tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80489532024-03-27T23:54:00.302+00:00Radio ShakMy crap, all in one place.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.comBlogger394125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-47606989179787529322024-03-03T18:00:00.032+00:002024-03-10T13:09:26.213+00:00Film: Dune: Part Two<p>I have two opinions, possibly related, about Dune: Part Two. Firstly on the superficial level it was an okay film. I enjoyed what I saw, thought it was faithful enough to the book (despite accusations of Islam-erasing - but more on that later), but hardly a classic that I felt the need to ever watch again.</p><p>The acting was fine, the writing fine, and the direction... fine. Some of the action was good, if a bit fleeting. So, so far so medium and as it stood it would have gotten a recommendation.</p><p>However dig a little deeper and a more insidious and problematic layer can be found. Ultimately this movie is about white-saviourism, religious fundamentalism and its exploitation, and any attempt at not making it about contemporary issues falls pretty flat on its face.</p><p>Perhaps still a recommendation then, but with the caveat that you should go with your critical eyes open and not fall for the romanticism and reduction of the subject matter.<br /></p>Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-20241451033936345132023-06-28T23:30:00.046+01:002023-07-27T12:16:52.895+01:00Eid in Edmonton<p>The main reason for timing of this trip was to celebrate Eid.</p><p>Eids in London tend to be quiet affairs for us, so we were looking forward to spending it with such a big local community, both throughout the day and during organised gatherings like the Eid salaat (which was wonderfully efficient and took around 30 mins) and the community party at a banquet hall (arranged for 100 heads).</p><p>It all paid off, and we finally got to see what a busy and varying "all-day" Eid could be like. The party had the double benefit of allowing us to greet our extended family in one place. A bonus was that others from outside Edmonton had also chosen this period to visit, giving the whole time more of a party vibe.<br /></p><p>Given many of us would be together, we also set today for our game of "Don't Get Got" which kept us on our toes throughout, and even managed a couple of games of Clocktower late into the night.</p><p>It was a good time and very dossy... although at times overwhelming as it stretched my social battery.<br /></p>Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-28095093152810284422022-12-18T21:00:00.050+00:002022-12-26T17:30:46.096+00:00Umrah 2022<p>Every time I visit the holy cities I convince myself it'll be my last.</p><p>Each time the reasons vary, but it almost always has to do with the change. In that sense having been blessed to have visited as frequently as I have can be a bit of a curse. That said, I do think part of the problem is how precious some can get about visiting.</p><p>It's becoming a bit of a Disneyland. Pilgrims on Facebook or Instagram live while on their tawafs, expert dua poses for the hero selfies. Dawdling and gossiping to whittle away the time. It's not as much sad as frustrating.</p><p>The four-plus-four days were just about enough for me, although one of the days in Makkah was spent visiting Taif - a first for us with our shiny new tourist visas (spoiler: it wasn't worth the wait, but at least it let us do another Umrah). We are still yet to use the inter city train - the maths just don't work for us once you consider the numbers and convenience of door to door service.</p><p>The post COVID crowd management is a mixed blessing. Makkah seems artificially busy, with only pilgrims (or technically those dressed as pilgrims) were allowed into the mataaf. Madinah did it right though - finally introducing a queue for salutations to the Prophet and a quite nifty and well organised booking system for a slot in the Riaz ul Jannah<em>.</em></p><p><em></em>We managed to do everything we wanted to this trip, although for us that doesn't mean much. As a bonus we had a World Cup to watch during the evenings which was fun - particularly as a well supported Morocco over-performed. Flying Qatar Airways back ensured we watched the final in the air which was a sweet bonus.</p><p>So yeah, a pretty standard trip and optimised to the hilt. I can of course imagine going back as the frustration is forgotten, but I suspect the key is to go for even shorter periods of time and get out before it all becomes too much.<br /></p>Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-29172292664211806272022-03-01T16:57:00.043+00:002022-03-01T16:57:00.263+00:00Twenty Years of Jummah<p>I can't exactly remember when, but there came a point in sixth form (so aged around 16-17) where I fell into an almost obsessive pattern to attend Jummah, the weekly Friday congregational prayer that Muslims are strongly encouraged to attend. Now, I'd be the first to say that however strong the recommendation is, it's not a matter of life or death, and no one will go to hell for missing a week. It was just one of those streaks which, as it got longer, became harder to break.</p><p>I managed to keep it up all through my academic studies, and past my graduation in the autumn of 2001. That five year (or so) streak was already pretty decent, so it was upsetting when it finally broke - ironically because my flight to Saudi for Hajj was leaving just after noon on a Friday. If there was ever a reason, that was probably it, although in hindsight I think it would have been more than possible to arrange an ad-hoc congregation at the gate or whatever. The following week's Jummah was also missed, as we were in transit to Arafat. That wasn't too bad as my streak was technically zero anyway.