Flying over The Persian Gulf, Mediterranean, and Athens - October 2024

"Pardon monsieur!" 

"Ne Rien" 

"Merci" 

A mix of French, English, and the some Arabic signs around, was an indicative of me entering Francophone world already. 

Inside the airport, the gate, and the airplane was air conditioned and pleasant. So was morning sun shining over the Air France. Knowing from the experience, I could sense it was a summer like weather outside in the open of Abu Dhabi airport, even in a late October. 

As soon as the airplane took off, a sense of nostalgia kicked in, looking to the Northern direction, in search of a glimpse of Northern coasts of Persian Gulf. Although I had in plans to go there, after a trip to see my brother and his family in Paris, a week sounded as long as those 10 years, and even a glimpse of Iran was something. I had to give up on that as soon as the airplane took off and embark on a path over southern side of The Persian Gulf and then into Arabia. I had to wait. 

But soon my mind realized another sorrowful fact: the plane path was going to go over Sinai Peninsula now, only 50 kilometers from Palestine/Israel. My heart became heavy! Going near a war zone where thousands of humans perished. 

The beauty of the scenes of the Mediterranean Sea, was a great contrast to the ugliness we human being can inflict on ourselves, our fellow humans and the nature. 

And then Athens, stood since the time of Aristotle and Plato, spreading all and around, since, but most recently far more exponentially. 

And of course, the Greek countryside: 

A Flight from Istanbul to Tehran

 

As we got closer and closer to t he Iranian airspace, a feeling that I could not even describe as anxiousness, excitement, warming heart, or what have you, increased in intensity. There was no announcement or declaration of any sort, as I had heard it had been the norm in the 80s, reminding the ladies to adhere to dress code of the Islamic Republic, when entering the Iranian airspace. So I had to stick to maps and landscapes I knew to sense the moment.

A midday flight, with an almost empty airplane, in October 2024, was a fantastic opportunity to take pictures of the landscape below. In this post I am going to share them with you.

Once passed the immigration and within one of huge corridors of the Istanbul’s new airport, I was excited that at last, after 10 years, a big gap partially due to COVID, I am going to see my hometown again. At the same time, I was apprehensive and anxious that an imminent Israeli strike while on air can make that impossible, or if I am already in Tehran, will make me of plan B to return in 10 days, and report back to work, as I had promised to my team and boss. Plan B could have been also exciting. Taking a bus or train and coming the whole way back to Istanbul, via a versatile and most scenic mountainous regions of Iran and Turkey, is one of things I might do when I have ample time to do so in future, anyway!

Lake Van, was a definite landmark. For a moment, I forgot the destination and distracted by the journey, and enjoyed the beauty of Lake VAN from thousands of meters above.

      

When I spotted Lake Urmia I knew we were well into the Iranian airspace. I spotted a few peaks from afar. I was not sure which one was Sahand, and which one was Sabalan. Although I am not from Azerbaijan of Iran, I have a deep connection to the province since they speak the same language as we spoke at home, growing up in Tehran. 

 

    

And finally near Tehran, I could spopt Mount Damavand, the highest mountain in Iran, and the source of inspiration for many of Irianian mythology.  

   

Mount Damavand