WikiVoyage Iran

WikiVoyage IranMarch 2016

Contents

1 Iran 11.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.4.1 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.4.2 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.4.3 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.4.4 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.4.5 Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.5.1 Visa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.5.2 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71.5.3 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81.5.4 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91.5.5 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91.5.6 By boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

1.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101.6.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101.6.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111.6.3 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111.6.4 By taxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111.6.5 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

1.7 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

1.8.1 Ancient cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121.8.2 Tombs of some famous people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131.8.3 Museums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131.8.4 Palaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131.8.5 Palaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141.8.6 Squares and Streets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141.8.7 Parks and Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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1.8.8 Armenian churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141.9 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

1.9.1 Desert trekking and desert excursions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141.9.2 Festivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.9.3 Ski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.9.4 Swim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.9.5 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1.10 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.10.1 Currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.10.2 Toman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.10.3 Exchanging money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151.10.4 Bazaars and bargaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161.10.5 Tipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161.10.6 Foreigner surcharges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161.10.7 Budgeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1.11 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171.11.1 Traditional cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171.11.2 International cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181.11.3 Fast food and snacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181.11.4 Sweets and desserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181.11.5 Special needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1.12 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181.13 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191.14 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191.15 Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

1.15.1 Business customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201.16 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

1.16.1 Iranian perceptions of outsiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211.16.2 Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211.16.3 Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211.16.4 Gay and lesbian travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211.16.5 Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221.16.6 Natural disasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

1.17 Stay healthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221.18 Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

1.18.1 Iranian nationality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221.18.2 Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231.18.3 Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231.18.4 Tarof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231.18.5 Visiting holy sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241.18.6 Obscene gestures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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1.18.7 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241.18.8 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

1.19 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.19.1 Emergency services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.19.2 Embassies and missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.19.3 Landline Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.19.4 Cell Phone (SIM card) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.19.5 Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251.19.6 Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261.19.7 Internet cafes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261.19.8 Working hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

2 Babolsar 272.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.10 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

3 Bajgiran 283.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.2 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.3 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.4 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.5 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.6 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.7 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3.7.1 To Quchan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.7.2 To Mashhad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283.7.3 To Turkmenistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

4 Bojnourd 304.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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4.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.10 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.11 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

5 Dizin 315.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325.10 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

6 Hamadan 336.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

6.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336.2.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336.2.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336.2.4 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

6.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.10 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.11 Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.12 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346.13 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

7 Masjed Solayman 357.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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7.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

8 Qom 368.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

8.2.1 By air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368.2.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368.2.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

8.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378.10 Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378.11 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

9 Baluchistan 389.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.9 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.10 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.11 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.12 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389.13 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

10 Baluchistan 3910.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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10.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.9 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.10Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.11Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

11 Caspian Iran 4011.1 Provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4011.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4011.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4011.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4011.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

11.8.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.9 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.10Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.11Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4111.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

12 Aqqala 4312.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4312.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

13 Babol 4413.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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13.1.1 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4413.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

14 Bandar Torkaman 4514.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4514.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

15 Behshahr 4615.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

15.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.2.2 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.2.3 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.2.4 By boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

15.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.12Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4615.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

viii CONTENTS

16 Fouman 4716.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4716.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

17 Ghaemshahr 4817.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4817.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

18 Gorgan 4918.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.12Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4918.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

19 Masouleh 50

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19.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5019.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5119.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

20 Ramsar 5220.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5220.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

21 Rasht 5321.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

21.1.1 By Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5321.1.2 By Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5321.1.3 By Shared Taxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

21.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5321.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5321.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5421.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5421.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5421.7 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

21.7.1 Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5421.7.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5421.7.3 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

21.8 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5521.8.1 Emergency services phone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

21.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

22 Sari 56

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22.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5622.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

22.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5622.2.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5622.2.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5722.2.4 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5722.2.5 By boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

22.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5722.3.1 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

22.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5722.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

22.5.1 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5822.6 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5822.7 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5822.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5822.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

22.10.1 Mazandaran Sea Resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922.11Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922.13Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

23 Iranian Azerbaijan 6123.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

23.1.1 Provincial capitals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6123.1.2 Other major cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

23.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6123.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

23.3.1 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6123.4 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

23.4.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6223.4.2 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6223.4.3 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6223.4.4 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

23.5 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6223.6 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

23.6.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6323.7 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6323.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6323.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6323.10Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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23.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

24 Ardabil 6424.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

24.2.1 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6424.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

25 Kandovan 6525.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

25.2.1 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6525.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6625.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

26 Maku 6726.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

26.2.1 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

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26.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

27 Maragheh 6827.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6827.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

27.2.1 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6827.2.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6827.2.3 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

27.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6827.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6827.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6927.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6927.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6927.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6927.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6927.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6927.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

28 Sardroud 7028.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

28.1.1 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.2 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.3 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70


28.4 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.6 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.7 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.8 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.11Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

28.11.1 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028.11.2 Mobile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

28.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

29 Tabriz 7229.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

29.1.1 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

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29.1.2 Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7229.1.3 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7229.1.4 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

29.2 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7329.3 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73


29.4 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7429.5 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

29.5.1 Inside Tabriz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7429.5.2 Around Tabriz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

29.6 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7929.7 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8029.8 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

29.8.1 Souvenir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8029.8.2 Traditional Shopping Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8029.8.3 Modern Shopping Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

29.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8029.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8129.11Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

29.11.1 Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8129.11.2 Guest Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

29.12Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8229.12.1 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8229.12.2 Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

29.13Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8329.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

30 Takab 8430.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8430.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

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31 Urmia 8531.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85


31.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8531.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8531.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.10Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8631.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

32 Zanjan 8732.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8732.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

33 Khorasan 8833.1 Provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8833.9 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8933.10Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8933.11Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8933.12Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

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33.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

34 Esfarayen 9034.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

34.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.2.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

34.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9034.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

35 Mashhad 9135.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9135.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

35.2.1 By air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9135.2.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9135.2.3 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

35.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9235.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9235.5 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9335.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9335.7 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9335.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9435.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

35.9.1 Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9435.9.2 Homestays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

35.10Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9535.10.1 Emergency services phone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

35.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9535.11.1 Inside Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9535.11.2 To Turkmenistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9535.11.3 To Afghanistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9535.11.4 Visas and permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

36 Nishapur 9636.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

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36.1.1 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9636.1.2 By minibuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

36.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9636.3 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9636.4 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9636.5 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9636.6 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9736.7 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9736.8 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9736.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

37 Qayen 9837.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9837.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

38 Sabzevar 9938.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99


38.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

38.7.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.7.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.7.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

38.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

38.9.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

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38.9.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.9.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

38.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.12Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9938.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

39 Torbat Jam 10039.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10039.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100




39.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10039.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100


39.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10039.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10039.12Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10039.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

40 Khuzestan 10140.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.3 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.4 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.5 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.6 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.7 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

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40.10Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10140.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

41 Abadan 10341.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

41.1.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10341.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

42 Ahvaz 10442.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10442.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104




42.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10542.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105


42.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10542.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

42.11.1 Emergency services phone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10642.12Stay healthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10642.13Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10642.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

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43 Dezful 10743.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107


44 Izeh 10844.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10844.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

45 Khorramshahr 10945.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109


46 Shushtar 11046.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

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46.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11046.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

47 Tchogha Zanbil 11147.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11147.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

48 Lorestan 11248.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

48.6.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.6.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11248.6.3 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11348.6.4 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

48.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11348.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113


49 Borujerd 11549.1 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11549.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11549.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

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49.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11549.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11649.6 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11649.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11649.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11649.9 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11649.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

50 Khorramabad 11750.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11750.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

51 Nurabad (Lorestan) 11851.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11851.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

52 Markazi 11952.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

52.7.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

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52.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11952.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

53 Arak 12053.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12053.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

54 Mahallat 12154.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.2 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.3 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.4 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.5 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.6 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.7 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.8 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12154.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

55 Tafresh 12255.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12255.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

56 Qazvin (province) 123

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56.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

56.7.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12356.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

57 Qazvin 12457.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12457.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

57.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12457.2.2 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12457.2.3 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

57.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12457.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12457.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12557.6 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12557.7 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

57.7.1 Qazvin Shopping Complexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12557.7.2 Qazvin hypermarket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

57.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12557.8.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

57.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12657.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12657.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

57.11.1 Emergency services phone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12657.12Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12657.13Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12657.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

58 Takestan 12758.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

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58.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12758.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

59 Western Iran 12859.1 Provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12859.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128


60 Alborz (province) 13060.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13060.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

60.8.1 Skiing and Snowboarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13160.8.2 Hiking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

60.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13160.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13160.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13160.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

61 Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari 13261.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

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61.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13261.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

62 Hamadan (province) 13362.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13362.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

63 Ilam (province) 13463.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13463.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

64 Kermanshah (province) 13564.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

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64.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13564.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

65 Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad 13665.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13665.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

66 Kurdistan (province) 13766.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13766.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

67 Central Iran 13867.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

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67.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13867.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13867.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13867.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13867.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13867.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13867.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138


68 Qom (province) 13968.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

68.5.1 By air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.5.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.5.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

68.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.9 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13968.10Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14068.11Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14068.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14068.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

69 Fars 14169.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14169.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14169.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14169.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

69.4.1 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14169.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14269.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

69.6.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14269.6.2 By road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

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69.6.3 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14269.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14269.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142


70 Abadeh 14470.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14470.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

71 Firouzabad 14571.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14571.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

72 Kazeroon 14672.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

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72.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14672.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

73 Margoon Waterfall 14773.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

73.1.1 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.1.2 Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.1.3 Flora and fauna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.1.4 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

73.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.3 Fees/Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.4 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.5 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14773.6 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.7 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

73.10.1 Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.10.2 Camping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.10.3 Backcountry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

73.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14873.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

74 Pasargad 14974.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14974.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

75 Sepidan 15075.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

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75.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15075.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

76 Shiraz 15176.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

76.1.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15176.1.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15176.1.3 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15176.1.4 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

76.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15176.3 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15276.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15276.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15376.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

76.6.1 Bazaars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15476.6.2 Shopping malls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

76.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15476.7.1 Local foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15476.7.2 Restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15476.7.3 Fast Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15576.7.4 Cafes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15576.7.5 Food Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

76.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15676.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156


76.10Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15676.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

77 Isfahan (province) 15877.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

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77.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.7.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

77.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15877.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

78 Aran va Bidgol 15978.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15978.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

79 Isfahan 16079.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16079.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

79.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16079.2.2 By train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16079.2.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16079.2.4 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

79.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16079.3.1 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

79.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16179.4.1 Squares and streets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16179.4.2 Mosques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16179.4.3 Palaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16179.4.4 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16279.4.5 Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16279.4.6 Churches and Cathedrals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16379.4.7 Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16379.4.8 Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

79.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16379.6 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16379.7 Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

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79.8 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16479.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

79.9.1 Local foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16479.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

79.10.1 Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16479.11Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

79.11.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16479.11.2 Mid-Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16579.11.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

79.12Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16579.13Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

79.13.1 Visas & Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16579.14Money safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16579.15Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

80 Kashan 16780.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16780.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16780.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16780.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16980.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16980.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16980.7 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16980.8 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

81 Matin Abad 17181.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

81.3.1 Abyaneh city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.3.2 Ardestan and Zavareh Villages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.3.3 Kashan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.3.4 Natanz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.3.5 Karkas Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.3.6 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

81.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17181.5 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17281.6 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17281.7 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

82 Na'in 17382.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

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82.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17382.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17482.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17482.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17782.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17782.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17782.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17782.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17782.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17882.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

83 Varzaneh 17983.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17983.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17983.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

83.3.1 Vartun Hot Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17983.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

83.4.1 Varzaneh Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18083.4.2 Gavkhooni Wetland, Black Mountain and Salt Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18083.4.3 Jame Mosque of Varzaneh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18083.4.4 The Old Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18183.4.5 Yusefi traditional house and ethnology museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18183.4.6 Folklore attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18183.4.7 1000-year-old Ghoortan Citadel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18183.4.8 Dovecote (Pigeon houses) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18183.4.9 Camel-mill Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18283.4.10 Ox-well complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18283.4.11 Water reservoirs and Wind-towers (Wind-catchers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18283.4.12 Caravansary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18383.4.13 Other touristic spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

83.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18383.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

83.6.1 Varzaneh Carpet and other handicrafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18383.6.2 Herbal teas and organic alimentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

83.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18383.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18483.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

83.9.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18483.10Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18483.11Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

84 Kerman (province) 185

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84.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18584.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18584.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18584.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

84.5.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.5.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.5.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.5.4 By Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

84.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

84.7.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.9 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.10Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.11Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.13Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18684.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

85 Bam 18785.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18785.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

86 Kerman 18886.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18886.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

86.2.1 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18886.2.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18886.2.3 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18886.2.4 By Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

86.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18886.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18886.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18986.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

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86.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18986.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18986.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19086.10Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19086.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

86.11.1 Emergency services phone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19086.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

87 Mahan 19187.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19187.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19187.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19187.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19287.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19287.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19287.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19287.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19287.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19287.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

88 Rayen 19388.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19388.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19388.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19388.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19388.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19388.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19388.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19488.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19488.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19488.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

89 Shahdad 19589.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19589.9 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

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89.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

90 Tehran Province 19690.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

90.1.1 Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19690.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19690.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

90.3.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19790.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19790.5 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19890.6 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19890.7 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19890.8 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

91 Yazd (province) 19991.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

91.4.1 Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19991.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199


92 Yazd 20092.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

92.1.1 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20092.1.2 By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

92.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20092.2.1 By foot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20092.2.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20092.2.3 By taxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

92.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20192.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20292.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

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92.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20292.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20292.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

92.8.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20292.8.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20392.8.3 Outside of Yadz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

92.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

93 Hormozgān 20493.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20493.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204


94 Bushehr 20594.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20594.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205


94.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20594.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20594.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.6 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.7 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206


94.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

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94.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.10.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.10.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.10.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

94.11Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20694.12Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

95 Kish Island 20795.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20795.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207


95.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20895.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

95.4.1 Popular tourist attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20895.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

95.5.1 The beaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20895.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

95.6.1 Malls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20995.7 Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20995.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209


95.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20995.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209


95.11Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21095.11.1 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21095.11.2 Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

95.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21095.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

96 Qeshm 21196.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21196.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21196.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21196.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

CONTENTS xxxix

96.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21196.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21296.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21296.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21296.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

97 Hormozgān 21397.1 Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.2 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.3 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.4 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.5 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.6 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.7 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.8 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

97.8.1 Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.9 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.10Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.11Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21397.14Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

97.14.1 Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21497.14.2 Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21897.14.3 Content license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Chapter 1

Iran

Iran (Persian: (ایران is a large country between the Gulfof Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea. It wasrenamed Iran in the early 20th century; before that it wasknown as Persia. It is bordered by Iraq to the west,Turkey, Azerbaijan’s Naxcivan enclave, Armenia, andAzerbaijan to the northwest, Turkmenistan to the north-east, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east.Iran can be considered part of the Middle East, and thusit is included as part of that region here. However, it isalso very much a part of Central Asia; indeed the PersianEmpire was the dominant power in that region for manycenturies.

1.1 Regions

1.2 Cities

Below is a list of nine of the most notable cities:

• Tehran – the vibrant capital, a beautiful city that suf-fers horrendous traffic and air pollution

Capital-Tehran:Azadi square

• Hamedan – one of the oldest cities in Iran

• Isfahan – former capital with stunning architecture,great bazaar, and tree-lined boulevards. Most popu-lar tourist destination in the country. There’s a Per-sian saying, “Isfahan is half the world.”

• Mashad – greatest city of Eastern Iran with an im-portant mosque, the shrine of the Imam Reza

• Qazvin – A former capital of the Persian Empire un-der the Safavids and a strategic location throughoutthe ages.

• Qom – one of the holiest cities in the Middle East,considered the Jewel of Iran

• Shiraz – a former capital, home of famous Persianpoets such as Hafiz and Sa'di; known for gardens,especially roses. Very close to the famous ruins ofPersepolis.

• Tabriz – a former capital with great historicalbazaar, provincial capital in Western Iran; it’s beensuggested by some that this is the site of the Biblical“Garden of Eden”

1

http://www.tourismiran.ir/

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Persian_phrasebook

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iraq

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Turkey

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Naxcivan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Armenia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Azerbaijan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Turkmenistan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Afghanistan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pakistan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Middle_East

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Central_Asia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Persian_Empire


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tehran


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamedan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfahan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mashad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qazvin

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qom

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shiraz

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tabriz

2 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

Yazd

• Yazd – a remote desert city – circumstance in-fluenced special architectural themes where waterstreams run in underground rooms in houses andwind-towers to keep them cool.

1.3 Other destinations

• Persepolis Impressive ruins of a vast city-like com-plex built over 2,500 years ago, near the modern Cityof Shiraz. It was set on fire by Alexander of Mace-don and further ruined by Arabs. Called Takhte-Jamshid in Persian, Persepolis is the symbol of Ira-nian nationality.

• Kish Island, a free trade zone in the Persian Gulf, itis regarded as a consumer’s 'paradise', with numer-ous malls, shopping centres, tourist attractions, andresort hotels.

• Qeshm Island, is Iran’s largest and the Persian Gulf’slargest island. Qeshm island is famous for its widerange of ecotourist attractions such as the Hara ma-rine forests. According to environmentalists, about1.5% of the world birds and 25% of Iran’s nativebirds annually migrate to Hara forests which is thefirst national geo park.

• Susa, or Shush located 200 km North of Ahvaz, wasIran’s most ancient city. The Ziggurat of Chughaz-anbil, Darius the Great’s palace, the Jewish prophetDaniel’s temple and Artaxerxer II 's palace areamong the historical sites.

• Dizin is one of the highest ski resorts in the worldlocated just two hours north of Tehran. Great pow-der snow, cheap prices and few international visitorsmakes this is a great place for a ski holiday.

• Pasargad, the first capital of the Achaemenid Em-pire, and home to the Tomb of Cyrus.

1.4 Understand

Iran, the wellspring of one of the world’s great civiliza-tions, is a country of striking natural beauty and gorgeoustiled mosques. Its landscape is incredibly varied. Its re-cent history has been tumultuous.

1.4.1 People

Humans have inhabited the area that makes up modernIran since the Stone Age. There are paintings in Dushehcave that date back to 15,000 BC. The ancient Persiansarrived about 1500 BC, one branch of the great move-ment of people that also brought northern India and mostof Europe their modern populations. The name Iran isfrom the same root as “Aryan” which, until Hitler per-verted it, was just an ancient name for those arrivingpeoples. Persian (natively known as Farsi) is an Indo-European language; ancient Persian was related to San-skrit, ancient Greek, and all the others in that family. Per-sians are ethnically and linguistically unrelated to theirneighbours on the west, the Arabs and Turks.Iran has many people other than ethnic Persians. Thenorthwestern region, Iranian Azerbaijan, is largely popu-lated by Azeris, who are ethnically Persian but linguisti-cally related to Turks. The province of West Azerbaijanis both Azeri and Kurd. Kurds predominate in parts ofthe west and northwest and Baluchis in parts of the south-east. There are also Armenians, Arabs, and last but notleast Jews, who have been living in Iran peacefully foryears.There are also two substantial communities of people ofIranian descent in India and Pakistan - Parsis who havebeen there for over 1,000 years, and Iranis who arrived inthe 19th and 20th centuries - both Zoroastrians who fledreligious persecution in Iran.

1.4.2 History

Persia has always exerted a large cultural influence on itsneighbors, especially Afghanistan and Central Asia. Per-sian influence can be seen in the art, architecture and lan-guages of much of Central Asia.Throughout history, Persia has generally been an em-pire, one whose fortunes varied enormously. During theAchaemenid Empire, Persia controlled most of what wenow call the Middle East, and after Cyrus the Great’s con-quest of Ionia, Persia came close to conquering Greecein the Greco-Persian Wars of 499-449 BC. In 331 BC,Alexander conquered (among other things) the entire Per-sian Empire. Sassanid rule from 205 AD to 651 AD isconsidered to be the most influential period of ancientIran. In 651 AD, immediately after the death of Muham-mad, the brutal conquest of Persia by the Arabs broughtan end to the Sasanian Empire. Persian and other lan-

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yazd

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shiraz#Go_next

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kish_Island

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qeshm_Island

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Susa_(Iran)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dizin


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pasargad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Persian

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iranian_Azerbaijan




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Greece

1.4. UNDERSTAND 3

guages of the region are still written with the Arabic al-phabet. In 1221 AD, Persia was overrun by the GenghisKhan and the Mongols. Marco Polo passed through laterin that century, learned Persian, and wrote extensively ofthe region. Tamerlane conquered Persia in 1383, and af-ter a revolt in 1387, killed hundreds of thousands of peo-ple and built a tower with their skulls.The Safavid dynasty re-united Persia as an independentstate in 1501, established Shi'a Islam as the official re-ligion, and ushered in a golden age of Persian culture.The dynasty was overthrown in 1736 by Nader Shah, thelast great Asian conqueror, who expanded the Empire toagain include Afghanistan and much of India. His short-lived dynasty and its successor, the Zand dynasty led byKarim Khan Zand, lasted until 1795. The defeat of LotfAli Khan by the Qajar armies, brought in a new dynasty,the Qajars, who ruled from 1795-1925. While many ofthe historic buildings in Iran are from this period, this erais considered to be one of decline for Iran, as the rulerswere more interested in building their collections of artand jewels and succumbed to heavy pressure from foreignpowers, notably Britain and Russia who jointly occupiedIran during World War I. In 1906, Qajar rule became aconstitutional monarchy and the Majlis (Persian for par-liament) was established.

