#The Great Salt Desert of Iran

[radiojamming]

PLEASE tell us more about mummy types, i know ice is your fave so feel free to go ham on that but all of them are so interesting to me

drives up in my cozy coupe that has MUMMY MOBILE written in sharpie on the side (ALSO PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN LOOKING THESE UP; SOME OF THEM LOOK VERY GNARLY)

ICE/PERMAFROST - If you've followed me for a little while, you probably know more about these than the average fella! These are your Beechey Island Trio, your Ötzi the Iceman. Ice keeps bacteria from turning the body into a smorgabord, thus keeping these people fresh (and fluid-filled) for hundreds to thousands of years. And maybe some day down the line, some nerd finds you and thinks you're beautiful and never shuts up about you.

THE BOG - It's Tumblr. You all know about The Bog. Bog bodies are essentially turned into leather purses by the tannins and the anaerobic qualities of The Bog, sometimes effectively snapshotting their causes of death (usually something violent). Special shoutouts to fan favorites like Tollund Man, Lindow Man/Pete Marsh, Yde Girl, Grauballe Man, and Windeby I. And Hozier, probably.

HOT, DRY DESERT AIR - Think the Atacama Desert, the Mummies of Guanajuato, or your pre-embalming times Egyptians. In fact, it was the natural qualities of desert air that probably tipped the Ancient Egyptians off to the fun and fabulousness of preservation. You dry out to potato chip crispness but lose all the wet bits. Also Anubis is probably repping you.

ARID, COLD MOUNTAIN AIR - Same idea as the desert as far as lack of humidity, but better for your skin. Mountaintop mummies are some of the best preserved in the whole world. La Doncella is a fantastic example, as are the rest of the Children of Llullaillaco or the Cherchen Man and Siberian Ice Maiden. Sometimes this was done on purpose (hi bog bodies), but sometimes people just go up to high altitudes, die, and stay there forever.

HONEY/MELLIFICATION - This one doesn't fit the bill of spontaneous mummification, which is what I study. Honey mummies are made on purpose, allegedly by feeding someone honey until they're dead, and then dunking them in a coffin full of honey for them to steep like tea for the next century or so, then digging them up and making medicine/snacks out of them. Lots of alleged's, but still pretty cool if you're into idk becoming one with the slime.

SALT - Human jerky! Salt does to you what it does to all the other edible meats, of which you're just another brand. Salt sucks all the moisture out and keeps you nice, fresh, and flavorful forever and ever. The Saltmen of Iran are Thee Pinnacle of this type of preservation. Bonus is that you get weirdly sparkly when you're salted like a slug.

SAPONIFICATION - You become soap. Actually, if you want to get technical, you turn into what's called corpse wax (which is a surprisingly badass name for turning into a human candle) or adipocere. Mrs. Ellenbogen of the Mütter Museum is probably the best example of this, but it also happens to, uh, cave divers. Which is another great reason not to go cave diving.

PRISTINE AIR OF A SACRED BUILDING - Catacomb mummies! Incorruptible saints! Sokushinbutsu! If you're stuck in a religious house of worship and it just so happens to have its own little ecosystem (usually pretty dry, probably full of resinous incense), there's a non-zero chance that you'll get preserved very similarly to the mountain mummies. Getting stuck in a crystal casket doesn't hurt either. (Disclaimer: this is semi-anthropogenic for those keeping score at home. Some of these mummies are preserved this way on purpose.)

TAR PITS - Like the bog, but hotter, stickier, and smellier. Go in the tar, have no oxygen causing you to fall apart, turn into another leather bag time capsule. This more often happens to animals like those in the La Brea Tar Pits than people. At least that we know of.

WEIRD, AS OF YET UNKNOWN MEANS - Can we say for sure that there was only one reason why Lady Dai/Xin Zhui's stayed so preserved for so long? What about the other wet mummies? What about ones people find in trees? Or whatever the hell was going on with Elmer McCurdy? Maybe it's not unknown, but it doesn't fit the bill of typical mummies, or there are so many factors at play leading to preservation that we can't just call it by one category.

[et-cetacea]

Great Salt Desert, Iran

The Dasht-e Kavir (دشت كوير), or Great Salt Desert, is the largest desert in Iran. It is primarily uninhabited wasteland, composed of mud and salt marshes covered with crusts of salt that protect the meager moisture from completely evaporating.

This image was taken by the Landsat 7 satellite on October 24, 2000. It is a false-color composite image made using infrared, green and red wavelengths. The image has also been sharpened using the sensor’s panchromatic band.

