Emily O’Dell in Isfehan, Iran
Esfahān nesf-e jahān ast
[Isfahan is half of the world]
Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, is currently looking to the tourist industry to help repair Iran’s struggling economy. His goal: to double the number of foreign tourists to Iran from 4 million a year to 10 million. Tour operators are already reporting an increase in requests among those considering Iran as a tourist destination.
Though I had already read the Persian poetry of Hafiz in the original after studying Persian for years before traveling to Iran, it wasn’t until I was actually there that I could fully appreciate and understand the richness of Persian language and culture–and marvel at the awe-inspiring beauty of its ancient, medieval and modern treasures. Now when I teach Persian history and culture, I have personal experience–and spectacular photos–to share with my students. With its 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Iran has no shortage of historic sites for tourists to visit. In fact, seeing all of Iran’s legendary cities often takes more than one trip–since it’s almost impossible to fit them all into one stay.
Emily O’Dell at the ancient site of Persepolis in Iran
A recent NYTimes article about the expected increase in tourism to Iran, uses a stock photo of the ancient site of Persepolis, which is unfortunate–since the site offers so many angles for a unique and brilliant shot. The article also fails to mention one of the most crucial contributors to the increase of interest in visiting Iran: with so many countries in the Middle East currently in turmoil, Iran has become one of the more stable places to visit. With the expected uptick in tours to Iran, perhaps I’ll consider leading one myself…
Emily O’Dell in Iran
