In distinctive ways, Iran is one of the most photogenic countries in the world -- a place where dazzling architecture is set amid desolate expanses of desert or steppe; where snow-capped mountains plunge dramatically to a seacoast of steamy lushness; where nomads guide their flocks to seasonal pasturelands; where tombs, temples, castles, and mosques bespeak the richness of the Persian past.... (read more)