⤷ Image provided by the U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch. Caption adapted from text originally provided by NASA’s Earth Observatory. 

Source: NASA/USGS Landsat 7; NASA Earth Observatory. 🪐🌟

[naturecopy]

🔥 Dasht-e Kavir (a/k/a The Great Salt Desert), Iran; located about 300 kilometers east of Tehran. Runoff from the surrounding mountains creates seasonal lakes and marshes. High temperatures cause the water to evaporate, leaving behind clays and sand soils with a high concentration of minerals.

[kennethtoledo2005]

03.

“Travelers and Traders”

Name:Kenneth A.Toledo

Section:Grade:11:St.Francis

“Travelers and Traders”

this story is about travel and trade it is titled Travelers and traders“In 1271, the Polos set out to return to China. This time, they took Marco with them. The four year voyage across westem and central Asia was long and arduous. After traveling by sea to the Persian gulf, the Polos were forced to take an ancient caravan route through present day Iraq, Iran, and Turkmenistan. They then traversed the desolate Gobi Desert, and made their way through several ancient mercantile cities. In the spring of 1275, the Polos finally reached Shangdu, the summer residence of Kublai Khan. The route taken by the Polos became known as The Silk Road. Kublai Khan and his royal court immediately took a liking to Marco and appointed him commissioner in the Mongol government. In the meantime, Marco studied the native languages and culture. Marco soon became a trusted advisor to Kublai Khan and began recording his observations of the great ruler and his vast territories, palaces, arms, and riches. Marco described the vast Asian trading network and, in particular, the thriving silk, iron, and salt industries. He also described the foreign concept of paper money as well as Chinese inventions such as porcelain pottery (China). Marco wrote that Khan’s city (known as Cambuluc) was the most fantastic city on the world. When Marco’s descriptions reached Europe, a new generation of explorers was born who imagined amazing fortune for themselves in the East. Marco remained with Kublai Khan for seventeen years and recorded his observations throughout China. His recordings of a culture completely unknown in Europe proved priceless.I learned a lot from this story because I learned about the history of other countries, how to travel in the old days and how to do business with other countries, how to socialize with other races, what kind of government they have, how they manage. That’s all.

[trogon77universe]

The Song of History:

Cultural Inspirations for

The Demon of the Well

by James B. Hendricks

As I have said, the history and cultural traditions of those who dwell in the oasis towns along the Old Silk Road have inspired my tale, The Demon of the Well. For many centuries, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other ethnic groups have grown crops along the desert’s fringe in Xinjiang. They are watered by ancient systems of canals diverting snowmelt water from rivers rushing out of the encircling mountains, before these streams meet their end in the dry sands and salt flats of the Tarim Basin. 

For millennia, traders plied the trails of the Silk Road that navigated the rim of the Taklamakan Desert, bearing loads of silk and jade. They found their rest and sustenance at caravanserais established in the old oasis farming communities, where the trails met a crossing river. It is in a caravanserai much like one of these, where the trader in my story has found a home for retirement from his travels. And where his hosts allow him to pursue a modest trade as a woodworker. Here, the children of the town find him, and grow ever more curious about this mysterious old character, and the strange stories whispered about his adventures. 

When the trader’s young friends try to learn more than rumors about his past, the trader deflects them at first, suggesting that the storytellers at the market square have more entertaining tales than he. And there are many stories to tell. The history of the people of the Tarim Basin relates cycles of war, with times of peace. And so it is also, in the trader’s world. When at last a crisis convinces him to speak, he tells of how warfare caused him to make a terrible Faustian bargain. Which sets the stage for an effort at redemption.

In the prologue, the narrator mentions a greenish glow that emanates from the hem of the trader’s robe. A light that only the narrator and a few of his other friends could see. It is no coincidence that Old World traditions tell of a similar glow emitting from the robe of the legendary, immortal al-Khizr the Green – keeper of springs. In the traditions of many religions and cultures of southwestern Asia, Khizr is described as a wandering immortal – guide and companion to mystics and saints, and a guardian angel who can freely travel through space and time to come to the aid of those in need. He is associated with figures in a wide range of legends, from the Green Knight of Arthurian legend to Utnapishtim, the immortal equivalent of Noah in Sumerian mythology, and serves as a teacher to Moses himself. So, it is no wonder that he comes to the aid of the trader in my story, through the “...gift of distant sages.” Though bewildering to the trader, and with almost greater power than he can bear on its arrival, help from al-Khizr and others is with him in his time of need, because he once gazed into the mystic Cup of Knowledge – and survived.