</p><p>Despite having to start again, my zeal to attend Jummah hadn't diminished - if anything it had gotten stronger. And so it started again, the first Friday after Arafat, which by my calculations fell on the 1st of March. Praise be to God and with his help, I have been able to attend Jummah every week since.</p><p>That's not to say it hasn't been precarious. Multi-night hospitalisations came and went, mercifully falling between Fridays. Most recently, COVID lockdowns had been a massive scare, mitigated only by kind neighbours humouring me with socially distanced prayers and blessedly dry weather. Its probably the closest I've come to having this streak broken.<br /></p><p>The most consistent inconsistency however has been during travel. Two which spring to mind are during a skiing trip to Courchevel and a week away in Santorini. The former was simply done DIY, as there were enough on the trip to make a congregation. The latter was a little more tricky as there were only two interested parties on the trip - however after making friends with a dodgy DVD street selling Afghani, we managed to whip up a posse, proving once again how doors will be opened for you if you search them out.</p><p>It's not just academic stubbornness that drives me to seek out Jummah. Meeting fellow Muslims itself is a culturally valuable exercise - particularly abroad. Seoul, Ambodifototra (on the island of Nosy Boraha, off the coast of Madagascar main), Bali, Phnom Penh and Arequipa are all congregations that I have very fond and exciting memories of - some have been practical too when I had been lucky enough to have been fed on multiple occasions, usually in the places where Muslims made a tiny minority. Isfahan gave me the opportunity to join a state congregation in majority Shia Iran. The mosque in Rio was found at the end of a massive mystery. Warsaw and Split were both tiny self-conscious affairs, Las Vegas hilarious just for the contrast.</p><p>There's plenty more, from China, to the obvious picks in the Middle East and even those more vanilla ones in Pakistan (both Karachi and further afield) and here in the UK. An awareness of Jummah and it's facilitation is now an embedded part of any planning process I have, regardless of the scope - amusingly I will only visit the Galapogas and other far flung islands in a troupe of other Muslims, only to ensure I have a congregation on tap. If anyone is interested, let me know.<br /></p><p>So yes, twenty years and over 400 Jummahs later I'm left wondering what the future holds. A part of me was aiming to relax a bit and stop counting after hitting such an arbitrary landmark, but I already know that's not going to happen.</p><p>Of course ultimately every opportunity to offer Jummah is a blessing, and those are for which I give thanks rather than take credit. I can only pray that those blessings continue till the end.<br /></p>Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-5037311190623221462019-10-04T23:30:00.000+01:002020-04-02T15:48:43.268+01:00Lisbon, Day Four: Jummah, Trams and TartsAs usual, the day being Jummah meant we had a focal point to build the day around. We found the mosque quite early, so we took the opportunity to to visit the nearby Parque Eduardo VII - a splendid way to kill some time while waiting for prayers.<br />
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After lunch at the mosque we headed back to Martim Moniz to catch the famous tram 28. Except after seeing the queue we decided to go with the circular 12 instead, which had the added benefit of keeping us within the vicinity of home.<br />
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All that was left for us was to enjoy some tea and pasteis de nata on the square in the sun, in anticipation of our taxis back to the airport. Which brings me to my final hot tip for Lisbon: that terminal 2 is an absolute dive.<br />
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Overall I was pleasantly surprised by Lisbon. The place is accessible, cheap and provides enough to remain interesting over a small number of days. It reminds me of a small but closer Istanbul in fact, providing just the right framework to have a stay that allows you to do pretty much whatever you want.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-72635511688197162782018-12-03T13:00:00.000+00:002019-04-15T16:43:16.245+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Fourteen: SignsIn what seemed like an apt sign telling me to go home, I got asked for ID by who appeared to be immigration control on the way back from my farewell tawaf. Another first for me, and I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted by the approach.<br />
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And just like that another Umrah trip comes to an end. Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-17657550914832335172018-12-02T23:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T16:40:24.589+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Thirteen: A Ziyarat After AllWe spent our last night in Makkah (and Saudi) doing a ziyarat of sorts - to the local shops. Still, this did mean getting to see the less developed areas of Makkah and it served as poignant reminder of what the Haram zone used to look like before the rapid and fancy development took place. Just imagine: we used to rent rooms of private residences that used to be across the road from the holiest site in Islam. It's hard to imagine that now.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-32277706345852949552018-12-01T23:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T16:37:03.599+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Twelve: TimekeepingBecause this is me, I was keeping a fairly accurate record of how long certain rituals were taking me to complete. So in the interests of accurate record keeping, here are my highs and lows for completing a tawaf.<br />