The last dynasty

In 1925, a military coup by Reza Shah established a new“Pahlavi” dynasty, named for the most ancient Persian dy-nasty around 500 BC. His rule was quite nationalistic; hechanged the country’s name from Persia to Iran, and builta strong military. It was also quite authoritarian; he builta powerful secret police and a propaganda apparatus, anddid not hesitate to crush dissent. He also made consider-able efforts toward modernization, and came into conflictwith conservatives over some of it. When World War IIcame, he refused Allied demands for guarantees that Iranwould resist if German forces got that far. Iran was theninvaded by Anglo-Indian forces from the South and Rus-sians from the North, and a railway built (largely by USArmy engineers) to bring supplies from the Persian Gulfacross Iran to beleaguered Russia. Reza Shah went offto exile in South Africa, abdicating on the steps of theaircraft in favour of his son.His son, Mohammad Reza Shah, continued his father’snationalistic, authoritarian and modernising tendencies.As Iranian ruler he couldn't choose Britain or Russia asallies. Being pro-German had not worked out well forhis father and France wasn't strong enough. That left theAmericans, and he became one of America’s most impor-tant allies in the region, seen as a “bulwark against Com-munism”, a constitutional monarch, in some ways a pro-gressive ruler modernising, sometimes comparing him-self to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who led Turkey’s mod-ernisation - and a protector of US and other Western in-terests. He was one of very few Middle Eastern rulers

to extend diplomatic recognition to Israel and helpedprevent Iranian nationalisation of the Anglo-Persian OilCompany. On the other hand, he was quite capable ofputting Iranian interests before Western ones, and he wasone of the key players in creating OPEC.While in some ways progressive, the Shah was also verymuch the oriental despot. When the Soviets left North-western Iran after the war, they left behind something thatclaimed to be an independent communist government ofAzerbaijan. The first major conflict of the Cold Warcame as the Shah, advised by the CIA, brought in troopswho crushed that government and the communist party(Tudeh in Persian). Throughout his reign, his Savak se-cret police stomped hard on any opposition. His regimewas also massively corrupt, with his relatives and variousothers getting hugely rich while much of the country wasvery poor. On the other hand, he did build infrastructureand start various projects to benefit the poor, including aprogram that sent new university graduates into the coun-tryside as teachers.In theory, Iran under the Shah was a constitutional monar-chy. Mohammed Mosaddeq became Prime Minister in1951 and instituted reforms that included nationalizingthe oil companies and a land reform program. He wasoverthrown in a 1953 coup backed by the CIA, the British(who had large oil interests at stake), and the Shah. TheShah and the new Prime Minister reversed the oil na-tionalization, but continued with a land reform program.However, as well as giving land to the peasants, it workedout that the Shah’s family and others with connections gota lot. The Ayatollah Khomeni went into exile at this time,originally because of his objections to land reform takingland from the mosques. In 1971, the Shah organized anexpensive celebration of the 2,500th anniversary of thePersian Empire at Persepolis. The extravagant party re-sulted in harsh criticism and his popularity ratings neverrecovered.In 1979, the Shah was overthrown and went into exile,dying a year later. The revolution involved many groups- Tudeh, Mosaddeq-style secular reformers, communists,and various Islamic factions - but came to be led and dom-inated by a conservative Islamic faction under AyatollahKhomeni. Partly in reaction to the Shah’s policies, theywere also strongly anti-Western and in particular anti-American.Religious conservatives subsequently crushed Westerni-sation and also any liberal/left-wing influences. Iranianstudent protesters seized the US Embassy in Tehran on4 November 1979 and held hostages for 444 days - until20 January 1981. Noticing the upheaval in Iran, SaddamHussein seized Iranian oil fields in the south of the coun-try and from 1980 to 1988, Iran fought a bloody, indeci-sive war with Iraq and in the end, the borders were turnedback to their pre-war locations.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/On_the_trail_of_Marco_Polo

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Persepolis

4 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

Current issues

Key current issues affecting the country include the paceof accepting outside modernising influences and recon-ciliation between clerical control of the regime and popu-lar government participation and widespread demands forreform. Inflation and unemployment (particularly amongyouth) are major economic challenges. News about Iranin world media are dominated by the nuclear program,but the average traveller is unlikely to be much affectedby it. Some sanctions however have an effect on the gen-eral population and hence travellers.

1.4.3 Religion

Mashhad is a destination of Shia pilgrims to Iran.

The main divisions of Islam are Shi'a and Sunni. Thesplit goes back to a time just after the Prophet’s death;would the movement be controlled by some of his lead-ing followers (Sunni), or by his family, in particular by hisson-in-law Ali (Shi'a)? (Shi'a orignally comes from “shiatAli”, i.e. the faction/party of Ali) There was a long, com-plex and bloody struggle over this. Today, Iran is the onlymajor country that is predominantly and officially Shi'a,though there are Shi'a minorities elsewhere and a Sunniminority in Iran. The Iranian government supports theShi'a Hezbollah movement further west, and is thereforeaccused by America of fomenting terrorism.One of the major events of Shi'a religious life is theDay of Ashura on the 10th of the month of Moharram;“ashura” means “10th”. It commemorates the death ofAli’s son Hussein at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680AD). This is not a joyful celebration, but a very soberday of atonement. Travelers should not play music or actremarkably cheerful in public at this time.Traditional activities include parades in which people do'matham' which is a way of remembering Imam Husseinwho was martyred along with all his half brother, cousins,friends, and two young sons.While Shia Islam is without a doubt the dominant religionin Iran, there are several religious minorities. Sunni Islamin Iran is mainly practiced by ethnic minorities such asthe Arabs, Kurds, Balushis, and Turkmens. Non-Islamic

faiths also exist in smaller numbers, the most notable be-ing Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Judaism, all threeof which are recognized as minority religions by the Ira-nian constitution, and each of these are guaranteed rep-resentation in parliament. Despite Iran being an Islamicrepublic, fire temples, churches, and synagogues continueto operate legally in the country. Most Iranian Christiansfollow Eastern Orthodoxy, and are of Armenian ethnic-ity. Iran also has the largest Jewish population in the Mid-dle East outside Israel. While there are also a significantnumber of Baha'is in Iran, they are not recognized by theconstitution and are instead branded as heretics of Islam,meaning that they continue to be persecuted to this dayin spite of being Iran’s numerically largest non-Muslimreligion.

1.4.4 Climate

Iran has a diverse climate. In the northwest, winters arecold with heavy snowfall and subzero temperatures dur-ing December and January. Spring and fall are relativelymild, while summers are dry and hot. In the south, win-ters are mild and the summers are very hot, having aver-age daily temperatures in July exceeding 38° C (100° F)and can hit 50° C in parts of the desert. On the Khuzestanplain, summer heat is accompanied by high humidity.In general, Iran has an arid climate in which most of therelatively scant annual precipitation falls from October toApril. In most of the country, yearly precipitation aver-ages 25cm or less. The major exceptions are the highermountain valleys of the Zagros and the Caspian coastalplain, where precipitation averages at least 50 cm an-nually. In the western part of the Caspian, rainfall ex-ceeds 100cm annually and is distributed relatively evenlythroughout the year.

1.4.5 Landscape

Mount Damavand (5,610 m) northeast of Tehran

Rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin withdeserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mashhad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Islam

1.5. GET IN 5

both coasts. The highest point is Mount Damavand(5,610 m).Desert: Two great deserts extend over much of centralIran: the Dasht-e Lut is covered largely with sand androcks, and the Dasht-e Kavir is covered mainly with salt.Both deserts are inhospitable and virtually uninhabited.Mountain: The Zagros range stretches from the borderwith the Republic of Armenia in the north-west to thePersian Gulf, and then eastward into Baluchistan. Za-gros is extremely hard, difficult to access, and populatedlargely by pastoral nomads. The Alborz mountain range,narrower than the Zagros, runs along the southern shoreof the Caspian to meet the border ranges of Khorasan tothe east.Forest: Approximately 11% of Iran is forested, most ex-tensively in the Caspian region. Here one finds the broad-leafed, vigorous deciduous trees, usually oak, beech, lin-den, elm, walnut, ash, and hornbeam, as well as a fewbroad-leafed evergreens. Thorny shrubs and fern alsoabound.The narrow Caspian coastal plain, in contrast, iscovered with rich brown forest soil.

1.5 Get in

1.5.1 Visa

Nationals of the following countries Turkey, Lebanon,Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt, and Syria can travelto Iran and stay there without a visa from 15 to 90 days.Nationals of the following countries can apply for a visaon arrival: Azerbaijan, Albania, Germany, Austria, Ar-menia, Uzbekistan, Spain, Australia, Slovenia, Slovak,United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Ukraine, Italy, Ireland,Bahrain, Brazil, Brunet, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria,Denmark, Russia, Romania, Japan, Singapore, Swe-den, Switzerland, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, France,Palestine, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Croatia, SouthKorea, North Korea, Colombia, Cuba, Kuwait, Geor-gia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Poland, Malaysia, Hungary,Mongolia, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Venezuela,Vietnam, Netherlands, India, Yugoslavia, and Greece.

Main procedures

Iran tourist visa is issued for up to 30 days and extend-able. Must be obtained before travelling to Iran and validto enter for 90 days from the issue date. Approved Ira-nian travel agents can apply and get visas for all foreignnationals (except Israeli passport holders). The IranianForeign Ministry does not allow US passport holders totravel to Iran independently. US citizens are required totravel on tours, either as part of a tour group, or a tailormade individual tour. An exact itinerary, to which youmust adhere, is compulsory.

To apply and get your visa you must contact an approvedIranian travel agent. After receiving your personal data,they apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your visawill then be authorised by the MFA and faxed to the Ira-nian Consulate near you. Your travel agent gives you avisa authorisation number with which you can refer to theconsulate to get your visa. The visa authorisation number,however, is valid only in the consulate you have askedthem your visa to be issued in. The number they give youis just an “authorisation”. This reference number meansthat your visa has been authorised and approved by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs but is not the visa itself.Depending on your nationality, you may be required topresent at the Iranian consulate in your country to haveyour fingerprints taken. British and American passportholders will be fingerprinted upon arrival.After your travel agent tells you your visa authorisationnumber you should first get a visa application form fromthe consulate and follow the requirements of the applica-tion form (you may either personally go to the consulateto get the application forms or, if the service available,download it from the web site of the Iranian embassy inyour country). Then, you should refer to the consulate tolodge your passports and application forms with the visanumber they gave you (it can be either a physical pres-ence or by post). Then it might take from 1-5 days forthe consulate to issue your visa.You may also need to provide a letter of recommendationfrom your embassy if you are applying outside your homecountry, a photocopy of your air tickets in and out of Iranand any student or press card.Normally, all tourist visas issued by Iranian consulateshave a “3-month” validity. The visa allows you to stay inIran for up to 30 days, (sometimes you can get the touristvisa up to 90 days), although the duration of your visa is atthe discretion of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. (Notice allthe tourist visa will be issued as a single entry, unless yourequest the approval from Tehran) Note: as of May 2013,tourist visas must be used within 14 days from issue, butthe maximum duration of your stay is still 30 days. Thischange is related to presidential elections in June.Rarely, you may be asked to provide a letter from youremployer or proof of funds. Visas are generally validfor three months that is you must enter Iran within threemonths of issue.Depending on your nationality, issuing a visa may take 30days or more.There are reports that it is possible to get a visa in 10days in Istanbul consulate, especially for German passportholders.Types of visa: Entry, Transit, Business, Tourist andJournalist. Fee varies according to nationality of appli-cant, type of visa and the existing regulation betweencountries.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Istanbul

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6 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

A visa cannot be issued for passports which have a validityof less than 6 months. Exit permits required by all (oftenincluded with visa).

• Transit visas have a maximum of 10 days.

Transit visas are usually easier to get than tourist visas(usually for one or two weeks) and very useful for peopletravelling between Europe and South Asia. Various travelagents inside Iran help you obtain visas, often throughtheir home pages.You can get an extension for your transit visa usually validfor five or ten days, inside Iran easily but once for the samenumber of days as the original visa.For foreign drivers carrying cargo to Iran or other coun-tries, it’s necessary to co-ordinate in advance with theDiplomatic Missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

• Tourist visas require a passport, an application form,four passport-sized photos, and a special authorisa-tion in the form of a reference number issued by theForeign Ministry in Tehran.

Extending a tourist visa is very easy and can be donein most cities. Some travel guides say not to do this inTehran as it is very time consuming. This is no longerthe case and the process of extending a visa in Tehrancan be done in just 1 hour (including tea offerings andbeing the object of curiosity in the office). Extending avisa a second time requires the passport to be sent to adepartment in Tehran (no matter where you extend yourvisa from) and thus takes longer time than doing thisthe first time. The tourist visa can be extended once ortwice at most, each time you can get 15 days more. Theprice of extending a visa is fixed rate 300,000 IranianRiyal. To extend your visa in Tehran, the first or secondtime, you should go to the Passport and Immigrationoffice situated on Parvin Street, at the crossing with150 East street and 123 Khovat street, very close toTehranpars metro station. Here is the OSM link : http://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=35.72822&mlon=51.53174#map=17/35.72822/51.53174&layers=NAlthough it has become easier to get a tourist visa inrecent years, whether the process takes one day or onemonth depends largely on your nationality and the staffof the embassy you are applying to. Your best bet is toapply to the Iranian embassy in your own country at leastthree months before your departure, but it is possible toobtain one while travelling in other countries, with vary-ing degrees of difficulty. Women need to make sure theyare wearing the Hijab or a head scarf in their submittedpassport-sized photos.

• Business visas require a passport, an applicationform, 4 passport-sized photos, a special authorisa-tion in the form of a reference number issued by

the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, and a business let-ter. Business visas are extendable once, sometimestwice up to two weeks each without difficulty. Oneextension of one month may also be possible in somecases.

Visitors from the Persian Gulf States need no visa to en-ter Iran. These states are: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, SaudiArabia and the UAE. People from the Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia and Turkey can get a three-monthtourist visa on arrival. People from Japan can get a three-month tourist visa at an Iranian embassy with no diffi-culty.Places known to extend visas happily in Iran are Tehran,Mashhad, Tabriz, Esfahan, Shiraz, Kerman and Zahedan.The extension process is normally handled at provincialpolice headquarters.

Visa on arrival

A valid passport and a visa are required for the citizens ofmost countries for travel through Iran. Although in 2006,the rules had been eased, since the presidential electionsprotests in 2009, the unofficial policy became subject torapid changes. Theoretically speaking, the VOA (VisaOn Arrival) is still available and in 2015, Iranian con-sulates have started to sometimes explicitly recommendthe visa-on-arrival procedure which seems to have be-come a time-consuming but otherwise hassle-free alter-native. Some foreign ministries still recommend to applyfor a visa before travel.Tourist visa on arrival (VOA) is issued 30-day touristvisas on arrival at the airports of Tehran, Mashhad,Shiraz and Tabriz to people from about 58 countries,including Azerbaijan, Albania, Germany, Austria, Ar-menia, Uzbekistan, Spain, Australia, Slovenia, Slovak,United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Ukraine, Italy, Ireland,Bahrain, Brazil, Brunet, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria,Denmark, Russia, Romania, Japan, Singapore, Swe-den, Switzerland, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, France,Palestine, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Croatia, SouthKorea, North Korea, Colombia, Cuba, Kuwait, Geor-gia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Poland, Malaysia, Hungary,Mongolia, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Venezuela,Vietnam, Netherlands, India, Yugoslavia, and Greece.Tourist visa on arrival can be extended by 15 more days.Citizens of the USA, UK, Canada, Somali, Bangladesh,Jordan, Afghanistan and Pakistan cannot obtain visa upontheir arrival in airports, and they are required to have thevisa stamped in their passport in advance. Instant visa isobtainable for tourists from the above-mentioned coun-tries and it does not apply to those who hold official pass-ports as well as businessmen and journalists.There is norestriction for foreign tourists to obtain a visa upon theirarrival at Iranian airports several times within a year. TheVOA is Convenient but relatively risky as you might bedenied entry.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=35.72822&mlon=51.53174#map=17/35.72822/51.53174&layers=N



1.5. GET IN 7

The visa costs US$50 (60€ for Europeans). You willreceive the forms on arrival. You are advised to bringpassport photos with you. However, in many cases theyare not collected. You are also advised to bring proof ofhealth insurance which may or may not be enforced.Your bags probably will not be searched for salaciousmaterial, but if any is found, it will be confiscated andwill complicate your arrival. Don't try to bring in anymagazines or books that might offend strict Islamic sen-sibilities or criticise the government.As a notable exception, nationals of all countries includ-ing Americans are allowed to travel to free economiczones of Kish, Qeshm and Chabahar without a visa forstays of 14 days or less. Kish and Qeshm are easily acces-sible from Dubai. See the Kish Island article for details.

1.5.2 By plane

Imam Khomeini International Airport

Mehrabad International Airport

All international flights to Tehran land at the new ImamKhomeini International Airport based 37 km south-west of Tehran. Pilgrimage flights Saudi Arabia stillfly from Mehrabad airport. There are 70 smaller re-gional airports, for example those in Shiraz, Mashhad,and Isfahan, and these have daily flights to many interna-tional destinations.

Dubai has scheduled flights to many Iranian cities, in-cluding Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kerman, Lar, Mashhad,Tabriz, Kish Island, Bandar Abbas, Bushher, Zahedan,Kermanshah, Chah Bahar and is therefore worth consid-ering travelling to Iran from. Flights are operated by IranAir, Emirates (for Tehran), Iran Aseman Airlines, Ma-han Air and other Iranian companies. Fares are relativelycheap on Iranian carriers, ranging from US$100-250 fora return trip depending on your destination and time ofbooking.Iran Air and Mahan Air connect Tehran with some ofthe major European cities as well as destinations inAsia and Middle East. European companies landing inTehran include Lufthansa, KLM, Alitalia, Turkish Air-lines, Austrian Airlines, Aeroflot and Middle-Eastern air-lines: Saudi Arabian Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad. Sofinding a flight to Iran should not be hard.Connections are also easily available via Manama,Bahrain using Gulf Air (but has stopped recently). Addi-tionally, Qatar airlines offers several flights to Iran andprovides non-stop service to Doha from to many UScities.Low-cost carriers (LCC) also operate flights to Tehran orother cities in Iran.

• Pegasus Airlines has flights to Tehran via Istanbul.

• Air Arabia has flights to Tehran, Mashhad andShiraz via Sharjah.

• JazeeraAirways has flights to Mashhad via Kuwait.

• Turkish Airlines has flights to Tehran,Kermanshah, Tabriz, Mashhad, Isfahan andShiraz via Istanbul.

Air Asia's flights to Tehran via Kuala Lumpur were sus-pended in October 2012.Note that if not staying in Tehran and planning to getto any city other than Tehran upon your arrival, youwould have to change airports, from Imam Khomeini toMehrabad, 40 km away, to get to your domestic flight.Allow at least 3-4 hr between the flights. If going toMashhad, you may be able to avoid the plane change inIran using Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways,Jazeera Airways, or Qatar Airways. If going to Shiraz,several flights from Persian Gulf States are available. ForTabriz, you can try travelling via Istanbul on Turkish Air-lines or via Baku on IranAir.In spite of economic sanctions the majority of Iranianbased airlines did not have high level of incidents dur-ing recent years. However sanctions resulted in inabilityto purchase new planes and the fleet of all airlines areold. Among Iranian based airlines Iran Air, Mahan Airand Aseman Airlines have been completely safe with no

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kish

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qeshm

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dubai


http://ikia.airport.ir/HomePage.aspx?TabID=5021&Site=ikia.airport&Lang=en-US

http://ikia.airport.ir/HomePage.aspx?TabID=5021&Site=ikia.airport&Lang=en-US

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia








https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kerman

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lar




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bandar_Abbas

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bushher

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zahedan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kermanshah

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chah_Bahar






https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sharjah


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kuwait









https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur

8 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

serious incidents during recent years. Due to safety is-sues flying with other Iranian based airlines is not recom-mended. The service and flying skill of Iranian pilots arefairly well known.Due to sanctions there are no direct flights at present fromCanada or the USA, but you could travel via either Europeor Persian Gulf States. Non-stop flights from Dubaivia JFK, IAD, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston orToronto are good bets. Visitors from Australia or NewZealand can consider travelling via Dubai or Abu Dhabi,or can use a combination of Iran Air and Malaysian Air-lines to get from any major city in Australia to Tehran,via Kuala Lumpur.There are weekly flights from Sulamaniya in IraqiKurdistan to Sanandaj and from Arbil to Urmia.From Damascus in Syria there are charter flights toTabriz, Tehran, Yazd, Isfahan, Mashhad. There are agen-cies in Seyyedeh-Zeinab district (a popular place with Ira-nian pilgrimages) that can sell you empty seats of thesecharter flights for less than US$100.Caution. Any travel to Syria should be carefully ap-praised for risks due to current internal conflicts withinSyria and potential problems at border crossing points.Please refer to the article on Syria and current consulartravel advisories concerning entry, transit, and adjacentborder zones. Normal services to and from Syria may bedisrupted, suspended or cancelled without notice.

1.5.3 By train

Turkey

ATTENTION: All trains between Turkey and Iran arecancelled by Iranian Railways from August 2015. untilfurther notice due to security reasons.

• The Trans Asia Express runs weekly from Ankara,includes a ferry over Lake Van, crosses the Ira-nian border then stops at Tabriz before arriving inTehran. The journey takes 69 hr (3 nights travel-ling). Services leave Ankara Tuesday evening (ar-riving Friday evening) and Tehran Monday evening(arriving Saturday evening). The train includescouchettes and a dining car. (Expect up to 10 hoursdelay)

• The Tabriz-Van service (different from Istanbulservice) is a weekly train between Van and Tabriz.

Syria

Caution. Any travel to Syria should be carefully ap-praised for risks do to current internal conflicts withinSyria and potential problems at border crossing points,please refer to the article on Syria and current consular

travel advisories concerning entry, transit, and adjacentborder zones. Normal services to and from Syria may bedisrupted, suspended or cancelled without notice.

• The Syria service does not cross Iraq, stopping atAleppo before crossing the Turkish border, head-ing to Lake Van and running along a similar routeto the Istanbul service. This journey takes 54 hr (2nights travelling) leaving Damascus Monday morn-ings (arriving Tehran Wednesday evening) and leav-ing Tehran at the same time (Monday) with corre-sponding arrival in Damascus (Wednesday evening).Couchettes are available between Lake Van andTehran, but need to be specially booked for theSyrian leg between Damascus and Lake Van other-wise reclining seats are available. The journey costsaround US$90 for couchettes the whole way, andUS$60 for the reclining seat and couchette combi-nation.

Afghanistan

• The Mashad-Herat railway which is under construc-tion right now is completed until the city of Khafnear the Afghanistan border. The cheap daily ser-vice from Tehran to Khaf is about US$5.

Iraq

• The Khorramshar-Basra railway will be completedin a few months which will connect Iranian railwaysto Iraq. There will be special train routes for Iraniansgoing as pilgrims to Najaf and Karbala. There isanother project that will be completed later goingthrough Kermanshah to Khanaqin in Iraq.

Pakistan

• The Quetta-Zahedan line connects Pakistan andIran by rail. A train leaves every 1st and 15th of eachmonth from Quetta and the journey takes 11 hr andcosts about €8. In opposite direction the train leavesevery 3rd and 17th of each month from Zahedan.

In June 2009 a Bam-Zahedan link was completed, whichconnected Zahedan to rest of Iranian railway network.However there is no passenger train between Bam andZahedan presently, so you have to take a bus or taxi.

Azerbaijan

• The Nakhchivan-Tabriz service connectsNakhchivan_(city) with Tabriz and crossesfrom the Jolfa border. The route used to be a partof Tehran-Moscow railway line which is closedright now due to Azerbaijan-Armenia conflicts.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Europe


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Australia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Zealand

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/New_Zealand


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sulamaniya

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kurdistan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sanandaj

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Arbil

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Urmia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Damascus

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Syria







https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Van



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aleppo



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Herat

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khaf



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorramshar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Basra


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Najaf

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Karbala


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khanaqin

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nakhchivan_(city)


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jolfa

1.5. GET IN 9

• There is a railway from Baku to the border city ofAstara. From there you can walk through the borderto Iran. The railway is going to be joined to Tehranvia Rasht and Zanjan.

Turkmenistan

• There is a daily service between Mashad andSarakhs border every day. The train does not go fur-ther because of the gauge changes. At the other sideof the border there is train to Merv and Ashgabat.

• Another railway from Gorgan is currently built upto the Inche Borun border which will continue toTurkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

1.5.4 By car

Many people drive a car to Iran via Turkey.This requires a Carnet de Passage unless you wish to payimport duty. A Carnet can be acquired from your lo-cal drivers association (such as the RAC in the UK). Aninternational driver’s license is highly recommend withtranslation into Persian very beneficial.