This mystic chalice of my story was inspired by many sources. Most notably by the Cup of Jamshid, which makes frequent appearances in Persian literature. 

In the year 1010 C.E., the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi completed his Shahnameh – an epic recording of the great cycle of Persian legends shared by storytellers for a thousand years before his time. In these stories, the legendary first king of Iran was Jamshid, who possessed a magic chalice that, like Galadriel’s mirror in The Lord of the Rings, could be used as an instrument of divination to see events in the past, present and future. 

I grew up with tales of King Arthur and his knights searching for the Holy Grail, and these stories clearly had their effect on me. Research on this cycle of legends reminded me of how the knights Galahad, Percival and Bors succeed, finding the Chalice and healing the Fisher King, thereby restoring the wasteland that his realm had become. Exploring further, I discovered the significance of Britain and Ireland’s sacred wells and read about tales of the otherworldly maidens who kept them and offered water from those springs with their magic cups. In the legends, the fate of humankind goes awry when war-like men defile the maidens and steal their cups. And legends tell of the efforts to right those wrongs. 

In my story, such a cup has ended up in a very different place from the healing well of its origin. The elder soldier has cached it on the bank of a well with boiling hot, undrinkable water, in the desolate realm of a malevolent and destructive demon. At the end of the story, the trader leaves the Cup of Knowledge in the soldiers’ grave because he knows that whoever comes after him will need its power for a final confrontation with the demon.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“CRISIS IN THE CAUCASUS,” Montreal Gazette. August 7, 1942. Page 12 ---- DRIVING down for Caucasus oil, the Nazi armies have struck pay dirt across the Don River. South along the railroad and pipe line linking, Rostov with the Maikop and Baku oil fields, the invader's tanks may find easy rolling for 200 miles through the great northwest plains. But once they get into scoring position, desperate Russians with their backs to the towering Caucasus mountains and shortened supply lines from Iran may pull another "Leningrad" or "Moscow" defensive stand.  ---- No military analyst attempts to minimize the gravity of the Nazi threat to Russia in the drive into the Caucasus, but despite Axis gains in the savage onslaught, Hitler is still a long way from gaining concrete returns from the rich between-seas area. 

There are two very serious factors weighing against the Russians in the present campaign. The first is the German drive east towards Stalingrad, which threatens to cut the Russians In the Caucasus off from the north. Second, rail communications in the Caucasus are scanty and appear to have been cut by the German push. 

Splitting the Russians off from the north would be serious, but not necessarily fatal. The Leningrad garrison successfully carried on in a similar situation. The lack of rail transport to the north is being rapidly overcome as the railroad to Astrakhan on the west shore of the Caspian Sea is rushed to completion. 

An estimate of the situation in the Caucasus now brings the general conclusion that Hitler's toughest fighting is yet to be done. The terrain in the North Caucasus is Ideally adapted to mechanized fighting, in which the Nazis are brilliant. 

The flat plains are made to order for tank deployment, but in the northeast, extensive salt marshes and desert areas militate against mechanized offensives. It is probable that the main attack must be channeled west of th badlands, which would give the defence the advantage of a narrow front. 

Farther south, an invading army's troubles really begin. The Caucasian mountain range is one of the world's most rugged, averaging 10,000 feet high, with the peaks jutting well over that. Passes are almost non-existent below 8,500 feet.

This range cuts across the land between the Black and Caspian Seas from northwest to southeast. Even Maikop, the small oil field closest to the German advance, is in the first foothills of the range. Other key objectives are protected by the mountains. 

Even if the Axis forces succeeded in occupying the oil objectives, the Russians could retire behind the Caucasian bastion. They would be close enough so that it would be unlikely the Germans could consolidate their winnings and begin to realize on the investment in lives and materiel. Experience in Yugoslavia has shown that a determined, mountain-wise force can raise continual hob with occupation armies. 

The United Nations supply line through Iran could be counted on to keep the Russians in munitions as long as Baku survived as a receiving port. All in all, Hitler hasn't marked up a winning score in the Caucasus by a long, long shot.

[architecturefiles]

There is a way to master silence, control its curves, inhabit its dark corners, and listen to the hiss of time outside.

Paul Bowles on the Dasht-e Kavir

[giftofshewbread]

It’s Satan

By Daymond Duck    Published on: August 1, 2021

The writer of this article was recently asked, “Why do the globalists who are supposed to be very intelligent make decisions that are so clearly wrong?”

Most don’t realize it, but Satan is behind their evil.

He has blinded them to the extent that they don’t believe the Bible is the Word of God.

