdgerd the Third - the last Sassanid king - due to the continual destabilization of Iran, Yazdgerd thought to migrate his dynasty from Madaen to Yazd which was considered a relatively safe location. According to his orders, a city complete with all the protective measures of the day (including a moat, towers, and a perimeter fence) was created and his dynasty was migrated to that location; it is possible that the name Yazd is reminiscent of Yazdgerd and the remains of this ancient fort and moat could be in the old neighborhood of Yazaran. [translation incomplete]

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. A small group chatting on the opposing hill

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. On the way out...

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Crowds inside the shrine

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. And crowds inside the shrine

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Even more crowds outside the shrine

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. The small alley ways were now packed

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Children's group prayer

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Still more people kept on coming

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Crowd starting to build up during the main pilgrimage evening

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Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Mobile tower inauguration ceremony

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Religious ceremony inside the shrine

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Zoroastrian priest during the inauguration ceremony

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Actual inauguration ceremony

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Another peek at the mobile-site equipment. I figured I would never get a chance to see the cell-site equipment from this close. To my surprise, there wasn't much to it...

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. A peek at the mobile-site equipment after the inauguration ceremony

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Kourosh, showing off his cell-phone in front of the cell-phone tower, before the inauguration ceremony

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. A closer view of the mobile-phone tower.

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Another view from our sleeping quarters. Note the recently-installed mobile phone tower on the bottom left-hand corner.

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Panoramic view from our sleeping quarters

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Thank goodness for the makeshift equipment-rental room

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage

It is difficult for me to correctly describe in words the feeling of being in the presence of a force – the force of belief and tradition - which in one or two night draws some four or five thousand people to a location which throughout the rest of the year hosts at most 10 people a day. The mixture of spirituality along with the sense of freedom from the normal governing rules create an air of jubilation which I dare say is impossible to recreate in the Western world.

Strangely, it was in a place like this where I missed my friends the most, as I was more of an observer than a participant. This feeling of unanimous joy and unity was one which I had not felt for many years – one which I sincerely hope to share with my friends from the U.S. in the coming years, or at least partially through these pictures.