Iran trips in 2006 and 2008

Classics ran trips to Iran in 2006 and then again in 2008.

In April 2006, Dr Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, who lectures in ancient Persian history, led a 10-day tour to Iran. With 20 Edinburgh University students and a few other guests, he took them to visit the remarkable ancient sites of Persepolis, Naqsh-i Rustam and Parsagadae, as well as the beautiful Iranian cities of Shiraz, Yadz, Esphahan and Tehran.

Following on from the visit in 2006, in June 2008, Dr Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones led another 12-day tour to Iran. Some 40 Edinburgh University students (and a few other guests) visited the remarkable Persian sites.

The tour was organized through Magic Carpet Travel.

Here are some of the highlights of the trip!

I am not sure I can summarise in a couple of hundred words how fantastic this trip was. I have tried in far more words and with pictures, and still not managed it. We saw so many interesting sites: Persepolis was awesome for its sense of history and the miracle of its survival. The mosques were more colourful, ornate and spiritual than the guidebooks could convey (and how often is it that you can accuse your guidebooks of understatement?) I particularly valued the opportunities to sample Iranian culture, from the food to our visit to Abyaneh. I did feel on leaving that, while I could have spent far longer there, I had nonetheless got a very good overview of Iran . Credit for this needs to be given to our excellent tour guide. I don't think I will ever come up with a neat "conclusion" to this trip. What I have is a wealth of experiences that will continue to affect me for years. I cannot express how much this trip meant to me.