They push a godless world government, world religion, same-sex marriage, tracking everyone, etc., because they are not Christians (even though some falsely claim to be good Catholics, etc.).

Many were appointed by like-minded people, not elected by voters or nations.

They wouldn’t dare have an election because they don’t believe they can get elected.

The globalists overlook what the Clintons and Bidens have done because they share similar views on the issues listed above.

Their puppets impeached Trump twice because he opposed their views.

Their prosecution of Trump supporters for what happened at the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, while ignoring the rioting, looting, destruction of property, etc. by Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and others, should concern every conservative and Christian because when the globalists get the upper hand (and they will), they will destroy the U.S. Constitution, and persecute and destroy those that disagree with them.

When they give their Antichrist power, he will go forth conquering and to conquer (Rev. 6:1-2; 13:4-7).

The following events indicate that the latter years and latter days, globalism, global pandemics, food shortages, persecution, etc., are on the horizon.

One, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog in the latter years and latter days: on July 20, 2021, Sen. Lindsey Graham said, “The Iranians are progressing (on their development of nuclear weapons) at a dangerous pace.”

“Israel may need to take pre-emptive military action against Iran.”

“I’ve never been more worried about Israel having to use military force to stop the program than I am right now.”

Two, also concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: it was reported on July 21, 2021, that Israel’s military and foreign intelligence agency said Israel needs a variety of plans to sabotage, disrupt and delay Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, and they will probably be asking for the money and resources to do that.

Three, also concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu and Russian Pres. Putin agreed that Israel would give Russia advance notice of Israeli attacks in some areas of Syria, and Russia would not intervene.

Israel jets recently fired several missiles at Iranian targets near Aleppo, Syria, and a Russian official said Syria used Russian-made anti-missile systems to shoot down all of Israel’s missiles.

On July 24, 2021, DEBKAfile, an Israeli intelligence and security news source group, reported that a Russian official confirmed that Russia has changed its policy on not intervening in Israeli attacks in some areas of Syria because Russia has received confirmation from the Biden White House that the U.S. does not condone the continuous Israeli raids.

Thus, while the Biden administration is publicly saying Israel has a right to defend itself, it is telling Russia that some of Israel’s efforts to do that are unacceptable.

The Bible clearly teaches that the merchants of Tarshish and all the young lions (perhaps includes the U.S.) will not help Israel during the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38:13).

Corrupt world leaders, deceit, and lying are also signs of the end of the age.

Four, on July 27, 2021, i24NEWS reported that Israel has notified the Biden administration that Iran is on the verge of crossing the nuclear threshold, and it could happen at any moment.

Because Pres. Obama sent Iran a planeload of money during his administration and seems to be influencing events in the Biden administration, notifying Biden might be a waste of time.

This may help explain the belief that the U.S. will not help Israel during the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38:13).

Five, concerning famine: it is common knowledge that the Covid-19 lockdowns disrupted the world’s food chains (farmers and farmhands were quarantined; stores ran out of toilet paper, some foods, etc.; food processors closed or cut back; some trucks stopped rolling, etc.).

On July 23, 2023, it was reported that there are still bare shelves in some food stores in the U.K., the food supply chains are “at risk of collapse,” millions of workers have been ordered to self-quarantine, the food industry is running out of workers to keep the stores supplied, and the U.K. could be just a few months away from a major crisis.

Under the guise of stopping the spread of Covid, the U.K. government may be creating “food shortages and mass famine.”

Note: It was recently reported that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that there will be another lockdown in the U.S. if American citizens “don’t wise up and get vaccinated against Covid-19.”

Note: On July 28, 2021, in an interview on “Fox & Friends,” Stuart Varney said an important business group is predicting that supply shortages will last until 2023.

Some prophecy teachers believe that Covid-19 is a created crisis (a pretext, a set-up, perhaps an engineered cluster of catastrophes) that globalists are using to prepare the world for a world government.

According to the pro-liberty group, Brighteon, on July 22, 2021, “very few people are prepared to survive a multi-layered, engineered cluster of catastrophes that are unleashed on top of each other.”

God’s Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl judgments during the Tribulation Period will be multi-layered catastrophes (pandemics, famine, economic collapse, etc.) on top of each other, and very few will survive.

Note: This writer believes we could be watching the development (early stages) of those multi-layered judgments.

Six, concerning deceit: on July 20, 2021, Sen. Rand Paul said on Sean Hannity’s T.V. program, “I will be sending a letter to the Department of Justice asking for a criminal referral (of Dr. Anthony Fauci) because he has lied to Congress” (about the involvement of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology).

