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Iran-Exkursion 2019
This excursion was organized by the Economics of the Middle East Research Group and the Politics of the Middle East Research Group with the help of QSL funds from the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS) and took place from 15 to 23 November 2019. It was an intense week of getting insights into the history, culture, politics, and economy of Iran.
Click on the picture above to open the gallery with pictures of the event.
Please find the student reports here:
Sarah (Master student of Middle Eastern Politics and Economics)
"My knowledge about Iran was limited to the names of some Islamic scholars and historical key data. I wanted to change this with this study trip. We had a tight, but well organized schedule. Our tour guide Arman made the trip a memorable experience and although our schedule was pretty full it never felt overwhelming. Our trip led us to Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Persepolis. After a relatively short night due to our flight we started our tour of Tehran with the 13th Aban Cultural Complex, which is the former US embassy. Today the building serves as a museum, where you can see a bug proof room with its walls made entirely out of glass and a room where supposedly passports for diplomats have been forged. Other sites in Teheran included the Golestan Palace, which provided a first impression of the rich and colorful architecture in Iran, and the Grand Bazar, the largest of its kind with a length of ten kilometers. The following day we visited the Milad Tower and the Islamic Revolution and Holy Defense Museum. In Isfahan, the highlights were definitely the Shah Mosque, which is located at the Naghsh-e Jahan Square (which translates to “Image of the world”) and the Armenian Quarter with the Holy Savior Cathedral. With perfect weather conditions we made a trip to Persepolis the next day, the ceremonial capital of the Archaemenid Empire, which was largely destroyed by a fire. My absolute favorite site of the whole trip is the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, which is also known as the Pink Mosque. The light shining through the glass facade displays a beautiful play of colors which leaves you mesmerized. Summing up, the trip opened my eyes and heart to the Iranian people, their culture, their impressive history and their stunning architecture."
Felix (Bachelor student of Near and Middle Eastern Studies)
"This November I had the opportunity to participate in an excursion organized by the Departments of Economics of the Middle East and Politics of the Middle East. Our one-week trip through beautiful Iran, which should give us a first insight into one of the largest countries of the MENA region, took us as a kind of time travel to the most important places of Iranian history as well as to architectural and cultural highlights. In the course of our journey, we visited the metropolis of Tehran - architecturally shaped by the Qajar dynasty -, the old Safawid capital Isfahan and Shiraz. The visit of several museums, like the former US embassy or the "Museum of Holy Defense", which is dedicated to the Islamic revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) helped to understand the meaning of these events and their deep impact on the Iranian society and to deal with different narratives. Also impressive was the visit to the ruins of Persepolis, as well as the Kyros Tomb, where the relevance of Iran's long history for Iran became particularly clear. Overall this excursion gave me a perfect opportunity to get to know Iran and encouraged me to delve deeper into the topic with newly gained perspectives. Furthermore, the hospitality and warmth with which we were welcomed was simply incredible."
Ronja (Bachelor student of Political Science)
"The one-week excursion to Iran left a lasting impression on me. The varied program gave us a good insight into the culture of the country in a short time, although this insight was only a fraction of what there is to experience in Iran in terms of the size and versatility of the country. I was particularly impressed by the architecture. Every mosque we visited - whether decorated with tile paintings or mosaics - created a new "wow" effect. The mirror mosaics in the Golestan Palace were a completely new way for me to decorate walls and ceilings. Also the ruins of Persepolis from the time of the Achaemeniden were very impressive with their well preserved reliefs and do not decorate many postcards and souvenirs without reason. From this excursion I not only take with me the newly acquired factual knowledge, new friendships and wonderful experiences, but also the opportunity to take a different perspective on certain aspects of life, such as taking certain freedoms not for granted. I am very grateful for the organizational work of Sven Fischer and Julius Dihstelhoff and the financial support from the QSL funds of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies. I am delighted that this commitment has made such excursions possible and that I have been able to participate in the excursion to Iran. Iran has much more to offer, so that this will not be my last visit and I can recommend a trip there to everyone."
Peter (Master student of Middle Eastern Politics and Economics)
"From November 15th to 22nd, we conducted an excursion to Iran directed by the CNMS departments of economics and politics of the middle east. The focus of the excursion was an introduction to Iran over the past 2500 years – an enthusiastic plan for eight days, especially given the fact that a large part of our group was in Iran for the first time. During the four stations of our trip, namely Tehran, Isfahan, Persepolis and Shiraz, a varied program with different thematical priorities awaited us. In Tehran, for example, we focused on the history of Iran from the late 18th century to the present day. We also got a very good contrast between the old and modern Tehran. In Isfahan, the former capital during the Safavid era, we delved deeper into Persian history and visited numerous sights that were built during the Safavid era and continue to characterize the cityscape of Isfahan to this day. With our tour around Persepolis we dug deepest into Persian history. With fantastic weather conditions in our back we visited the former residential city as well as the Naqshe-Rostam archaeological site. After this we continued to Shiraz, the last stop of our journey. Especially because of our guide Arman we experienced an intensive and exciting insight into Iran during the eight days, during which we were able to learn a lot about the many facets of both historical and modern Iran. At this point, I would also like to thank the QSL Commission, who made the excursion because of their financial contribution possible in the first place."
Charlotte (Bachelor student of Political Science)
"In university readings and western media, Iran’s contemporary history is frequently covered. The daily culture, people, and the country itself are another issue. I was really happy to participate in the interdisciplinary expedition organized by the Political and Economic Research Groups of the CNMS. It not only opened insights to the country’s recent and ancient history, but also enlightened us to the role of religion in the country, and to important aspects of their political and economic systems. We learned a lot about Iran’s Persian culture by visiting important sites like Tehran, Isfahan, Persepolis and Shiraz. As a political science student, I was greatly interested in learning about the international relations of Iran with the US and Iraq, and how visible they are in the country itself. Our two organizing lecturers, along with our tour guide, provided a lot of helpful and interesting ancillary information, and helped us to understand important aspects that influence daily life. The perfectly-organized planning of the program also left time for visiting places of our own interests."