TehranThe capital is essentially a modern city, but the best of the old has been preserved. The Shahid Motahari Mosque has eight minarets, from which the city can be viewed. The Bazaar (open every day except Friday and religious holidays) is one of the world’s largest; another bazaar, catering mainly for local communities, can be found in the Tajrish suburb. Located in the north of the capital, an endless maze of vaulted alleys, everything from fine carpets to silver- and copperware to exotic aromatic spices can be found here. There is a separate section for each trade practiced
and craftsmen can be seen at their work.
Tehran has several good museums, including the Abgineh Museum of Iranian Pottery; the Rea Abbasi Muesum, housing a rare collection of Iranian calligraphy and paintings; the National Museum of Iran (Iran Bastan Museum), which displays mostly archaeological and anthropological exhibits; the Rassam Cultural and Art Foundation of Carpet, which includes a carpet museum and carpet weaving school; the Carpet Museum, whose oldest carpet is 450 years old; and the Anthropological Museums in Golestan Place and Saad Abad. Iran’s capital also has a number of cultural centers (including Azadi, Bahman and Khavaran) as well as a National Library, a City Theater, a Zoo and a University.
ExcursionsThe Alborz mountain chain is a popular destination for excursions from Tehran. There are numerous mountain resorts offering cable car facilities as well as skiing slopes (the season running from January to March). Within easy reach of Tehran are the towns of Rey, Varamin, Qazvin and Shemshak, which have preserved much of their original character.
Northwestern IranThe country’s second-largest city, Tabriz, has a ruined but restored fine blue mosque built in 1465. The covered Qaisariyeh Bazaar dates back to the 15th century. About 22km (14 miles) from the salt lake is the town of Uromieh, which claims to be the birthplace of Zoroaster. Other towns worth visiting include Ardabil, Astara, Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht.
The Golden TriangleThe Golden Triangle is the name popularly given to the region enclosed by the ancient cities of Hamadan, Kermanshah and Khorramabad. This is a part of Iran which is particularly rich in historical associations; for many centuries the Silk Road passed through the pleasant rolling countryside of the region, and there are several indications of settlements dating back over 6000 years. Hamadan was the summer capital of the Persian Emperors, although one of the few easily visible signs of the city’s antiquity is the Stone Lion, dating back to the time of Alexander the Great. Kermanshah is a good base for visiting the Taghe Bostan Grottoes, which have several excellent bas-relief carvings. The site of the Seleucid Temple of Artemis is in Kangavar; it consists of massive fallen columns and is now being reconstructed.
EsfahanEsfahan is the former capital of Persia and has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city’s most remarkable feature is its magnificent central square which is roughly seven times larger than San Marco in Venice. The mosques, palaces, bridges and gardens also deserve a visit. The Friday Mosque (Masjid-e Jomeh) is one of Iran’s finest buildings. The Shaikh Lotfullah Mosque is famous for the stalactite effect of its northern entrance. There are also several good bazaars.
ElsewhereShiraz is the capital of the Fars Province, and another of the country’s ancient cities. Several of the buildings date back to the ninth century, and there are many excellent parks and gardens. About 50km (30 miles) away is Persepolis, also on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and famous for the Ceremonial Seat of Darius, built on an enormous platform carved out of the Kuhe Rahmat. Another UNESCO-listed archaeological site can be found at Changha Zanbil, 40km (25 miles) southeast of Susa.
Khorasan is a large province in the east where a great revival of learning occurred in the early Middle Ages. Mashhad, a former trading post on the Silk Road, is the capital of the region.
The city of Kerman in the southern desert region has several stunning mosques and a ruined citadel, although visitors are advised to exercise caution and only travel on tours organized through Iranian government-approved tourist organizations.
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