Note: This writer does not know how to verify it but has seen reports that Fauci owns stock in one or more of the companies that have been approved to sell the Covid-19 vaccine (If true, he is likely profiting off forcing people to be vaccinated and opposing the use of Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin).

Second Note: It has been reported that Fauci could spend up to 5 years in prison, but it is the opinion of this writer that the globalists (also called the Shadow Government, Deep State, super-wealthy elitists, etc.) will protect him because they are pro-vaccination. They want him to keep using his ever-changing fake science.

Seven, concerning world government and open borders: on July 21, 2021, it was reported that keeping the U.S. border with Mexico open is costing about 3 million dollars a day in suspension and termination payments to contractors to guard steel, concrete, and other materials they have in the desert.

Eight, militant Muslims say Jews should not be allowed on the Temple Mount because the entire Temple Mount is an Islamic site and none of it belongs to Israel.

For this reason, Jewish officials have allowed Jews to visit the Temple Mount at certain times, but they have not been allowed to pray on the Temple Mount.

On July 17, 2021, the eve of Tisha B’ Av (a holiday for remembering the destruction of the first 2 Jewish Temples; July 17-18 in 2021), it was reported that Jews were praying (and some were teaching Torah, a name for the Scriptures in the first 5 books of the Bible) on the Temple Mount.

On July 20, 2021, Prime Min. Bennett came out in support of freedom of worship for Jews on the Temple Mount.

This may lead to more violence, but it is worth noting that the Jews have gone from not being allowed to pray on the Temple Mount to praying and teaching on the Temple Mount, and Israel’s new Prime Min. supports it.

According to the Bible, the Jews will eventually get permission to rebuild the Temple.

Update: On July 25, 2021, it was reported that the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinians is fragile, may be coming unraveled, and another war could be on the horizon.

Nine, concerning pestilence: on July 22, 2021, Israeli Prime Min. Bennett said as of Aug. 8, 2021, Israeli citizens will not be allowed to enter synagogues and other facilities without a vaccine certificate or proof of a negative Covid-19 test.

U.S. citizens are not having to prove that they have been vaccinated to attend places of worship, but some companies are requiring it.

Ten, concerning natural disasters: on July 26, 2021, it was reported that June in North America was “the hottest in recorded history.”

Record high temperatures were broken in several western states.

On June 28, 2021, the temperature was 117 degrees in Salem, OR; 110 in Redmond OR; 110 in Quillayute, WA; 110 in Olympia, WA etc.

The southwest U.S. is experiencing the worst drought in 122 years.

It covers almost 90% of the southwest, and much of that is classified as severe to exceptional drought.

Reservoirs and rivers are drying up, fish are dying, wildlife is suffering, farmers and ranchers are hurting, crop and cattle production is down, some ranchers and dairy farmers are going out of business, water rationing is beginning to kick in, and more than 60 million people are impacted.

Lake Mead, a 112-mile-long water reservoir, is at its lowest level since it was built 85 years ago (It is now only 35% full).

Utah’s Great Salt Lake has reached a record low.

86 wildfires are burning in 12 states, drought conditions have made them worse, two major wildfires have merged, and more than 10,000 houses are in danger.

The long-range forecast is for the high temperatures to continue through the fall.

Call it what you want; some officials are already blaming it on global warming because it fits their globalist agenda. But natural disasters will be like birth pains (increase in frequency and intensity) at the end of the age, and this record-breaking event seems to qualify.

As I close, understand that as bad as things are right now, Satan and the Antichrist are limited or partly restrained (II Thess. 2:7-9).

But the time will come (the Tribulation Period) when Satan and the Antichrist will no longer be restrained, and the events will be worse than anything that has ever happened or ever will happen (Matt. 24:22).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

[mostly-history]

Dasht-e Kavir (Iran, October 2000).

Also known as the Great Salt Desert, the Dasht-e Kavir is the largest desert in Iran.  It is mostly uninhabited wasteland, made up of mud and salt marshes covered with salt crusts that protect the meagre moisture from completely evaporating.

[earthstory]

The Dasht-e Kevir

One does not typically think of deserts in aesthetically pleasing notions. Yet this image of the Great Salt Desert in Iran, which was captured by astronauts on the International Space Station, makes a barren wasteland look like an abstract painting, with lines and curves intersecting and bisecting each other in seemingly fractal patterns.