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The fastest took 15 minutes, performed at around 915am.<br />
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The slowest took 49 minutes, and was a stroll between Maghrib and Esha on the first floor.<br />
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Just for comparison in the "good old days" a tawaf took a matter of minutes to complete. We're talking 4-5 minutes. Therefore multiple consecutive tawafs were not unheard of.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-18774591842092717152018-11-30T23:00:00.000+00:002019-04-15T16:30:59.070+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Eleven: ToleranceWe've reached the point of the trip where my ability to tolerate is running thin. If you smell like you've not has a shower for a few days, then I'm going to move away. If your cough sounds infectious, then I'm going to move away. If your beautiful but loud and distracting Quran recitation is obnoxiously stopping me from reading my own, then I'm going to move away.<br />
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Of course the problem here is that you'll find these annoyances in every corner of the mosque. In short... it's time for me to go home. After all, there's only so much space in the Haram to hide from the great unwashed.<br />
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On the other hand my photobomb game is strong. Selfies and videocalls be damned.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-16968682112638342442018-11-29T23:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T16:30:12.058+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Ten: A Lack of ZiyaratI just realised that we skipped any ziyarat in Madinah and will probably skip it here in Makkah too.<br />
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Missing out on Masjid Quba is unfortunate but I don't feel that we missed out on any of the others.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-36973140770888831262018-11-28T23:00:00.001+00:002019-04-15T16:28:56.598+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Nine: More MaldiviansLooking at demographics, there does seem to be many more Maldivians visiting than I've noticed before. Many complain about the development/numbers management going on in the two holy cities but if it makes it more accessible for those who wouldn't even consider the idea of visiting then I'm all for it. And hey, if you really want to come multiple times a year you can always pay the penalty anyway.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-65960196530247060452018-11-27T23:00:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:56:24.621+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Eight: KoshariToday we discovered Koshari, the Egyptian street food. It's cheap, clean, vegetarian and tasted decent enough.<br />
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I'm not sure if it's a new addition to the Saudi fast food scene or if it was just dismissed by us previously, but thanks to our new friends we have been introduced to what I can honestly see as our staple going forward. Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-45929253316859640902018-11-26T22:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:45:55.396+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Seven: More ChangesAnother (perhaps more welcome) change: I don't notice as many designer hijabs anymore and yet I'm not sure when the fad was finally killed off. Gone are the days when you'd see Louis Vuitton and Gucci embossed headscarves, and it's a good example of how not all changes are for the worse.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-68875446916904659982018-11-25T23:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:43:03.424+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Six: ExpansionsToday I completed what might have been my fifteenth Umrah.<br />
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No place in my travels changes so much on a visit by visit basis than Makkah does. For example the clocktower is now ten years old, yet memories of its building are still vivid. It also broke my heart when the public access to the Zamzam pump was taken away.<br />
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The more recent work being done is in the Mataaf, with us witnessing its various inconvenient states during at least the last two visits. However now that the work is more or less structurally complete the value is clear and it's a pretty good job. The main casualty is that the direct walk from the main gates to the Kaba is now but a memory. That makes me sad as no matter how needed it is, its yet another reduction in intimacy.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-71612348324016169572018-11-24T23:00:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:33:43.166+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Five: OptimisationIt's always fun to see the novel ways pilgrims express their devotion to their belief. From Zamzam acquisition to finding the perfect place to pray everyone has their own little strategies and tricks. It's only a matter of time before they learn how to siphon Zamzam from the water buckets. <br />
