Iran- Climate

Hello everyone

As you know we are in Iraq and the sun is shining all day long.

It’s very hot and dry here in Iran. The summers are long, hot and dry. The winters are short and very cool. Iran’s located between the subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area and the climate is influenced by this location. It’s very cold here in January, it’s actually the coldest month with temperatures from 5°C to 10°C. August is the hottest month with temperatures from 20°C to 30°C or more.

The summers are warm to hot with virtually continuous sunshine in most of the areas. There is high humidity on the southern coastal areas of the Persian Gulf. The daily temperatures here can be very hot because on some days temperatures can reach easily 40°C or more. Especially when you’re along the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea which can cause a danger of heat exhaustion so be very careful.

A bad time to visit Iran is between November and March because 70% of the average rainfall falls in the country around that time, June through August are often rainless. The rainfall in Iran varies from season to season and from year to year. Precipitation is sometimes concentrated in local, but violent storms, causing erosion and local flooding especially in the winter months. So try not to visit Iran during the winter months. There is a small area along the Caspian coast that has a very different climate. Rainfall is here the heaviest from late summer to mid-winter but it falls in general throughout the year.

People wear lightweight Cotton clothes in the summer with a sweater  for cooler evenings especially when you’re visiting the inland areas. When you visit Iran during the winter you should wear waterproof clothes and warmer clothing is recommended when you’re visiting the mountainous areas of northern Iran.

 

As you may have read it’s very hot now here in Iran so I can’t stay inside. That’s why we’ve decided to go to the beach! You don't have to be jealous because here in Iran they have a very strict dress code especially for the tourists. So we will not have much tanning because bikini's are forbidden.

Below you find the dress code:

MenShorts are not acceptable.
Wearing ties or bows is not a problem.
T-shirts are acceptable.


Women
Obeying Islamic rules including Hijab or Islamic dress-code is necessary in Iran. However these rules are not observed very strict, especially for tourists and foreigners. You must not worry about maintaining your hijab , since in times you have forgotten about it, the maximum penalty will be a request (usually in a kind way) to make it correct.
There are some minimum requirements for foreign women dress-code in public places

1. Color : It's a completely false belief that wearing  must be dark in Iran. There is no limitation in this respect and we recommend you make sure using light colors in summer.
2. Head : Hair should be covered. It does not mean you shall have a tight scarf around your head. Don't worry, It is very usual that some parts remain out of the cover. It's quite acceptable for women to allow whips of their hair to frame their face. Appropriate hats & caps can do this function as well as scarves. Scarf is the most common covering for head and is called "Roosari" in Farsi.   3. Body : Should be covered with loose clothes like man shirt, coat or manteau. Arms should not be bare.
4. Legs & feet : Legs should be covered down to ankles. Feets can be bare and you can wear sandals. Tight jeans are no problem.

Tip1 : In summer and hot weather, you can cheat(!) and not wear shirt under your coat/manteau. Who understands?!

Tip2 : In winter time, apart from covering the head, the rest is the same as what you wear in your home country.
 Tip3 : You better enter Iran with a coat and a scarf and select your style by watching the Iranian women in the streets.

Tip 4 : Once a chador is needed, like in holy places, it will be given upon entrance.

Tip 5 : Following the dress-code is necessary form the time of on-boarding international flights. On Iranian Flights, it is usually requested when the plane enters the Iranian boundaries.

 

Talk to you soon!!

Xxx

Mieke

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Iran.htm

http://www.letsgoiran.com/iran-women-dress-code

Tehran: Sight seeing!

Hi dear bloggers!

This time we went to Istanbul! My favourite city in the world and this visit confirmed that once again! Good weather, lots of culture, nice and friendly people are only a fracture of what this city has to offer. There is so much to do and see that I’m going to tell you more about places we visited. Istanbul, I love it, I can’t wait to go back!

