The Achaemenid Royal Road 2,699km from Susa to Sardis with Post Stations Every 25km Delivering Messages in 7 Days vs 90 Days on Foot, Shiraz Faloodeh the World's Oldest Frozen Dessert Dating to 400 BCE & Shapur I the Only Conqueror Ever to Capture a Roman Emperor
The Achaemenid Royal Road (2,699km) with chapar-khaneh post stations every 25km — royal messengers covering the distance in 7 days vs 90 days on foot; the Shirazi faloodeh (rose water frozen vermicelli dessert) the world's oldest frozen dessert dating to at least 400 BCE and described by Plutarch; Shapur I capturing Roman Emperor Valerian at the Battle of Edessa (260 CE) — the only Roman Emperor ever captured by an enemy; the gold Achaemenid daric the primary international currency of the ancient Middle East 515–330 BCE; the Sassanid Ctesiphon arch (37m span) still the largest single-span brick arch in the world; and the Shirazi cucumber variety (thin-skinned, aromatic) as the traditional Shirazi salad ingredient.
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The Achaemenid Empire – A Political History
The Achaemenid Empire political history (the political organization and legacy of the first Persian Empire — the most important empire in the ancient Middle East): the political history guide. The founding (the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE) — founded by Cyrus the Great (r. 550–530 BCE): the origin (the Persians (Parsa — the tribe of the Iranian plateau from which the empire takes its name) were a semi-nomadic Iranian-speaking people of the Zagros Mountains: the first conquest (Cyrus conquered the Median Empire (550 BCE), the Lydian Empire (547 BCE), and the Babylonian Empire (539 BCE) — three major empires in 11 years: the administration (the Achaemenid administrative system — the most sophisticated empire management system of the ancient world: the satrapy (the satrapy (from Old Persian xshathrapavan — protector of the kingdom) — the administrative province: the empire at its peak had 20–30 satrapies: the satraps were generally members of the Achaemenid royal family or the Persian aristocracy: the Royal Road (the Royal Road (Rahe Shahi) — the primary imperial communication road stretching 2,699 km from Susa (winter capital) to Sardis (western Anatolia) — the road was maintained by royal post stations (chapar-khaneh) every 25 km (approximately one day's horse ride): a royal messenger could travel the entire 2,699 km in 7 days (the same journey took a traveler 90 days on foot): the coinage (the Achaemenid gold daric (named for Darius I) and silver siglos — the primary international currency of the ancient Middle East from 515 to 330 BCE).
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Fars Province – Heartland of Persian Identity
The Fars Province heritage (the province of Fars (فارس) — the historic heartland of Persian civilization and the source of the name Persia and Persian in all European languages): the heartland guide. The name (the word Persia (Latin Persia, Greek Persis) derives from the region name Parsa (Old Persian) or Pars (Middle Persian) — the name of the region that is now Fars Province in southern Iran: the derivation (the word Iran itself derives from the Old Persian word aryanam (of the Aryans) — the same root as the ethnonym Aryan which was first used in an inscriptional context by the Achaemenid ruler Darius I at Persepolis: the historical centrality (Fars Province contains the highest density of UNESCO-listed and nationally protected archaeological sites in Iran: the primary sites: Persepolis (UNESCO 1979): Pasargadae (UNESCO 2004): Bishapur (the Sassanid city and rock reliefs 150 km northwest of Shiraz): Naqsh-e Rostam: Naqsh-e Rajab (the secondary Sassanid relief panel near Naqsh-e Rostam): the Sassanid heritage (the Sassanid Empire (224–651 CE) also originated in Fars Province — the first Sassanid ruler Ardashir I was a local lord from the Darab district of Fars who overthrew the Parthian Empire in 224 CE: the Fars landscapes (the physical geography of Fars: the province occupies the southern Zagros mountains between 600m and 4,000m altitude: the Persians originated as highland pastoralists who controlled the mountain passes between the plateau and the Persian Gulf lowlands).
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Shiraz Cuisine – the Finest Table in Southern Iran
The Shiraz culinary tradition (the Shirazi cuisine — the most distinctive regional Iranian cuisine after Isfahan and Tabriz): the cuisine guide. The Shirazi salad (the Salad-e Shirazi (سالاد شیرازی) — the most widely known Shirazi dish in the world: the salad consists of finely diced cucumber, tomato, and red onion dressed with dried mint, fresh lime juice, and olive oil: the salad is simple but requires the finest-quality ingredients — the Shirazi cucumbers (cucumber Shirazi — a thin-skinned aromatic cucumber grown in the Shiraz region) and the Shirazi tomatoes (a small, intensely-flavored variety) are the traditional ingredients: the Kalam Polo Shirazi (the signature rice dish of Shiraz — kalam polo (کالم پلو) — rice cooked with cabbage (kalam), lamb meatballs, saffron, and herbs: the sweet-savory combination (the cabbage-and-meat combination with saffron is unusual in Iranian cooking and distinguishes the Shirazi rice tradition from the Isfahan and Tehran rice traditions): the Faloodeh (the Shirazi faloodeh (فالوده) — the most ancient frozen dessert in the world: thin rice vermicelli noodles frozen in a semi-crystallized rose water syrup served with fresh lime juice and optional sour cherry syrup: the history (faloodeh production in Shiraz dates to at least the 4th century BCE — Alexander the Great is described by Plutarch as being served a similar frozen dessert at the Persian court after the Battle of Issus: the Ab-Doogh Khiar (the cold cucumber yogurt soup — the primary summer dish of Shiraz — cucumber, dried mint, dried rose petals, and dried raisins blended with thick Persian yogurt (mast) and cold water).
