Our other stop in the Middle East for Spring Break was Iran! I was especially excited to go there because I am Persian and both my parents were born in Iran before they moved to the US. My brother and I had never been to Iran before, my mom hadn't been back for over 20 years and my dad was going back for the first time after he left 39 years ago. The trip was bound to be a really amazing experience for our whole family. Going into the trip, I had no clue what to expect because all I had heard of is how Iran "used to be" and the only things that illustrate Iran now are the news and talk of war and nuclear capabilities. Regardless, I can say with complete confidence that what I saw during my four-day journey exceeded any expectations that I had about my family's original home nation and I am so glad we finally visited!
Our first stop was Shiraz. From the second we exited the terminal, the smell of orange blossom took over took over our senses. It was the sweetest and most welcoming aroma I have ever smelled! The first thing I noticed was how good it felt to understand what people were saying even if I couldn't respond! Since my whole family speaks Persian, I grew up around people speaking it, so I can basically fully understand it, but I still can't speak it very well. We arrived at 2am so the bulk of our Shiraz exploration happened the next morning. We started by visiting one of Shiraz's many gardens and baths and saw the historic ways in which cities and citadels were planned out. Next, we went to the great poet Hofez's monument, garden, and grave. At the gate, people were handing out Hofez poems and fortunes for pedestrians by having really cute birds choose one at random. Hofez is one of the most important and influential parts of Iranian history and is most remembered for these three things: he could recite the whole Quran, he thought big, and he always was positive and fostered hope through his written and spoken work. People always came to him when they need advice and still consult his book for help hundreds of years after his death. After visiting his grave, we went to lunch at a traditional Iranian restaurant where we feasted on top of a bed, rather than sit in chairs. It was so cool! The next and coolest stop was Persepolis! Persepolis was plotted by Cyrus the Great and was executed in 1518 by Darius the First, two of the most powerful leaders of the Achaemenid Empire. It was used as the central palace of the Achaemenid Empire and was said to be the center of town. We were able to see what remains of this ancient palace that was eventually burnt by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The depictions on the walls showed crowds of diverse people from all over the empire offering gifts to the emperor. 
During out journey through Iran, we drove from city to city. Our next stop was my personal favorite: Esfahan. The main place we visited was the Royal Square, which was the home of the Safavid Dynasty. The Safavid Dynasty was very religious and appreciated art as made evident by the beautiful square. The square was built with the golden proportion with four monuments, one on each side. The first, and my all time favorite, was the Masjid e Shah (now called Masjid e Emam). This was the holy mosque of the city and is honestly one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. The entirely of the mosque was decorated with different shades of blue and yellow tiles in a floral and herbal pattern. The images really speak for themselves...
The next monument was the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. This was the women's mosque where especially the wives of the Shah (there were up to 100) would come from an underground tunnel from the palace because they were not allowed to be seen. This mosque too was decorated with beautiful blue and golden tiles and was fitted with a massive dome. Third was the Royal Bazzar; it was a total of 3 kilometers long and sold everything from spices to handicrafts to clothes. Lastly was Ali Qupu Palace, which was one of the palaces of the empire. The Shah would sit up on the top balcony and watch the polo games that used to be in the middle of the square. There was also a music level at the top floor where the top musicians at the time would come play for the king and the melodies would flow through the palace.
Our last stop in Iran was the capital city, Tehran. What I remember most about Tehran were the two breakfasts I had: the two were very different, but both were memorable and delicious. The first morning, we went to J’ai Café. This is where all the young, hip, and rich Persians come for brunch, all dressed in similar attire. Women were wearing their head-carves more relaxed, often having their long straightened hair hanging out the back of a designer scarf, and sporting sunglasses in hand. Since they can’t show much else, the women went all out in terms of accessories; from bags to glasses, to watches, to jewelry, to shoes, they wore nothing but designer. This look and atmosphere reminded me of the Iranian community at home. Besides the super interesting people watching, it was really nice to get a taste of the western food I missed. I had the best smoothie and French toast as pictured below. The next breakfast was at a little hole in the wall kitchen that my mom’s friend suggested. It was probably the highlight of my trip besides the mosque in Esfahan. The breakfast I had there was so authentic; we had warm bread with cherry jam, eggs with sausages, and strong Persian tea. The even through the crowd and food were the polar opposite of what I had enjoyed the day before, it was just as good, or even better.
Honestly my favorite part of the trip was the fact that we traveled like locals and drove from city to city, enjoying the little things like warm bread on the side of the street and reliving memories from my parents’ pasts like seeing my mom’s elementary school. Surprisingly, the long car rides from city to city were a highlight because of the laughs from insomnia and the sunset views. Ultimately, I was so pleasantly surprised by how modernizing and improving Iran was. I will forever remember these beautiful experiences.
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