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"When the heart of light in the dark dungeon shine heaven.
When thoughts of darkness - the light of the sun breed demons "1.
"Gold is a cold moon,
The smell of oleander and wallflowers,
Good to walk among the rest,
Blue and affectionate country ... "Esenin," Persian motifs "
I lay on the bed hotel Malok - o - Tojar `s YZDA, wearily - aimlessly staring at the ceiling. The open window came the singing of a drawn-distant mosque and the muezzin loud noise of voices at table in the patio. For the second day, as I have not slept. You could be mislaid right now, but the first impressions of the day, banishing sleep, forced to "turn the movie back" ...
nine-day trip to Iran in May, began in Tehran, in Tehran, and it must end ....
"Aeroflot" ancient and half-TU-154, making a semicircle over the night, bathed in lights of Tehran, landed at the international airport of Mehrabad "in the third hour of the night. The three border guards dragged on long mortal place almost simultaneously Grounded sides from Moscow, Vienna, London and Amsterdam. Hurry, I was absolutely nowhere: flight to Yazd as much in the 6-00 am. Soon I took both of the completed entry form and slapped a stamp in their passport on arrival.
I purchased the $ 300 per Riyal at 1 $ = 9100 Rials, getting his hands on a fat wad of money (the largest denomination - 20 000 rials), and immediately passed customs. No baggage is not a trace, not even translucent things, in principle, possible to take at least a case of vodka.
trekked, repeating "No, no, no, spasibo1" through the crowd of taxi drivers at the exit of the airport terminal, each of whom was eager now to take me in any direction for at least three-way fare, I sat on the stone edge of flower beds and began to patiently wait for five oclock in the morning. The Iranian time lagged behind the usual Moscow for 30 minutes, then wait for more than two hours.
In the trees desperately squeal whether birds, or bats. Tehran The night air was quite fresh and warm, slightly brighten up my dreary waiting.
Domestic terminal "Mehrabad" is from the iernational terminal in five minutes by taxi. It is a completely modern building, where it is easy to navigate, despite the crowd of passengers - so it is thought the device. Bus to the aircraft serving 20 minutes before departure. All flights within the country is no more than an hour and carried out mainly on Fokker - 100" - a convenient and comfortable aircraft.
Under the wing floated boundless desert, here and there rose the low, but clearly distinguishable from the height of sand dunes. After 50 minutes I have already explained in the tiny town airport YZDA, with the employee, how do I get to the hotel smarter "Malok - o - Tojar` s (hereafter I will give the names of objects in the original, that would not be screwed with translation and transcription) could only go away in a taxi for 20 - 30 thousand riyals. Organization of a taxi on a tiny, with a handkerchief, the square in front of the airport, which is more similar to the bus stop, is organized as follows: you come to a circular booth and say, sitting in her man want you object or address. If you do not know the price, you call it. I was invited to become generous 30 000 rials. In the end, agreed on a 20 000. Man from the booth beckons free taxi driver, hands him a sheet of paper with written address, where to go, you are giving money to travel inhabitant of the booth and forth they went. From the airport to the hotel, I rode for 15 minutes.
"Malok - o - Tojar` s (on the Internet I found several spellings of the name in Roman letters, how to - I do not know), many years ago based local merchant, it bears the same name and kept the spirit of antiquity , is quite clever: from the central street of the city at an angle of 90 degrees takes a very long corridor with a roof and a high arch. After passing on it for about ten minutes past the various doors and arches, of course, I passed by. A passing motorcyclist responded to a question, pointed at my mistake, he waved his hand behind his back on the seat: sit down, say, drive you, took me about fifty meters in the opposite direction, stopping in front of the arch in the wall of the corridor, over which was lined with blue mosaic phrase in farsi . Pers amicably patted me on the shoulder, then gave the gas and sped away. Diving into the arch and passing crooked corridor still twenty yards, I finally found the sought.
Reception playfully intimidated me by saying that there is no space. Licking his lips, I inquired: "In general, no?". "Yes, up to 14-00 hours ..., well, well, to 12-00 no" - relented this descendant of Darius. Doing nothing. Leaving things, I went into town to kill time. At the same time it was necessary to find an international phone call to the control in Moscow.
Yazd woke up. Watches showing a quarter past seven. After passing the shops are closed, I went out on the town square with a circular motion. Directly in front of me loomed the minarets of mosques unknown to me, right and left leaves a busy street, with many shops, retail shops and banks. Turn the in the neighborhood for two hours and popristavav passersby with questions, but did not find the phone, I returned to the hotel, deciding to pass the remaining time there. To my surprise, the room was ready. I settled into the room under the roof, where the cob was a narrow winding staircase.