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The Sassanid Empire – The Second Persian Empire
The Sassanid Empire heritage (the Sassanid dynasty (224–651 CE) — the second great Persian empire that ruled from Fars for 400 years and the primary adversary of the Roman and Byzantine Empires): the historical heritage guide. The Sassanid dynasty (the Sassanid Empire (Sasanian Empire — امپراتوری ساسانی) — founded by Ardashir I (r. 224–242 CE) who defeated the last Parthian ruler Artabanus IV at the Battle of Hormozdgan (224 CE): the capital (the primary Sassanid capital was Ctesiphon (Taq-i Kisra) on the Tigris River near modern Baghdad — the arch of the Taq-i Kisra (the Iwan of Khosrow) is the largest single-span brick arch in the world at 37m span): the primary rulers (the primary Sassanid rulers: Ardashir I (the founder): Shapur I (r. 241–272 CE — the ruler who defeated and captured the Roman Emperor Valerian at the Battle of Edessa (260 CE) — the only Roman Emperor ever captured by an enemy: Khosrow I Anushirvan (r. 531–579 CE — the most celebrated Sassanid ruler — Anushirvan (the Immortal Soul) reformed the Sassanid administrative system and military: the conflict with Rome and Byzantium (the Sassanid-Roman-Byzantine wars were the longest interstate military conflict in ancient history (230–628 CE — nearly 400 years): the fall (the Sassanid Empire was destroyed by the Arab-Islamic conquest in 636–651 CE — the last Sassanid ruler Yazdegerd III was killed fleeing from the advancing Arab armies in 651 CE): the legacy (the Sassanid administrative system and court culture was absorbed wholesale by the Abbasid Caliphate — the Persian cultural tradition survived the Islamic conquest by becoming the dominant culture of Islamic civilization).
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Shiraz Photography – Hafez Gardens to Persepolis
The Shiraz photography guide (the optimal locations, timing, and techniques for photographing Shiraz's monuments, gardens, and the Persepolis plain): the photography guide. The Nasir al-Molk Mosque (the primary photography subject in Shiraz: the time (08:00–10:30 for the colored light effect in the winter prayer hall — this is the most photographed interior in Iran: the technique (a wide-angle lens (16–24mm full frame equivalent) captures the entire prayer hall with all five windows in a single frame: the high ISO (the colored light in the hall is low-intensity despite the brilliant window light — ISO 800–3200 is required for sharp handheld shots at f/4 or wider): the Hafez Tomb (the best time: sunset (19:00–20:00) when the tomb pavilion is lit from within and the cypress garden is in warm light: the garden and pavilion photograph best from the elevated northeast corner of the garden): the Persepolis (the Persepolis reliefs photograph best in the late afternoon (16:00–17:00) when the oblique light creates strong shadows in the carved limestone details — the Apadana staircase reliefs are the primary subject: the wide composition (the full north staircase procession relief from the left end of the stairs shows the complete sequence of delegations — 30m of carved limestone): the sunrise (the Persepolis ruins at sunrise (06:00–07:00) — the plain of Marvdasht in the early morning light before tourists arrive — the Apadana columns against the golden sunrise sky is the classic Persepolis composition).
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Shiraz vs Isfahan – The Two Great Southern Cities
The Shiraz vs Isfahan comparison (the two most historically significant cities in southern Iran — Isfahan (the Safavid imperial capital) and Shiraz (the Achaemenid heartland and the city of the poets) — the complementary must-see destinations of any serious Iran itinerary): the comparative guide. The architecture (Isfahan has the most important and complete Islamic architectural heritage in Iran — the UNESCO-listed Naqsh-e Jahan Square, the Shah Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, the Chehel Sotun Palace, and the Jameh Mosque: Shiraz has the most important pre-Islamic archaeological heritage — Persepolis and Pasargadae are both within 2 hours of the city: the poetry (Shiraz is the city of Hafez and Saadi — the two poets who defined Persian lyric and didactic poetry: Isfahan's literary connection is primarily architectural and philosophical rather than poetic (no major Iranian poet is buried in Isfahan)): the atmosphere (Isfahan has a more monumental and formal atmosphere — the Naqsh-e Jahan Square is designed for imperial display: Shiraz has a more intimate and literary atmosphere — the city feels closer to the Persian cultural tradition of poetry, gardens, and private beauty: the transport connection (Isfahan to Shiraz: the VIP bus (7 hours): the Iran Air flight (55 minutes): the train (12–16 hours through the Zagros — the most scenic rail journey in Iran): the recommended sequence (the recommended Iran itinerary: Tehran (3 days) — Isfahan (3 days) — Shiraz and Persepolis (3 days) — Yazd (2 days) — return to Tehran or exit via Shiraz Airport).