1.5.5 By bus

Armenia

From Armenia there are daily, modern buses fromYerevan to Tabriz and even further to Teheran. Other-wise the only Iran/Armenia land border at Nuduz/Agarakis very badly served by public transport. On the Arme-nian side you can get as far as Meghri by one Marschrutkaa day from Yerevan. In both directions the Marshrutkaleaves quiet early in the morning. Kapan and Karajan aremore frequently served by marschrutkas but it is a longand mountainous (and therefore expensive) stretch to theborder from there. From Meghri it is around 8 km tothe border and hitching or a taxi is the only option. Onthe Iranian side the closest puplic transport can be foundaround 50 km to the west in Jolfa, so a taxi for aroundUS$10-15 is the again only commercial choice. Expectto be asked a lot for all taxi rides, so hard bargaining isessential. Make clear, or at least pretending that you haveother choices may assist you to get fairer prices.The border is not busy at all, so when hitching you have tomainly stick with the truck drivers and Russian or Persianhelps a lot here. Consider for yourself whether this is asafe option.

Turkey

You can find Seir-o-Safar agencies in Istanbul, Antalyaand Ankara to buy cheap bus tickets for Tehran. A one-

way ticket between Istanbul or Ankara and Tehran costsUS$35.00.

• Dogubeyazit/Bazergan This Turkey/Iran bordercrossing is easily (and fast) done by public transport.Take a bus to Dogubeyazit and a frequent minibus(c. TRY5, 15 min) to the border. Cross the bor-der stretch per pedes, take the customs taxi (givethe driver some 1,000 rials bakschis) to the next vil-lage and take a taxi (US$3-4) to the bus terminalin Bazergan. There could also be buses to Bazergan,but the taxi drivers approaching you at the border arenot the right people to ask for that. From there youcan easily get buses to major destinations in Iran.Check the security situation in the region, due tothe unsolved PKK conflict. Make sure you get aclear idea about exchange rates if you want to changeTurkish lira or rials as the official bank at the borderdoes not exchange these currencies and you have todeal with the plentiful black market.

• There are also buses from Van to Urmia crossingfrom the Esendere-Sero border. The buses cost €13and takes more than 6h to finish the 300km route.That’s because of poor roads on the Turkish side andalso the many checkpoints on the Turkish side (morethan 5) because of the P.K.K. insurrection.

• You can also take mini buses to the town of Yük-sekova near the border and ask for taxis to bring youto the border. Cross the border check point on yourown since the taxis won't cross into Iran.

Pakistan

You can also (depending on the political situation) enterfrom Pakistan via the border crossing between Taftan (onthe Pakistani side) and Zahedan (on the Iranian side) aslong as you have a valid visa for Iran. You can NOT geta visa on the border. Overnight buses leave from Quettaarriving in Taftan in the early morning, from there youcan either hire a taxi to the border or walk a couple ofkilometres. Once across the border (which can take sometime on the Iranian side, you need to organise transportto Zahedan (the local town) where buses depart for des-tinations in Eastern Iran such as Bam, Kerman and Yazd.See the Istanbul to New Delhi over land 3.9 Iran-Pakistanborder, for more details on the crossing.

Iraq

There are daily buses from Arbil to Urmia, also thereare daily buses from Sanandaj and Kermanshah to Su-laymaniyah. From Tehran, there are also buses toSulaymaniyah and Arbil.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Baku

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Astara

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rasht

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zanjan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sarakhs

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Merv

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ashgabat

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gorgan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Inche_Borun


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kazakhstan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Carnet_de_Passage


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yerevan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Teheran


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kapan



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Antalya

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ankara


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dogubeyazit

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bazergan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dogubeyazit






https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Taftan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Quetta

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Taftan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bam



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Istanbul_to_New_Delhi_over_land






https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sulaymaniyah


10 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

Afghanistan

There are daily buses between Herat and Mashad. Thebuses go through Dogharoun Border. The road has beenbuilt by Iran and is reported safe.

Turkmenistan

A bus service also runs between Ashgabat and Mashhad.

1.5.6 By boat

It is not possible to get a Visa On Arrival if arriving byboat. Therefore if you wish to enter Iran by this methodyou must get a visa in advance.There are some scheduled services from Baku to BandarAnzali on the Caspian Sea and from cities on the PersianGulf to cities on the Iranian coast. They are usually oflow quality.

From UAE

Starting in late 2007 and 2008; high quality semi-luxurious ferry service started between Kish Island andAbu Dhabi and Dubai. This service is of nominal fee(@ US$50) and the journey across one of the busieststretches of water is sure to entertain. It is not currentlyknown what the Customs and Entry Visa process is likeusing this service however as the boats do not enter viathe airport. While the entry/exit process at the airport isfairly well established, it is unknown if the process is aswell managed when entering via the docks. It is likelyto be more chaotic and it is not known whether visas areissued on the spot as is the case at the airport.There are ferries from [Dubai]] and Sharjah in the UnitedArab Emirates to Bandar Abbas.

From Qatar

From Qatar to Bushehr.

From Bahrain

From Kuwait

Ferries from Kuwait are operated by Valfajr ShippingCompany. Rates depend on your exact journey, but asof June 2011, Bandar Abbas-Sharjah (UAE) was soldfor 795,000 rials (about US$80). Boats run twice aweek (Monday & Wednesday), departing Bandar Abbasaround 8PM. Tickets can be bought from one of the agen-cies listed on the website. Expect to be the only non-Iranian on board. Plan loosely around the boat trip, asschedules are not strictly enforced.

1.6 Get around

Iranian transport is of high quality, and is very affordable.There are few places the very cheap buses don't travel to,the train network is limited but comfortable and reason-ably priced and travel by air is not expensive. The ticketprices are always fixed and you don't have benefits of earlybookings.

1.6.1 By plane

For anyone on a tight deadline, affordable domestic airservices are a blessing. The major national carrier IranAir, and its semi-private competitors such as Iran Ase-man Airlines - Aseman meaning “sky” in Persian, Ma-han Air and Kish Air link Tehran with most regionalcapitals and offer inter-regional flights for no more thanUS$60.Their services are frequent, reliable and are definitelyworth considering to skip the large distances within Iran.Planes are aging, and maintenance and safety proceduresare sometimes well below western standards, but it stillremains the safest way to get around Iran, given the hugedeath toll on the roads.Tupolev Tu-154 and other Russian planes aren't used bysome carriers and they change with MD82 or 83. How-ever, the odds are you will board a Shah-era B727 orsome more recent Fokker, ATR or even Airbus A310 ifyou're lucky. Busy domestic routes are sometimes flownby B747SP, and the extra boarding and run-up time areworth the thrill of flying in one of the last of these short-ened Jumbos still operated in the world. Saha Air, an-other internal Iranian airline, is also the last operator ofthe Boeing 707 in scheduled commercial passenger ser-vice. If you insist on flying, try getting some of the newplanes leased from Russia.Tickets can be bought at airports or travel agents dottedthrough the most major cities. Book early during thesummer months of August and September since findingseats at short notice is virtually impossible. It is possibleto pay extra to get onto a booked flight by bribing some-one or paying them to take their seat on the plane. Someflights will auction off the last few seats to the highestbidder. For westerners, the conversion makes it easy tooutbid everyone.You can also find domestic tickets in some Iran Air officesabroad, such as in Dubai. Expect to pay a little more dueto the exchange rate applied. Domestic tickets for othercompanies must be bought inside Iran.Note if you are from a “western” country, some agenciesare reluctant to let you book a domestic flight.







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http://www.valfajr.ir/

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1.6.2 By bus

The Iranian domestic bus network is extensive andthanks to the low cost of fuel, very cheap. In fact the onlydrawback is speed: the government has limited buses to80 km/h to combat lead-footed bus drivers so long haultrips such as Shiraz to Mashhad can take up to 20 hours.There is little difference between the various bus com-panies, and most offer two classes: 'lux' or 'Mercedes’(2nd class) and 'super' or 'Volvo' (1st class). First classbuses are air-conditioned and you will be provided with asmall snack during your trip, while second class servicesare more frequent. Given the affordability of first classtickets (for example rials 70,000 from Esfehan to Shi-raz), there’s little financial incentive to opt for the secondclass services, especially in summer.You can buy tickets from the bus terminals or ticket of-fices up to a week in advance, but you shouldn't have aproblem finding a seat if you turn up to the terminal anhour or so before your intended departure time.Most cities operate comprehensive local bus services,but given the low cost of taxis and the difficulties of read-ing Persian-language signs (which, unlike road signs, donot have English counterparts) and route numbers, theyare of little use to the casual travelers. If you're cashstrapped and brave enough to try, however, rememberthat the buses are segregated. Men enter via the frontor rear door and hand their ticket to the driver before tak-ing a seat in the front half of the bus. Women and chil-dren should hand their ticket to the driver via the frontdoors (without actually getting on) before entering viathe rear door to take a seat at the back. Tickets, usu-ally around 500 rials, are sold from booths near most busstops. Private buses accept cash instead of tickets. Thereis also rechargeable credit ticket cards accepted in busesand metro stations (in Tehran since 2012 paper tickets areno longer accepted in buses).

1.6.3 By train

Raja Passenger Trains is the passenger rail system. Trav-elling by train through Iran is generally more comfortableand faster than speed-limited buses. Sleeper berths inovernight trains are especially good value as they allowyou to get a good night’s sleep while saving on a night’saccommodation.The rail network is comprised of three main trunks. Thefirst stretches east to west across the north of the countrylinking the Turkish and Turkmenistan borders via Tabriz,Tehran and Mashhad. The second and third extend southof Tehran but split at Qom. One line connects to the Per-sian Gulf via Ahvaz and Arak, while the other traversesthe country’s centre linking Kashan, Yazd and Kerman.Tickets can be bought from train stations up to one monthbefore the date of departure, and it is wise to book at

least a couple of days in advance during the peak domesticholiday months. First class tickets cost roughly twice thecomparable bus fare. For buying train tickets online youcan visit this page:raja ticketKnown as a “ghatar” in Persian; trains are probably thecheapest, safest, most reliable and easiest way to travelaround the country. As an added benefit; you'll get tomeet the people, sample food and see other tourists. Youalso avoid all the checkpoints you will encounter drivingon the road. Trains are frequently delayed so leave plentyof time between destinations.

By Metro (subway)

Tehran has 4 underground rail lines.Line 1 (red) runs from north to southLine 2 (blue) runs west to east.Line 4 (yellow) runs from west to southeast.Line 5 (green) runs to the nearby city of Karaj.For more info about lines you can visit this page :Tehransubway map1 way tickets cost 5,000 rials (500 Tomans) and a roundticket costs 8,000 rials (800 Tomans). You can buy ticketcard( E-ticket) instead of paper ticket that can be used inboth buses and Metro.Mashhad has 1 underground line. It runs from VakilAbad to Ghadir.Two further lines are to be added in the near future.

1.6.4 By taxi

Low fuel costs have made inter-city travel by taxi a greatvalue option in Iran. When travelling between cities up to250 km apart, you may be able to hire one of the sharedsavāri taxis that loiter around bus terminals and train sta-tions. Savari taxis are faster than buses and Taxis willonly leave when four paying passengers have been found,so if you're in a hurry you can offer to pay for an extraseat.Official shared local taxis or Savari, also ply the majorroads of most cities. Recently the taxis are turning intoyellow, also on busy routs there are green vans with a ca-pacity of 11 passengers. They offer less fare for everypassenger. They usually run straight lines between ma-jor squares and landmarks, and their set rates between2,000-10,000 rials are dictated by the local governments.Hailing one of these taxis is an art you'll soon master.Stand on the side of the road with traffic flowing in yourintended direction and flag down a passing cab. It willslow down fractionally, giving you about one second toshout your destination--pick a major nearby landmark in-stead of the full address--through the open passenger win-

http://raja.ir/Index.aspx?tempname=EnRaja&lang=2&sub=0

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Karaj

http://metro.tehran.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=235

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12 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

dow. If the driver is interested, he'll slow down enough foryou to negotiate the details or simply accepts your route.If you're in a hurry, you can rent the taxi privately. Justshout the destination followed by the phrase dar bast (lit-erally 'closed door') and the driver will almost be sure tostop. Negotiate the price before departure, but since youare paying for all the empty seats expect to pay four timesthe normal shared taxi fare.You can also rent these taxis by the hour to visit a numberof sites, but you can expect to pay from 40,000-70,000rials/hr, depending on your bargaining skills.Most of the taxis have “taximeters” but only 'closed door'green taxis use it.

1.6.5 By car

A large road network and low fuel costs have histori-cally made Iran an attractive country for exploring withyour own car. However a recent government fuel taxon foreigners entering Iran by private car has somewhatdimmed the allure.Foreigners arriving in Iran with their own car will need tohave a Carnet de passage and a valid international drivers’license. Petrol stations can be found on the outskirts ofall cities and towns and in car-filled Iran, a mechanic isnever far away.Do not underestimate the sheer chaos of Iran’s traffic.The often ignored road rules state that you must drive onthe right unless overtaking and give way to traffic com-ing on to a roundabout. Drivers frequently top 160 km/h(100 mph) on intercity highways. Laws requiring car oc-cupants to wear seat belts for rear passengers are not al-ways complied with.Be aware also that motorcycles are sometimes seen trans-porting up to five people, without helmets.Avoid large rocks in the middle of highway. These areoften placed there in an attempt to burst your tires. After-ward, a passerby will offer to replace your tire for $US50.This is of course a scam that occurs mostly at nighttimebut has diminished due to aggressive policing.You can also rent a car, usually for $US20-50 a day.Insurance and legal liability may make you think twiceabout renting a car, especially considering the fact thatrenting a car with a driver usually costs the same.People are not allowed to carry their pet even in their pri-vate car and will receive driving penalties if caught by thePolice.

1.7 Talk

Persian (called fārsi in Persian, ,(فارسی an Indo-European language, is Iran’s national and official lan-

Fārsi is Iran’s national and official language

guage. Although Persian is written with a modified Ara-bic alphabet, the two languages are not related but Persiandoes contain a very large number of Arabic loanwordsbut maybe with a different meaning, many of which formpart of basic Persian vocabulary (See “Iranian National-ity” under “Respect” ).Many young Iranians in major cities, and almost certainlythose working in international travel agents and high-endhotels will speak conversational English but basic Persianphrases will definitely come in handy, particularly in ruralareas.Road signs are often double signed in English, but fewother signs are. As an extra challenge, most Persian sig-nage uses an ornate calligraphic script that bears little re-semblance to its typed form. This can make comparingtyped words in phrase books--such as 'bank' and 'hotel'--to signs on buildings quite difficult. However it is stillworth memorising the Persian script for a few key wordssuch as restaurant, guesthouse, and hotel (see relevantsections below for the script).Be aware that Kurdish and Azeri languages are also spo-ken in areas of large Kurdish and Azeri populations.See also: Persian phrasebook

1.8 See

1.8.1 Ancient cities

• Hegmatane (or Ekbatana) - The capital of the an-cient Medes. In modern-day Hamedan.

• Persepolis - Probably the most important historicalsite in Iran. The capital of the Achaemenid (Persian)Empire built by Darius. Near Shiraz.

• Pasargad (or Pasargadae) - The initial capital ofthe Persian Empire built by Cyrus the Great. NearShiraz.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Carnet_de_passage


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Azerbaijani_phrasebook







1.8. SEE 13

Persepolis - Marvdasht - Fars

Pol-e Dokhtar Bridge, Miyaneh, East Azerbijan

• Susa - Built by Elamites an then adopted byAchaemenid (Persian) and Sasanid empires, it hasthree layers of civilisation in it. Located inthe modern-day town of Shush in the Khuzestanprovince.

• Chogha Zanbil- A ziggurat built by Elamites. NearShush.

• Na'in or '''Naeen''' or Naein is a small pre-Islamiccity in central Iran with over 2000 years of history.It’s a small pattern of an ancient desert town. Thelocals in Na’in still speak in ancient Zoroastrian di-alect.

• Sialk Mount (Tappeh Sialk) - More than 7,000years old, this is world’s oldest ziggurat. In suburbsof Kashan.

• Jiroft

1.8.2 Tombs of some famous people

• Cyrus the Great in Pasargad near Shiraz.

• Avicenna in Hamedan.

• Khayyam in Neyshaboor (near Mashhad).

• Prophet Daniel in Susa (Shush).

• Mordechai and Esther in Hamedan.

• Saadi and Hafez famous Persian poets in Shiraz.

• "'Imam Reza'" an ornate shrine to the eighth ofthe Shiite imams (the only one buried in Iran) inMashhad.

1.8.3 Museums

• Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.Amassed by the former Shah and his wife who wereavid and ostentatious collectors, the museums col-lection, conservatively valued at $2.5 billion dollars,is one of the most important modern and con-temporary art collections in the world. It includescollections from Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky,Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Francis Bacon,David Hockney and Jackson Pollock among manyothers. Much of it remains un-catalogued, officiallybecause it is so numerous but also because it iscurrently taboo. No western works have beenon display for many years although in late 2013staff expressed hope that the authorities may grantpermission for specific pieces to be displayed aspart of a tourist drive. It remains to be seen.In the meantime art lovers can sigh as they leafthrough a reference copy of some of the collection,available for viewing at reception. Nevertheless, themuseum still warrants a visit for a rare opportunityto explore contemporary Iranian art which althoughinventive and progressive in its execution, remainsnonetheless true to established morals.

1.8.4 Palaces

Falak-ol-Aflak castle, Khorramabad, Lorestan

• Sadabad. A palace complex where Mohammad-Reza Shah and his family used to live. Some palacesconverted to museums now. In Tehran.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Susa

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shush

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khuzestan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chogha_Zanbil


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Na%2527in

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/%2527%2527%2527Naeen%2527%2527%2527

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Na%E2%80%99in

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kashan



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Neyshaboor






14 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

• Falak-ol-aflak - Falak-ol-Aflak Castle is among themost important structures built during the Sassanidera.

• Shamsolemare

• Forty Pillar Palace (Chehel Sotoun) literally:“Forty Columns”) is a pavilion in the middle of apark at the far end of a long pool, in Isfahan, Iran,built by Shah Abbas II to be used for his entertain-ment and receptions.

Chehel Sotoon Palace

In this palace, Shah Abbas II and his successors wouldreceive dignitaries and ambassadors, either on the terraceor in one of the stately reception halls.The name, meaning “Forty Columns” in Persian, was in-spired by the twenty slender wooden columns supportingthe entrance pavilion, which, when reflected in the watersof the fountain, are said to appear to be forty.

1.8.5 Palaces

Ali Qapu Palace

• Ālī Qāpū (The Royal Palace) - Early 17th Cen-tury. It is forty-eight meters high and there are sevenfloors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase.In the sixth floor music room, deep circular niches

are found in the walls, having not only aestheticvalue, but also acoustic. It is rich in naturalistic wallpaintings by Reza Abbassi, the court painter of ShahAbbas I, and his pupils. There are floral, animal, andbird motifs.

1.8.6 Squares and Streets

• Naqsh-e Jahan Square also known as shah squareor imam square-1602. With two mosques and thebazaar.It is an important historical site, and one ofUNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.The square is sur-rounded by buildings from the Safavid era.

1.8.7 Parks and Gardens

1.8.8 Armenian churches

• Vank Cathedral in Isfahan.

• Saint Thaddeus Monastery in West AzerbaijanProvince.

1.9 Do

• Meymand (Meimand), Kerman province, Shahr-e-Babak (Persian Gulf high way). Meymand (May-mand, Meimand, Maimand) is a very ancient vil-lage located nearby Shahr -e- Babak city in KermanProvince. Maymand is believed to be one human-ities earliest remaining places of habitation on theIranian Plateau and dates back 12,000 years. It isstill inhabited by around 150 people, mostly hos-pitable elderly citizens who live in 410 houses handhewn into the rocks. 10,000 year old stone engrav-ings surround the village. 6,000 year old potteriesrelics reveal a long history of the village. Living con-ditions in Maymand are harsh due to the aridity ofthe land and to high temperatures in summers andvery cold winters. In 2005 Meymand was awardedthe Melina Mercury International Prize for the safe-guarding and management of cultural landscapes.

1.9.1 Desert trekking and desert excur-sions

Moving sand dunes

Though the northern part of Iran is covered by dense rainforests called Shomal or the Jungles of Iran. The eastern


1.10. BUY 15

parts consists mostly of desert basins such as the Dasht-eKavir, Iran’s largest desert, in the north-central portion ofthe country, and the Dasht-e Lut, in the east, as well assome salt lakes. There is also the Central desert which ascan be understood from its name is located in the centralregions. This is because the mountain ranges are too highfor rain clouds to reach these regions.There are a lot of activities that can be done in the desertareas including; desert tracking, camel riding, bicycle rid-ing and 4x4 driving excursions.In some parts of the deserts there are some camping sitesavailable. The easiest budget priced desert tours can beorganised in Na'in and Kashan.

1.9.2 Festivals

• Norouz Eve, The beginning of Iranian New Yearand the start of the Spring. On the 20th or 21st ofMarch. It is rooted in the Zoroastrian religion.

• Chahar-shanbe Suri (Wednesday festival) - On thelast Wednesday before Noruz. People set up fires.The traditional festival involves jumping over thefire while saying a specific sentence. Nowadays it in-volves a lot of firecrackers Although the governmentis against it and police usually Disperse the youngpeople’s gathering!.

• Shab-e Yalda, The last night of Autumn, which isthe longest night of the year, is celebrated in Iran,and has a history from long ago (Mithraism age).Families has traditional gathering to commemuni-cate and eat the last remaining fresh fruits from sum-mer. They read traditional Persian poems or stories.

• Golabgiri, of Kashan city near Isfahan. During thespring some people go there to obtain the local rosewater. It has very nice smell and many use it in tra-ditional drinks.

1.9.3 Ski

There are five ski piste around Tehran. They are at Dizin,Darbandsar, Tochal and Shemshak.The longest one is the Dizin piste, this is north of Tehranand reachable during winter by using either Chalous Roador Fasham Road.The more professional slope is at Shemshak and that isthe one used for national and international tournaments.The ski pistes near Tehran are all normally accessible byroad in around 1-2 hr.

1.9.4 Swim

Iran has coastline along the Caspian Sea and the PersianGulf. A popular place for its beaches is Kish Island in thePersian Gulf that men can enjoy it all the year & womenare limited to use only covered beaches.

1.9.5 Itineraries

We have one itinerary for a route that is entirely in Iran:

• Mount Damavand Trek

There are also several for routes that pass through thecountry:

• Silk Road

• On the trail of Marco Polo

• Istanbul to New Delhi over land

1.10 Buy

1.10.1 Currency

The rial لایر) in Persian) (IRR) is the currency of Iran.Coins are issued in values of 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000,2,000, and 5,000 rials. Banknotes are produced in500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000,and 100,000 denominations and banknotes called “IranCheques” are produced in 500,000 and 1,000,000 de-nominations.

1.10.2 Toman

Confusion with the currency is standard for a visitor ini-tially, not just because of the large numbers but becauseof the shorthand routinely used. Prices of goods may beverbally communicated or written in toman (تومان) in-stead of in rial. One toman is equal to ten rials. Thereare no toman notes - prices are quoted as such just as ashortcut. If it is not obvious, be sure to clarify in whichcurrency the price is quoted.