Entrance to the room was more like the entrance to the dog kennel - he was so small and low, but within one person is quite roomy. Of the benefits of civilization, I found: two beds, spread with pure new silk underwear, a wardrobe in the hallway, telephone, TV, bathroom and a modern air conditioning. Hot water is heated by the gas column. In short, for an unpretentious and not too oversized traveler like me, more than enough. Also in the room had all the attributes to prayer: prayer rug and prayer beads. Having driven drowsy lethargy and a desire to lie down and sleep at least a couple of hours, taking cold showers and dressed, I went to visit the city.
Leaving the square with a circular motion, I went to the left, at random. City finally woke up. Stalls and shops are open, shops were heard from various "artisans" sounds: so recklessly cobbler hammering a nail into the base, thats a tinsmith shop comes screeching metal saws, now a blacksmith thoughtfully in the fire furnace heats a piece of iron, hemmed in ticks. Yazd - city of artists. On any street you will find dozens of small workshops: a tinsmith, a tailor, shoemaker, carpenter, grinder, and so on. The shop is usually only one master, and sometimes found the boy - a journeyman. Distributed bakeries, which bake thin lavash, which immediately and sell. Workshops alternate with vegetable stalls and most retail stores, which can be found in any small city of central Russia.
I reached the next town square, with a rectangular clock tower on top. Blue mosaic adorning all four sides of it. Street, leaving left, led me to the mosque YZDA Great Jameh mosque. Consider the mosque can be a lot of time, as the outside - a beautiful painting of a huge dome and minarets, as well as inside. Dome Great Jameh mosque can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. Even the front door of the mosque - a work of art. Inside the courtyard along the perimeter of the arch are connected to each other. Realizing that with my knowledge to try to understand all the subtleties and specifics of the architecture is difficult, and unnecessary, I finally relaxed and became simply to look at interior and a system of daylight. Thought literally everything, the building was almost exclusively organically, nor gravity, nor incomprehensible, "extra" parts. Perhaps, Great Jameh mosque - one of the most beautiful and largest mosques, I have seen in Iran.
No maps of the city, not with a guidebook, I was not, but I decided that Yazd is not so big city to get lost in it completely, so moved into the area of narrow streets among the brown mud houses with high walls. The sun was at its zenith, but the oppressive heat, yet not felt. Away from the main streets of the city, in the cool dim labyrinths, I felt quite comfortable. Earthen walls of houses surrounded tightly hindered navigate. A few minutes later, I almost lost all sense of direction and space, so unusual and peculiar old city. There was not a single soul. Suddenly, I went to an interesting place. High adobe structures with a round dome, rather impressive size. The Alexander Prison - was written on the tag. Prison? It is strange, seemingly nothing in common. I bought a ticket from an Iranian grandfather and ducked inside. Directly in The Alexander Prison is a small exhibition of paintings and pottery. By the way, the pottery is very common in Yazd, good clay in abundance. Observe the work of the potter, phlegmatic making pitchers with your own skilled hands and a circle with electric, I moved on.
Districts clay houses all stretched and stretched. Few scattered oases of stunted trees. Finally, focusing on the blue dome of a distant mosque, I went out to a wide road and urban fortress around it. The fortress had an impressive height of the walls and made was, of course, of clay.
The boys played football in the dust nearby, immediately gave it up, catching sight of me and dashed to get acquainted. Of course, except as: "Nello, mister! And my response: Salam!, On our friendship did not go.
For many Iranians during his travels often watched this feature: Iranian (taxi driver, shopkeeper, just a bystander), if you decide to go to him for help, nodding encouragingly and says that he speaks well in English. However, simple questions, like: "Karun Street - it left or right?" - Immediately puts him in a dead end and your partner, with a guilty expression on his face, after vainly trying anything to respond to you in the same language what was asked, would pass all the same to farsi. However, the consensus in the end usually is. With the use of mime, the familiar sounds and active gestures you will be given more - less than the right path, or give an acceptable solution. And: the Iranians often do not understand the traditional "Russia", when answering the question "Where are you from?", Often repeats, it is better to say to the local style: RUSSO, with the accent on first syllable.
Walking on Yazdu little difficult without some skill. For example, you are one of the streets and want to go to one of the interesting objects, good it is literally out of those houses and perfectly visible to you. It seems to be enough to go to the end of the alley and turn left, where I went out that old "Pecan", with the logo of the Mercedes on the bonnet and the plate Volvo on the trunk. Everything seemed logical and understandable, but when he reached the place where you thought, you can turn left, you will see with astonishment that there is no pass-through pass / no travel, and "Pecan" drove around the corner and parked close "muzzle" ; to deaf high wall. You, swearing, are forced to retreat back and look for other ways to the cherished goal. Sometimes the search for the road are quite a long time.
