The Iranian people consider themselves to be Persian. They are not Arabs, and many people resent being considered as Arabs or Iran as an Arab country. Their language is Farsi, not Arabic. They are a proud people. The 1st Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great and his descendants, created the world’s first true super power. The culture was very advanced for that time and survived for about 200 years before being defeated by Alexander the Great (550-333 B.C.). At the height of its power, the empire included the modern countries of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt, part of Greece, and extended to northern India. . Never before has such a large area, including so many people of different cultures and traditions, been controlled under a single system. Note the picture of Cyrus ‘ tomb.The overall crime rate in Iran is low, and most places are safe. We were told that one of the biggest problem is drugs (sound familiar?). A lot of drugs are brought from Afghanistan through Iran to Turkey. No alcoholic drinks are sold in public. Our guide told us that in spite of this prohibition, many people have a drinking problem. The alcohol is smuggled into the country and is available if “you know where to get it.”
The country is beautiful. Colorful gardens and parks are numerous. The highways and streets are lined with greenery and, often, with flowers as well. The people use the parks. We saw many families picnicking in the parks, under trees along the highways, in fact, any place where a blanket could be laid out. A lot of the families included parents, children, and grandparents – or even larger groupings. It is obvious that getting out and enjoying such gathered fellowship is an important part of life.
The cities, the streets, the highways look clean. The people look well cared for and healthy. We were surprised to see that most of the signs, especially street signs, are printed both in Farsi and in English. That made it easy for us to follow a map, for the Farsi script is impossible for us to decipher, as you can see in the picture.
Persian carpets are looked upon by many experts as the finest in the world. We visited a number of carpet shops, for several members of our travel group were interested in purchasing a carpet. Persian carpets are, indeed, beautiful, made either of high quality wool or silk, or a combination of the two. Much skill and time is required to complete each carpet. They are sold all over the world.
Iran produces a lot of copper, 2nd only to Chili. A lot of iron is also mined and either used or exported.
Iran produces enough food to feed its people. Some seasonal fruits and vegetables are imported when they are out of season in Iran. They raise a lot of walnuts, almonds, and olives. We saw many fields of green vegetables and various other crops. Common meats are available except for pork. Tea is also a major crop (see in the pictures).
We have been asked about cars in Iran. There are a lot of them. Because of the sanctions, U.S. cars are not allowed to be exported to Iran. Most of the cars that we saw are late models and well kept. Cars that we saw include: Volvo, Hyundai, Peugeot, Saab, Citroen, Mercedes, Saba, Suzuki, 1 older Jeep Waggoner, Nissan, Kia, Paykan, Toyota, Renault, Mitsubishi, and Persian models manufactured in Iran. Some of the foreign models are put together at factories in Iran (same way we do it in the U.S.).
