Wine, poetry, music, art galleries and parties — the makings of great cities like New York, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires…and Shiraz, Iran? Yes, Iran’s most progressive, liberal city is host to all these things and more. (Some of the world’s earliest traces of vino were found in Iran, and Shiraz was the wine capital of Iran before the government outlawed alcohol nearly 30 years ago.) Thanks to the people I met, the culture they shared with me and the ancient sights that I saw, my intended four-day visit in the central Iranian city turned into a nine-day extravaganza. And actually, one post isn’t enough to cover everything I did. Here, I’ll focus on the friends who gave me great company — much needed since this was when I began to hit a bit of a wall — the parties they took me to and the food that filled my belly.

I’ve mentioned in passing how hospitable of a country Iran is, and if you don’t believe me, just check out the Lonely Planet Iran, which lists “Meet the People” as #1 on its list of top 16 experiences. Travelers are always stunned when they realize how little money they spend while traveling through Iran; it’s because locals constantly invite them to tea, meals and even into their homes to sleep. Of course the point isn’t to score free food and accommodation; the point is that Iranians can be so welcoming that they’ll invite you into their inner circles to make you feel at home and show you the real Iran.

Shiraz was no exception. I once again Couchsurfed — for two nights with this family who prepared a lavish meal for me…

Their son also took me to lunch at a traditional hotel.

…and seven days with a new friend whom I met indirectly through Couchsurfing. (While Couchsurfing in Hamadan, my host also hosted a Swiss traveler, who told me about this guy in Shiraz.) I was initially supposed to stay with him for two nights, but we got along so well that I actually canceled my bus twice to extend my stay. Thankfully, my friend was more than happy to have me. Over the course of the week, he shared some of his poetry with me, played the piano and guitar and took me to two mehmoonis, or parties. Yes, Iranians party! It was there that I met tons of other young locals, mostly musicians. We’d dance, smoke hookah, play music and eat, eat, eat.

They dressed me up like an old Iranian woman.

But it wouldn’t be backpacking if I weren’t sometimes left to my own devices to explore. So on another day, I took myself to Shiraz’s Bazar-e-Vakil, one of the best and most famous of the city’s many ancient markets. It houses more than 200 stores, which sell everything from carpets and clothes to spices and handicrafts.

This sweet shopkeeper asked me to print out a copy of this picture and bring it to him the next time I’m in Iran so he can hang it in his store.

Fruit shakes are wildly popular in Iran. Banana and milk shakes are found all over (below, center), but the carrot juice-ice cream concoction (second photo below), which I found just outside the bazar is particular to Shiraz. I wasn’t going to try it until my friend told me it was surprisingly tasty. He was right.

Next up, the ancient sites, modern art museums and Persian bathhouses that filled up the rest of my time in Shiraz.

Zanjan, known for its fantastic bazaar, knife-grinders and tea houses was the next stop on my journey through Iran. Zanjan was the first place I crashed at someone’s home in Iran — found through Couchsurfing — and got to sample some homecooking. From Zanjan, I visited nearby Oljeitu Mausoleum built for a sultan 600 years ago. In case you’re keeping track, at 80 feet in diameter and 160 feet high it’s the world’s tallest brick dome.

My hosts in Zanjan cooked Indian food for me one night since I had just traveled in India and they had lived there for many years.

Grand Oljeitu Mausoleum
One of many beautiful tea houses. As I mentioned, tea is like its own religion in Iran. This particular tea house is 400 years old.

From Zanjan, I made my way to Hamadan, which was once one of the ancient world’s greatest cities and is believed to be approximately 3,000 years old. It was tops on my itinerary for a lot of reasons. Not only were there a lot of cool historic sights, but the city itself is also beautiful and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. As has been the constant theme in Iran, I also made some good friends there who worked at a hip coffee shop, which became my hang-out spot when I just wanted to chill.

Hamadan

Original 3,000 year old walls of Hamadan

Had a multi-religion day and visited a 200-year-old church, Judaism’s Ester’s tomb and a golden mosque.

Also visited 2,500-year-old Ganjnameh — two cuneiform rock carvings from former Persian kings Xerxes and Darius to the Zoroastrian (Iran’s original religion before Islam came) god Ahura Mazda thanking him for making them very good kings.
Hooka’d it up and had some tea and nabat (sugar crystals) with my new friends after our visit to the Ganjnameh.

Barista friend and his delicious coffee ice cream drink concoction

Visited a friend’s bakery and had some fluffy, tasty komaj, a famous pastry in Hamadan.

Found wisdom in the park