Kandowan 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. Our traveler, Konah took this photo during his trip to Kandowan village. he believed that he was sick of the big cities and exploration of this small provincial town breathed back life to his travels.

Konah took this photo during his trip to Kandowan village

"Sadeh" Celebration

The "Sadeh" celebration is the largest celebration of fire and one of the oldest rituals known in ancient Persia. It is a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost and cold. Until the Arab invasion of Iran in the seventh century, most Iranians in the powerful Persian Empire were Zoroastrians, who celebrated the feast at the start of the 30^th January. The festival is held as a gathering of a city’s dwellers where a big fire is set. The observers help each other gather firewood, making the festival a celebration for cooperation and empathy between people. Today, the fires are not lit outside and all activities take place inside the shrines. The wood gathering activities are reduced though there are efforts to preserve them. However the bulk of the Iranians are becoming more familiar with the occasion. Current Zoroastrians recites various songs and hymns along with flames according to their language and culture. Also, in some areas, they also perform celebrations, games and group shows. Nowadays, the festivities of Sade is held sporadically in some cities and villages of Mazandaran, Lorestan, Sistan and Baloochestan, But in the most cities of Kerman and Yazd provinces, it is celebrated with magnificent glory.

"Sadeh" Celebration

Vakil Mosque in Shiraz

If you plan on travelling around Iran, it's not hard to visit many of the Shiraz’ top sites during your journey. The fifth largest city in Iran, Shiraz, is also an antiquated city with several ancient attractions still remaining in good conditions. It is home to some captivating ancient monuments, religious places, historical attractions and fabulous gardens. Konnah, a professional photographer, discover hidden treasures of Ancient Persia in Iran by joining Photography Tour of Uppersia and took this eye-catching photo in Vakil Mosque.

Vakil mosque in Shiraz