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One habit we picked up during this stay is to get into the Green Dome hall for a congregation (easy enough if you either wait for the Riadhul Jannah partitions to come down or if you use the Abu Bakr Siddiq Gate early). After congregational (as well as any janazah) prayers have concluded you should easily be able to send your salutations to The Prophet with ease while the organisers busy themselves with setting up the cordons for the Riadhul Jannah again.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-11713824194262972852018-11-24T00:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:22:33.166+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Four: Well, That Didn't Last LongIt seems that my FOMO is strong, as we subjected ourselves to a 90 minutes queue for the Riadhul Jannah. Of course it would be criminal to say that it wasn't worth it, but at least I completed a juz of the Quran while I was waiting.<br />
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My personal lack of discipline aside it does seem like the mosque authorities are doing a good job with crowd management. Aside from minor "devotional" pushing and shoving the queuing system (which was usually established between prayers) was well organised and a generous amount of time was given to those who participated.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-10725418073764226712018-11-22T22:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:17:04.501+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Three: Here Comes The RainAnother first for me I think: rain in Madinah. A blessing, of course.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-24164278119302476592018-11-21T23:30:00.000+00:002019-04-15T15:14:10.018+01:00Umrah 2019, Day Two: The Fast TrackContinuing on from yesterday's theme, I seem to have successfully let go of some of the things which I've previously had the opportunity to do under more ideal (read: less busy) conditions. These are things that not only seem just plain too difficult (if not impossible) now, but could even be seen as me taking away the chance for someone else to do the same[1]. <br />
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In the case of the mosque here in Madinah, we've had chances to pray in the Riadhul Jannah a fair few times with no contention - these were the times when a congregation wouldn't even be big enough to fill up the green dome part of the complex. Similarly I fondly remember being able to pass by the resting place of The Prophet in comfort as a family (ie with both of my parents) and spending as much time as we liked there. It's safe to say that those days are now over.<br />
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So spiritually there seems less profit in queuing up in the mad rush for the Riadhul Jannah and the immediate opportunity afterwards to pass salaam to our Prophet within an arms distance, when we could instead just stick to the much more effective and pleasurable fast track just 2-3m away instead. So my tip of the day is to just head to the Salaam Gate and pass your salutations in comfort and peace.<br />
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A part of me laments probably never being able to do these particulars again, but it's also liberating and perhaps even more pure of thought and intent to let go of ritual practice and find comfort in the, perhaps more genuine, pragmatic. And of course I'm ever thankful for being in the position where these things can even be considered optional to do.<br />
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[1] Disingenuous, I know.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-51829960834982609962018-11-20T23:00:00.000+00:002019-04-15T14:54:53.185+01:00Umrah 2019, Day One: So Many FliesI don't think I've ever seen so many flies during a stay here. We've been told that it's seasonal but I can't recall that so perhaps I've just simply not visited the holy lands this late in November.<br />
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Madinah-then-Makkah seems to be our preferred itinerary now, which implies a single Umrah (as we don't subscribe to the whole Masjid Aisha thing). I think I'm okay with that considering the opportunities I've previously been blessed with (this is perhaps my seventh or eight visit and my Umrah count should hit around 15 or so). That said, the 1:30am flight from Jeddah to Madinah was a killer, even though it did mean getting settled in in time for the Fajr congregation.<br />
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I've written before that I'm no longer surprised by meeting people I know while travelling. Umrah especially: I can't remember a trip where I've not randomly bumped into people I already know. That's sort of a miracle in itself considering the scale of the place.<br />
