A stroll through Kashan

Kashan is an interesting city. There are historic houses  which are decorated like palaces from the personal wealth made from selling Persian carpets throughout the years. 



There also is a famous garden called "Fin garden". The arrangement of plants and the reflecting pool were very beautiful. The hamam in the garden, where the famous politician Amir Kabir was executed, was beautiful and, sad in a way, was a beautiful hamam.




quiet honestly, if Kashan were one of the first places on our journey around Iran I probably would have appreciated them better. There were many very beautiful gardens and fascinating historical palaces and buildings throughout Iran.
The ancient burial grounds of the first prehistoric inhabitant in the Kashan area was of great interest, but we unfortunately arrived at closing time and we passed through the gates and quickly had a sneak preview.
                        Siyalk Hillocks

I suppose what impressed me most about my visit to Kashan was in the evening after everyone was comfortably settled in the hotel. We wandered off for something other than hotel food, and strolled down the street near our hotel. The hotel we stayed at was a four star and had a sterile feeling to it compared to the lovely traditional Persian places we stayed throughout our Iranian journey, so we wandered off together for some evening local flavour.

 It was the holiday of EID and the Sacrifice ( Qorban  قربان) beginning that evening. One could see young lads, and sometimes older lads having what looked like a tug or war, or tug of life with a camel. Pulling the camel down the road and leading it to be slaughtered for the festival.
Alongside the street were food stalls where people cooked and were selling local food for the festival. We approached an attractive man selling what appeared to be large boiled beet roots, 
 also large kettles of home made soup, stews, beans as well as some other unidentified but probably delicious substance.
After some gesturing and, later with the help of some kind females who met us along the way, translated for us the price we should pay. We enjoyed a tasty stew of vegetables and perhaps meat, as well as a bowl of beans and some soup. It was great fun!

Wandering some ways closer to our hotel, we found a gelatto shop, Iranian style! I could read Farsi, and some of the names are shared with Arabic so I was able to translate the menu of gelatto flavours for my two friends. Our choices were very delicious, perhaps home made with local ingredients and, most of all, very cheap!


I hope to return and experience more of local Kashan in the future and get to know its character better.

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