1.10.3 Exchanging money

ATMs and merchants in Iran generally do not accept for-eign (non-Iranian) cards due to the sanctions, so bring allthe money you might need in cash, preferably in US dol-lars or Euros.Bills in good condition as well as large bills ($100 or€100) tend to be preferred at currency exchange offices.Small denominations can be useful for small purchases




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mount_Damavand_Trek

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Silk_Road


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Istanbul_to_New_Delhi_over_land

16 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

before you get to an exchange office, although many ex-change shops will not exchange small bills. On arrival atTehran International Airport, the maximum amount thatmay be exchanged at night is limited to €50 per person.The best places to exchange money are the private ex-change offices (sarāfi) scattered around most large citiesand major tourist centres. Their rates are usually 20%better than the official rate offered by the banks, they arefar quicker and don't require any paperwork, and unliketheir black market colleagues, they can be traced later onif something goes wrong. Exchange offices can be foundin major cities, their opening times are usually Sunday toThursday from 8 am to 4 pm. Note that most are closedon Fridays and on holidays. There is little point in risk-ing the use of black market moneychangers who loiteroutside of major banks and only offer marginally betterrates than the banks.A list of licensed sarraafis of the whole country, in Per-sian (Farsi), can be found here. This list includes phonenumbers and addresses as well as license numbers anddates.The most widely-accepted currencies are US dollar ($)and euros (€). Other major currencies such as the Aus-tralian Dollar and Japanese Yen are accepted at many -but not all - money changers. Non-major currencies usu-ally cannot be exchanged. US$100 and large euro un-folded notes tend to attract the best exchange rate, andyou may be quoted lower rates or turned down for anyold or ripped notes or small denomination notes.Foreign credit cards are only accepted by select storeswith foreign bank accounts such as Persian rugs stores butthey will almost always charge an additional fee for pay-ing by credit card rather than with cash. Most of thesestores will be happy to forward you some cash on yourcredit card at the same time as your purchase. If you aredesperate for cash, you can also try asking these shopsto extend you the same favour without buying a rug orsouvenir, but expect to pay a fee of around 10%.Travellers’ cheques: Cashing travelers cheques can behit-or-miss and it is advised not to rely on travelerscheques issued by American or European companies.Prepaid debit cards can be bought at Iranian banks andserve as a good alternative to carrying a large wad of casharound the country. Make sure that the card you buyhas ATM withdrawal privileges and be aware of the dailywithdrawal limit. The ATM network in Iran is subject tooutages so make sure that you withdraw the entire balancewell before you leave the country.Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bank of Iran) which is agovernment-owned bank in Iran, provides an ATM debitcard service (plastic magnetic card) for tourists who visitIran. Tourists just need to head the nearest branch ofthis bank. Information on this service can be found here.Sepah Bank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bankthat has a current account service for foreigners which

provides both ATM debit card and a cheque writing op-tion. Another way to prevent having your money stolen,is going to the nearest bank and getting a gift card (Kart-e Hadiyeh هدیه .(کارت They are exactly like ordinaryATM debit cards, but once they get empty, they cannotbe recharged. The two first ways are more recommended.A list of permitted Iranian banks can be found here.Large Iranian banks, like Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (BMI),Bank -e- Sepah, Bank Mellat, Bank-e Saaderaat-e Iran(BSI), Bank-e Paasaargad and Bank-e Saamaan (Saa-maan Bank), and Beank-e Paarsiaan all have branchesoutside the country that can be found at their websites.You can open a bank account abroad before arrival. Thismight be possible even in some European countries. Youcan find the addresses of these banks’ websites using fa-mous search engines; then you need to click the link tothe English section of their sites which is usually shownusing the word English or the abbreviation En.

1.10.4 Bazaars and bargaining

While the shops offer a wide selection of quality goods,local items can be bought in the many bazaars. Pur-chases include hand-carved, inlaid woodwork, paintedand molded copper, carpets, rugs, silks, leather goods,mats, tablecloths, gold, silver, glass, and ceramics. Thereare restrictions on which items may be taken out of thecountry and many countries restrict the amount of goodsyou can bring in due to sanctions.Bargain ruthlessly when buying handcrafts, rugs or bigticket items and modestly when hailing private taxis. Inmost other aspects of life prices are fixed.

1.10.5 Tipping

Tipping is generally not expected, but locals will gen-erally round up the bill in taxis and add around 10% inrestaurants. Porters and bellboys will expect 5,000 rials.A discreet gift of a few thousand tomāns may help greasethe wheels of Iranian society and serve to thank an ex-traordinarily helpful local.

1.10.6 Foreigner surcharges

You won't be able to escape the government-sanctioneddual pricing system that applies to accommodation andsome tourist attractions in Iran; foreigners often pay upto five times the price quoted to locals. However, pricestend to be very reasonable by Western standards.

1.10.7 Budgeting

Due to an extremely volatile exchange rate and high infla-tion, the prices estimated by many guidebooks and travel

http://cbi.ir/page/3743.aspx

http://www.bmi.ir/En/BMIServicesShow.aspx?sid=256

http://www.banksepah.ir/English/tab-477/Qardhul-Hassan-Current-Accounts.aspx

http://cbi.ir/simplelist/1462.aspx

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tipping

1.11. EAT 17

agencies are outdated immediately.If you are prepared to stay in the cheapest guesthouses,travel only by bus and eat only at fast food outlets orkabābi, you can get by in Iran on a minimum of around500,000 rials per day. If you want to eat a decentrestaurant meal every now and then and stay in mid-range accommodation, a more realistic budget is around1,000,000 rials. If you want to eat and sleep in luxury andfly between major sights, you can easily spend 3,000,000rials per day.

1.11 Eat

Meal times in Iran vary considerably from those in Eu-rope and the US. Lunch can be served from 12PM-3PM.and dinner is often eaten after 8PM. These and other so-cial occasions in Iran are often long, drawn-out affairsconducted in a relatively relaxed tempo, often involvingpastries, fruit and possibly nuts. As it is considered rudeto refuse what is served, visitors should accept the itemsoffered, even if they do not intend to consume them.The importation and consumption of alcohol is strictlybanned throughout the majority of Iran, but is toleratedin a few rural and poorly regulated areas. Penalties aresevere. Registered religious minorities, however, are al-lowed to manufacture and consume small quantities ofalcohol, but not to sell, export or import it. Pork andpork products are forbidden and, like alcohol, their im-port is illegal, though in practice shops serving the Chris-tian community are allowed to sell pork with no majorissues.The good news for travellers is that Iranian cuisine is su-perb. A wide range of influences from Central Asia, theCaucasus, Russia, Europe and the Middle East have cre-ated a diverse, relatively healthy range of dishes that fo-cus on fresh produce and aromatic herbs. The bad news,however, is that Iranians prefer to eat at home, rather thanin restaurants, so decent eateries are scarce and stick to arepetitive selection of dishes (mainly kebabs). An invita-tion to an Iranian home for dinner will be a definite high-light of your stay. When visiting an Iranian household forthe first time or on a special occasion it is customary forIranians to bring a small gift. Flowers, sweets or pastriesare popular gift choices.

1.11.1 Traditional cuisine

Fragrant rice ,برنج) berenj) is the staple of Iranian food.Boiled and then steamed, it is often coloured with saffronor flavoured with a variety of spices. When served plainas an accompaniment it is known as chelo .(چلو) Thetwo most common meat / chelo combinations are kebabvariations (chelo kabāb, کباب (چلو or rotisserie chicken(chelo morgh, مرغ .(چلو Flavoured rice, known as polo,is often served as a main course or as an accompaniment

to a meat dish. Examples include shirin polo flavouredwith orange zest, young cherries and honey glazed carrots,the broad-bean and herb heavy bāghli polo and sabzi pololaced with parsley, dill and mint.

The ubiquitous Persian Kabab is often served with plain rice andsometimes with special (yellow cake) rice called tah-chin.

The rice and kebab dish chelo kabāb کباب) (چلو and itshalf-dozen variations are the most common (and often theonly) items on Iranian restaurant menus. A grilled skewerof meat is served on a bed of fluffy rice, and accompaniedby an array of condiments. You can add butter, grilledtomatoes and a sour spice known as somāgh to your rice,while some restaurants also provide a raw egg yolk. Rawonion and fresh basil are used to clear your palate be-tween mouthfuls. Variations in kabāb dishes come fromthe meats they are served with. You will commonly see:

• Kabāb koobideh كوبيده) (كباب - a kebab ofminced beef, shredded onion and spices.

• Kabāb barg برگ) (كباب - pieces of lamb some-times marinated in lemon juice and shredded onion.

• Joojeh kabāb كباب) (جوجه - a skewer of chickenpieces sometimes marinated in lemon juice and saf-fron.

• Kabāb bakhtiāri ب ختیاری) (كباب - great forthe indecisive eater, this is a skewer of alternatingchicken and lamb pieces.

At home people most often eat rice with a thick stew(khoresht, (خورشت containing a modest amount of meat.There are dozens of khoresht variations such as thesweet and sour fessenjān made from ground walnuts andpomegranate syrup, most popular ghormeh-sabzi is basedon fresh herbs, dried limes and kidney beans, gheimehflavoured with split-peas and often garnished with Frenchfries.Hearty Iranian soups (āsh, (آش are meals in themselves.The most popular is the vegetarian āsh reshteh آش)

18 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

(رشته made from herbs, chickpeas and thick noodles,and garnished with kashk (which looks like yoghurt butis another thing) and fried onions.Flat bread (nān, (نان is another pillar of Iranian food. Itis served at breakfast with herbs, feta cheese and a vari-ety of jams, or as an accompaniment to meals. Sangak(سنگك) is a dimpled variety cooked on a pebbled ovenwhile lavāsh (لواش) is a thin and bland staple .

1.11.2 International cuisine

There are several good international restaurants which of-fer Chinese, Japanese, Italian and French food as well asvegetarian menus in Tehran and other major cities.

1.11.3 Fast food and snacks

Most food outlets in Iran are either kabābis or fast foodoutlets serving a standard fare of burgers, sandwiches, fe-lafels or pizza .(پیتزا) A burger and a soft drink ata snack shop will fill you up at lunchtime for around IR40,000, while pizzas start at IR 50,000.Many teahouses (see Drink below) also serve traditionalsnacks and light meals. The most common of these is āb-gusht (آبگوشت) a hot pot made from lamb, chickpeasand dried limes that is also known as dizi, also the nameof the dish in which its served. You will be given a bowl(the dizi) containing the ābgusht and another, smaller one.Drain the broth into the smaller bowl and eat it like a soupwith the bread provided. Then pound the remaining meatand vegetables into a paste with the pestle provided andeat with even more bread, pieces raw onion and wads offresh herbs.

1.11.4 Sweets and desserts

The never-ending demand for dentists in Iran lies testa-ment to the country’s obsession with sweets and pastries,known collectively as shirini .(شیرینی)Iranian baghlava tends to be harder and more crystallinethan its Turkish equivalent while the pistachio noughatcalled gaz (گز) is an Isfahan speciality. Sohan is a richpistachio brittle popular in Qom, and freshly-baked pas-tries are often taken as gifts to people’s houses. Lavāshakfruit leathers are delicious fruit leathers made from driedplums.Honey-saffron and pistachio are just two local flavours ofice cream, while fāloodeh (فالوده) is a deliciously re-freshing sorbet made from rosewater and vermicelli noo-dles made from starch, served with lashings of lemonjuice.

1.11.5 Special needs

Given that most travellers are stuck eating kebabs formuch of their trip, vegetarians will have a partic-ularly difficult time in Iran. Most snack shops sellfalafels (فلافل) and garden salads (sālād-e-fassl, سالاد(فصل and greengrocers are common. Most āsh va-rieties are meat-free and filling, as are most varia-tions of kookoo ,(کوکو) the Iranian take on the frit-tata.Also some restaurants make Spaghetti with Soya(Soy).You can find Pizzas like Vegetarian Pizza (PitzāSabzijāt, سبزیجات (پیتزا or Cheese Pizza (PitzāPanir, پنیر (پیتزا or Mushroom Pizza (Pitzā Ghārch,قارچ (پیتزا almost everywhere and Margherita Pizzain some restaurants which all are meat-free. The phrasesman giaah-khaar hastam (I am vegetarian) and bedoon-egoosht (without meat) will come in handy.It’s a safe bet that most food in Iran is halal ,حلال) ḥalāl,halaal) and will conform with Islamic dietary laws asspecified in the Qur'an, the exceptions being some shopsin districts with large Christian communities. However,those seeking a strict kosher diet may have to concentratetheir efforts in the districts with higher numbers of Jew-ish inhabitants. If in Tehran look in areas such as olderparts in the south of the city, like Udlajan or the YusefAbad neighbourhood.

1.12 Drink

Black Tea (chāi) is the national drink of Iran.

Black Tea (chāi, (چای is the national drink of Iran. It is

1.13. SLEEP 19

served strong and with crystallised or cubed sugar (ghand,(قند which is held artfully between the teeth while tea issipped through. You can try asking for milk in your tea,but expect nothing but strange looks or a big delay in re-turn. Tea houses (chāi khāneh, خانه (چای are a favouritelocal haunt for men (and less commonly families) to drinktea and puff away on a water pipe.Coffee (ghahveh, (قهوه is not as popular as tea. Whereavailable, it is served Turkish style, French coffee orespresso. Imported instant coffee (nescāffe, (نسكافهand instant Cappuccino are available also. Coffee shops(called “coffeeshop” in Persian, versus “ghaveh-khane”(literally, coffee house) which instead means a tea house)are more popular in affluent and young areas.Fruit juices (āb miveh, ميوه (آب are available fromshops and street vendors. Also available are cherry cor-dial (sharbat ālbāloo, آلبالو (شربت and banana milk-shakes (shir moz, موز .(شيرSoft drinks are widely available. International productssuch as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and their brand names in-cluding 7up, Sprite and Fanta have sold alongside localbrands such as Zam Zam Cola ( كولا زم زم , Zam ZamKola). The local cola has a taste not unlike “Coca-ColaOriginal” or “Pepsi Original”. Both Coca-Cola and Pep-siCo’s concentrates entered Iran via Irish subsidiaries andcircumvented the US trade embargoes. Ironically Za-mZam was originally launched in 1954 as a subsidiaryof the Pepsi Cola company. As an intriguing outcomeof the Iranian cola wars the real coke was generally soldin plastic bottles and the non-genuine coke, using a sub-stitute syrup devised to overcome earlier Clinton era USimposed embargoes, was distributed in the real thing bot-tles that the then syrup-less bottler was left stuck with atthe time.Doogh (دوغ) is a sour drink made from yoghurt, salt, andwater (sometimes gaseous) and sometimes flavoured withmint or other plants. It takes some getting used to, but willrehydrate you quickly in the heat of Iran’s summer. It isthe same as Turkish Ayran. It can be purchased at almostany establishment and is often consumed in the afternoonwhile eating kababs. It comes in two main varieties fizzy(gaz-daar) and non-fizzy (bigaz).Alcohol is illegal to drink for Muslims only, and if seenby police may be met with punishment. Therefore, youwill rarely find places in Iran that openly sells alcohol.However it is legal for Non-Muslims to produce alcoholfor their consumption. Drinking is, however, commonamong some people, especially during parties and wed-dings, and is officially tolerated for use among the smallChristian and Jewish communities but only for religiouspurposes (e.g., wine for holy communion). There is noset legal drinking/purchasing age for Non-Muslims.The Iranian Government allows Non-Muslims to bringalcoholic beverages into the country.

1.13 Sleep

A modern-day Hotel in Teheran.

Accommodations in Iran range from luxurious, if a lit-tle weary, five star hotels (هتل) in major cities to thesmall, cheap mosāferkhaneh (مسافرخانه) and mehmān-pazir (مهمانپذیر) guesthouses that are littered about mostcentres. Moreover, staff in mosāferkhuneh often are sohappy to provide room for non-Iranians, as these facili-ties have a recommendation from local governments toserve all tourists. For longer stays, villas with all facili-ties (including central air conditioning, pool and Internetconnection) can be rented in Tehran and all other majorcities at reasonable prices. Note that a man and womancannot share the same hotel room unless they can provetheir relationship (as a married couple or siblings). For-eign tourists are usually excepted from this law. also youcan find traditional hotels in central Iran includes Esfa-han, Shiraz and in particular Yazd.

1.14 Learn

Iran has a large network of private, public, and state affili-ated universities. State-run universities of Iran are underthe direct supervision of Iran’s Ministry of Science, Re-search and Technology (for non-medical universities) andMinistry of Health and Medical Education (for medicalschools).

1.15 Work

Foreigners with special expertise and skills have little dif-ficulty in obtaining permits. Work permits are issued,extended or renewed for a period of one year. In specialcases, temporary work permits valid for a maximum pe-riod of three months may be issued. An exit permit mustbe obtained for a stay longer than three months.


http://www.msrt.gov.ir/

http://www.msrt.gov.ir/

http://www.hbi.dmr.or.ir/

20 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

The maximum working week is 44 hours, with no morethan eight hours any single day unless overtime compen-sation is provided. Overtime could not exceed four hoursper day. Friday is the weekly day of rest. Overtime ispayable at 40 per cent above the normal hourly wage.There are allowances for shift work equivalent to 10, 15or 22.5 per cent of a worker’s wage, depending on work-ing shift (e.g. evening, morning and night)Workers are entitled to public holidays and a paid annualone-month leave. For workers with less than a year ofemployment, annual leaves are calculated in proportion tothe actual length of service. Furthermore, every worker isentitled to take one full month of paid leave or one monthof unpaid leave (if no leave is available) once during hisor her working life in order to perform the pilgrimage toMecca.The employment of workers less than 15 years of age isprohibited. Young workers between 15 and 18 years ofage must undergo a medical examination by the SocialSecurity Organisation prior to commencing employment.Women are entitled to a 9 month maternity leave.There is a minimum national wage applicable to eachsector of activity fixed by the Supreme Labour Council.Workers and employers have the right to establish guildsocieties. Collective bargaining is allowed. Membershipin the social security system for all employees is compul-sory.To have a valid contract concluded under the Law, thefollowing provisions must be included:

• 1. Type of Work, vocation or duty that must be un-dertaken by the worker;

• 2. Basic compensation and supplements thereto;

• 3. Working hours, holidays and leaves;

• 4. Place of performance of duties;

• 5. Probationary period, if any;

• 6. Date of conclusion of contract;

• 7. Duration of employment; and

• 8. Other terms and conditions required may varyaccording to the nature of employment. An em-ployer may require the employee to be subject to aprobationary period. However, the probation timemay not exceed one month for unskilled workersand three months for skilled and professional work-ers. During the probation period, either party mayimmediately terminate the employment relationshipwithout cause or payment of severance pay. Theonly caveat being that if the employer terminates therelationship, he must pay the employee for the entireduration of the probation period.

1.15.1 Business customs

• Iranians are very formal and it will take severalmeetings before a more personal relationship can beestablished. This is particularly true for governmentofficials, representatives of state controlled compa-nies and foundations.

• Negotiations will be long, detailed and protracted.

• Exchange of gifts is a tradition among private sectorbusiness people.

• Along with the social customs, certain additionalbusiness etiquette should be realised prior to inter-action with Iranian businessmen. Although officialsof the Islamic Republic are not allowed to wear atie, it is very common for visiting foreigners to doso though proper business attire need not include atie in Iran.

• Women must adhere to the Islamic dress code re-ferred to below. It is important to note that mostofficials will not shake hands with a member of theopposite sex, especially in public. It is highly rec-ommended not to create an awkward situation byextending one’s hand. The same is true for privatecitizens who are particularly religious.

1.16 Stay safe

Iran is still a relatively low-crime country, although theftsand muggings have been on the increase in recent years.Keep your wits about you, and take the usual precautionsagainst pickpockets in crowded bazaars and buses. Due toUS sanctions, using international credit or debit cards inIran is not possible, but you can buy Iranian banks prepaidno-name Gift Cards to enjoy money withdrawal frommore than 11,000 ATMs around Iran for free. Purchas-ing gift cards has no surcharge or service fee and you canwithdraw or spend all the money you put on your gift card.Some of the gift cards have no ATM withdrawal featureand are only for use in shops and stores POS, so make sureyou an ATM enabled gift cards before purchasing it froma bank. There is a 2,000,000 rials daily withdrawal limitfor most of the Iranian bank cards, so purchasing sev-eral card lets you withdraw more money from ATMs perday. Gift cards usually are non-reloadable. Some are pre-loaded with a designated amount but some banks let youload them for your desired amount when you purchase.As they are anonymous, there is almost no way to reporta stolen card and get a duplicate. Always keep passwordsand cards in a safe place. Having a couple of used emptycards with passwords written on them may help you incase of being mugged for money! There is no cash-backfeature in Iranian POSs but in case of an emergency and

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1.16. STAY SAFE 21

having no access to ATMs you may ask a shop ownerwith POS to give you cash-back. They may charge youfor bank service fee (1% - 5%). Withdraw your leftovermoney in cards a few days before leaving Iran to avoid anyproblem which may cause by SHETAB Interbank Net-work failure (very rare). It is common that ATMs do notwork for an hour between 12:00AM - 01:00AM due to adatabase update. When using an ATM be alert. Better touse it in not very quiet areas.In particular, the tourist centre of Isfahan has had prob-lems with muggings of foreigners in unlicensed taxis, andfake police making random checks of tourists’ passports.Only use official taxis, and never allow 'officials’ to makeimpromptu searches of your belongings.Iranian traffic is congested and chaotic. Guidelines arelax and rarely followed. Pedestrians are advised to ex-ercise caution when crossing the roads, and even greatercare when driving on them - Iranian drivers tend to over-take along pavements and any section of the road wherethere is space. In general, it is not recommended for inex-perienced foreigners to drive in Iran. Watch out for joobs,(جوب) the open storm water drains that shoulder everyroad and are easy to miss when walking in the dark.Travellers should avoid the southeastern area of Iran,particularly the province of Sistan va Baluchistan. Thedrug trade thrives based on smuggling heroin fromAfghanistan. There is plenty of associated robbery, kid-napping and murder. Some cities, such as Zahedan,Zabol and Mirjaveh are particularly dangerous, althoughnot every place in this region is dangerous. Chahbahar,which is close to the Pakistani border, is a very calm andfriendly city.

1.16.1 Iranian perceptions of outsiders

Even though travellers may arrive with the image ofa throng chanting “Death to America”, the chances ofWesterners facing anti-Western sentiment as a travellerare slim. Even hardline Iranians make a clear distinc-tion between the Western governments they distrust andindividual travellers who visit their country. Americansmay receive the odd jibe about their government’s poli-cies, but usually nothing more serious than that. How-ever, it is always best to err on the side of caution andavoid politically-oriented conversations, particularly intaxi cabs. In addition, a few Iranian-Americans have beendetained recently and accused of espionage, as were threeAmerican hikers in 2009 who allegedly strayed acrossinto Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan. These kind of incidentsare rare, but still the broader implications are worth con-sidering and bearing in mind.

The best time for photography in Iran is during festivals, likeMourning of Muharram.

1.16.2 Photography

There are a lot of military and other sensitive facilitiesin Iran. Photography near military and other governmentinstallations is strictly prohibited. Any transgression mayresult in detention and serious criminal charges, includ-ing espionage, which can carry the death penalty. Donot photograph any military object, jails, harbours, ortelecommunication devices, airports or other objects andfacilities which you suspect are military in nature. Beaware that this rule is taken very seriously in Iran.