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This trip was no different as we met and became acquainted with the cousin of a friend. Not only that but it turns out we're also travelling to Makkah on the same day where we'll be staying in the same hotel. I should be surprised... but I'm not.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-43677706176550492392018-10-17T01:00:00.000+01:002019-04-14T20:07:48.854+01:00Turkey-Iran, Day Twenty-Two: From Mashhad To TehranI aborted my plan to catch up on some well earned sleep while my friend revisited the shrine for another pilgrimage, and instead followed in his footsteps - except instead of heading to the shrine itself I diverted to the museums enclosed in the complex. It was a decent enough way to spend some time and definitely value for money. It was also the most eclectic collection of items I've had the pleasure of visiting, one which consisted of curios like coins and stamps, to historical religious items (including some of the previous shrines used for Imam Reza), to archaeological pottery and sport and nuclear propaganda and more typical fine art - it even had a sea life exhibit. The effort and love put into the collection was admirable, but I couldn't help but think what it would have been like with the right resources to back it.<br />
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After bidding farewell to the shrine and its complex for the last time, I swung by the Bazaar Reza, whose unique selling point was its layout - a single 800m stretch of shops and stalls that you can't help but walk the length of.<br />
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And with that, our time in Mashhad had come to an end. Less than 24 hours after we had landed, we were back at the airport to catch our flight to Tehran.<br />
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The whole risk with the Mashhad plan was sacrificing our time in Tehran - it meant that we had no nights to spend there and since we were landing around 2pm pretty much just half a day to explore the capital. That said, our flight was late that night (or more correctly, early the next day), and after checking out the things we wanted to do in deciding the Mashhad plan we were confident we would cover the main things. Truthfully though I suspect we were well travelled out and by that point didn't really mind missing out on a few things at this point of the trip - especially after the win that was Mashhad.<br />
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The first casualty of our ambitious schedule was Golestan Palace, which had already admitted its last entries five minutes before we reached there. The Grand Bazaar was a bit of a washout too, and not a patch on those we had seen during our travels. At this point we were struggling a bit to fill the day - lest our time in Tehran become a glorified transit.<br />
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We decided to check out the Milad Tower and reached there just as the sun was going down. The view was just about worth it, with our birds-eye view confirming what we had heard about the horrendous Tehrani traffic.<br />
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We did think about heading to the Water and Fire park but faced with the aforementioned horrendous traffic, by that point we were well and truly spent and even unenthusiastic about more tourism. Instead we made the more appropriate decision to spend a few hours in Football House to watch the Iran vs Bolivia match. It was a great place to chill and gave an insight (cough) to Tehrani culture that we didn't see on the tourist trail.<br />
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By that point we knew we were done. The only thing left was to grab dinner. We picked Burger Zoghali, enjoyed some decent food and then headed to the airport for our AM flight home.<br />
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And that was it. Twenty two days, three countries, thirteen towns and cities and almost fifty mosques and shrines later and I was heading home. I've been lucky to have been on some epic trips but my tour of Turkey and Iran (via Baku) was special for a variety of reasons: from the historical baggage of a cancelled trip, to the range of things I saw and did, to having different company in each leg. It was always going to be an ambitious journey but I think I managed to just about pull it off and can only think of a few things I would have done differently, while at the same time the list of things that went far beyond expectations is pretty long. The synergy between the different countries and towns only served to enhance one another - each of the countries I visited just wouldn't have been the same on their own.<br />
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But for now, I'm looking to go home. Twenty two days is well past my limit... and that's especially in the context of the imminent travel to come.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-54787217128578518022018-10-15T23:30:00.000+01:002019-04-13T16:31:46.085+01:00Turkey-Iran, Day Twenty-One: From Shiraz To MashhadOne of the most recognisable views in Shiraz is that of the sun streaking through the stained glass windows of Nasir-ol-molk Mosque. Embarrassingly I only realised how time dependant that view was once I went to visit - we arrived at around 8:30am and by the end of our 25 minute stay it was already clear how small a window you would have in getting the desired aesthetic.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #45: Nasir-Ol-Molk Mosque</u></b><br />
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The rest of the day was spent mopping up the remainder of Shiraz. This included the historical Qavam and Zinat Al-Molk houses, the Vakil Bazaar and enclosed mosque, a return visit to the Arg of Karim Khan and a stroll through the Eram Garden.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #46: Vakil Mosque</u></b><br />
