Kandovan Rocky Village

Visiting a traditional village, where people follow traditions to honor the past, is one of the highlights of a trip to Iran .As soon as you arrive at a village, excitable kids call out “salam”, elders take the time to shake your hand and you may receive generous offers to stay for a meal. Get ready to start a trip into picturesque Kandovan village, where is famous for its most unique feature. This is a place where houses are not built on a mountain, but within a mountain. An interesting aspect about this rocky countryside is the fact that the rock acts as an energy efficient material, keeping the house cool during summer and warm during winter. This is why most of the inhabitants here do not use heaters or air conditioning systems. Gorgeous Kandovan is an extraordinary ancient village in the province of East Azarbaijan, near the city of Tabriz, Iran. With its at least 800 years existence, this remarkable place is inhabited by few people and offers scenic beauty for its travelers. With homes carved inside rocks, some of them 700 years old, the Kandovan village is said to have been partially formed by volcanic remains from a strong Mount Sahand eruptions hundreds of years ago. If you are sick of the big cities, Uppersia suggests you to check out this small provincial town that would definitely breathe back life to your travels.

Kandovan rocky village,Tabriz,Iran

Practical Persian Phrases for Travelers

Got our suggested checklist for that Iranian trip of a lifetime? Passport, camera, cool sun glasses, suitable dress and that appetite for Iranian food. How about a bunch of Persian practical phrases? Needless to say, Iran as a sought-after destination, with hospitable and friendly people welcome foreigners warmly. Uppersia suggests you  putting this traveler's cheat sheet in your pocket to help you prepare for those common situations travelers find themselves in or enjoy the chance to converse with locals in Persian.

Handy Persian phrases for travelers

Do not leave Iran without tasting these two sweets!

Besides different cuisines and dishes, each city in Iran has its own desserts and sweets which are in complete harmony with the climate and the herbs of that area. You might not have enough time for tasting all Iranian sweets but I believe that you shouldn’t leave Iran before having Gaz and Sohan, which are the two tasty sweets of Isfahan:

What is The Jeweled Rice?

 The hospitable Iranians enjoy giving parties and treating themselves with colorful and delicious Iranian cuisines and sweets. Believe it or not, one of the Iranian cuisines is called Morassa Polo which means the Jeweled Rice! I will tell you what exactly this colorful Iranian cuisine, served in weddings and New Year ceremonies, is:

The jeweled rice.

What to eat in south of Iran?

The cuisines of southern cities of Iran, like Bushehr and Bandar Abbas with warm climates are known as the most delicious and popular Iranian cuisines. The local people are known to be so hospitable, generous and alive. The cuisines of southern cities of Iran are similar to Indian and Arabian dishes because of being cooked with lots of spice, curries and different kinds of peppers. Don’t worry! They are not that spicy to cause you run all around the city!

Bushehr and Bandar Abbas are located by the Persian Gulf, fishing has been a thriving job for the southern people and accordingly seafood is so popular in these cities. It is said that at noon the appetizing smell of spicy seafood is spread all over the houses!

Ghalieh Mahi:

Ghalieh (fish stew) is at the top of southern cuisines! There might be different recipes for cooking Ghalieh Mahi but the main ingredients are fresh chopped vegetables, including cilantro, fenugreek and lots of onion, garlic and spice. The key ingredient that makes the Ghalieh Mahi tasty and sour is the tamarind sauce. The fish used in Ghalieh Mahi should be firm with no tiny bones. Ghalieh is sometimes cooked with prawns and it is called Ghalieh Meygoo. This tasty cuisine is usually served with steamed Persian rice.

Ghalieh Mahi (fish soup).

Iranian Kebabs.

Iranian people enjoy eating and cooking but they love parties and gatherings more! In their parties, they usually serve traditional cuisines of Iran like different kinds of stews and Iranian kebabs. Kebab is an old Iranian cuisine and is a good choice for gatherings and camping days of the weekends because preparing the Kebab is done by two or three people and it gathers the friends. As a custom in Iran, preparing the kebab is the men’s job so it is usually done by the men. The meat for Iranian kebab should be fresh and healthy and it is usually marinated in spices, onion, yogurt or different sauces some hours earlier.

Grilling the kebab is the fun part. Friends gather around the broiler, while the meat is getting done and it spreads an appetizing smell in the whole area. Persian kebab is served with saffron steamed rice or Lavash bread. Sumac, Salad Shirazi (chopped tomato and cucumber with mint and verjuice), raw onion and basil are the inseparable mates of Iranian Kebab.