The World of Persia Tour-Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenstan, and Iran This tour examines the roots and monuments of the Persian Empire. It begins with the flow of nomadic peoples out of the grassland and desert steppes of Central Asia, it looks at the setting of the foundations of the Persian civilization, and it traverses the historical periods of the great empire. The tour also presents an interesting view of the Sovetization of Central Asia from the 1920's-1990's. Day 1 Arrive Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan. It sits on the site of an old Silk Road oasis at the foot of the Tien Shan (Heavenly Mountains). The Mongols razed the city in 1211 leaving nothing of the earlier times. Hotel Dostuk (D). Day 2 Tour Almaty and surroundings, visiting walls and gates, old mosques, the Zenkov Cathedral, parks and a market. Afternoon drive to Medeo and Small Almaty Gorge. Hotel Dostuk (B,L,D). Day 3 Depart for Kyrgyzstan and Lake IssyKul, in the foothills of the Tien Shan. Visit the surrounding area. Hotel Issyk Kul (B,L,D). Day 4 Depart for Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, driving through mountainous terrain including the beautiful Charyn Canyon and visit a watch-tower from the Silk Road times. On arrival, tour the city and visit a market and local monuments. Evening folk performance of traditional Kyrgyz songs and dances with dinner. Hotel Pinara (B,L,D). Day 5 Depart for Tashkent , the capital of Uzbekistan. On arrival, tour the city, noting the structure of a Soviet city as it developed after the earthquake of 1966. Visit the Kulaldesh Madrasa (16th c) the Kaffel-Shashi Mausoleum (16th c) and a Uzbek style residence (the Applied Art Museum). If time permits we can also visit the Telashaya Mosque, the Iman Ala-Bukhari, the Barak-Khan Medrasa and the Abdul Khasim Medrasa. Hotel Sheraton (B,L,D) Day 6 Depart for Sammerkand, the Timrud capital of the 15th c. On arrival, tour the city, visit Registan Square and its surrounding madrasas, the Ulgbek Mosque/Madrasa (1417-17th c), the Shir-dor Madrasa (1635), the Tilakari Madrasa (1646). Hotel (B,D). Day 7 Tour monuments of Sammerkand including the Friday Mosque (1398), the Israthana Mausoleum (1464), the Neocropolis Shah Zinda Complex (14/15th c), the Ulug Beg Observatory (15th c) and the Gir-Amir Complex (1404). Other monuments will be visited if time permits. The drive by monuments include the Khazret Khyzr (Protector of Caravans) Mosque (1850) and the tourist bazzar markets are in the government information/museum building and the Registan Square madrasas. Hotel (B,L,D). Day 8 Depart Sammerkand for Bukhara. Enroute visit Shakkrisabz and the Aksaray Palace (1379) and the Timrud Funerary Complex outside the city. On arrival at Bukhara, tour the outer parts of the city and view some of the drive by monuments. Hotel Lyabi Hauz (B,L,D). Day 9 and 10 Tour monuments of Bukhara, Registan Square, the Citadel the Arg with gatehouse, mosque, audience chamber, etc, the Emirs Prison (Zindan), the Bolo Khauz Mosque and Minaret (17th c), the Magoki-Attari Mosque (12th c/20th c), the Ismail Samanis Mausoleum (10c), the Kalan complex Square, Mosque, and Minaret (1127/1514), Buland Mosque (16th c) wood, the Liabi Khauz Complex (1620) including the Kukeldash Madrasa (1578), the Divanbegi Khanaka (1620) and the Divan Begi Madrasa (1631), the