1.16.3 Women

Female travellers should not encounter any major prob-lems when visiting Iran, but will undoubtedly be the sub-ject of at least some unwanted attention but they shouldobey local laws. Contrary to popular belief, Iranianwomen typically differ little from those in the West, al-though differences may be more prominent in highly reli-gious families. In Tehran and several bigger cities West-ern clothing and formality is accepted but wearing a hijabmay be required in most of rural areas. Women by lawmust wear a headscarf in public.

1.16.4 Gay and lesbian travel

Iran is one of the strictest anti-gay countries in the world;According to the law in Iran, homosexuality is pun-ishable by death and sex by lesbians is punishablewith lashes. These two punishments, in Iran’s judiciarysystem, are only practiced if an act of gay or lesbian sexis proved by means of 4 or more witnesses.It’s not recommended for gay or lesbian couples totravel in Iran.If you're a homosexual or lesbian couple and want totravel in Iran either way, you should be very careful. Pub-lic displays of platonic affection between homosex-ual or lesbian couples, such as holding hands, arms



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zabol

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mirjaveh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chahbahar


22 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

draped over shoulders and kissing on the cheek mightmake you experience harassment by security forces.

1.16.5 Emergencies

Emergency services are extensive in Iran, and responsetimes are very good compared to other local regions.

• ☎ 110, is the telephone number of the local Policecontrol centre, it is probably easiest to phone 110, asthe local police have direct contact with other emer-gency services, and will probably be the only numberwith English speaking operators.

Other Emergency Services are also available.

• ☎ 115, for Ambulances

• ☎ 125, for the Fire and Rescue team (these numbersare frequently answered by the Ambulance or Firecrew operating from them, there is little guaranteethese men will speak English).

• ☎ 112, the international number 112 is availablefrom cell phones, and will usually connect you to thePolice.

• ☎ 141, Road Status Information

1.16.6 Natural disasters

Earthquakes may occur in much of the country.

1.17 Stay healthy

Pharmacies (drug stores) are called “daru-khaneh” in Persian.They sell prescription and nonprescription drugs.

Iran has state-of-the-art medical facilities in all its majorcities.

Apart from being up to date with your usual travel vac-cinations (tetanus, polio, etc.) no special preparation isneeded for travel to Iran. For minor ailments, your ho-tel can contact an English-speaking doctor. In case ofserious illness or accident, you can ask to be taken to ahospital with English-speaking staff (such as Milad Hos-pital, Atiyeh Hospital, Mehrad Hospital, Day Hospital orKhatam ol-Anbia Hospital in Tehran). Make sure thatyour health insurance covers illness or accident on holi-days since free medical service is not available in Iran.Tap water is safe to drink in most of the country (and es-pecially the cities), although you may find the chalkinessand taste off-putting in some areas (mainly Qom, Yazd,Hormozgan and Boushehr provinces). Bottled mineralwater (āb ma'dani) is widely available. Also, on manystreets and sites, public water fridges are installed to pro-vide drinking water.

1.18 Respect

In general, Iranians are warm, friendly and generousindividuals with a strong interest in foreigners and othercultures. In dealing with Iranians, the following tips re-lating to customs and etiquette may prove useful:Although its strict Islamic moral code is well known, Ira-nian laws are not as strict as other countries such as SaudiArabia. Respecting the dozens of unspoken rules and reg-ulations of Iranian life can be a daunting prospect for trav-ellers, but don't be intimidated. As a foreigner you willbe given leeway and it doesn't take long to acclimatiseyourself.The culture, like most others in the Middle East andCentral Asia, has a strong tradition of hospitality. Guestsare often treated extremely well. On the other hand,there is some insularity; any foreigner may be regardedwith suspicion. In Persian for Mr, Ms they say “Aghaye[name], Khanoome [name]” and out of respect they useplural verbs and pronouns. They often greet by rais-ing hand to shake or/and give a hug which is a commonMiddle Eastern tradition. And they will tell you: KheiliKhosh Amadid. (Welcome! for greeting.) But if you area man, do not attempt to shake hands with a woman un-less she voluntarily raises her hand. When you greetingto a sitting,he/she will be rise up.

1.18.1 Iranian nationality

Most Iranian citizens are not Arabs and their primarylanguage is Persian (natively known as فارسی Farsi orپارسی Parsi). Referring to them as “Arabs” in generalconversation may irritate them. Iranians are very proudof their history, nationality and country and are highlysensitive to this.Iran has over 4,000 years of written history and organised

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Earthquakes





1.18. RESPECT 23

civilisation; see Persian Empire. It was conquered threetimes: by the Greeks under Alexander in the 4th centuryBCE, the Arabs in the 8th CE, and the Mongols in the13th. “Persia” is a name of Greek origin attributed toIran. “Persian” cannot be equated with “Iranian,” as Iranhas several ethnic groups, including Persian, Azeri, Kurd,Arab, Baluchi and Mazandarani. After the Arab con-quest, Persian alphabet was changed to an Arabic-basedone. Indeed the word “Farsi” itself is an Arabic articula-tion of the word “Parsi”, the original word meaning “Per-sian”. Today, the Persian language has many loan wordstaken from the Arabic language. The Arabic language hasalso adopted some words from Persian. There are severalwidely-spoken Iranian languages, Kurdish, Persian, andBalochi are all Western Iranian languages, while Pashtois an Eastern Iranian language. Persian is the official lan-guage of 3 nations - Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan - andis spoken within 13 nations of the region and in generalby the Iranian diaspora elsewhere.Over the 19th and 20th centuries Iran was frequently sub-jected to unfavorable political interference by the Rus-sian Empire and its successor, the USSR. The British andthen the USA also sought to influence and control the pol-itics, resources and destiny of Iran. In 1980, Iraq underSaddam Hussein, supported by most of the global com-munity, attacked and invaded Iran, causing the country tosuffer a bloody 8-year war that drastically undermined itsinfrastructure and consumed its resources.Given the above, the Iranian people feel that history hasfrequently not been on their side and that the global com-munity owes them respect and sensitivity.

1.18.2 Dress

Perhaps the most visible mark of Iran’s Islamic leaningsis the conservative dress expected of its citizens. Al-though normal Western-style clothing is acceptable in pri-vate homes, when in public women are required to covereverything but their face, hands and feet.The most common uniform consists of a head scarf (roo-sari, (روسری to conceal the head and neck, a formless,knee-length coat known as a manteau (مانتو) and a longdress or pair of pants. In holy sites, you will be expectedto dress even more modestly in a chādor, a full-lengthswathe of black cloth designed to cloak everything butyour face from view.As a foreigner, a female traveller is officially expected tocover her hair and body excluding hands and feet. Usuallymore tolerance tends to be shown towards foreigners overthe detail of the dress code than is the case for Iranianwomen. However, this does not include leaving one’s hairfully uncovered under any circumstance. “Acceptable”outfits may include a long, loose dress or shirt worn overloose skirt or pants and a scarf in the summer, and a full-length woolen coat and scarf in the winter (calf-length isacceptable if worn over pants). All colours and modest

designs are acceptable. Even when undertaking sportingactivity in public (such as tennis or jogging), the dresscode described above must be maintained.Men are also required to abide by the following dresscode: Short-sleeved shirts and t-shirts are acceptable fordaily wear. Shorts and three-quarter length pants areonly acceptable on the beach. Dress attire for men is sim-ilar to that in Europe. Neckties are better to be avoidedif visiting one of the more conservative government bod-ies. Regarded by the authorities as a sign of Imperialismand a reminder of the pro-western kingdom era, wearingneckties by the authorities and office workers of state-run companies is forbidden. It is quite acceptable in theareas outside though it denotes indifference toward or op-position against state regulations and values. Jogging intracksuits (but not shorts) is acceptable for men.

1.18.3 Conduct

Greet people of the same sex with a handshake, threekisses or both, but avoid physical contact with people ofthe opposite sex in public. Wait for them to introducethemselves instead; or just introduce yourself normally.(Bowing with a hand over your heart has been outdatedsince the 70s and is rarely done.) In private, only shakehands with a member of the opposite sex when he/sheholds out his/her hand first.Be careful of initiating political discussions. Therelative political freedom of ex-President MohammadKhatami’s era is fading quickly and vocal opposition canbe more trouble than it’s worth, even if your Iranian com-panions get engaged in it. It’s best not to discuss topicssuch as the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict or the role of Is-lam in society regardless of what opinion you hold.

1.18.4 Tarof

Tarof (Persian: تعارف ) is a genuine Persian form ofcivility emphasising both self-deference and social rank.The term encompasses a range of social behaviours, froma man displaying etiquette by opening the door for an-other person, to a group of colleagues standing on cere-mony in front of a door that can permit the entry of onlyone at time, earnestly imploring the most senior to breakthe deadlock.The prevalence of tarof often gives rise to different stylesof negotiation than one would see in a European or NorthAmerican culture. For example, a worker negotiating asalary might begin with a eulogy of the employer, fol-lowed by a lengthy bargaining session consisting entirelyof indirect, polite language -- both parties are expectedto understand the implied topic of discussion. It is quitecommon for an Iranian worker (even one employed inan Iranian neighbourhood within Europe) to work un-paid for a week or two before the issue of wages is finally


24 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

broached. Likewise, a shopkeeper may initially refuse toquote a price for an item, suggesting that it is worthless.Tarof obliges the customer to insist on paying, possiblyseveral times, before a shopkeeper finally quotes a priceand real negotiation can begin.Tarof also governs the rules of hospitality: a host isobliged to offer anything a guest might want, and a guestis equally obliged to refuse it. This ritual may repeat itselfseveral times before the host and guest finally determinewhether the host’s offer and the guest’s refusal are real orsimply polite. It is possible to ask someone not to tarof(tarof näkonid), but that raises new difficulties, since therequest itself might be a devious type of tarof. The bestapproach to handle Tarof is to be politely direct. Acceptor reject as soon as you wish to, and be sure that Iranianswill not be offended. Even though Tarof is purely aboutthe art of civility, your engagement in Tarof might enteryou into a vicious cycle of hypocrisy that may ruin yourentire stay. The exception to this may be with food; asmentioned above, guests are expected to accept food theyare offered at dinner, regardless of whether they intend toeat it.

1.18.5 Visiting holy sites

The Mashhad shrine of the martyred Imam Reza (the 8th Imam)

Although no trip to Iran would be complete without aglimpse at the stunning architecture and sombre environ-ments of its mosques or holy shrines, many travellers aredaunted by the prospect of walking into the foreign worldof a mosque. Don't let these fears stop you; Iranians arewelcoming and will understand any unintended breach ofprotocol.Some mosques, and most holy shrines, require women tobe wearing a chādor before entering the complex. If youdon't have one, there are sometimes kiosks by the doorthat lend or hire chādors. It is better for men to wearlong-sleeved shirts inside a mosque or shrine, though thisis not mandatory.Shoes are not worn within prayer areas of a mosque orshrine. Busier mosques have free shoe repositories where

you trade your shoes for a token. Also try to avoidmosques on the holy day of Friday as they will be muchbusier and don't photograph a mosque while prayers aretaking place.Holy shrines, like those in Mashad and Qom, are usuallyoff limits to non-Muslims, although the surrounding com-plexes are fine. Always ask first before you enter a roomyou are unsure of.

1.18.6 Obscene gestures

The thumbs up gesture is extremely rude in Iran,roughly equivalent to raising the middle finger in West-ern countries.Hitchhiking is rare in Iran, and the country has a goodpublic transportation system. If you do hitchhike, do notuse a thumbs up signal. Instead, hold your hand out-stretched, palm downwards and, using a stiff arm, moveit up and down below the waist in a motion similar to aBritish driver hand signaling that he is slowing for a pedes-trian crossing. Like in Japan, if you are an obvious occi-dental you are likely to make rapid and friendly progress.Also, be aware that drivers will generally expect to bepaid and, unless you are an expert haggler, hitchhikingwill often be more expensive than taking a bus.

1.18.7 Religion

Contrary to popular belief, public observance of other re-ligions, except the Baha'i faith and Ahmadiyyah, is offi-cially tolerated in Iran. There is a sizable Christian com-munity, most of whom are ethnic Armenians or Assyr-ians/Chaldean, and a small Jewish community (which isnevertheless, the largest Jewish community in the MiddleEast outside Israel). In addition to the Abrahamic faiths,there are also significant numbers of Zoroastrians whoare basically free to practise their own religion.However, remember that this is still a fundamentalistMuslim country and do not do or say anything which canbe perceived as an insult to Islam. Also note that the Is-lamic dress codes still apply even to non-Muslims.

1.18.8 Music

Western music and dancing in public is banned . How-ever, the visitors may notice that even shared taxis openlyplay the music of their choice. Still, customs may confis-cate any music tapes or CDs brought in as some west-ern music is considered un-Islamic, degrading towardswomen and corrupting for the minds of the youth. How-ever, many Iranian youth have widespread access to allkinds of music. Women are not allowed to sing in pub-lic (even the traditional music); they may sing indoors forother women only.



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Japan

1.19. CONNECT 25

1.19 Connect

1.19.1 Emergency services

• Police: ☎ 110

• Ambulance: ☎ 115

• Fire: ☎ 125

1.19.2 Embassies and missions

• Australian Embassy to Iran, ☎ +98 21 88724456, fax: +98 21 8872 0484. No. 13, 23rd Street,Intifada Ave, Tehran -

• Croatian Embassy in Tehran No. 25 Avia Pas-daran, Tehran ☎ +98 21 2258 9923 - Fax: +98 212254 9199

• Embassy of Ireland North Kamranieh Ave., Bon-bast Nahid Street 8, Tehran ☎ +98 21 2280 3835(8:30AM-4:30PM, Sun-Thur)

• Royal Netherlands Embassy in Iran, ☎ +98 212256 7005, fax: +98 21 2256 6990. DarrousShahrzad Blvd., Kamassale Street, First East Laneno. 33, Tehran; [email protected]

• Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tehran, 201 Dr.Lavasani St (Ex. Farmanieh St.), ☎ +98 21 22291333, fax: +98 21 2229 2776. No., Tehran, Iran -

• Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Iran9 th street, nr. 9, Velenjak, Tehran, P.O.Box 11365-118. ☎ +98 21 2241 2569, +9821 2241 2570 - (Fax:+98 21 2240 2869)[email protected]

• Embassy of Switzerland in Iran, 13 YasamanStreet, ☎ +98 21 2200 8333, fax: +98 21 22006002. Sharifi Manesh Avenue, Tehran.

• Americans should go to the US Interests Section ofthe Swiss Embassy if in need of assistance. Servicesare extremely limited, and the Swiss may be reluctantand/or unable to help in minor cases.

• Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran,☎ +98 21 2283 6042, fax: +98 21 2229 0853. 30Narenjestan 8th Alley Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran.

1.19.3 Landline Phone

An Iranian phone number is of the form +98-XXX-XXX-XXXX where “98” is the country code for Iran,the next 3 digits (or 2 in the case of Tehran and some bigcities) is the area code and the remaining 7 digits (eightin the case of Tehran and some big cities) are the “lo-cal” part of the subscriber number that can be called fromwithin that particular area code using abbreviated dialing.You will need to dial “0” in front of the geographic areacode from outside that particular area code (but when stillwithin Iran).Mobile numbers in Iran must always be dialed with all 11digits (including a “0” prefixing the “9nn” within Iran),no matter where they are being called from. The 9nn isa mobile prefix, not an “area code”, as such and the sec-ond and third digits denote the original mobile networkassigned.These are the area codes for major cities: Tehran (021)- Kashan (0361) - Isfahan (031) - Ahwaz (061) - Shiraz(071) - Tabriz (041) - Mashad (051) - Kerman (034) -Gorgan (0171) - Na'in (0323) - Hamadan (081) - Ker-manshah (083) - Sari (011)When making international calls from Iran, the prefix tobe dialled prior to country code is 00.

1.19.4 Cell Phone (SIM card)

Irancell (MTN), MCI, Iran Taliya and Rightel offer pre-paid SIM cards for international travelers starting atIRR60,000. It is possible to buy recharge cards fromall newsstands and supermarkets for IRR20,000. GPRS,MMS, and 3G services are also available at very lowprices, specially at night, for surfing the web or check-ing your email. With a copy of the information page ofyour passport and a copy of the page with Iranian visa andentrance seal, you can buy SIM cards and access the in-ternet with GPRS, EDGE, 3G and 4G technologies. SIMcards are available in places like post and government e-services offices (Persian: singular: Daftar-e Khadamat-eDowlat دولت خدمات ;دفتر plural: Dafater-e Khadamat-e Dowlat دولت خدمات (دفاتر and also in big shops. Youmight also find them at the airport.

1.19.5 Post

The Islamic Republic of Iran Post Company has 209 cen-tral post offices which supervise all the 275 urban and1,153 rural post offices. The company provides many ofthe internationally available post services. Parcel sendingis very cheap and reliable. Bring your items unpackedto the post office. International courier companies suchas DHL, Skypak etc. have offices in Tehran and acceptdocuments for foreign destinations.

http://www.iran.embassy.gov.au/

tel:/+982188724456

tel:/+982188724456

http://www.embassyofireland.ir/

http://www.mfa.nl/teh

tel:/+982122567005

tel:/+982122567005

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.norway-iran.org/info/embassy.htm

tel:/+982122291333

tel:/+982122291333


http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/asia/virn/afoirn.html

tel:/+982122008333

http://teheran.veleposlanistvo.si/index4c61.html?id=47&L=1

tel:/+982122836042

http://irancell.ir/en/

http://www.mci.ir/web/en/home

http://www.taliya.ir/eng/

http://www.rightel.ir/

http://post.ir/homepage.aspx?site=PostPortal&tabid=1&lang=en-US

http://www.dhl.co.ir/publish/ir/en.high.html

26 CHAPTER 1. IRAN

1.19.6 Internet

You can readily access WiFi internet services (depend-ing upon network availability) in many areas, and in allprovinces.Some websites, including Facebook and YouTube areblocked in Iran. You can circumvent this by downloadinga free proxy app such as Psiphon. You need to use a proxyserver, VPN or a software like Freegate to access Face-book, Twitter, YouTube and some websites; otherwise,you might see this page which shows that the site you wantto access is filtered and blocked by the judiciary system.You also need to use Freegate to check your bank accountbalance; otherwise, your account might get blocked dueto the sanctions against Iran.

1.19.7 Internet cafes

You can expect to pay IRR15,000 per hour and speedsrange from acceptable in major cities, to the infuriatinglyslow in small towns and rural areas. More recently, somefacilities in major cities use broadband wireless or DSLconnections. Most coffee net places will also have a DVDburner for downloading photos from digital cameras.

1.19.8 Working hours

• Banks. All banks were nationalised after the rev-olution. However, during the past decade, the fol-lowing private (non-governmental) banks have beenfounded, which usually provide better service:

• Mellat

• Parsian

• Saman

• Eghtesad Novin

• Pasargad

Banks are generally open from 7:30AM-1:30PM Sat-Wed and 7:30AM-12 noon on Thursdays. Main branchesare usually open to 3PM. (Closed on Fridays). Interna-tional airports have a bank open whenever internationalflights arrive or depart. All banks have boards in bothEnglish as well as Persian.

• Bus company. Offices at the terminals in largercities open daily from early morning until theevening more or less without a break. In smallercities they may keep smaller or less regular hours.

• Foreign embassies. Consulates and Embassies fol-low the Iranian working week, closing on Friday andoften on one other day of the week, usually Satur-day, as well as their own national holidays. However,to make sure on all cases, it is advisable to call firstbefore visiting.

• Government offices. Generally open from 8AM-2PM, Sat-Wed. Some offices, especially Ministriesin Tehran, are closed completely on Thursday andothers open only from 8AM-11.30AM or noon. Ingeneral, Thursday is not a good day for conductingofficial business.

• 'Principal businesses. Open from 9AM-1PM and3PM-9PM weekdays and closed on Fridays. Thebazaar and some shops close on Thursday afternoon,too.

• Museums. Each museum has its own visiting hours.It is better to check the timings before visiting.

Hours may change during Ramadan, the month of fast-ing. During that month, Muslims are not allowed to eat ordrink while the sun is in the sky. Restaurants are closedall day, opening at sundown and perhaps remaining openvery late. Other businesses may adjust their hours as well.

http://dit-inc.us/freegate.html

http://10.10.34.34/

http://www.bankmellat.ir/

http://www.parsian-bank.com/

http://www.s24.com/

http://www.en-bank.com/

http://bpi.ir/

Chapter 2

Babolsar

Babolsar is a city in Mazandaran province Iran.

2.1 Get in

2.2 Get around

2.3 See

2.4 Do

2.5 Buy

2.6 Eat

If you are interested in sea foods you can try the mostdelicious taste of Caspian sea fish like Caviar with high-quality of vegetable-mixed rice. Also various types ofsea birds are cooked skillfully in special Mazandaranycooking instruction in winters. Famous restaurants areMizban, Shilat bar, Shoopeh, Varesh and etc.

2.7 Drink

2.8 Sleep

2.9 Connect

2.10 Go next

27

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iran

Chapter 3

Bajgiran

Bajgiran is an Iranian village located at one of threeborder points between Iran and Turkmenistan. It is lo-cated 75 km from Quchan (Iran) and about 40 km fromAshgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.

3.1 Get in

No public transportation gets to Bajgiran.The best solution should be to rent a taxi from Quchan(about 30 000 rials per person).

3.2 See

Some old mud-houses. The landscape is wonderful, butpay attention to the fact that the small road going intothe mountains can cross the border with Turkmenistanwithout any warning.

3.3 Buy

Post office, bank, some small shops, where you canchange Iranian rials into Turkmen manats, at a correctrate.

3.4 Eat

The only option seems to be the restaurant in the hotel leftwhen you enter the city. 50 000 rials for the day meal,including drink.Some food in the small shops, more expensive than in therest of Iran.

3.5 Sleep

Bajgiran is only a small village, and it seems there are onlytwo places to sleep in.

• Tourism & Camping Complex (left at the entranceof the city). Check-out: after 8AM. Ten simple butclean and brand new rooms. Probably the worst wel-coming atmosphere in Asia, but price and locationmake it a good option. It is not possible to leave thehotel before 8AM. 200 000 rials for a twin room.

There is another hotel, with much more simple rooms(shared toilets outside!), 500m further on the road, at themiddle of the village.

3.6 Connect

No Internet café in Bajgiran. Cell phones can be usedwith no problem.

3.7 Go next

3.7.1 To Quchan

Take a taxi going down from the border. Bargain theprice!

3.7.2 To Mashhad

Take a taxi to Quchan. From here, buses leave every twohours (8,000 rials) to Mashhad.

3.7.3 To Turkmenistan

As no public transportation goes across the Turkmen bor-der, to get to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, the followingoption is the most convenient:

• Go to the border (opening time: 7.30-15.30 Irantime). Crossing the border can take up to 2 hours.Turkmen police will ask for an entry tax of $10 (perperson) + $2 of bank fees (per group), to be paid inUS dollars only.

28




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Quchan











3.7. GO NEXT 29

• In the Turkmenistan side, take a taxi to Ashgabat,which can cost up to $15 per person. Duration:about 1h.



Chapter 4

Bojnourd

Bampoor is the capital city of North Khorasanprovince,Iran.