I walked around town before dark, having to see the old city water storage (very interesting and unusual in its construction equipment), a small city park, two big mosques in the yard of one of them, standing in front of a huge samovar water intended for washing of the feet and the urban market. The market is full of complete shops selling gold products, that there Ponte Vecchio in Florence! Other shops offer goods for sale to the Aboriginal people, so the tourist market (bazaar) YZDA little interest.
Once again I came to the mosque Great Jameh and looked at her in the dark with backlight.
After purchasing the store raisins, water and a big bottle of Iranian "yogurt (milk drink in polutoralitrovyh plastic bottles, lightly fermented and salty enough, something like mare), I went to the Internet - cafe, where a pair of letters sent friends that I was all fine and went to the hotel to sleep.
In Yazd, I planned to spend two days. However, the main attractions of the city I had seen before. Therefore, on the second day decided to go to Chuck, Chuck, in the Zoroastrian sanctuary, located hundreds of kilometers from YZDA. No buses kk not walk, you can only go by taxi or by private traders. At the reception, I quickly arranged to transport, and ten minutes later taxied to the hotel on personal
shiftworker Receptionist Hossain (he now had a day off). Before Chuck Chuck and back with my requested 350 000 rials. Having estimated that in exchange for this, not small by the standards of the amount of people here, I get high-quality air-conditioned car with English speaking driver nearly a full day, and, given that kk located at a respectable distance from YZDA I agreed. What did not regret later. As an added bonus, I asked Hossain to call on the road somewhere and eat camel kebabs.
On the track we got only fifteen minutes later, completely broken through the suburban road. I said, stronger uhvatyvayas the doorknob, his companion, that there is a Russian proverb: "In Russia, two misfortunes: fools and roads". The word "fools" I translated as fools. Hossein looked at me, then asked them what it is essence of this expression and that such fools? I explained - slowly, separately, in the process slightly corrected translation. Finally got the following: "In Russia, two problems: roads and stupid people." This option was not clear in all respects and talk about different vsyakostyah ensued. Hossain, a student. Studies at the University of YZDA, which is located far outside the city. Two days studying, then two days working port. His family has its own large house in the city and life, he said, in general, does not complain.
Outside stretched Martian landscape - the desert with a reddish - brown sand. On the horizon could be seen in the light morning mist the rocky mountains. Having done three quarters of the way, we turned onto a secondary road and headed for standing in front of a mountain ridge. Twenty minutes later we were at its foot. The car had to leave the bottom - on the passenger car to climb up it was absolutely impossible. The road up was not easy: you first need to overcome the remaining section of road, then climb the steep staircase with many steps. Out of breath, we approached the gates of the sanctuary, decorated with bronze and decorated with two male figures with spears, and in a long dress. On the door silently hung impartial castle. Hossain went to look for the superintendent. Meanwhile, I looked around. In kk annually, at a certain time of year, come to the current fans and Zoroastrians live here for two days, making the ritual worship of fire, before sunrise and before sunset. For them, here, at the foot of the mountains built a small two-story block house, where the Zoroastrians live during his pilgrimage.
Finally Hossain returned, saying that the superintendent is now fit. While waiting, my companion told the legend of Chak-chak: when Zoroastrians went persecution by the Arab conquerors - the Muslims, they were forced to flee, taking with them the sacred fire. Fugitives almost caught, but suddenly a rock that stands in their way, split in two, and they ran into the cave opened to them. Scala immediately converged back, cutting off his pursuers. It was retained by the sacred fire of Zoroaster (Zarathustra).
Below heard shuffling steps rising to our superintendent. It was a very old man of medium height, with faded eyes and dressed all in white. Opera key gates of the sanctuary, he let us inside. In the dimly-lit grotto cliff, in a niche hollowed out, lit the sacred fire. No, it does not meter flames, everything is much more modest: Imagine (simplified) sheet metal in the diamond-shaped, acute angle looking up. One flame of fire laid down in the corner of the top, the other two - symmetrically on each side. Flame is low, slightly above the flame. In the grotto, in the corner, where the sacred fire from above, somewhere in the depths of the rock, constantly dripping water, forming on the stone floor puddles and streams. Cap, cap - so thats dripping. Hence the name of the place: "chak-chak", or "Kap-kap" in Russian. For that to enter the sanctuary, you must remove your shoes and put on a round white cap, which you will be given and taken away at the exit. Photograph is not precluded. I left the superintendent in 2000 riyals, and we went outside.
Accommodation.
Transportation.