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We were done with Shiraz, so we headed back to the hotel for a brief chill (with Coup of course), before heading to the airport for an unplanned impromptu flight to... Mashhad. Mashhad was never on our itinerary, but it turned out to be important enough religiously for my travel companion to make the attempt to go. The plan would be to spend just the night there, so that he could complete a pilgrimage and since the logistics worked (internal flights are cheap and plentiful) it was a chance to see one of Iran's biggest points of interest that I wasn't about to pass up. I had also realised by this point that time seems to run slowly in Iran and it was possible to pack a lot in. In other words it didn't feel like we'd be missing out on any existing plans by creating the time to fly to the north west.<br />
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That point of interest is, of course, the Imam Reza Shrine.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #47: The Imam Reza Shrine</u></b><br />
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To describe the shrine as big and impressive would be an understatement. The approach to the site reminded me of how the Haram in Makkah used to be before development - you could almost feel the spirituality as you walk there, and that even before you turn the corner to catch that first sight of one of the gates into the complex. And then once I was in, it was almost to the same scale and ambition as the two holiest sites in Saudi. While my friend performed his rites, I took the opportunity to explore the sprawling campus, getting lost a few times before I managed to map out the various wings and courtyards. Each passage opened up to a new mini world, each of which themselves channeled the various styles of architecture I had seen since my visit to Iran had started.<br />
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The shrine itself was as charged and electric as you would imagine, with pilgrims continually paying their respects. It was easy to just get lost in the flow of people, and soon enough I became good at finding the shortcuts and viewpoints from which I could witness the devotion without getting in the way.<br />
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It was easily worth the detour and we were crazy to not have included it in the first place.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-76267512207568867112018-10-14T22:30:00.000+01:002019-04-09T16:28:34.336+01:00Turkey-Iran, Day Twenty: The Persian EmpireAnother day and another early start - this time to backtrack the way we came in order to pick up what are probably the crown jewels of South-Central Iran, if not the whole country.<br />
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Pasargadae is one of those places that you haven't heard of until you actually visit. The main sight is the alleged tomb of Cyrus, although it's said that it's not as authentic as it's said to be. The rest of the complex has more than enough genuine history to make up for any potential false advertising and at the very least a visit to Pasargadae makes for a apt prologue for the day's activities.<br />
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Next up we have the Naqsh-e Rustam, or perhaps as it's more likely to be known, the necropolis. A clear step up from Pasargadae in terms of explicit views, this is a compact sight that still packs a punch as you learn about the history of the Persian kings buried there, and even the subsequent Arab rulers who followed. And once again, it serves as an appetiser for what will clearly be the main meal of the day.<br />
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For me, Persepolis was one of the clear hits of my trip so far. Nothing did as much to throw us back to the time of the Achaemenids - 500 or so BC - as this ceremonial temple complex did. We spent much more time than we were expecting to just walking around the ruin and hiking up to the elevated tombs on the hillside. Some say you can spend a whole day there soaking it up, but for me even a few hours was more than enough to get the point.<br />
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The evening brought us back to Shiraz where we mopped up the twin tombs of Saadi and Hafez, with a bonus stop off at the Ali Ibn Hamza Shrine.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #44: Ali Ibn Hamza Shrine</u></b><br />
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We decided to walk back to the hotel ourselves, where we stopped off for some night shots of the Arg of Karim Khan before a well earned dinner.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-8775110743316296302018-10-13T23:30:00.000+01:002019-04-01T17:33:46.009+01:00Turkey-Iran, Day Nineteen: A Swift YazdOne of the alleged highlights of Yazd is to visit the Zurkhaneh gym to watch some of the wrestlers train. For what might have been the first time this trip (barring perhaps the search for a Sunni Jummah yesterday), a lack of information regarding a niche event in a small town such as Yazd meant we didn't have much to go on. We did find the gym last night, but the only real plan we had was based on rumour. Long story short, we left the hotel after Fajr to see if we could catch a possible morning training session.<br />
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There was no show, so this was a pretty bad bet. We took the opportunity to walk around the old town at our leisure, spending some time in the Jameh Mosque while it still empty and cool.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #42: Jameh Mosque</u></b><br />
