Expectations: To walk the wide road, approaching the gates of the mosque and feel your heart skip a few beats in excitement and anticipation.

Reality: “First, the walk to the ticket booth is filled with cows, stray dogs, and their poop. As a foreigner, you pay 20 times more than a local. Then you face angry security people who try to stop the tourist flow. If you have small children, they’ll cry. The monument itself is spectacular.”