Char Minar Madrasa (1807), the Ulubek Madrasa (1417), the Namazgokh (Holiday) Mosque, the Dervish Centre (17th c), the Vabkent Minaret (1196), the Khans Summer Palace Sitorai-Moskhi-Khosa (19th c) with its fascinating collection of bridal cloths. The tour will drive by other places that you can visit on your own time, including the studio complex selling minatures (some are museum quality), markets with hatsellers/goldsellers/arrowmakers domes (1580's), loggia, bath complex beside the Sarrafon Cupola Bazzar, the Mir Arab Madrasa (1535), the Abd Aziz Madrasa (1611), the Seved Alim Khan Madrasa,the Modari Khan Madrasa the Abdulla Khan Madrasa, the Chashma Ayub Mausoleum (Jacobs Spring). Hotel Lyabi Hauz (B,L,D). Day 11 Depart for Marv in central Turkmenstan. Visit the tomb of Sultan Sanjar (1157). Hotel a nomad camp or a Soviet styled collective farm (B,D). Day 12 Depart for Ashkabad, the capital of Turkmenistan. Tour the city on arrival, visit ancient Nisa and the Tolkuchka Bazzar. Costume show and folk dance with dinner. Hotel (B,D). Day 13 Depart for Mashad. Enroute visit the Golestan Dam (15th c), and ancient walls of Tus and its Mausoleum of Imam Gazlali (early 12th c). Evening visit to the Holy City. Hotel (B,D). Day 14 Depart for Sharud. Enroute visit the Fire Temple Rabat e Safid (3rd c BC-3rd c AD), the Ghazanavid minaret and dome (11/12th c) at Sang Bast, the enroute caravanseries as appropriate, the Ghadamgah tower and shrine to Imam Reza (c 1625) near Nishapur and the Seljuk tower at Sabzevar. Detour to Bastam and visit the Seljuk/Ilkhanid complex (1120/1306). Hotel Sharud (B,D). Day 15 Depart for Qazvin. Enroute visit Damghan and the Tarikune Mosque (c775), Pir-e Alamdar Mausoleum and minaret (1021?), Friday mosque and minaret (Seljuk with Qajar addition), Chehel Dokhtaran Tower (1058?), Jafar Mausoleum (1266/1412) and the Gunbad e Mihmanandust (1097). At Semnan, visit Friday Mosque (1424) and minaret (1026), and the Khomeini Mosque (1820's). At Varamin visit the Friday Mosque (1324) and the tower Imamnzada Abdallah/Aladdin (13/14th c). At Rayy, visit the Burj I Tughril (1139). Hotel Qazvin (B,D) Day 16 16 Visit the mountain village of Alamut and climb to the infamous Castle of the Assassins (860/1090). Visit the capital of the Ilkhanids and the great mausoleum Gombad e Soltaniye (1305). Hotel Qazvin (B,D). Day 17 Tour Qazvin and visit the Friday mosque (1115), Mosque of the Prophet (Safavid), Madrasa Hiedariyeh (early 12th c), Tehran Gate (qajar), and the Loshan Bridge (Qajar). Depart for Hamadan. Enroute visit the tomb towers of Karragan (1067 and 1093). Hotel Hamadam (B,D) Day 18 Tour Hamadan, visit Depart for Khoramabad, enroute visit Sassanian bas reliefs at Tagh e Bostan outside Kermanshah. Arrive Korramabad, visit Falakol-Aflak Fortress-citadel (12th c/1600). Hotel Korramabad (B,D) Day 19 Depart for Isfahan. On arrival, begin tour of the city, Chahar Bagh Ave (1598), the Madrassa/mosque Charar Bagh /Madar-e Shah (1706-14), the Khaju/Khwaju Bridge (1650), the Allahverdi Khan/Pol-e Sio Seh Bridge, (1602), the Vank cathedral (1655), the Ali Minaret (end 11th c) and Mosque (1522), the Shrine Imamzadeh Jaafar (1324) and the Shrine Darb Imam (1453). Hotel Isfahan (B,D) Day 20 and 21 Tour Isfahan, visit the Jorjir Portal (10th c), the Mosque-i-Jami, (1121/11/12th c/16th c), the Mausoleum Shahsahahan (1446), the Do Minar Dar al-Diafeh (Yahudiyyeh) (Mongol) and portal, the Sareban Minaret (1130-55),the Chehel Dokhtaran minaret (1107), the Maidan/Khomeini Square/ Naghsh-e Jhan Sq. (1612), the Ali Ghapu Palace (1598) , the Chehel Sotun Ceremonial Palace Pavilion (early 17th c-1647) , the Royal Chapel/Mosque-e Sheikh Lotfollah (1598?