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We were ready to leave Yazd by 9. Unfortunately our driver wasn't ready so we hit the town one more time, even going as far to check out the Water Museum. It was a decent enough timepass, and we left for Shiraz at 1130.<br />
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On the way out of Yazd, we spent some time at the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence. These were colossal squat towers built at the top of hills where the recently passed were placed in order to be reclaimed by nature (usually vultures). That alone gave the sight an air of significance, but the Towers more than held their own as places of interest if you were just interested in architecture or physical activity or having access to some decent views. Well recommended.<br />
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The drive was long, perhaps our longest, and we finally arrived at out hotel at 8pm, stopping at Abarkooh for lunch and prayer. This was a small random ghost of a town that I believe even our guides hadn't visited, and I'm glad we had a chance to spend some time in a town that wasn't one of the bigger ones.<br />
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As it was evening, we didn't have much time to do much so after dinner we visited the nearby, but no less impressive, Shahecheragh Holy Shrine, which was another deceptively small but actually sprawling religious complex that Iran seems to do so well.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #43: Shahecheragh Holy Shrine</u></b><br />
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It was also one of the best examples of mirrored decor I had seen since arriving in Iran.<br />
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After returning to the hotel we had nothing left to do but to whip out Coup for a few quick rounds. It appears that the game seems to be quite the hit with the locals.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-30432671562192808692018-10-12T22:30:00.000+01:002019-03-26T17:15:48.627+00:00Turkey-Iran, Day Eighteen: JummahAs usual Friday means Jummah. Except today's congregation promised to be less a than usual one for me. But first we had some sights to mop up in Isfahan.<br />
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The Vank Armenian Cathedral was a pleasant surprise, yet one which with some thought fit in quite well with what we had seen so far. Despite a diminutive and even boring exterior, the interior was stunning, with European style frescoes and architecture taking the stage.<br />
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The cathedral grounds also housed an Armenian museum which had a lot to offer those interested in religious literature or the historical treatment of Armenians of the area.<br />
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Which brings us to Jummah. Being in a Muslim country, I automatically assumed that this would just be a matter of procedure, but it turns out that Iran does things a bit differently from other more Sunni dominated countries. Indeed my initial plan was to find a minority Sunni mosque to join for prayers, but despite my tenacity I wasn't able to find any information on where such a place might be. Asking the usual places - the hotel concierge or even our guides - resulted in an inability to even know how to find out, and it almost felt like I was offending in asking. In the UK or even Pakistan one could easily make a few calls to find out this kind of information. At one point I started to believe what I had previously read about how the Sunni minority was treated in Iran.<br />
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But it turned out that this wasn't entirely a case of sectarian conflict. After switching our plan and deciding on joining a Shia congregation finding out about where we could do even that was an exercise in rumour and hearsay. There seemed to be a bit of explicit hostility toward religious practise by those who were more secular, and it highlighted a tension I had noticed throughout the trip so far - it's as if the young secularists felt that religion was holding them back. Given the context, I'm not sure if I'm entirely surprised by the push back.<br />
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I don't mean to overstate this, and as far as I can tell there was no overt signs of persecution or hate - people generally didn't care. On the other hand they didn't seem to want to progress either and it resulted in a strikingly non-cohesive and non-diverse society. I always say how enlightening attending Jummah is in finding out about a local Muslim society and my experience here didn't disappoint.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #41: Musallah of Isfahan</u></b><br />
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The difficulty we had in finding the Musallah of Isfahan was particularly surprising once we found the place. Since Iranian custom discourages multiple congregations in the same locality, most cities have one or two Musallahs - vast halls used just for Jummah congregations. The Musallah we visited was huge and impressive, although it was disappointing to see it only a quarter full. The Khutba and prayer itself were interesting to partake in; it was like a Sunni prayer but with a few striking differences.<br />
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After Jummah, we made a beeline to Yazd where we visited the Yazd Atash Behram (the main Zoroastrian temple in Yazd) and the Dowlat Abad Garden as well as a quick look at the Amir Chakhmagh Complex closer to our hotel.<br />
