Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
More atmospheric than the churches in Orumiyeh is the Assyrian Orthodox
Marsarjis
Church
in the tiny hillside hamlet of
Sir
(5.6km west of Pol-e-Qoyum). Despite a some-
what heavy-handed 1987 renovation, the bare stone walls of its twin cave-like chambers
feel genuinely ancient. Ask for key-holder Wilson at the delightfully simple
shop-tea-
house
(tea US$0.50; 4-8pm Sun-Thu, 8am-8pm Fri)
beside the church.
Jameh & Sardar Mosques
Dominating the interesting
bazaar
, the large brick-domed Friday-prayer
Masjed-e Jameh
(Jameh Mosque; by request)
is partly Seljuk-era but heavily restored. The less reli-
giously significant but architecturally fanciful
Sardar Mosque
(Imam Ave)
has a Qajar-
style tri-lobed cornice, a beautifully brick-vaulted interior and clock-tower minaret sur-
mounted by what looks like a giant perfume bottle-stopper.
RELIGIOUS, SHRINE
Seh Gonbad
Tucked away in a quiet mini-park, the two-storey AD 1115 tomb tower may, like many
Iranian Islamic religious buildings, have actually started out as a Sassanian fire temple.
TOWER
Shahrchay Dam
A popular local weekend excursion is to this dam (19km west of the museum), combined
with
chay
(tea) at one of the riverside teahouses in
Band
(9km from Orumiyeh).
DAM
Sleeping
Reza Hotel$
( 222 6580; Besat St; s/tw/tr US$15/18/21; )
Large and outwardly somewhat dowdy,
the Reza is nonetheless a pretty good deal and Karim, the gregarious owner, speaks great
English. Neat if sometimes noisy rooms have Western loos and good hot showers with
soap and towels. Recommended traveller favourite.
HOTEL
Darya Hotel$
( 222 9562; fax 222 3451; Tarzi [Chamran] St; s/d US$30/40)
Pleasant, central and
quiet, the nearly smart rooms have minibar, plastic-wooden wall-cladding and only lim-
ited wear and tear. There's birdsong and a banana palm in the welcoming foyer.
HOTEL
Khorram Hotel$
HOTEL
