Iran

ODYSSEY gidsen besteden meer dan veel andere reisgidsen aandacht aan de geschiedenis en de cultuur van de landen. Ze richten zich eigenlijk tot de reiziger die meer wil weten dan de algemene populaire en toeristische wetenswaardigheden. Altijd prachtig geïllustreerd met foto's, kaarten, literaire uittreksels en archiefmateriaal. De gemiddelde gids bevat ongeveer voor 30% prachtige foto's, kaarten en illustraties. De gidsen bevatten ook inhoudelijke essays, betreffende onderwerpen gaande van literatuur tot fauna en flora, van geologie tot architectuur, geschreven door de meest toonaangevende experts. | Iran, or Persia as it was formerly known, has been of interest to outsiders for millennia. From the Greco-Persian wars of antiquity, through the rise and flourishing of Islam, to the age of European imperialist expansion in the East, Iran has been a central player in global history. Drawn by its strategic location along the Silk Road, ancient and distinctive culture and abundant natural resources, foreign diplomats, traders and travellers have been coming to Iran for centuries. By early 2016, following reformist representation in Iran's Parliament, the country's appeal to outsiders greatly increased, with travellers and business people once more setting their sights on Iran.Odyssey's 5th edition of the guide is packed with information and guidance for the visitor. It contains a wealth of information on Iran's history, culture, places of interest, food and music and UNESCO World Heritage sites. The companion and guide also covers Iranian film, Shi'a Islam, religious art and architecture, and its fraught relationship with Israel. Helen Loveday has a BA in Chinese and a PhD in Chinese archaeology, following time spent in Central Asia, she became attracted by Iran and began studying Farsi, the national language. Loveday lives in Switzerland, where she is a curator of the Baur Foundation Museum and is a senior lecturer at Geneva University.Bruce Wannell read Modern European Languages at Oriel College Oxford, but later grew interested in the Iranian and Islamic world, living and travelling in Iran and Afghanistan for many years. Wannell lives in York, England.