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At night we settled in to play a couple of rounds of Coup. Given the peculiar and possibly insular social culture here I wondered if that was the first game to be played ever in Yazd?Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048953.post-3133928931301790852018-10-11T22:00:00.000+01:002019-03-20T15:12:33.398+00:00Turkey-Iran, Day Seventeen: IsfahanAs our hotel was is a decent location we decided to dismiss the tour guides for the day and set out to as much of Isfahan as we could by foot. Due to the sheer number of things we wanted to see here it was the most efficient way of getting it done. In other words, it was yet another tourist blitz we were going to do on a city.<br />
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The main centre of sights is the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, well worth seeing even if you weren't interested in the many other sights it contained. For example on the west we had the Ali Qapu Palace (the most interesting in which are the music rooms on the top most floor), while on the east and south of the square we had two mosques of varying sizes and architecture.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #35: Abbasi Great Mosque</u></b><br />
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The larger of the two mosques was laid out in the typical fashion - its own courtyard, with various wings and large domes. The Abbasi Great Mosque felt almost tardis-like in its deceptively small size - particulalry given the stature of its entrance from the square.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #36: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque</u></b><br />
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The second mosque was much smaller and only really consisted of a domed hall (although there was a basement which I'm assuming made up for the size difference. It could have been the smaller size that allowed the mosque to be decorated and maintained to such an impressive standard.<br />
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Next we saw the two palaces of Chehel Sotoon and Hasht Behesht, the former of which was just about more interesting. Containing lots of frescoes and paintings, it was almost European in style and definitely in contrast to the places of worship from before.<br />
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Passing by the Grand Bazaar, we reached our third mosque of the morning.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #37: Hakim Mosque</u></b><br />
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Although less ambitious in stature (and decoration) than the two mosques on Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Hakim was nevertheless impressive not least due to its relative isolation and spaciousness.<br />
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After rejoining our guides, lunch was equally tourtastic with us enjoying a Beryani at Haaj Mahmoud Shefa'at. With not a single grain of rice in sight, it was unlike any biryani I've ever had. It was pretty good though!<br />
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After lunch we were back on the tourist trail. The main ticket to the north of Naqsh-e Jahan was the Jameh Mosque and adjoining Majlesi Shrine.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #38: Jameh Mosque</u></b><br />
<b><u>Mosque #39: Majlesi Shrine</u></b><br />
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It was unclear if this was still a functioning mosque - it certainly didn't seem so, but our guides did suggest that it was only used for Jummah prayer. That would certainly explain its size anyway.<br />
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The rest of the afternoon was spent checking out the Ali Gholi Agha Bathhouse and Seyyed Mosque, the last mosque of six we saw in total today.<br />
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<b><u>Mosque #40: Seyyed Mosque</u></b><br />
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Another deceptively small mosque, it's well worth hunting this one down as of all the places we visited today this was the quietest and possibly the most peaceful. If you're looking for an intimate place of worship without sacrificing size and scope this is the one to see.<br />
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We did try to visit the rocking towers of Monar Jonban but arrived too late - we took our consolation prize of Iranian ice cream instead. We were then dropped off to our final sights for the day - along the river Zayanderud to see the two most famous historical bridges of SioSe Pol and Khajoo. <br />
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Quite spectacularly, the river was completely dry - we even walked along the bed at some points between the two bridges. I can only imagine what it would have been like with water actually flowing, but this as an experience in itself was pretty cool - and turned each bridge into hotbeds of socialising and music and fun as locals hung out under the dry arches.<br />
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That brought us to dinner, and then to the end of our first day in Isfahan. Even though today was pretty crammed, we still had a few items left to see - but those could wait till tomorrow.Shakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657830810835591711noreply@blogger.com0