Bastam and Kharghan

So here we have yet another, currently un-reviewed, Iranian T list entry situated, like “The Historical Texture of Damghan”, just off Highway 44 in NE Iran, well away from the main tourist routes in that country. The comments I made when reviewing that site apply here too and, indeed, both also share a common aspect in the form of an Iranian “Funerary Tower”. IMO, understanding the site requires a degree of familiarity with both the history of the region between the 9th and 14th C and of Shia beliefs and practices. I can’t say we adequately possessed these when we visited in april 2016, despite valiant attempts to bone up on both before we went, and. looking back, our otherwise excellent guide wasn’t able fully to enlighten us at the time either! Few of us WHS visitors are going to be knowledgeable in matters “Shiite” and “Sufic”, let alone be adherents. One can of course simply visit it as just another Islamic pilgrimage site with some nice tiles, Kufic script, muqarnas etc OR dive in as follows and try to understand more of the background (I make no claim to be an expert in these matters!) 

As the title implies, this site consists of 2 locations; of which Bastam is the more important and was the one we visited. However, it was with some annoyance that I discovered we had passed right by the other unawares in the village of Ghal'eh Now Kharaghan as we approached Bastam …