Iran has many unique features of its own in its people, landscapes, arts and customs. One of the things I found most interesting on my journey in this country was the nomads.

The Bakhtiari nomads, which numbered more than 1 million in 1997, inhabits an area of approximately 67,000 Km (25,000 Mi) that straddles the central Zagros Mountains. They speak a dialect of Persian called Lori (Luri), and are Shiite Muslims. About one third of the tribe is nomadic. The last chieftain (Khan) of the Bakhtiari tribe was Jafar Gholy, whom died last year.