4.1 Understand

4.2 Get in

4.3 Get around

4.4 See

The most important village is Shirindarre which is atourist attraction,

4.5 Do

The city is famous for its Turkmen horses and profes-sional horse training centers.

4.6 Buy

4.7 Eat

4.8 Drink

4.9 Sleep

4.10 Connect

4.11 Go next

The ancient city was situated on a hill northwest of thepresent city of Bojnurd, known as Sarvan Mahaleh.

30


Chapter 5

Dizin

Dizin is a ski resort north of Tehran. The highest skilift reaches 3,600 m (11,800 ft), making it one of the 40highest ski resorts in the world. Popular with rich Ira-nians form north Tehran on the weekend (Thursday andFriday) but during the week it is barely visited. Most peo-ple just take the gondol up and ski to the restaurant in themiddle of the slope and spend the day showing off theirlatest gear while sipping tea. It is probably the most lib-eral public place in Iran but police still occasionally patrolthe slopes. However, girls can be seen with a fair amountof hair showing and young couples are openly chattingaway.

5.1 Get in

From Tehran:

• Taxi. 300-350,000 rials one-way.• Group tour organized by hotel or your travel agent.• Minibus (Tel: +9 89126708975) Leaves very early

in the morning, around 5am, and departs from Dizinaround 3pm. Price is 100,000 rials return.

There are two ways to reach Dizin from Tehran. Thelongest and safest way is through Karaj, this road is usu-ally open but it takes about 2,5 hours. The quickest wayis directly north passing through the resort of Shemshak.Between Shemshak and Dizin the road is steep and fre-quent avalanches means this part of the road often isclosed. The minibus mentioned above use this way - Un-less you are on a day-trip it is strongly advised you takethe road through Karaj.

Make sure you check the weather and snow forecast be-fore you leave, especially if are traveling the direct route.

5.2 Get around

The hotel is located just 20 m from the bottom of theslopes. The parking area is just 50 m away with a fewshops that rent out ski equipment. See the map for furtherdetails.

5.3 See

You can see Mount Damavand, the highest mountainin Iran, from Dizin. The scenery with the surroundingmountains is spectacular.

5.4 Do

Dizin is an excellent place for skiing and snowboard-ing, with 22 lifts in the area. A day pass costs between120,000 and 150,000 rials (more on the weekend). Asnowboard can be rented for 100,000 per day, but can goas high as 300,000 per day depending on where you rentand quality. Cheaper rentals are available in Shemshak orat the parking lot on the top of Dizin.

5.5 Buy

It is possible to rent ski and snowboard equipment at threeplaces: the pro-shop at the Hotel which has the newestgreat and thus much more expensive, the rental placesaround the parking lot by the hotel and a few small placesalong the road at the parking lot on the top. The latter isabout half the price compared to the ones at the bottomof the slopes. Same applies to rentals in Shemshak.Ski instructors are available for hire. It is also possibleto hire an experienced guide who can take you to othermountains and off-piste skiing.

31


http://dizinsnowboard.com/cheapest-way-to-get-to-dizin-from-tehran-with-public-transport-minibus-4


http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Dizin

http://dizinsnowboard.com/map-of-dizin-7

http://dizinsnowboard.com/map-of-dizin-7

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shemshak

32 CHAPTER 5. DIZIN

International Snowboard championship in Dizin

5.6 Eat

During the day there is a SFC (Iranian version of KFC)in the middle of the slope and a snack bar at the top. Thelatter also serve breakfast.At night there are only two restaurants (also open forbreakfast and lunch); one in Dizin Hotel and another inthe other hotel (only restaurant is open).

5.7 Drink

5.8 Sleep

There is also a hotel in Shemshak from where you cancatch a ride or a taxi to the top of the slope. Next toDizin Hotel 1 there is another hotel with the equally cre-ative name Dizin Hotel 2. However as of 2008 it wasundergoing renovations and only the restaurant was open.

• Dizin Hotel 1, ☎ +98 261 5212449 - 5212978, fax:+98 261 5212449. Old hotel situated just in frontof the ski slopes. Great view from rooms facing theslopes. There is one very friendly and resourcefullady at the front desk, make sure you deal with her aseveryone else is incompetent. Restaurant serves the

usual kebabs. The former cool-looking retro bar hasbeen turned into a coffee shop with non-alcoholicbeer. 30% discount on weekdays. 560,000.

• Gajereh Hotel. There is also hotel about five min-utes before arriving at Hotel Dizin. This hotel isslightly cheaper and will have a higher chance ofhaving vacant rooms on weekends. It has a free shut-tle bus to the slope.

5.9 Connect

There is no public telephone in Dizin. Irancell mobilenetwork has coverage (early 2009). You may also be ableto use the phone in the reception of Hotel Dizin for localcalls.

5.10 Go next

You can get a taxi from the top of the slope down toShemshak which is another ski resorts just 15 minutesaway. Shemshak is steeper and very good for experiencedskiers.


tel:/+982615212449-5212978


Chapter 6

Hamadan

Dasht-e Mishan

Hamadan is one of the oldest cities in Western Iran, andsome believe the world.

6.1 Understand

6.2 Get in

6.2.1 By plane

There is a daily flight from Tehran.

6.2.2 By train

A train station is at Malayer which is about an hour bycar.

6.2.3 By car

6.2.4 By bus

There are buses from Tehran and other major cities.

6.3 Get around

6.4 See

Tomb of Esther and Mordechai

Holy Mary Church

• Ali Sadr Cave – about 100km north of Hamadanlies this fascinating cave which is the world’s largestwater cave. Best toured by pedal boat.

33

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Western_Iran



34 CHAPTER 6. HAMADAN

• Avicenna (Abu Ali Sina) mausoleum – tomb ofthe Persian polymath Avicenna (Ibn Sina)

• Baba Tahir Mausleum

• Alavian Cupola (Gonbad-e Alavian)

• Ganjnameh, is an ancient inscription which hasbeen carved in granite, is composed of two sections.One on the left ordered by Darius I and the other onthe right was ordered by Xerxes I .

• Hamadan Stone Lion (Shir-e-Sangi)

• Estakhr-e Abbas Abad (an over-the-hill lake witha magnificent view to the city.)

• Excavated Ancient Ekbatana City

• Tomb of Esther and Mordechai - believed tohouse the remains of the biblical Queen Esther andher uncle Mordechai, it is the most important pil-grimage site for Jews in the country.

• Grigori Stephan Church – one of the churches ofthe Iranian-Armenians

• Hamadan Museum of Natural History, It has aconsiderable taxidermic collection of animals andinsects. The museum also has an aquarium and livefish tanks.

• Nazari House

• Mohammadi House

• Borj-e Ghorban

6.5 Do

6.6 Buy

6.7 Eat

6.8 Drink

6.9 Sleep

6.10 Connect

6.11 Cope

6.12 Stay safe

You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bank

of Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here

• Police: 110

• Fire department: 125

• EMS: 115

• Road EMS: 115 or 112

6.13 Go next




Chapter 7

Masjed Solayman

Masjed Soleyman (Persian: ; مسجدسليمان also Ro-manized as Masjed Soleymān, Masjed-e Soleymān,Masjed Soleiman, and Masjid-i-Sulaiman) is a city inKhuzestan Province, Iran.

7.1 Get in

7.2 Get around

7.3 See

Masjed Soleiman’s most interesting parish is Tembi, andhistorical and ancient site is Sarmasjed Temple in thenortheast. Sarmasjed temple is on the verge of Sar-masjed terrace, in ancient time fire had been continu-ously flaming inside it. And according to historians wasthe capital of Achaemenian Reign. Among other MasjedSoleiman ancient relics, is the ancient Temple of Bard-e-Neshande.

7.4 Do

7.5 Buy

7.6 Eat

7.7 Drink

7.8 Sleep

7.9 Go next

35



Chapter 8

Qom

Qom (Persian: (قم is a holy city between Tehran andIsfahan. Qom is near Tehran, which the distance is as faras 120 kilometres.

8.1 Understand

Fatima È Massummeh Shrine

Qom is one of the holiest cities in Iran and the MiddleEast, and has a very long history. A famous site is the Fa-tima È Massummeh Shrine, which is a highly respectedshrine and a very clean place. people with different na-tionalities are allowed to enter the shrine, no matter whattheir religions are or where they come from. Qom hasfor a long time been the main city for religious studies inIran. Hozeye-Elmiye-Qom is the largest theology schoolin Iran. Many senior clerics of Shia Islam live in Qom.

8.2 Get in

8.2.1 By air

The nearest and most easily accessible international air-port is Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Air-port (IATA: IKA), which is due to replace the olderMehrabad International Airport (IATA: THR).

8.2.2 By train

There are train routes which take you from Tehran andother nearby cities such as Arak, Yazd and Isfahan.

• Qom train station, ☎ +98/(0)251/6617141.

8.2.3 By car

Driving from Tehran might be a reasonable option, how-ever, if you're worried about driving in Iran you can re-serve a private bus to take you to Qom. After all, it ismuch safer to travel by private buses.

8.3 Get around

There is a pretty impressive bus and taxi system, whichhas many bus routes to Tehran and other cities. It is verycheap to travel by local buses in Qom. Private tour busesare generally much more expensive.

8.4 See• Jamkarân Mosque. The mosque is reserved for

Muslims only.

• Mar'ashi Najafi Library. Library has over500,000 handwritten texts

• Shrine of Fatima-al-Massumeh. The Holy Shrineis the burial place of “Fatema È Massumeh”. Alsoburied within the shrine are three daughters of ninth,Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, Muhammad at-Taqī. Womenmust wear a chador to enter.

• Howzeh lake: Rich in natural spring water which issaid to purify the heart.

• Feyze seminary: The place which devout Muslimsgather up to meet and hear speeches from the reli-gious leaders.

36




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IATA%2520code


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Arak





http://www.jamkaran.info/

8.10. RESPECT 37

• Religion University (Qom, Pardisan) (ShahrakPardisan), ☎ 2802610. 0:20. 1500.

8.5 Do

Religion University

8.6 Buy

Qom has many carpet and sweet shops. Qom is famousfor it’s “sohân,” a flat sweet biscuit made of pistachios andsaffron. “Gaz”, a nougat sweet is also available. Qom isalso known for the unique and beautiful silk rugs. Asone of Islam’s holy cities there are numerous religiousshops which sell religious books, versions of the Koranand compact discs.

8.7 Eat

There are lots of places to eat in Qom which range fromold-style Persian restaurants to international restaurants.Persian restaurants offer a more authentic cultural atmo-sphere than international restaurants. Most of the restau-rants with good quality of food and environmental condi-tions are in Mohamad Amin Blv. which is recognizableby its tall compact trees. Places include Alborz, Madain,Morvârid, Jam and Markazi. You can find kabâb, grilledchicken and fried fish there. Dizi Baar (serving âbgusht)and Lebanese restaurants are located on Al-Qadir Boule-vard and Mohamad Amin Boulevard.

8.8 Drink

In Qom, there are various cafes and fruit juice shops.Pomegranate juice is popular and is said to heal the sick.In the winter when it snows, hot chocolate and Persian tea(châi) are available.

8.9 Sleep

• Qom International Hotel, Helal Ahmar Street(Motahary SQ). Qom International Hotel is a fourstar hotel and is one of Qom’s more well-knownhotels. It is situated right next to the shrine com-plex. It features a decent restaurant inside and a ke-bab eatery outside its premises. Internet only in thelobby. expect 2.5 million Rials for double occupa-tion. Discounts available outside the main season..(updated Jan 2016)

• Kawsar hotel, in the same alley as the Negin hotel isthe Kawsar, a two-star which is fine for 1 or 2 nights.Hefty bargaining possible among the neighbouringhotels. Decent rooms, with hot shower. Toilet on thehallway. Cost IR900,000 to IR1,900,000; hagglingcan get the lower price.

8.10 Respect

Qom is one of the holiest cities in Iran and the MiddleEast, and as such be aware that Islamic customs and val-ues are more likely to be important here than elsewherein Iran. Don't let this worry you at all, just ensure thatyou are respectful of religious and cultural practices andthat you are dressed appropriately and modestly.

8.11 Go next

If you feel like visiting another quintessential Persian city,a few hundred kilometres away, you can visit Yazd whichis an beautiful ancient city. Isfahan is another option andis a very beautiful city and is considered to be one of theoldest and most historic cities in the world.

http://www.religion.ir/



Chapter 9

Baluchistan

For adjacent Pakistani region, see Balochistan.

Baluchistan is the southeasternmost region of Iran, alongthe country’s border with Pakistan.

9.1 Regions

9.2 Cities

• Zahedan

• Zabol

• Saravan

• Iranshahr

• Nikshahr

• Chabahar

• Bampoor


9.4 Understand

9.5 Talk

The native language of the region, Baluchi, related to an-cient Persian (Avestan), is spoken in western, southern,and eastern parts of the region. As in the rest of Iran,Persian is also useful.

9.6 Get in

9.7 Get around

thumbnail

9.8 See

Shahr-l Sohkta

• Shahr-I Sokhta — the ruins of a city abandonedaround 1800BC, this archaeological site was in-scribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in2014.

• Guel Afshan- a well that spews mud to the air

9.9 Do

9.10 Eat

9.11 Drink

9.12 Stay safe

9.13 Go next

38


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Balochistan





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Saravan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iranshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nikshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chabahar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bampoor

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Baluchi_phrasebook


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Thumbnail

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_List

Chapter 10

Baluchistan

For adjacent Pakistani region, see Balochistan.

Baluchistan is the southeasternmost region of Iran, alongthe country’s border with Pakistan.

10.1 Regions

10.2 Cities

• Zahedan

• Zabol

• Saravan

• Iranshahr

• Nikshahr

• Chabahar

• Bampoor


10.4 Understand

10.5 Talk

The native language of the region, Baluchi, related to an-cient Persian (Avestan), is spoken in western, southern,and eastern parts of the region. As in the rest of Iran,Persian is also useful.

10.6 Get in

10.7 Get around

thumbnail

10.8 See

Shahr-l Sohkta

• Shahr-I Sokhta — the ruins of a city abandonedaround 1800BC, this archaeological site was in-scribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in2014.

• Guel Afshan- a well that spews mud to the air

10.9 Do

10.10 Eat

10.11 Drink

10.12 Stay safe

10.13 Go next

39


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Balochistan





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Saravan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iranshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nikshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chabahar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bampoor

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Baluchi_phrasebook


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Thumbnail


Chapter 11

Caspian Iran

Abbasabad garden

Gonbad e Qabus

Caspian Iran is a beautiful region of Iran along the coastof the Caspian Sea. The forested coastal plains rise up

quickly into the Alborz Mountains.

11.1 Provinces

• Gilan (province)

• Mazandaran (province)

11.2 Cities

• Aqqala قلا) , آق Āq Qalā) is a city in GolestanProvince

• Babol

• Babolsar

• Behshahr

• Bandar Torkaman

• Fouman

• Ghaemshahr

• Gorgan

• Gonbad

• Masouleh

• Nowshahr

• Ramsar — sea resort backed by verdant mountainspopular with Iranians; offering hot springs as well

• Rasht

• Sari


11.4 Understand

40


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gilan_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mazandaran_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aqqala

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Babol

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Babolsar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Behshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bandar_Torkaman

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fouman

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ghaemshahr


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gonbad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masouleh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nowshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ramsar


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sari

11.9. DO 41

11.5 Talk

11.6 Get in

11.7 Get around

11.8 See

Miyansheh lake, Mazandaran

Kaboudval waterfall

In the central Province of Mazandaran, There are manythings to see, ranging from natural to cultural attractions.

Here are a few natural attractions:

• Safarood Public Forest, located 5 km on the road toRamsar-Javaherdeh, in the beautiful forest regionsof the Alborz mountain range and near the Safaroodriver. This forest has many recreational centers.

• Mineral Water Springs. Ramsar is quite famous forits mineral water springs. Some of these are : Nei-Dasht cold mineral water spring another located 12km south of Ramsar, in a valley near the Safaroodriver the warm mineral water springs located be-hind the guesthouse of Ramsar, under the bridge ofRamsar (on the eastern edge of the hotel) and sadat-shahr, Mas-Rash and Tanijan warm mineral watersprings in Jannat-Roodbar.

• Waterfalls: These are numerous waterfalls in themountainous regions of Ramsar which have createdthe most beautiful views. These include Dareh-Rashmeh on the northwestern road to Ramsar-Javaherdeh, Laj-o-Mij in Oshkoor, a hamlet near avillage by the same name, etc. Kaboudval waterfallwhich is one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Iran,is located near Aliabad-e Katul, Golestan province.Shirabad Waterfall is located 7 kilometers south ofKhanbebin, Golestan.

• Gonbad-e Qabus tower, the tallest pure-bricktower of the world is located in Gonbad city ofGolestan. Listed as an UNESCO World Heritagesite

• Great Wall of Gorgan, located near Gorgan,Golestan. After Great Wall of China, it is thelongest defensive wall in existence.

• Abbasabad Gardens in the town of Abbasabad,Mazandaran. This is one of nine Persian gardensinscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

11.8.1 Itineraries

11.9 Do

11.10 Eat

Fish is the best way to go. If you're not that really in-terested in fish, kebab shops are scattered all over theprovince. Don't forget a meal in this province would notbe complete without salads, yoghourt and barbari bread.

11.11 Drink

11.12 Stay safe

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_site



42 CHAPTER 11. CASPIAN IRAN

11.13 Go next

Chapter 12

Aqqala

Aqqala is in Iran.

12.1 Understand

12.2 Get in

12.3 Get around

12.4 See

12.5 Do

12.6 Buy

12.7 Eat

12.8 Drink

12.9 Sleep

12.10 Connect

12.11 Go next

43


Chapter 13

Babol

Babol (Mazanderani:باوول ,Persian:بابل) is a city inthe Caspian region of Iran, north-east of Tehran andabout 30 kilometers far from Sari. It is the chief com-mercial centre of Mazandaran Province and was once themajor trading center of northern Iran. The population isestimated at 204,878 as of 2005.

13.1 Understand

13.1.1 History

Founded in the 16th century, it was built on the site ofthe ancient city of Mamatir. Babol was formerly calledBarforushdeh and Barforush afterwards.

13.2 Get in

By Plane:

Fights from all over the world to Tehran ( IRAN capital) then from Tehran airports to Sari airport ( 50 min flightand then 50 km by car to BABOL ).By Train:

Also from Tehran ( IRAN capital city ) main train stationto Quaemshahr train station ( 5 hours ) then half an hourfrom Quaemshahr to BABOL by car.By road:

You can travel from Tehran to BABOL in 4/5 hours di-rectly by car or bus ! ( It is the simplest way ).

13.3 Get around

13.4 See

• The palace of Abbas I’s ruins are in the city.

• Mohammad Hassan Khan’s Bridge is also one ofthe most ancient buildings of Mazandaran. It wasbuilt by the king Mohammad Hassan Khan Qajar,

the ancestor of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar as themain road from Babol to Amol.

• Another nice scenery is Babol Noshirvani Park,which is the biggest park including playground lo-cated in the north part of Iran, located almost in thevicinity of Caspian Sea. Babol is home to importantand intact forests and jungles.

13.5 Do

13.6 Buy

13.7 Eat

13.8 Drink

13.9 Sleep

13.10 Go next

44

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Caspian_Iran


Chapter 14

Bandar Torkaman

Bandar Torkaman is a town in the Caspian Sea regionof Iran.

14.1 Understand

The population of this town in northwestern Iran, by theCaspian Sea, is mostly fishermen and farmers, with somegovernment employees as well. 70% of the populationspeak Turken; others speak Kazakh or Farsi. The pre-dominant religion is Islam.Places to see include the “miankale” wet land / peninsulaand the “naharkhoran” forest, as well as the carpet sell-ers’ bazaar, which is held on Mondays. Whereas in othercities staid black clothing is common, in this town, peo-ple wear bright, colourful dresses. Caviar is exported toEurope from this city.

14.2 Get in

From Imam Khomeini airport:

• By airplane : take the shuttle bus to Mehrabad,which has fights hither (usually around 8AM and6PM).

• By train : at 7PM you can go by taxi or shut-tle bus to the 2nd “shahed” station, take off, thenwalk 1 minute to the metro station and take off at“shoosh” station and take a taxi to “MEIDAN ERAH AHAN”, the “rail way station square”. Thetaxi will not cost you more than half a dollar train to“gorgan”. Departing at 7PM, take the first class train(about 3 dollars); you will spend almost 11 hours inthe train, so you can get enough sleep and rest ontrain. Leave the train one station before the last sta-tion.

• By bus : there are buses from “TERMINAL ESHARGH” (which means “bus station for easterncities”), if you get there before 2PM you can geta bus straight to Bandar Torkaman from company

number 1 or 2, but after 2PM you have take the “gor-gan” bus.

14.3 Get around

14.4 See

14.5 Do

14.6 Buy

14.7 Eat

14.8 Drink

14.9 Sleep

14.10 Connect

14.11 Go next

45



Chapter 15

Behshahr

Behshahr is a city in the Caspian Region in Iran.

15.1 Understand

15.2 Get in

15.2.1 By plane

15.2.2 By car

15.2.3 By bus

15.2.4 By boat

15.3 Get around

15.4 See

Abbas Abad – the home of the Abbas the Great, Chesh-meh Emarat, Baghe Shah and the Chit Sazi Factory.

15.5 Do

15.6 Buy

“Tokhme”, vegetable oil, and a dish-soap known as“Rika”.

15.7 Eat

15.8 Drink

15.9 Sleep

15.10 Connect

15.11 Stay safe

15.12 Cope

15.13 Go next

46


Chapter 16

Fouman

Fouman (also Romanized as Fooman, Fūman, Fowman,Fowmen, and Fumen) is a city which is the capital of Fu-man County, Gilan Province, Iran.

16.1 Understand

16.2 Get in

16.3 Get around

16.4 See

16.5 Do

16.6 Buy

16.7 Eat

16.8 Drink

16.9 Sleep

16.10 Connect

16.11 Go next

47


Chapter 17

Ghaemshahr

Ghaemshahr (Qaemshahr) is a city in Caspian Iran re-gion, 260km north of Teheran, in northern Iran.

17.1 Understand

Ghaemshahr city’s population is over 300,000 includingsuburbs and villages around the city.It was home to a major textile industry, which was one ofthe biggest companies of textile in the world, with export-ing to many countries in the Middle East, Asia and Eu-rope. Although the factory stopped working some yearsago, it is planned to run it again by the end of 2011.Ghaemshahr has many industrial towns around and is fullof different type of factories.Although the city is not famous for its beauty, it is agood base to explore the region, as most of Mazandaranand Caspian coast is very beautiful. The city is full ofapartment buildings and shops but not a lot of attractiveplaces for tourists, although there are many beautiful nat-ural places around the city.

17.2 Get in

17.3 Get around

17.4 See

17.5 Do

17.6 Buy

17.7 Eat

17.8 Drink

17.9 Sleep

17.10 Connect

17.11 Go next

48

http://www.qaemshahr.com/




Chapter 18

Gorgan

Gorgan is a city in the Caspian Region in Iran.