Also known as Dasht-e Kavir (literally translated from Persian as “desert of salt-marsh”), this vast desert stretches across the Iranian Plateau with an area of about 77,600 km2. As hinted by its name, Dasht-e Kavir has a wealth of salt domes, which were formed from evaporation of an ancient ocean that had once covered the landscape. Because salt is relatively less dense than most rocks, its burial by any new rock can be short-lived as the salt can press against the overlying weight, forming domes. Wind, rain, and other physical processes can erode away at the salt domes, cutting away through cross-sections and exposing the complex layering visible in the image.

Of course, like any desert, its climate is one of extremes. The dry heat of Dasht-e Kavir often alternates with severe storms that shape the desert’s salt marshes through intense cycles of evaporation, inundation, and erosion. Much of the landscape is uninhabitable due to the harsh environment, making it a pristine hinterland perfect for desert and salt dome research.

-DC

References and further reading https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/83438/kavir-desert-iran https://www.universetoday.com/110872/believe-it-or-not-this-is-stunning-blue-landscape-is-a-desert-as-seen-from-space/amp/

Photo Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

[maritimesilkroad4-blog]

Silk Road

https://en.imsilkroad.com/

The Silk Highway was a trade highway that began while in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 Advert) and related the jap and also the western worlds. The Silk Highway is often described as the transportation and trade road that traversed Central Asia and also the Pamir Plateau to achieve Western Asia. The Silk Highway consists of many major roadways and department roads. The north street (the Prairie Silk Road) started within the Mongolian Plateau and led to Karakoram. Traditionally, it had been a crucial road used by the nomads with the Central Asia to travel west. There originally had been various routes, although the longest just one in was often known as the Desert Silk Highway. It were routinely pointed out in historic documents. The south highway, often called the Silk Highway about the Sea was mostly used by Southeast Asians, Persians, and Arabs. This sea road started out from China, passed as a result of India, Southeast Asia, crossed the Purple Sea, to eventually achieve the Persian Gulf.

https://en.imsilkroad.com/

For more than 10 centuries, Chinese society, Roman lifestyle as well as the Persian tradition had been related from the ancient Silk Road. Thanks to the Silk Street, Chinese silk, gun powder building, paper-making, and printing were introduced towards the west, though Buddhism, Nestorianism, Islam, and plenty of arts and technologies were brought into China. The Silk Road experienced introduced the trade of goods, and ideas concerning China and the West because it was to start with opened up.

The center highway that which prolonged from Asia to Europe started off in Xian during the east and ran above seven,000 kilometers by means of China's Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces, about the Pamir Plateau and throughout areas on the Commonwealth of Impartial States in central Asia, for example Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria ahead of it received towards the east coast on the Mediterranean. The part in China is much more than 4,000 kilometers prolonged, about 50 % of your whole size.

Historic websites and cultural relics are abundant together the Chinese section. You can find the Terracotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), the Famen Temple that also properties bone fragments of your Buddha Sakyamuni, the Mogao and Maijishan Grottoes that were produced for more than ten dynasties, the Jiayu Go from the Great Wall, the signal towers on the Han Dynasty, the well-known Ta'er Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, the ruins of Gaochang when a strategic town over the Silk Road, as well as ruins of Stone Metropolis where by you'll be able to obtain clues about Xuan Zang Buddha and Marco Polo. This can be a small amount of the varied web-sites, relics, and landscapes that exist alongside China's portion of the Silk Highway.

The normal landscape together the Silk Road is nothing shorter of gorgeous: the Chook Island of Qinghai , Qinghai's Salt Lake, the Swan Mother nature Reserve from the Bayanbulak Grassland, the Heavenly Lake in Tianshan Mountain, the wind corroded terrain of Lopnur, Danxia Landform, Turpan's Flaming Mountain, the Ghost Town of Karamay, and plenty of more, way too many to name. For hundreds of years, these magnificent places have attracted a lot of tourists to check out.

Quite a few ethnic minority teams inhabit the region alongside the Silk Highway. In Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai Provinces along with the Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region, the ethnic groups each and every have diverse cultural tradition, customs, historical history, and non secular beliefs. They are really mentioned for their hospitality and excel in singing and dancing. Vacationers along the Silk Road can take a look at Xipo Ethnic Backyard, the ethnic kindergartens and villages, and readers can see herdsmen dwelling since they have for hundreds of years. In numerous ethnic communities, you'll be able to delight in indigenous singing and dancing, go to one of a kind festive functions, holiday break celebrations, and shop for indigenous arts and, crafts. In some sections on the Silk Road, it is possible to just take a cable vehicle to look at landscapes, or rent camels to vacation during the desert to benefit from the landscape, and countless sea of sand.

