Walking around this city for the first time, I quickly realized how different it was from other cities I had visited in Iran.

A pleasant day trip from Shiraz with a knowledgeable guide to visit two sites from the Sassanian Empire era.

I was really looking forward to visit Persepolis, a site with so much history, and the center of the once mighty Persian Empire.

Most people know the name “Shiraz” from red wines sold all over the world. I remember finding out that it was a city in Iran just four or five years ago.

An action packed day visiting three very interesting and different places, including 1000 year old mud houses, a mountain shrine, and a 4000 year old citadel.