Noushirvan is a name that echoes down Iranian history. It is the popular Persian form of Anushirvan, the title of the Sasanian king Khosrow I, who ruled in the sixth century and was remembered as a model of justice.
Semnan, the nearest big town at about thirty-seven kilometres, is a historic stop on the old Silk Road and the main road between Tehran and Mashhad. Its old centre has a fine Friday mosque with Seljuk-era elements and a bazaar of narrow lanes. Along the road across this region, you can still find the ruins of caravanserais, big square mud-brick or stone inns that were built along the trade route, with a central courtyard and rooms for merchants and animals, a day's travel apart. Mahdishahr, to the north, sits on the slopes of the Alborz, greener and cooler.
The riding is a story of contrasts. North of here, roads climb steeply into the Alborz through gorges and juniper slopes, with views of snow on the high peaks, such as Mount Shahvar, while south of the main road the plain is open and flat, with a few oases and desert tracks. Winds can be strong and gritty, and summer temperatures are high, with winter bringing frost and occasional snow. Spring is perhaps the best time, with green slopes and clear light, though be careful of flash floods in wadis after storms.
Fuel is available in Semnan and in Mahdishahr, with filling stations along the main highway, and roadside restaurants serve kebabs, rice and yoghurt. Out on the plain, services are scarce, so keep your tank full and carry water. People along this road are used to travellers and often offer help, and a puncture or breakdown usually attracts a friendly crowd. Check the weather before you leave, and avoid the hottest hours of the day.