Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran

456 Pages·2007·100.339 MB·English

by  Jason Elliot

MIRRORS
THE
OF
JOURNEYS IN IRAN
JASON ELLIOT
The New York Times Bestselling Author of An Unexpected Light
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ISBN0-312-30191-X $26.' .'r, 95 Can.
A fascinating journey h the
t
history, land, and hiddc lire of
Iran past and present, by one ofthe
world's most perceptive travelers
(^UR CURRENT CLIMATE OF WAR
IN
and suspicion, Iran is depicted as a
"rogue" nation, defined by the radical
pronouncements of its leaders. But such
rhetoric obscures the real Iran: an ancient
culture, both sophisticated and isolated,
which acknowledges "an invisible world,
from which the soul receives a more rarefied
nourishment."
Jason Elliot has spent thepast threeyears
traveling in Iran, and in this remarkable and
timely book he reveals the many sides ofthis
misunderstood country. In Mirrors of the
Unseen, we arc introduced to the urban
contradictions of the capital, Tehran, and
invited to ponder the sublime architecture of
Isfahan; we travel with Hlliot on horseback
through the forests ofthe north, across the
bleak landscapes of Kurdistan, and retrace
Byron's steps to such fabled monuments as
the towerofQabus, the palace ofFiruzabad,
and Persepolis.
But this book is more than just an expli>-
ration of the immensely rich heritage of
Persian culture; it is also a piis(Mial inquiry
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915.504 Elliot 2006
Elliot, Jason
Mirrors of the unseen
journeys in Iran
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Mirrors of the Unseen
Also by Jason Elliot
An Unexpected Light
Travels in Afghanistan
Mirrors of the Unseen
Journeys in Iran
Jason Elliot
ST. MARTIN S PRESS M NEW YORK
©
MIRRORSOF THE UNSEEN. Copyright 2006 byJason Elliot. All rights reserved. Printed in the
United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner
whatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermission except inthecaseofbriefquotationsembodied incrit-
ical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martins Press. 175 Fifth Avenue, New
York. N.Y 10010.
www.srmartins.com
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Elliot, Jason. 1965-
Mirrors of the unseen : journeys in Iran / Jason Elliot.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-30191-0
ISBN-10: 0-31—2-30191—-X —
I. Elliot, Jason Travel Iran. 2. Iran Description and travel. I. Title.
DS259.2 .E45 2006
9I5.504'44092—dc22
2006042918
First published in Great Britain by Picador, an imprint of Pan Macmillan Ltd
First^Ui). Edition: October 2006
987654321
10
ForR.