Tehran Bazaar

This mosque was built in the 4th century. But in fact the Tehran Bazaar hasn’t always been a mosque. At first it was built by the Christians and so it was a cathedral. Only after the conquest of Constatninopel by the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mehmet 2, turned it into a mosque. Minarets were built, the cross on the central dome was replaced by a moon and Byzantine frecoes were covered. Only when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became head of Iran he turned it into a museum. Nowadays people can visit it and discover its old history as a cathedral and its history as a mosque.

Golestan Palace

Sultan Ahmet mosque or the Blue Mosque is a replica of Golestan Palace and is built right in front of it.  In 1609 Sultan Ahmet 1 gave the order to build this mosque. People say ‘Blue Mosque’ because of the blue tiles that were used. An important difference is that it counts 6 minarets which is unusual. The Islamic world was a little offended by this because the most important mosque in Mecca also has 6 minarets. Sultan Ahmet 1 solved this by giving this mosque its 7^th minaret.

Muslims still pray there nowadays but it’s also possible to visit the mosque. You do have to be fully covered with scarf before you can go in.

Topkapı sarayı - Topkapı Palace

Topkapı Palace was the first residence of the Ottoman sultans. It consisted of four courtyards and lots of other small buildings. The palace also contained several mosques, a hospital, bakeries and lots of other things. It was possible to live there and not to leave it because it could function as a city on its own. Finally sultans left Topkapı Palace to go and live in Dolmabahçe Palace because this palace was more luxurious and modern.

Reza Abbasi Museum

As already said Dolmabahçe became the royal residence after Topkapı Palace. This palace has kept all its grandeur of ancient times. Inside the palace you can find the biggest chandelier in the world. It weighs 4.5 tonnes and contains 750 lamps. It takes 6 months to clean all of this.

Also Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, one of the most important people in Turkish history, lived there the last years of his life. His room is now part of the museum tour.

In order to keep its old grandeur there are a lot of rules during your visit. You have to wear plastic covers around your feet in order to protect the floors and carpets. You cannot touch the banisters while walking down the stairs and in fact you cannot really touch anything. You also cannot take pictures inside the building. If you don’t obey these rules you have to leave.

Grand Bazar

if you want to relax a bit you can go shopping. The Grand Bazar is a covered Bazar which contains hundreds of litlle shops. You can find everything there. Clothes, jewelery, scarfs, handbags, herbes, food,... You can wander around for hours in this Bazar and still discover new places.

It was fabulous! Talk to you soon!

Celita

Sources:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/iran/tehran/sights

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293999-Activities-Tehran_Tehran_Province.html

Tehran - Iran and economy

Hi guys!

After a 25 hour flight we finally have arrived in Tehran. Our hotel is in the middle of the city an the weather here is very nice! Tehran is the capital city of Iran and the Theran Province. With a population of about 8,300,000 and about 14 million metropolitan area, it is Iran's largest city and urban area, and one of the largest cities in Western Asia.

Flag of Iran

Tehran is a modern city featuring many structures, of which the Azadi (Freedom) Tower and the Milad Tower have come to be symbols of Tehran itself. Tehran is ranked 29th in the world by the population of its metropolitan area. Throughout Iran's history, the capital has been moved many times, and Tehran is the 32nd national capital of Iran although it has been Iran's capital for about 220 years. Persian is the city's native tongue, spoken by roughly 98% of the population. The majority of people in Tehran identify themselves as Persians.

Some history of Tehran

In the 1920s and 30s, the city essentially was rebuilt from scratch under the rule of the Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi. Reza Shah believed that ancient buildings such as large parts of the Golestan Palace, Takieh-ye Dowlat, the Toopkhaneh Square, the city fortifications and the old citadel among others should not be part of a modern city.

They were systematically destroyed and modern buildings in the pre-islamic Iranian style, such as the National Bank, the Police Headquarters, the Telegraph Office and the Military Academy were built in their place. 

Many historic buildings were destroyed in order to build wide straight avenues in the capital. Many Persian gardens also fell victim to new construction projects.

