Used book – Olizane Guide, Iran from Ancient Persia to the Modern State, Helen Loveday, Frédéric Garouste

Midway between Asia and Mediterranean Europe, Iran boasts a rich archaeological and cultural heritage. For over three millennia, the country has been a place of migration and encounter between civilizations. The center of the first great world empire under Cyrus, Persia was successively invaded by the Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks, but it never lost its unique identity, each time absorbing the invader and offering them a philosophical and artistic, scientific, and religious richness they had never known.

But Iran is not limited to this glorious past: after a revolution and ten years of war, this Shi'ite Islamic republic is now, more than ever, one of the great powers in this part of the globe. Since the election of a moderate president, travel to Iran has become attractive again, drawing many French-speaking tourists.

This book allows the traveler to approach the cultural and historical complexities and better perceive recent developments. In addition to the practical information necessary for preparing the trip, the reader will find literary excerpts and texts dealing in detail with specific subjects such as architecture, Islamic calligraphy, or Persian poetry. Numerous site and city maps are included.

9782880864521