junction of Bahonar and Ghom Sts. The exterior is modest but inside are splendid wooden support columns sporting coloured, faceted capitals dated 1083.

Just behind, an attractive former _hammam_ (bathhouse) houses the appealing Museum of Anthropology (  723 1033; admission free;   8am-2pm & 4-6pm, till 8pm summer), which has some engaging mannequin representations of Azari life.

The surprisingly comfortable Laleh Hotel (  726 0386; ring road; s/d/tr US$35/40/45) is a provincial hotel with a facade like an upmarket Chinese restaurant. Rooms have leather seats, mirror-fronted desks and plenty of marble. But the highlight is a basement bath complex (admission US$1;   3-9pm for men) of saunas, drop pools and two 10m swimming pools. The complex is open daytime for women by negotiation.

Savaris to Miyando'ab and/ POP 367,000 / ELEV 1653M

Hidden in tiny alleys behind its modern facade, Zanjan retains some attractive mosques, a fantastic bazaar, a plethora of knife-grinders and some delightful teahouse restaurants. The city is a logical base for visi­ting the impressive Soltaniyeh mausoleum and a good staging point to reach Takht-e Soleiman via the scenic Dandy road.

Zanjan city's moment of infamy came in 1851 with a bloody siege ordered by Persian prime minister Amir Kabir. The resulting massacre was part of the relatively successful campaign to crush the nascent Baha'i religion. Baha'i-ism had only broken away from Islam three years before, but was spreading much too rapidly for Tehran's liking.

####   Sights

Built in 1926 but looking considerably older, the unique, unmarked Rakhatshor-Khaneh (Rakhatshorkhaneh Alley; admission US$1;  