18.1 Understand

18.2 Get in

18.3 Get around

18.4 See• Qajar era underground bathroom Srkhnklath

• Ismail Shrine Srkhnklath

• Nahar khoran Forest

• Ziarat Village

• Emadyh School

• Great Wall of Gorgan

• Hezarpich Hill

18.5 Do

18.6 Buy

Gorgan has a world-famous carpet and rug industry, madeby Turkmen. The patterns of these carpets are derivedfrom the ancient Persian city of Bukhara. Jajim carpetsare also crafted in this province.

18.7 Eat

18.8 Drink

18.9 Sleep

18.10 Connect

18.11 Stay safe

18.12 Cope

18.13 Go next

49



Chapter 19

Masouleh

Masouleh is a small mountain village in Caspian Iran.

A view of Masouleh

Masouleh architecture is unique. The buildings have beenbuilt into the mountain and are interconnected. Court-yards and roofs both serve as pedestrian areas similar tostreets. Masouleh does not allow any motor vehicles toenter, due to its unique layout. It is the only village inIran with such a prohibition. However, the small streetsand many stairs simply also wouldn't make it possible forvehicles to enter.The spectacular architecture of Masouleh is well-knownas “The yard of the above building is the roof of the belowbuilding”.Yellow clay coats the exterior of most buildings in Ma-souleh. This allows for better visibility in the fog.Buildings are mostly 2 stories (1st floor and below floor)made of adobe, rods and bole. Small living room, bigGuest room, winter room, Hall, WC and Balcony are usu-ally found in 1st floor. Cold closet, barn and stable arelocated at below floor that attaches to the upper floor byseveral narrow steps inside the building.There are four main local communities at the villagenamed: “Maza-var” (meaning: beside the Mosque) at thesouth, “Khana-var” (meaning: beside homes) at the East,“Kasha-sar” (meaning: stretched on top) at the North,and, “Assa-mahala” (meaning: Assad community) at theWest. Apparently down-town is the Market (Bazaar) areaand also the main mosque of the village, named: “O-ne-

ben-ne Ali”.

19.1 Get in

Minibus or savari from Fuman which is reachable bysame mean of transport from Rasht. There are daily busesfrom Rasht to Tehran. There is also a direct bus con-nection from Tehran to Fuman and back but it might beharder to find.

19.2 Get around

19.3 See

19.4 Do

HikingThere is a path on the other side of the village. It is a verynice walk.

19.5 Buy

19.6 Eat

There are restaurants catering for tourists. Also, you canbuy tasty fresh made bread from market, other suppliesfrom a couple of shops and prepare something to eat your-self.

19.7 Drink

19.8 Sleep

Many people in the village rent out rooms and this is prob-ably the cheapest and most atmospheric way to spend the

50

http://www.masooleh.ir/




19.10. GO NEXT 51

night. There is a couple of small hotels which have de-cent size rooms with bathroom and kitchen. In the bottomof the village there is a larger hotel but it is not recom-mended.

19.9 Connect

There is no internet cafes but there are public telephonesavailable.

19.10 Go next

Chapter 20

Ramsar

Ramsar is a city on the Caspian coast of Iran. It is apopular sea resort for Iranian tourists. The town offers hotsprings, the green forests of the Alborz Mountains, andthe Ramsar Palace (vacation palace]] of the last Shah).

20.1 Get in

20.2 Get around

20.3 See• Markooh spectacular views• Javaherdeh Village which is an important tourist

attraction in Ramsar county. It offers beautifulscenery of seemingly endless green fields, snow-capped mountains, vast dense woods, rolling greenhills and pictoresque north-Iranian farms and vil-lages. The houses in this area of Iran has unlikemany other areas of Iran roofs that are tilted ratherthan flat.

• Tamashagage Jhazar

20.4 Do• The Sea Park that reaches to the beach is a good

place for a stroll.• The Casino• Ramsar Plaza Complex (Telecabine). including

telecabine, seashore, restaurant, coffeshops, shop-ping center, Funfar, etc.

• Hot Spring

20.5 Buy

20.6 Eat• Tooska restaurant

20.7 Drink

20.8 Sleep

Ramsar Grand Hotel

• Hotel Ramsar

20.9 Connect

20.10 Go next

Twenty-seven kilometres south of Ramsar and 2700 me-ters above sea level in the Alborz mountains is JavaherDeh village, which is an important tourist attraction inRamsar county.

52



Chapter 21

Rasht

Rasht is a city in the north of Iran around 40 kilometersfrom the shore of the Caspian Sea. Rasht is known inIran for its beauty and its parks. People for all around thecountry come there to experience much wetter and colderclimate than the rest of the country. All in all Rasht andit’s surroundings offer a starkly different experience fromsouthern Iran.

21.1 Get in

21.1.1 By Air

There are a few daily flights from Tehran. Most of thesedepart either early in the morning or late afternoon. See-ing the Alborz mountains from the air is quite an experi-ence. There is a direct flight to Dubai

21.1.2 By Bus

Like everywhere in Iran Rasht is well connected withTehran and neighboring towns by bus. Argentine andAzadi Terminals are two main bus stations in Tehranwhich connect capital to Rasht. There are several busesall day long and it costs only about 5 dollars. Having aniranian credit card, it is possible to buy tickets online fromsome companies, such as Royall Safar Iranian. The jour-ney usually takes 6 hours.

21.1.3 By Shared Taxi

Shared taxis (Savaris) plow the Caspian coast so getting toRasht from anywhere in that area. A good choice for a tripfrom Tehran would be a shared taxi or bus to Chalus, aspectacular route through the Alborz mountains and thena savari from Chalus to Rasht.

21.2 Get around

21.3 See• The Shahrdari is Rasht’s most identifiable land-

mark, its colonial style tempered by a token mini-dome topping a distinctive whitewashed tower. Itlooks great when floodlit at night.

• Rasht Museum is small, but well presented in a1930s house. Its mannequin displays illustrate Gi-laki lifestyle, amid a selection of 3000-year-old ter-racotta riton drinking horns in the shape of bulls,rams and deer. Supping from such vessels suppos-edly endowed the drinker with the powers and skillsof the animal depicted.

• Golsar is a high-class district with many shops,restaurants, boutiques, and coffee-shops, and is avery popular neighborhood for teenagers and youngadults to meet and socialize with peers, particularlyon Thursday and Friday nights. The suburb used tobe a very small town, which had a chain gate and se-curity guards at its entrance until 1979. During thepast couple of decades the demand for housing inGolsar has increased and the area has grown rapidly.It is now the most expensive place in Rasht to pur-chase a house or apartment.

• Shahre-yaran urban district

• Manzariyeh urban district

• Tarditional Bazaar

• The excellent Gilan Rural Heritage Museum is18km south of Rasht (2km off the Qazvin high-way). Six full homesteads complete with rice barnsare already ‘active’ in 150 hectares of woodland.On open days, local crafts (thatching, mat-making,cloth-weaving) are displayed and there are tight-rope walking mini-shows.

• Mirza Kouchak Khan Tomb

• MirzaKouchakKhanHouse The horseman statueis Kuchuk Khan, the Jangali leader of 'Soviet Iran'.A steady flow of well-wishers visit his mausoleum onManzariyeh St, sheltered by a contemporary brickgazebo with intricate wooden roof.

53



54 CHAPTER 21. RASHT

• Danaye Ali Tomb is topped with a faceted pyramidof blue tiling.

• National Library was the First Public Library ofIran.

• Sabz-e Meydan square

• Park-e Shahr City Central Park

• Saravan Natural Park

• Imamzadeh Hashem Tomb

21.4 Do

Firstly you must go & see the area named as Golsar in thenorth of the city, it’s the most modernized section of thecity, you can find the youth roaming over there, beauti-ful shops & restaurants, & other occasions make you findyourself in a European country in the middle of an Asiancivilization.Golsar pronaunced golsâr (Persian: راسلگ ) is a suburbof Rasht, the capital of the northern Iranian province ofGuilan. Golsar used to be a very small neighborhood sothat a chain gate had been put at the entrance before 1979.A few security guards were always monitoring and takingcare of this gate. During the past couple of decades thedemand for living in Golsar raised so that the area of thisneighborhood started to grow rapidly. This area of Rashtis now the most expensive place in the city to purchasea house or apartment. Golsar is filled with many shops,restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops, and is the mostpopular place for teenagers and young adults to meet andsocialize with peers. This crowd is due to an opportunityfor young girls and guys to meet each other and exchangetheir phone numbers for either long-term or short-termrelationships.

• Masouleh historical village is a spectacular little vil-lage built on such a steep slope that the roads insidethe village lie on the roofs of the houses below. Awalk around town is very pleasant.

• Bandar-e-Anzali is Iran’s main Caspian port. Youwill see fish markets and large ships from the othercountries around the Caspian. For IR 200,000 perhour for an entire boat you can go on a motorboatride through the harbor and into the large lagoon.The boat drivers often suggest that since you are in“Lagoonland” women should be allowed to removetheir headscarves. It is a good opportunity since af-ter wearing the scarf for long a breeze through thehair on a motorboat is most welcome!

21.5 Buy

21.6 Eat

Rasht and the surrounding towns of the Caspian provinceare a great place to try still-warm, walnut-filled koloochehcookies. Look for stores selling cookies with round pat-terns embossed on them.Bijan’s (Gaz square) restaurant is a surprise. After hav-ing kebab for dinner all the time all over Iran this placewill be welcome with wonderful italian dishes. Pasta, piz-zas and meat dishes all cheap and exquisitely done.You can buy some kind of DOOGHs, the traditionaldrink of the area... but [Sara] is the most famous Dooghin Iran.

21.7 Sleep

21.7.1 Hotels

• Kâdous Grand Hotel (4 Stars): +98-131-3223075to 9 (A double room by Jan 2013: 1'330'000 Rialsaround 45 US$)

• Ordibehesht Hotel (2 Stars): +98-131-2229210 to 1

• Pâmchâl Hotel (2 Stars): +98-131-6603031 to 4

• Pardis Hotel (2 Stars): +98-131-3231101 to 5

• Kayvân Hotel (1 Star): +98-131-2222967

21.7.2 Mid-range

The hotel Ordibehesht (off Shohada square) is a cen-trally located hotel offering twin rooms with bathroomfor around IR 110,000 per night. The building is remi-niscent of a palace in a horror movie but the rooms areall right. The reception can arrange fairly cheap taxi toursall over the area.

21.7.3 Budget

There are a cluster of cheap, centrally-located mosafer-khanehs clustered just south of Shahrdari Square, offEmam Khomeini Street. As with other such establish-ments, many of them suffer noise and cleanliness prob-lems.

• Until now Caravan Guest House (signposted asKaravan Gesting House) has been the most popularwith travellers, because of its cheap rooms--singles(IR 47,000), doubles (from IR 50,000) and triples(from IR 80,000)--available both with, and withoutprivate bathrooms.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masouleh

21.9. GO NEXT 55

21.8 Stay safe

Iran is generally a safe country. It is advised however,that being an obvious tourist may attract some unwantedattention from interested Iranians, but do not be alarmedor react negatively. Standard advice to keep your bag se-cured and safe, and to leave personal and valuable belong-ings in your hotel room or hotel safe should be regarded.Iranians are generally peaceful, hospitable people, but itis advised to act with caution when walk in the streetsalone late at night or when approached by strangers to thesame degree that you would in your native country.You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here

21.8.1 Emergency services phone numbers

• Police: 110


• EMS: 115


21.9 Go next

Masooleh historical village




Chapter 22

Sari

Sari is in the beautiful Caspian region of Iran with abouthalf million people residing in the town and same amountin the suburbs, located mainly on the left side of Ta-jan River and about 20 kilometers south of the Caspian(Mazandaran) Sea. Sari is also located in the north ofIran on northern slops of Elburz mountains. Sari boastsas ancient city, as all of the historical maps referring tothis city, being the capital of Ancient Hyrcania Civiliza-tion 6 centuries before Christ and Kingdom of Tabariatill 17 century, Also twice capital of Iran within the lastfour centuries,Sari as well as some towns in Mazandaran is one of rarecities of Iran that night life is available during summers.Many people enjoy gathering each other in some placessuch as Barbod, Paradise, Tooska and Nemashown toplay games, enjoy music and pleasant weather, or eat-ing meals. Or to read some poetry book such as Diwan-iHafiz. You also find many of restaurants in city center(specially Farhang Street) and a restaurant in the Tavakolalley which provides Italian dishes.

22.1 Understand

• Population: 568,214 (Est.2006)

• Elevation: 50 m

• Area: 5089 km²

• Religion: Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christian

• Language: Mazandarani (Tabarian), Persian, andsome Turkmen.

22.2 Get in

22.2.1 By plane

• Dasht-e Naz International Airport. Four dailyflights in the summer season and six weekly flightsin other seasons scheduled to and from the IranianCapital.

Location map of Sari

The fare is about USD$20. Also weekly flight destina-tions to Mashhad and Saudi Arabia. Airport is located inthe northeast and less than 10 kilometers from city cen-ter. Shared and Airport taxis are available in the airportparking. There is highway being under construction toconnect the airport and city directly.

22.2.2 By train

The city is connected to Gorgan and Tehran by train aswell, since it is on a major branch of the Iran’s Rail-road. Every day there are four passenger trains gettingto sari, one Local train runs from Gorgan about 6 AMand gets sari before 9 AM, and returns from Sewatcow in1 PM to getting sari in 2:30 PM, one from Tehran runsin 9:10 AM everyday to getting sari about 4:30 PM, andleft sari in 8:30 (Summers) and 9:10 (Winters) to getting

56






22.4. SEE 57

Tehran about 4 AM, There are Twin Mazandaran trainswhich have Gorgan destination running from Tehran, oneruns from Tehran in about 7:30 PM (Winters) and 10:10(Summers) to getting sari about 3:30 AM (Winters) andabout 5:50 AM (Summers) and another at the same timegets sari about 10:45 (Summers) and 9:10 (Winters) togetting Tehran about 7 AM (Summers) and 5:30 (Win-ters). Be aware that the scheduled program of Twin Gor-gan destination trains are changing periodically, Howeversari destination train gets the city about 4 PM for morethan 70 years.

22.2.3 By car

There are many automobile and car routes from the Maincities next or near by sari. Sari is connected to Nekaand Shahi by the A62 Autobahn, All of the Coastalcities in Mazandaran have at least 8 bands (4 forwardand 4 backward). Many of people are visiting sari viaTurkmenistan-Mazandaran (Iran) borders, it is possibleto getting Visa of Iran from border, and to continue triparound Mazanderan Sea.

22.2.4 By bus

There are five bus terminals in Sari. So its easy to getaround in the county by buses. City buses has destinationsto approximately all of the towns in Iran, but be awarethat the buses are not running everyday, but it has hourlybuses for Tehran, Also it is possible to getting the busfrom the IMAM KHOMEINI SQ. located in the southeast of city when no bus may be founded in the busy days.The fare to getting to Tehran must not more than 3.5 USD$ (February 2006)

22.2.5 By boat

The port of Amir Abad is located on the beautiful south-ern coast of the Mazandaran Sea. however the cruise isnot high quality and may not preferred.

22.3 Get around

The spreading of the city makes taxis available almost ev-erywhere. There is a wide choice of taxi systems includ-ing ceremony taxis, wireless telecommunication taxis,airport or rail station taxis, telephony taxis and sharedtaxis. You may call 133 from every where of the city andcounty to asking for taking you from anywhere in Sari inless than five minutes or taking you from approximately20 kilometers far distances (requires first registration) andeven to serving you getting any destination around iran,So if a tourist would like to stay more than a week in Sari,registration with this office is recommended.

22.3.1 By car

Parking may not found in the avenues of Sari, and parkingis usually in the small streets and allies, or have a smallentrance from avenues. It is recommended to park yourcar in your hotel’s parking.Driving may be an option for going to some sights inthe suburbs such as Soleyman Tanga (meaning Strait ofSolomon), or Masandaran Sea. Destinations which areof primary concern to a visitor are the Caves from 70thmillennium BC and towers of dynasties of TabarianKingdom.

• Huto Cave

• Kamarband Cave

• Xorshid Dabo’s Private Cave

• The Resket Tower from the Karen Pawand era

• The Ladjim Tower from the Dabuyans era

• The Farrah-Abad Complex Place

22.4 See

Notable are Famous Houses such as Kolbadi House andAmir Divan House (Ramedani House) , Archaeolog-ical sites including Hutto Cave (70th millennium BC),Kamarband Cave (70th-millennium BC); also the Res-ket Tower from the Qaran era and the Farahabad Com-plex Place from the Safavid era.

• The restored 125-year-old Khaneh Kolbadi is rem-iniscent of an 18th-century khan’s palace. Thickwalls kept the lower floor warm in winter while thelight, bright upper floor could be opened to throughdrafts for hot summers. Its orosi windows (wood-framed puzzles of multicoloured glass) supposedlydisorientated mosquitoes. The building is slated tobecome a museum incorporating the historic Vasir-eHamam (bathhouse) behind.

• Haaj Mostafa Khan Mosque

• The unusual Jameh Mosque has traditional Mazan-darani tiled roofs, but from outside looks more likea medieval Italian prison.

• Tomb of Yaha

• Tomb of Zeinol Aabedain

• Tomb of Abbas

• The Clock Tower

• Badab-e Surt


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mazandaran


58 CHAPTER 22. SARI

Badab-e Surt

22.5 Do

There are many Places to go in Sari. Here are just a few:

• Farah Abad Coast

• Gohar Baran Coast

• Derya Kenar Coast

• Khezer Shahr Coast

• Dehkadeh Aramesh Tourist Village

• Tajan River Park

• Zare' Forest Park

• Salardareh Forest Park

• Dasht-E-Naaz National Park

• Pol-e-Gardan hiking trail

• Nemashoun Lake

• Lak-Dasht Lake

• Soleyman-Tangeh Lake

• Bam-e-Shahr Hill (offers a great panoramic view ofthe city)

• Qor-Maraz (natural spa, Neka)

22.5.1 Sports

There are Many sports complexes in Sari. Most popu-lar are Jahan-Pahlavan Takhti Sports Complex, Hashemi-Nassab Sports Complex, and Montazeri Sports complex.

• Wrestling. Sari is the birthplace of lots of popularwrestlers and athletes, and it was the big host of the2006 World Wrestling Competitions. It has the ma-jor fieldhouse, Seyyed Hosseyni Coliseum, which isknown throughout Iran as an outstanding place forwrestling.

22.6 Learn

Today, Sari is one of the most cultural cities in Iran. Hereare a few Universities just to mention:

• University of Agriculture

• Mazandaran University of Medical Science(MazUMS)

• University of Natural Science

• Sarian University of Art & Architecture

• Payam-e-Noor University

• University of Tech & Engineering

• University of Tarbiyat-e Modaress

• Sama Technology Faculty of Azad University

22.7 Buy

If you want to buy food, Sari is based on food such ascakes, rice, yogurt and fruits. Some companies in Sari(The wood and paper company) are famous in the MiddleEast. If you want to buy a home in Sari, Sari’s prices rangefrom normal to really expensive. Most neighborhoods arequite expensive because of the great weather.

22.8 Eat

If you are in Sari, fish is the best way to go. If you'renot really interested in fish, Kebab shops are scattered allover the city. Don't forget a meal in this city would not becomplete without salads and Naan Bread (Iranian Bread).

22.11. CONNECT 59

22.9 Drink

The favourite drink of Sari in winter is Caspian Tea(Chay), it is available almost everywhere around the city,especially in winter. In summer when it is hot and humid,Doogh a traditional yoghurt drink is also available. TheLocal Cola (ZamZam) is also available.

22.10 Sleep

• Salardarreh Hotel, located in Km.17 of KiyasarRd. (South), located in the heart of forests withexclusive views of forests and surrounding hills andvalleys. Many Norwegians, Germans, and Swedishpeople are residents of this hotel most of the times,English is guaranteed to be spoken, has a localchurch for religious practices. The fare is reason-able since it is semi private hotel.

• Narenj Hotel, located in Km. 5 of Darya Rd.(North). Good for Spring especially April andMay months, since you can open the windows ofits rooms and sleep by the balmy and Yasmin dis-tributed air.

• Badeleh, Located in Km.10th of Neka Rd. (East)Most of the suites are pre reserved and tourists rarelyfind the chance to using this hotel.

• Mazandaran Hotel Associate, Located in 21st Al-ley, Ferdowsi St. It is not preferred however hascheap fares for one night accommodation.

• Mazraeh, Located in Km. 7th of Qaemshahr Rd.(West) Offers villa structured rooms.

• Sarooyah Apartments, in Taleghani Blvd. hascheap and comfortable Guestrooms, Getting twinsleeping service room with Air conditioner, refrig-erator and private bath room must not reach morethan 10 USD. Forigen residents who speak Englishusually rent this hotel but there is no guarantee thatsecretary speaks English.

• Sari Residential Complex, Located in PeivandiAlley, Farhang St. Is a reasonable hospitality cen-ter, with clean and hospitable employees.

• Asram Hotel, located next to Tajan Bridge. Veryexpensive hotel with lack of some services and hos-pitaly. German is also spoken along with English.Especially it is guaranteed during summers.

Along with Hotels there are too many guest rooms(Mehman Pazir) are available specially in the NaderStreet (Jomhuri-ye Eslami Street) in the city center andnext to the Tajan bridge.

22.10.1 Mazandaran Sea Resorts

Although many residents prefer to using governmentalvillas in the Farrah Abad. But these resorts may not pro-vide sleeping to foreigners, but it is recommended to us-ing Babolsar hotels, which are about 35 km far from Sarivia Bahnamier Road and about 60 km in nights via A62autobahn, They have the view of Sea, Please note thatthey may not be available or by cheap fare during busydays.

22.11 Connect

There are many Internet cafés and chat rooms scattered allover the city, the Internet speeds ranges from acceptableto fast. To finding high speed internet providers yourself,look that if it has server or not, Foreigners usually use theCafes around the Time Square.

22.12 Stay safe

Sari is relatively a very safe city, even in the middle of thenight, so don't let this worry or bother you at all duringyour stay in Sari. If you are in trouble you can ask for helpby calling police at 110 or Emergency medical services at115 or Fire department at 125.You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here

22.13 Cope

If you don't know Mazandarani or Persian, don't let thisbother you or make you worried, there are many foreign-ers and Iranians there who speak English in the city. Alsoit is recommended to appreciate the native people who arenot able to talk to you in English with these Mazandaranisentences: Tie Fieda or Tie ri Bielaarremi, but pleaseextend your voice like singing since people can better un-derstood while they extend their voice.




60 CHAPTER 22. SARI

22.14 Go next

Chapter 23

Iranian Azerbaijan

Iranian Azerbaijan (Persian and Azerbaijani:(آذربایجان is in the extreme northwest of Iran, bythe border with the country and former Soviet Republicof Azerbaijan.

Four provinces in Iranian Azerbaijanː West Azerbaijan (west),East Azerbaijan (middle north), Ardebil (east), and Zanjan(south).

23.1 Cities

23.1.1 Provincial capitals

• Ardabil - is capital of Ardabil province.

• Tabriz — is the most populated city in Iranian Azer-baijan, it is capital of East Azerbaijan province anda major regional hub.

• Urmia — is capital of West Azerbaijan province.

• Zanjan - is capital of Zanjan province.

