Paweh, regional city in the Kurdish borderlands

Paweh, regional city in the Kurdish borderlands

The Kurdish town of Paveh, a regional centre of activity, doesn’t see many tourists, and yet the curiosity of the local people is charming rather than annoying.

Small town Paveh has next to no tourists attractions. There is a cave, a little outside town, with all the paraphernalia of a tourist site, but we are not so into caves, neither waterfalls, so the only reason to come to Paveh was to overnight here. And it helps that there is exactly one hotel in town.

the local wise guys, contemplating

the local wise guys, contemplating

And yet, Paveh turned out another nice experience. A walk in town is more a climbing up and down the stairs of the town – Paveh is, like the villages in the area, built against the mountain slopes, and because it is bigger than a village, it just goes higher. But we manage to reach what looks like the centre, where we ourselves immediately become the centre of attention. They don’t get many foreigners here. Everybody seems to want to talk too us, in a Kurdish dialect, in Farsi or in English, and many people want take us to their homes for tea, or for dinner – we politely limit ourselves to talking, in English. And in the mean time we admire the local attire, especially the men in their Kurdish outfit, not just baggy trousers, but a full suit, matching trousers and jacket, and a cumberband. Even the young boys proudly wear the suit.

market in Paweh

market in Paweh

proud boy, in typical Kurdish suit

proud boy, in typical Kurdish suit

steep stairs connect different town levels

steep stairs connect different town levels

and an owl, along the road

and an owl, along the road

We buy some water and juice in a small shop, and then look for a taxi. When we don’t find one in the next 30 seconds, the owner of the shop insists on bringing us to our hotel. But in the hotel, one with no less than four, self-awarded, stars, the restaurant in closed, so we need to descend once more into town. Where we find something to eat, as well as a taxi driver; he recognizes us from a few hours earlier, and offers to bring us back up, three minutes by car instead of 15 exhausting minutes by the stairs. But the drive up turns out to go first to a view point, from where we admire the lights of the town, and then to an icecream shop, before finally ending in our hotel. That we were subsequently presented with a, for local standards, exhorbitant taxi-bill, well, nice to be able to give something back, for once.

next: Kermanshah

another view of Paweh

another view of Paweh

Paweh at night, from the icecream parlour

Paweh at night, from the icecream parlour

and Paweh's mosque, illuminated (courtesy Sofia)

and Paweh’s mosque, illuminated (courtesy Sofia)

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One Response to 15. Paveh

  1. Anita says:

    Mooie ervaringen en foto’s van mensen en dieren weer allemaal. Moskee bij nacht van Sofia komt zo uit 100-1 nacht

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