14-Apr-2006 -- This is my 6th CP visit. This weekend (Friday), my wife and I had decided to take part in the Commemoration Day of `Aṭṭār (April 14) in Neyšābūr, some 120 km far from our city, Mašhad.

From Wikipedia: `Aṭṭār (1145?-1221?) is one of the most famous mystic poets of Iran. His works were the inspiration of Rūmiyy and many other mystic poets. `Aṭṭār had greatest influences on Rūmiyy in his Ṣūfiyy views. Rūmiyy has mentioned him with the highest esteem several times in his poetry. Rūmiyy praises `Aṭṭār as such: "`Aṭṭār roamed the seven cities of love -- We are still just in one alley."

We were fortunate as we paticipated in the unveiling ceremony of the statue of the German orientalist Helmut Ritter in `Aṭṭār Mausoleum. Professor Ritter is noted for his excellent translations from Persian into German; most notably his collected research works on `Aṭṭār and his most celebrated work, "Manṭiq al-Ṭayr" (The Conference of the Birds). To expand its relations with German cities, the city of Neyšābūr also plans to install statues of `Aṭṭār and Khayyām in German cities as well.

Anyway, after launch we departed from Neyšābūr to visit the confluence 36N 59E. At the junction of Qadamgāh road, we exited into the road in the opposite way of Qadamgāh. After passing the villages Dowlatābād, Yūsofābād, and Esḥāqābād, we entered a graveled road to Kalāteh-ye Ḥājjī Jahān Beyk. At Ḥājjī Jahān Beyk we asked the way to Kalāteh-ye Keyvān. It was a badly conditioned track. The local people were wondering why we were going there, as there was nothing to visit other than a ruined and abandoned building. I explained that I want to do some "geographic work".

After Kalāteh-ye Keyvān there was a track toward the point, which passed among scattered farms. I knew that there was a track, because I had seen it in satellite images (Google Earth). We drove to a point as near as 60 m to the CP and walked the remaining 60 m. The point was in a non-cultivated land without any special features. There were scattered salt-marsh lands around.

If you want to visit the point, I have added the GPS tracks and waypoints below.