In the 19th century Sir Richard Burton made a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia disguised as a Muslim. In the 21st century, the author makes a pilgrimage to the sacred shrine of Emam Reza in Mashad, Iran, disguised as a dervish. That is the end of the book. To get there, the author follows Alexander the Great's path from Ganziantep, Turkey, to the heart of the Persian Empire, Persepolis and Pasagardae, in Iran. When Darius III is vanquished, the...