During World War II, Soviet and British troops entered the city. Tehran was the site of the Tehran Conference in 1943, attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

 The Milad Tower

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

the Islamic revolution of 1979

In the 1960s and 70s Tehran was rapidly developing under the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Modern buildings altered the face of Tehran and ambitious projects were envisioned for the following decades. The majority of these projects were continued after the Islamic revolution of 1979 when Tehran's urbanization had reached its peak, and the new government started many other new projects, such as Milad Tower. During the 1980–88 Iran–Iraq War, Tehran was the target of repeated Scud missile attacks and air strikes.

Some economical information

Central Bank of Iran building

Some facts

• Tehran is the economic centre of Iran
• About 30% of Iran's public-sector workforce and 45% of large industrial firms are located in Tehran and almost half of these workers work for the government.
• Most of the remainder of workers are factory workers, shopkeepers, laborers, and transport workers. 
• Few foreign companies operate in Tehran because of the Iranian government's relations to the west.
• Today many modern industries of this city include the manufacturing of automobiles, electronics and electrical equipment, weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products.
• Tehran is the leading center for the sale of carpets and furniture.
• Tehran has four airports : Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, Ghal'eh Morghi airfield and Doshan Tappeh Air Base.
• Tehran relies heavily on private cars, buses, motorcycles, and taxis, and is one of the most car-dependent cities in the world. 
• The Tehran Stock Exchange has been one of the world's best performing stock exchanges in recent years.

Tehran also known as The City of Lights", "Persian Capital" , "The Great Tehran", "City of Proper"

More info and blognews about Tehran soon!!

Bye guys!

Greetz Klaas

Afghanistan- Culture

Hello everyone

This week we are in Afghanistan. There is a lot of culture here in Afghanistan and it’s unfortunate that Afghanistan isn’t a safe place to visit. We have to be very careful when we leave our hotel.

 

I will talk about art, architecture, cuisine, religion and holidays.

 Art

The world’s first oil painting was found in Afghanistan. The most famous art is the Gandhara art that is based on Greco-Buddhist art. The art was originally almost entirely done by men, but recently women are entering the arts programs at Kabul University. The art is largely centered at the National Museum of Afghanistan, the National Gallery of Afghanistan and the National Archives of Afghanistan in Kabul.

                                                           First oil painting

                                                           Gandhara art


Traditionally, only men have been involved in theater acting but recently women have begun to take center stage in theater arts.

Other forms of art in the country are music, poetry and some sports. Afghanistan is also very good at making carpets. They are known for making beautiful oriental rugs.

 

Afghanistan carpets

 

 

 

 

Architecture

The region has made major contributions to the world’s architecture. UNESCO has acknowledged Afghanistan’s role by declaring the Minaret of Jam and the Valley of Bamiyan, home of the famous Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban, World Heritage Sites.

Minaret of Jam

Valley of Bamiyan

 

Cuisine

The cuisine is largely based upon the nation’s chief crops. This are cereals like wheat, maize, barley and rice.  They also eat dairy products, various nuts and native vegetables. Afghanistan is well known for its grapes and they eat fresh and dried fruits. The Afghanistan cuisine is undeniably unique. They also eat a lot Naan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Religion

The main religion of Afghanistan is the Islam. More than 99% of the Afghans are Muslims. About 80% of the population practice Sunni Islam, 10% practice Shi’a Islam and 1% are followers of other religions. Beside Muslims there are thousands of Sikhs and Hindus living in the country.

 

 Holidays

The religious holidays are almost the same as Islamic holidays. Some of the most important religious holidays are Eid ul-Fitr which is the end of the Ramadan, Eid ul-Adha, Ashura and Mawlid.

Farmer’s day is a traditional holiday and it’ an ancient annual festival which celebrates both the beginning of spring and the New Year.

The national holidays are Afghan Independence Day on August 19 and Mujahideen Victory Day on April 28. Other holidays are International Women’s Day on March 8, Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled on May 4 and National Labour Day.

Eid ul-Fitr

 

So that was it for this week, I know it’s not as exciting as the other weeks but we may be happy that we can walk around safely.

Talk to you soon!

Xoxo

Mieke

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_cuisine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Afghanistan

 

Islamabad - Pakistan - Climate

Hi again everybody!