Lately the Chinese govt has actually been increasing the roadways and infrastructures along the Silk Highway. As considered one of one of the most well known tourist assignments of China, the ancient Silk Road has captivated the attention of the total earth. Numerous readers appear on this desert journey for scientific survey, historic and society exploration, ethnic life expertise, ecological tour, sports tour, also to learn about considered one of essentially the most crucial lifestyle and trade routes while in the world's record.

[improbabledreams900]

Earth As Art: USGS Satellite Imagery of the Earth

(click images for description)

[acrossthearctic]

Tehran to Kashan

Tehran to Kashan

Today we drove about 250 km south to Kashan. The drivers on the highway were as chaotic as in Tehran and we all were amazed at the chopping and changing of lanes etc.

Along the way we passed the largest salt lake in Iran which is full of water at present due to the recent flooding rains ( sounds like a lake Eyre) and some fabulous mountain scenery.

Our first stop in Kashan was Fin Garden which is a UNESCO site,A feature of Persian Gardens is a water feature and this garden has water channeled down from the mountain into long narrow pools with little fountain Sparta. There is also a lovely portico with stunning tiles and paintings. The garden with its lovely floral displays is quite amazing as the surrounding countryside is desert.

As it was Thursday , the first day of an Iranian weekend there was a large number of people particularly families .Iranians are perhaps the friendliest people I have ever met. At the gardens and throughout the rest of the day , we were continually being greeted with “ Hello”, “Welcome” or “ Thank you for coming” or all three . People wanted to take our photo or have photos taken with us.

Kashan has many lovely old homes which were owned by rich merchants, Many if these have been converted into restaurants and we had lunch at one of these, Abassian House. Again a great meal.

After lunch we visited two of the old merchant houses which were owned by a carper merchant , Borojeurdi House and one,Tatatabel House by his his father in law , another carpet merchant. Both had lovely garden courtyards and one could imagine how magnificent they would have been in their heyday.

We then checked into our hotel which is one of the many merchant houses which have been converted into boutique hotels. Our hotel The Abdi is is delightful.

After a very quick refresh , we were off to walk through the historic bazaar which Rosemary ( who it could be said intensely dislikes bazaars) admitted was not too bad. I think Malid our guide teaching many how to take a vertical panorama shot on their phone won the highlight of the trip to the Bazaar.

Then a visit to the ramparts of the old city walls for a spectacular view before heading to the home old Layla and Mohammed for a spectacular dinner with them and their family. Lots of food, chatter and photos.

A lovely day in Kashan.

[houseofcatwic]

Rig-e-jen - Dasht-e Kavir - The Great Salt Desert - IRAN. Rig-e Jen is the most amazing, mysterious, and scary region of Iran, with terrible swamps that can bring death to any living thing passing the desert. Many unjustified incidents have taken place in this region, and the salt marshes of this region have been the place of killing and burying many visitors. Drowning in mud and silt in “Rig-e Jen” is perhaps one of the most dangerous events that can lead visitors to death. For many years, no one dared to travel to the region and discover the secret of this mysterious desert, or even if he did, he was left because of his unfamiliarity with the region. The lack of water resources in the vast area of sand dunes, along with the presence of natural barriers such as salt marshes and high sand dunes, have been recognized as factors that have kept the area out of human reach for centuries.

[inamindfarfaraway]

My Original Pokémon Generation (Iran-Inspired) Part One: The Region Rundown

Welcome to Naper! This is a region based on Iran where the games Pokémon Rise and Pokémon Fall take place. Its name is an anagram of Persia (minus the I). Pokémon Rise’s title is gold against a whitish pink background with a mountain peak symbol behind it and Pokémon Fall’s is purple against a blackish blue background with an abyss symbol behind it.

Geography

The region is shaped roughly like a parallelogram and has a wide variety of environments. There are beaches, coves and cliffs bordering the two seas at the north and south ends; lush woodland; an area of marshland in the southwest; arid salt deserts in the northeast and southeast on either side of the central plateau; freshwater streams and lakes; and three prominent mountain ranges, one relatively small and rocky in the northeast corner, one stretching southeastward down the western border of the region, and the tallest and snowiest forming an arc around the northern coast and overlooking the capital Taragug City. There are other mountains and highlands between these areas - about half the region is mountainous. It is rich in natural resources, ranging from fossil fuels to metals to gemstone mines. It has a hot, dry climate and four seasons. The cities and towns are named after the twelve signs of the Iranian zodiac, except the equivalent of Persepolis Naperabad, which would translate to ‘city of the Naperians’ in Persian after how Persepolis means ‘city of the Persians’ in Greek. They are:

Dul Town, a sleepy fishing village on the west side of the south coast.

