What Travelling To Iran Is Like

Despite the fact that in recent years Iran is included in the list of undesirable countries for travelling to due to the political reasons, one cannot deny that it has a long history reflected in the large number of ancient sites, rich culture, tasty cuisine and very hospitable inhabitants. Iran has a large territory, hosting not only modern samples of Islamic architecture, but also ancient ruins, statues and archaeological sites. It’s one of the few countries in the world, where one can get acquainted with the traditional Muslim habits, as here women wear typical Islamic clothes and even the visitors are required to follow the rules of behavior with covering their hair and some parts of body.

The capital of the country is Tehran. It is one of the largest cities in Asia by area. The city combines four main functions of the state: administrative, economic, industrial and cultural. This is the ideal place for those seeking to find the details of the history of the country. The number of the museum is just so large that it will take pages to write down the names and the rich collections hidden in those. And though some mosques might seem to have only religious meaning, those are amazingly beautiful architectural monuments. Among the main attractions of the city the most noteworthy ones are Takht-e Marmar Palace, Meydane-Emam open-air area, Old parliament building Ali Qapu Palace and Tehran Tower.

Tehran is also rich in parks, which are well-equipped with recreational and cultural facilities, playgrounds, sports facilities. And what an Eastern city without bazaar: Tehran has one of the largest bazaars in the world having an area of entire block.

The south-eastern part of Iran is popular due to the ancient walled city of Bam. The beauty of the place is organized with the eucalyptus plantations and palm trees and contrasting desert sand. Citadel Arg-e-Bam is a huge complex with three rows of walls, inner fortress, a tomb, the building of the caravanserai and multiple dwellings. Here you can even find the old schools, baths and even four sports grounds.

Hamadan is one of the oldest cities in the world, which served as a first capital for ancient Persia. Currently it is one of the highly developed industrial centers. And this is why it’s a bit surprising that the place has a large number of green gardens. The sites of the city include the Jewish Mausoleum, Museum of philosopher Avicenna, and the ruins of fortifications of the Median period.

Shiraz is the capital of FarsPprovince, a tempting historic city in Iran. This is here where the Persian language was originated, first known as Farsi. The place has a cultural significance being the birthplace for Persian poets Hafez and Saadi, who is the author of “Rose Garden” sonnet book.

One of the most popular cities of Iran is definitely Tabriz. It is believed that this is the birthplace of Zoroaster. For a long time it used to be the capital of Iran. Tabriz is located in a beautiful valley on the slopes of Mount Sahand. Not far from there you will also find Lake Urmia, which is simply astonishing. With its rich history Tabriz is a home for a large number of monuments. Unfortunately, many of them were partially destroyed during the conquests or natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, but even their ruins are worth seeing, being acknowledged masterpieces of architecture.

Kish Island is the largest sea resort of Iran, which has an international status. It is one of the fastest growing resorts in Asia. But even here you should remember to keep the strict rules of behavior in the country. The alternatives to swimming here are diving and cycling.

The geological peculiarities of Iran allow having caves. The most exciting of them are located near Hamadan and Tehran. If cave is not enough of an attraction then the Alborz Mountains are also ideal in terms of climbing and mountaineering. Skiing is also an option of active leisure in Iran during the winter season.