It's 30th of April and the hottest months in Pakistan are coming. The hotttest months are May and June where average highs routinely exceed 38 °C. The climate of Islamabad has a typical version of humid subtropical climate, with hot summers accompanied by a monsoon season followed by fairly cold winters. In the hills there is sparse snowfall.

The monsoon season is from June to September, with heavy rainfalls and evening thunderstorms with the possibility of cloudburst. Winters are lasted from November to March with temperatures variable by location. In Islamabad, temperatures vary from cold to mild, routinely dropping below zero. 

Some numbers:

• The weather ranges from a minimum of 3.9 °C in January to a maximum of 46.1 °C in June.
• The average low is 2 °C in January
• The average high is 40 °C (104.0 °F) in June.
• The highest temperature recorded was 48 °C in June
• The lowest temperature was −4 °C in January.
• On 23 July 2001, Islamabad received a record breaking 620 millimetres of rain fell in just 10 hours.

A tidbit:
On 23 July 2001, Islamabad experienced the record breaking 620 millimeters of rainfall, which was the 24 hours heaviest rainfall in Islamabad and at any locality in Pakistan during the past 100 years. Continuous downpour lasted for about 10 hours which caused the worst ever Flash Flood in the local stream called “Nulla Lai”. According to the official figures, at least 10 people died, 800 houses were destroyed and 1069 houses were partially damaged in Islamabad.

We are lucky because we haven't had any rain so far! Hopefully it stays that way! Toi Toi!

Phir Milaiyin ge! (see you later)

Greetz Klaas

http://www.myweather2.com/Holiday-Destinations/Pakistan/Islamabad/climate-profile.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Islamabad
http://en.allmetsat.com/climate/pakistan-afghanistan.php?code=41571

Pakistan - Islamabad: Economy

Hello everyone

This week  we are in Pakistan and I will tell you something more about the economy.

Pakistan has the 27^th largest economy of the world in terms of purchasing power parity and the 44^th largest in terms of nominal GDP. Pakistan has a semi-industrialized economy which encompasses textiles, chemicals, food processing, agriculture and other industries. The economy has suffered in the past from decades of internal political disputes, a fast growing population, mixed levels of foreign investment and high defense spending. Due to inflation and economic crisis worldwide, Pakistan's economy reached a state of Balance of Payment crisis.

There is a lot of poverty in Pakistan and the government have spent over 1 trillion Rupees, which is about $ 16.7 billion, on poverty alleviation programs during the past four years. They have cut the poverty from 35% to 24%. Pakistan is a medium development country, it has a large informal economy which the government is trying to document and asses. High inflation and limited wage growth have drawn more women into the workforce to feed their families, in spite of cultural resistance and domestic abuse over the issue.

poverty

 

Tourism in Pakistan is stated to be the tourism industry’s next big thing. Pakistan has diverse cultures, people and landscapes. This has attracted 0.7 million tourists to the country, this is almost double to that of a decade ago.

 

The tourism industry is still growing. The country is popular because of the ruin of civilization such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Taxila but also the Himilayan hill stations. Pakistan has several mountain which attracts adventurers and mountaineers from around the world. Before the Global economic crisis, Pakistan received more than 500,000 tourists annually. Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore are major attractions for authentic Pakistani food and culture.

 

So that was it for this week

Talk to you soon

 

Xoxo

 

Mieke

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Pakistan

Week 9: Pakistan

Hello everyone

It’s the 9th week of our road trip and I’m really enjoying it. Today we go to our next destination Pakistan and we will stay in the city Islamabad in the Marriott hotel.

our hotel

 

We left at 10 o’clock and after  a 7 hour cab drive we arrived at our hotel. It’s so beautiful here, I can’t wait to share our experiences with you guys!

Talk to you soon

xxx

Mieke

Celita, Klaas, Marco, Mieke

http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Hotel_Review-g293960-d299771-Reviews-Islamabad_Marriott_Hotel-Islamabad_Islamabad_Capital_Territory.html