Mahik Town, on a picturesque island in the southern sea, once sequestered but now rapidly expanded due to tourism and commerce.

Khushak City, rustic, tranquil, known for its wide open natural spaces and beautiful ornamental gardens. It is directly north of Dul Town, surrounded by farmland. Its main exports are plant products like fruit and flowers.

Ser City, with a strong cultural heritage and lots of historic buildings. It is on a highland diagonally east of Khushak City. Naperabad is a short walk westward and slightly north.

Dopatkar City, a gastronomic hotspot to the northeast of Ser City. With an abundance of street vendors, street music, and graffiti, it’s colourful in every sense of the word. Though overcrowding and soaring poverty rates in the industrial revolution have slowed its economic development and in spite of everything it has to offer it’s still the poorest big city.

Gazdum City, a bustling, technological advanced metropolis in the heart of the region. Its shining glass and metal buildings might seem sterile at a glance, but wait till dark and the thriving nightlife will blare its unique personality loud and clear. It and its sprawling suburbs occupy what used to be a lowland forest.

Varak City, located in the middle of the nothern desert, featuring several Persian windcatchers, stone structures built long ago to ventilate the settlement. It is isolated, the only dense concentration of people for miles.

Tora City, located in the foothills of the northeastern mountains. It is the birthplace of the region’s Pokémon professor and its Gym Leader is an eminent scientist, the latest in a series of great minds originating from that area. Its most notable manmade structure is an expansive scientific research compound.

Kalakang City, on the northeast coast of the region just above the tallest mountains, encountered as your route curves back from the northeastern mountains. It is a boomtown with an oilrig and power stations, and pollution is rampant.

Nimasp City, the literature and poetry capital located in the northwest of the region that contains the tomb of a famous poet. It is full of beautiful traditional architecture. Respect for Pokémon and nature is important here.

Vahik Town, built on a vantage point on the lofty slopes of the highest mountain in the coldest mountain range and indeed the region, Mount Spyspear. Its economy revolves around the influx of visitors in the ski season, being home to a thriving alpine resort, and the rest of the year it is quiet. There is a shrine to the Influence Duo on a precipice.

Taragug City, the affluent capital city and home of the Pokémon League, where the rich traditions and modern progression have supposedly struck a harmonious balance. Its towering gate opens to a utopia of majestic skyscrapers, bridges, monuments, parks and a wealth of cultural attractions.

History/Culture

Thousands of years ago Naper had a vast empire built on unity and tolerance; different peoples and religions could exist within its borders, conquered regions payed tax to the emperor instead of the more brutal practices common at the time and women and slaves held more rights than in other places. Its first emperor even created a document some argue is the first recorded charter of human rights. Naper has gone through many different invasions, revolutions, wars, rises and falls since then that have shaped the modern region but the early empire is still considered a golden age.

Pokémon battling was considered incidental to mundane human combat in the past, but thanks to the introduction of the Pokémon League it has been exponentially increasing in popularity and importance. Also, it is seen as more of a mature, professional matter and children aspiring to be Pokémon masters and being taken seriously is a relatively recent trend, so most of the Pokémon League is over eighteen. The root of this underlying perspective is that Pokémon are greatly respected and cared about according to ancient beliefs and battling them is traditionally reserved for trustworthy individuals who can do it responsibly. These beliefs were forgotten in the region’s industrial period and relentless Pokémon hunting and habitat destruction ensued.

The local Legendaries have a religion based around them that coexists with worship of the supreme Legendary Arceus. There is a strong sense of cultural identity and regional pride. Naper has a complex code of politeness that emphasizes deference, social rank and the sacredness of friendship and hospitality called tarof. For example, someone offered something, whether a meal, money, or yes, an invitation to battle, will refuse it two or three times before accepting it despite wanting it all along. Almost everyone tarofs, even the evil team. Not doing it will usually get you strange looks and/or accusations of rudeness.

Themes of the Games

The preservation of culture and traditions vs progress and innovation. Or simply the contrast between the past and the future.

External influences vs free will; clear-cut pure good and evil vs moral complexity and the ability of every human to choose either (a good person can do bad things and vice versa). How responsible are we for our actions? How reliant should we be on forces beyond our control, or are they controllable after all?

The idea that certain goals, like personal glory, the betterment of your people, etc. aren’t inherently bad, but there are right and wrong ways to achieve them.

The power of friendship, of course.

Part Two.

Part Three.

Part Four.