-1602), Bihisht Pleasure Palace (1670), the Great Bazaar Qaisarieyh (1613), the Caravanseri Hajji Karim Khan (Royal Bazzar Caravanseri) (Safavid), the Sayyid Mosque (1840), the Hash Hakim Mosque (12th c/1654 rebuilt), the Pigeon Tower (Safavid), the Tomb and minarets Sultan Bakht Agha (1352). Hotel Isfahan (B,L,D) Day 22 Depart for Yazd. Enroute visit Nain and the Friday Alavin Mosque (960/1375), the ancient mud brick fortress and the Masgid Sar-I Kucha (10/11th c), and Ardestan's Friday (Kisok) Mosque (c 1180), and the Pamener Mosque (1051-1220) minaret 1068. On arrival Yazd, visit the Towers of Silence, the Friday Mosque (1324/64?), the Bagh-e Dowlat residence complex (1750), the Mausoleum Seyed Rokn od-Din (1330), the Mosque complex Amir Chakmaq (14th c / 1447), the Sadrieh Mosque and Gathering Court, the Jaffar Mosque, local caravanseri warehouses and a water reservoir. Hotel Yazd (B,L,D) Day 23 Depart for Sahriz. Enroute visit the Gunbad-e Ali, Kakuyid (1036) at Abarkuh, the tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, the rock cut tombs and fire altar and temple at Naghsh e Rostam, and the Royay palace complex at Persepolis. Hotel Shariz (B,L,D) Day 24 Tour Shariz. Visit the Citadel Arg Karim Khani, the Koran Gate (20th c), the Merchants House/Narenjestan Palace, (1881), the Vakil Regents Mosque, (1773), the Shrine Bogh Shah Cherag King of the Lamp Houses, (mid 14th c), the Shrine Ali Ebn Hamze (18th c), the Tomb/Garden Aramgah Hafez (late 14th c), and the Ilkhanid Mosque and Shrine of Grandson of 4th Imam Bebe Khadjeh. Depart for Tehran from the airport late in the day. Hotel Tehran (B,L,D). Day 25 Tour Tehran and visit the Iman (Royal) Mosque (1809-49), the Golestan Palace (mid to late 1800's), the Niavaran/Saheb Qaranieh Summer Palace (1850's -80's), the Pahlavi royal mosque, palace, park etc. (1925-51), the Medrase/Masjed e Sepahsalar (Commander in Chief) (1878-90), the Golden Gate (c. 1850), and lastly, do your carpet buying at the Tehran Bazaar. Hotel (B,L,D). Day 26 Depart hotel at approximately 0100 hours for the airport and the return flight to Europe.   Note Day 2 may merge into Day 1 (but with a reduced itinerary) if the airport arrival is before 0300 hrs. Note Due to the long haul between Bukhara and Ashkhabad, Day 11 should stop overnight in the area of Tedzhen (or Kaakhka depending on available facilities) unless an additional driver is included for that portion of the route. Consideration sould be given to the spending of a night at a nomad camp or collective farm, providing that suitable accommodation and eating arrangements can be made. Note many of the enroute lunches will be at the discretion of the individual. Since there are no adequate or time accessible eating establishments, one should purchase fruit, cookies, water, pop, etc prior to the commencement of the journey. The guide will give adequate warning of these no lunch days. Note Visit to the Castle of Assassins will be cancelled if the day is rainy. Additional time will be spent touring Qazvin and surroundings.