23.1.2 Other major cities

• Kandovan — small village with houses carved in therocks like in Cappadocia, Turkey

• Khoy

• Maku

• Marand

• Maraghe

• Osku

• Sardroud

• Takab — Takht-e Soleyman, a Zoroastrian fire tem-ple and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is locatednearby


23.3 Understand

Iranian Azerbaijan is traditionally inhabited by TurkicAzeri people. The region’s formation in its current bor-ders dates back to Turkmanchay Treaty of 1828. By thetreaty, Iran (Persia) ceded to Russia control of several Ira-nian Azerbaijani areas in the South Caucasus, which isnow an independent country known as Azerbaijan Re-public. The boundary between Russian Empire and Iran(Persia) was set at the Aras river.This region, especially eastern parts of it, is probably oneof the most beautiful places in Iran. The region is knownfor its friendly people, and also known for the great food.Iranian Azerbaijan is comprised of Ardabil Province,Zanjan Province, as well as East and West Azerbaijanprovinces of Iran.

23.3.1 Talk

Azeri people of Iran are mostly bilingual. They are flu-ent in their native language, Azeri Turkish, and also theofficial language of Iran, Persian.

61





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ardabil




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kandovan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cappadocia


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khoy

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maku

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Marand

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maraghe

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Osku

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sardroud

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takab



62 CHAPTER 23. IRANIAN AZERBAIJAN

23.4 Get in

23.4.1 By plane

International Airport

Tabriz International Airport.

Tabriz International Airport is the only international Air-port in Iranian Azerbaijan which has flight to some ofIranian cities as well as some of the neighboring coun-tries.

• Tabriz International Airport (IATA: TBZ) (10 kmof the city center of Tabriz). is a regional hub withdomestic flights to Tehran, Mashad, and some othermajor cities of Iran and with flights to some neigh-boring countries.

Domestic Airports

• Urmia Airport (IATA: OMH) (North East ofUrmia.).

• Ardabil Airport (IATA: ADU) (North east ofArdabil).

• Zanjan Airport (IATA: JWN) (North west ofZanjan).

• Sahand Airport (IATA: ACP) (130 km South ofTabriz).

23.4.2 By car

By the newly built bridge over the Urmia lake Tabriz isreachable from Urmia in 1.5 hours.

23.4.3 By train

Some of the Iranian Azerbaijan cities have access to therailway includingː Tabriz, Maraghe, Salmas, and Jolfa.

Tabriz Railway Station

• Tabriz Railway Station, Rah-Aahn Sq., Tabriz(W 5 km of city center of Tabriz). Domestic trains:There are comfortable night trains from Tabriz toTehran(12 hrs travel, 152,500 Rials for 1-way )passing Maraghe (2 hrs), Zanjan (9 hrs) and Qazvin.There is a 2nd class sleeping train (6 people in oneroom) that leaves Tabriz at 8.30PM and arrives toTehran at 9.30 AM. Price is 40 000 IR. The morecomfortable choice is to take 1st class train for 170000 IR. This train leaves at 5.30 PM and arrivesto Tehran at 6 AM. There are 4 bed-rooms withTV and dinner is included in that price. To get theticket you need to use some of travel agencies in thecity or in the train station (this option only for re-cent day registration). There is a weekly train goesfrom Tehran to Istanbul which has a stop in Tabrizas well. For more info visit Iranian Passenger Rail-way or Travel Site about trains Seat61. Internationaltrains: Weekly train to/from Istanbul, twice a weekto Van, see Turkish Railway’s site.

23.4.4 By bus

There are bus lines from Provincial Capitals: Tabriz,Ardabil, Urmia, and Zanjan to major Iranian cities.There are minibus lines for connecting the smaller citiesto the provincial capitals of Iranian Azerbaijan.

• Tabriz Main Bus Terminal, Niyayesh Blvd.,Tabriz (S 3 km of city center), ☎ (+98-41)34796091.

23.5 Get around

23.6 See

• The UNESCO World Heritage site ArmenianMonastic Ensembles of Iran. It consists of three7th century Armenian Christian buildings in the

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23.11. GO NEXT 63

St.Stepanos monastery

region — the monasteries of St. Thaddeus, St.Stepanos as well as the Chapel of Dzordzor.

23.6.1 Itineraries

23.7 Do

23.8 Eat• Bonanb Kabab, is a big skew type kabab with ingre-

dient of local spices, onion and beef. It named aftercity Bonab in south of Tabriz.

• Chelo-Kabab, a dish of rice with ground beef kabab.

• Kofte-e-Tabrizi, a big meatball with ingredient ofground beef, rice, and herbd.

• Lighvan cheese, is a domestic feta cheese from Liq-van village in south east of Tabriz.

23.9 Drink

23.10 Stay safe

23.11 Go next

Chapter 24

Ardabil

Ardabil is historical city in Ardabil (province) inAzerbaijan region of Iran.

24.1 Understand

24.2 Get in

24.2.1 By car

24.3 Get around

24.4 See

• The complex of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili isa World Heritage Site, comprising the followingcomponents: the mausoleums of Sheikh Safi andShah Ismail I, Chini khaneh (meaning the houseof chinaware), a mosque, Jannat Sara (meaningthe house of paradise), Khanaqah (the house ofDervishes), Cheragh Khaneh (the house of lamps),Shahid khaneh (the house of martyrs) and ChellehKhaneh (the place where devotees shut themselvesup during the forty days of Lent). The mausoleumof Sheikh Safi, the dome of which is called “Allah-Allah” has an octagonal interior.

• Masjid Jameh Ruins of once magnificent andunique Mosque.

• Mirza Ali Akbar mosque and school This comlexdates back to Qajar period

• Ardabil Bazaar This beautiful Persian bazaar wasbuilt during Safavid period and in addition to mainbazaar hall with open vaults has a hammam and asmall yet mystifying mosque.

• Ardabil bridges Ardabil host numerous historicalbridges namely Pol-e Gilandeh, Pol-e Nayer, Pol-e Haft Cheshmeh, Pol-e Panj Cheshmeh and Pol-eShe Cheshmeh and Qarah Soo Bridge, most werebuilt during Safavid era.

• Imamzadeh Saleh mausoleum The mausoleum ofImamzadeh Saleh who is a descendant of a ShiaImam was built 250 years ago.

• Saint Mary church This Armenian orthodoxchurch has a beautiful wooden main door andpainted dome built in 1876.

• Mausoleum of Sheikh Jebra'il

• Babadavood anbaran- friday mosque

24.5 Do

24.6 Buy

24.7 Eat

lots of good food

24.8 Drink

24.9 Sleep

24.10 Connect

24.11 Go next

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https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ardabil_(province)



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site

Chapter 25

Kandovan

Kandovan is historic village with houses carved in therocks in Azerbaijan region of Iran.

Kandovan view stone houses

25.1 Understand

Kandovan is known for its rock-cut architecture, partic-ularly its cliff dwellings. The architecture is similar tothat of Cappadocian Turkey, with the exception that thehouses in Kandovan are still occupied by people.

25.2 Get in

25.2.1 By car

Going by car from close Tabriz is easiest way to get there.It will take around one hour.

25.3 Get around

25.4 See

25.5 Do

Kandovan: Input City

Beautiful view of the mountain opposite Kandovan

25.6 Buy

25.7 Eat

25.8 Drink

25.9 Sleep

Kandovan Tourism Cliff (Rocky) Hotel (5 star) is locatedat the heart of the village. It is the first of its kind in Iranand the second in the world after Turkey’s rocky hotel.

65






66 CHAPTER 25. KANDOVAN

25.10 Connect

25.11 Go next

Chapter 26

Maku

Maku is a city in Iranian Azerbaijan.

View on Maku from the castle

26.1 Understand

26.2 Get in

26.2.1 By car

26.3 Get around

26.4 See

• Baqcheh Jooq Palace (7 km northwest of centralMaku). Palace situated in a vast garden coveringabout 11 hectares. It was built at the end of Qa-jar dynasty under the orders of Iqbal-ol-SaltanehMakui, one of the commanders of MozafaredinShah. It used to be the house of the local gover-nor until 1974. And now it functions as a museumdisplaying some carpets and local handicrafts.

• Ruins of a fortress are folded into a ledge of thehigh cliff that towers above the town centre

• Panj Cheshmeh is a bridge is located 5 km. fromMaku on the Zangmar River, and is a monumentfrom the Safavid era. This bridge was constructed inorder to facilitate communications between Tabrizand Maku, and the surrounding rural areas

26.5 Do• Hiking - it is advisable to have a guide or stay within

eyesight of the town. Due to its proximity to theTurkish border, it is easy to cross the border unin-tentionally.

• Rock climbing- There are numerous rock climbingsites at the northern part of the city, some exceeding200 meters.

26.6 Buy

26.7 Eat

26.8 Drink

26.9 Sleep

26.10 Connect

26.11 Go next

67


Chapter 27

Maragheh

Maragheh is a city in and the capital of MaraghehCounty, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

Recently built observatory in the place of Maragheh Observatory.

27.1 Understand

Most of the Maragheh residents consider themselves Ira-nian Azerbaijani. Maragheh was the capital of IlkhanidDynasty for a short time in thirteenth century.

27.2 Get in

27.2.1 By train

Maragheh is on the railway route between Tabriz andTehran.

27.2.2 By bus

There are buses from Tehran and Tabriz.

27.2.3 By plane

Sahand airport has weekly flights from Tehran

27.3 Get around

Guy-Gunbad

27.4 See

Sufi River passes through the middle of the city.

68

27.10. CONNECT 69

Qirmizi-Gunbad

• Maragheh Observatory (Faː .(رصدخانه is an in-stitutionalized astronomical observatory which wasestablished in 1259 CE under the patronage of theIlkhanid Hulagu and the directorship of Nasir al-Dinal-Tusi, a Persian scientist and astronomer. Locatedin the heights west of Maragheh, East AzerbaijanProvince, Iran, it was once considered one of themost prestigious observatories in the world.

• Qirmizi Gunbad (Faː سرخ .(گنبد is a towerbelong to Sajoughi period (12th century).

• Guy Gunbad (Faːکبود .(گنبد is the grave forHalgu Khan (first ruler of Ilkhanid Dynasty) built in13th century.

27.5 Do

27.6 Buy

27.7 Eat

27.8 Drink

27.9 Sleep

27.10 Connect

27.11 Go next

Tabriz


Chapter 28

Sardroud

Sardroud (Persian: ,سردرود Azerbaijani: (سردری is a cityof East Azerbaijan province, in the Azerbaijan region ofIran. Sardroud is one of the major cities of Tabriz countyand located in the South West of Tabriz county.

28.1 Understand

28.1.1 People

Most of the Sardroud residents consider themselves Ira-nian Azerbaijanis.

28.2 Talk

The majority of locals speak Turkish with a 'Sardroud'accent, and most people can also speak Farsi as a secondlanguage and Azerbaijani. Most of the young people ofthis city can speak English at an intermediate level.

28.3 Get in

28.3.1 By plane

• Tabriz International Airport (IATA: TBZ),Bolvar-e-Shahid Khalaban Babayi (10 km of the citycenter), ☎ (+98 411)523 4705. This is a hub airportfor Ata Airlines.

28.3.2 By car

By the newly built bridge over the Urmia lake Sardroudis reachable from Urmia in 1.5 hours.

28.3.3 By train

28.3.4 By bus

28.4 Get around

28.5 Talk

Azerbaijan is the primary language spoken by most peo-ple in Azerbaijan, although many people, especiallyamong the younger generation, can communicate in Farsiand English to some extent.

28.6 See

28.7 Do

28.8 Buy

• If you want to spend lots of money, the Sardroudpictorial rugs are among the finest in the world, andyou will find masterpieces in shops and inside theBasij street or Sangestan street. Sardroud rugs areamong the most decorative rugs.

28.9 Eat

28.10 Sleep

The city is located 10 kilometers from Tabriz because ofthat there is no hotel in Sardroud.

28.11 Connect

28.11.1 Phone

An Iranian phone number is of the form +98 12 3456-7890 where “98” is the country code for Iran, the next 2digits are the area code and the remaining 8 digits are the“local” part of the subscriber number that can be calledfrom within that particular area code using abbreviateddialing. Telecom Center of this city located in TaleghaniSt.

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https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Farsi

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28.12. GO NEXT 71

28.11.2 Mobile

Mobile numbers in Iran must always be dialed with all 11digits (including a “0” prefixing the “9nn” within Iran),no matter where they are being called from. The 9nn isa mobile prefix, not an “area code”, as such and the sec-ond and third digits denote the original mobile networkassigned.

28.12 Go next• Tabriz


• Maraghe

• Osku

• Urmia — capital of West Azerbaijan province








Chapter 29

Tabriz

Aerial view of East of Tabriz.

Tabriz (Persian: ,تبریز Azerbaijani: Təbriz) is thecapital of East Azerbaijan province, in the Azerbaijan re-gion of Iran. It is a modern industrialized Iranian citywith signs of civilization dating back 2,500 years. Hav-ing some of most famous museums, holding some of thecultural events, and harboring a couple of the most pres-tigious Iranian universities, the city is considered a majorhub for science and culture in Iran.

29.1 Understand

29.1.1 People

Most of the Tabriz residents consider themselves IranianAzerbaijani.

29.1.2 Geography

Situated at an altitude of 1,340 meters above sea level,619 km northwest of Tehran, the second largest city inIran until the late 1960’s and one of its former capitals (with a population of 1,400,000 according to 1992 cen-sus), Tabriz is in a valley to the north of the long ridgeof Mount Sahand. The valley opens out into a plain thatslopes down gently to the northern end of Lake Orumieh,60 km to the west. The 160-km long Aji ,Chai or TalkhehRiver is the major river of the city, formed by merging of

three smaller rivers, namely the Ab Nahand, Quri Chai,and Ojan Chai, all of which originate from the SabalanMountain and the heights in the southeastern part of thetown. The river and streams join the Orumieh Lake af-ter passing through the valleys between the Sorkhbandand Yekkeh Chin mountain north of Tabriz and Osku dis-trict. Mehran River or Maidan Chai, also called LiqvanRiver, originates from the peaks between Karim and Sul-tan mountains overlooking the Liqvan village (a: majorcenter of cheese production in Iran) near Esparakhounand Qeshlaq. Its worst natural disadvantage, however, isits vulnerability to earthquakes, one of which utterly de-stroyed the city in 858. Rebuilt in a minor key, it wasagain devastated in 1041, when more than 40,000 peoplelost their lives.

29.1.3 Climate

By virtue of its situation, Tabriz has a continental climatewith low humidity (average annual rain fall is 288 mm).It has a modestly warm summer climate and a severelycold winter.

29.1.4 History

The town has along and checkered history: Although theearly history of Tabriz is shrouded in legend and mystery,the town’s origins are believed to date back to distant an-tiquity, perhaps even before the Sassanian era (224-651AD). The oldest stone tablet with a reference to Tabriz isthat of Sargon II, the Assyrian King. The tablet refers to aplace called Tauri Castle and Tarmkis. The historians be-lieve that this castle was situated on the site of the presentTabriz. It was the capital of Azarbin the 3rd centuryAD and again under the Mongol Ilkhanid dynasty (1256-13 53), although for some time Maragheh supplanted it.During the reign of Aqa Khan of the Ilkhanids, as well asunder the reign of Ghazan Khan, Tabriz reached the peakof 1 glory and Impotance. Many great artists and philoso-phers from allover the world traveled to Tabriz. Duringthis same period, Khajeh Rashid od-Din Fazlollah, thelearned historian and Minister of Ghazan Khan, built thefamous Rob'e Rashidi center.

72







29.3. GET IN 73

In 1392, after the end of Mongol rule, the town wassacked by Tamerlane. It was soon restored under theTurkman tribe of r the Qara Qoyunlu, who establisheda short-lived local dynasty. Under the Safavids it rosefrom regional to national capital for a short period, but thesecond of the Safavid kings, Shah Tahmasb, moved thecapital to Qazvin because of the vulnerability of Tabriz toOttoman attacks. The town then went into a period of de-cline, fought over by the Iranians, Ottomans and Russiansand struck by earthquake and disease.Tabriz was the residence of the crown prince under theQajar kings, themselves of Turkish stock, but the towndid not return to prosperity until the second half of the19th century. The greatest boost to Tabriz came with theopening up of Persia to the West at the turn of this cen-tury, when it became the main staging post between theinterior of Iran and the Black Sea and, for a short time,the economic capital. In 1908 it was the center of a revoltagainst Mohammad Ali Shah, which was only put downwith the brutal intervention of the Russians.In the second Irano-Russian War the city was occupiedby the Czar’s troops. However, it was returned to Iranfollowing the signing of the Turkmanchai Treaty, a peaceand trade settlement that ended the Irano-Russian War of1826-1828. The Iranian Constitutional Revolution orig-inated in Tabriz and culminated during the reign of Mo-hammad Ali Shah of Qajar dynasty (1779-1925). Sat tarKhan and Baqer Khan were the two most prominent lead-ing figures behind the movement. Tabriz was occupied byRussians several times in the first half of the 20th century,including most of both world wars. A railway line to theborder at Jolfa, built by the expansionist Russians, was oflittle importance until recently, but it increased in signif-icance in the '90s as a result of Iran’s friendlier relationswith its northern neighbors.

29.2 Talk

Azerbaijani or Azeri, a Turkic dialect, is the primary lan-guage spoken by most Tabrizis, although many people,especially the younger generation, can communicate inFarsi and English up to some level.

29.3 Get in

Tabriz is 310 km southeast of Bazargan (at the Iran —Turkey frontier), 159 km south of Jolfa on the Iran —Azerbaijan Republic border, and can be reached by road,rail (742 km from Tehran, with connections to Europeand Moscow), air from Tehran, Istanbul and other ma-jor cities in the region, and highway (Highway number 1connects Tabriz to Tehran).

Tabriz Airport

29.3.1 By plane

• Tabriz International Airport (IATA: TBZ),Bolvar-e-Shahid Khalaban Babayi (10 km of the citycenter), ☎ (+98 411)523 4705. This is a hub airportfor Ata Airlines.

Airport bus #136 goes to airport from Motahhari st. ev-ery 30-40 minutes. Another option is getting a taxi.Domestic flights

• Ahwaz operated by Iran Air

• Bandar Abbas operated by Iran Air

• Isfahan operated by Iran Air

• Mashhad operated by ATA air, Iran Air Tours, IranAseman and Zagros Airlines

• Shiraz - Mon and Fri, operated by Iran Aseman.Fare is 2,200,000 Rials for 1-way.

• Daily direct flights to Tehran (Mehrabad Airport) byIran Air, Iran Aseman and other companies. Fare is490,000 Rials for 1-way.

International direct flights to the following destinationsexist:

• Baghdad - Fri and Mon, operated by ATA air.

• Baku - Tue and Sat, operated by Kish Air.

• Damascus.

• Dubai - Tue and Sat, operated by Kish Air (around200 USD for round trip).

• Gaziantep - Tue, operated by Sky Airlines.

• Istanbul 13 flights per week, operated by Turkishairlines (7 flights), Iran Air (2 flights) and ATA air(4 flights). Fare is around 250 USD for a round trip.

• Tbilisi 2 flights per week, operated by ATA air.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Azerbaijani

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74 CHAPTER 29. TABRIZ

29.3.2 By car

By the newly built bridge over the Urmia lake Tabriz isreachable from Urmia in 1.5 hours.

29.3.3 By train

Tabriz Railway Station

• Railway Station, Rah-Aahn Sq. (W 5 km of citycenter). Domestic trains: There are comfortablenight trains to Tehran(12 hrs travel, 152,500 Rialsfor 1-way ) passing Maraghe (2 hrs), Zanjan (9 hrs)and Qazvin. There is a 2nd class sleeping train (6people in one room) that leaves Tabriz at 8.30PMand arrives to Tehran at 9.30 AM. Price is 40 000IR. The more comfortable choice is to take 1st classtrain for 170 000 IR. This train leaves at 5.30 PMand arrives to Tehran at 6 AM. There are 4 bed-rooms with TV and dinner is included in that price.To get the ticket you need to use some of travelagencies in the city or in the train station (this op-tion only for recent day registration). For more infovisit Iranian Passenger Railway or Travel Site abouttrains Seat61. International trains: Weekly trainto/from Istanbul, twice a week to Van, see TurkishRailway’s site.

29.3.4 By bus

• Main Bus Terminal, Niyayesh Blvd. (S 3 kmof city center), ☎ (+98-41)34796091. There arebus lines from Tabriz to Iranian major cities includ-ing: Tehran 6-8 hrs travel time (regular ticket costsaround 150,000 Rials for one-way), Ahvaz 15 hrs,Ardabil 4 hrs, Esfahan 17 hrs, Maku 4 hrs, Maraghe2 hrs, Qazvin 7 hrs, Shiraz 23 hrs, Zanjan 5 hrs. In-ternational bust roots include: Baku Azerbaijan 15hrs, Istanbul Turkey 33 hrs and Yerevan Armenia 20hrs.

29.4 Get around

Tabriz’s El Goli Metro station

City transport, awaiting the Metro currently under con-struction (and still for a long time) is limited to Taxis,shared taxis and buses.Taxis can be chartered for a modest fee (around 20 USDif you need a driver and car for the whole day to visit theregion!)Shared taxis are even more of a bargain, but you will needto speak a few words of Persian and risk your life by step-ping on the side of the road and scream your destinationat passing-by Paykans. However, the experience of shar-ing a car with 4 locals of both genders and all ages (+driver) can be fun! Odds are the fare won't be more than10 cents (1.000 Rials) for a 10-minutes trip. Some driverseven refuse to be paid, the pleasure of chatting with a for-eigner about the various plagues of Iran being apparentlyenough to make their day. (be careful of tarof, though)Buses are difficult to take (no map, no schedule) and defi-nitely not worth the experience when compared to sharedtaxis despite being quasi-free.

29.5 See

29.5.1 Inside Tabriz

With a very rich history, Tabriz used to house many his-torical monuments. Unfortunately, many of them weredestroyed in repeated invasions and attacks of foreignforces, negligence of the ruling governments, as wellnatural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. Whatremains now mostly dates back to the Ilkhanids, theSafavids, and the Qajars. Some of the monuments areunrivaled masterpieces of architecture. The ShahrdariSquare is the center of the town, on the south-west ofwhich stands the imposing edifice of Municipality. Therailway station (5 km from the center of the town) is atthe western edge of the town. The Quri Chai river runsthrough Tabriz, and most places of interest to the visitorare to the south of this river and alone or north of ImamKhomeini Avenue.

• Saat Tower, Saat Sq., Emam Ave.. Saat Tower is








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29.5. SEE 75

Saat Tower (Municipality of Tabriz).

Blue Mosque

the symbol of Tabriz. It was used as the main of-fice of the city municipality. Nowadays it is the citefor the Municipality Museum which displays pic-

Gari Bridge

Mozzafarieh alley inside Bazaar of Tabriz.

tures and items from Tabriz' history (in the base-ment), and it also displays carpet family (in firstfloor). None of the museums is signposted. Free.

• El Goli (locals call it Shah Goli), Shahgoli Blvd.(South east of Tabriz). It is a pool and a building inthe middle of the poor. It used to be the summerpalace for rulers or the king who ruled in Tabriz.Nowadays it is considered a suburban park with asquare artificial pond. In the center, a small hall is onan island and hosts a restaurant. Very nice for eatingsome tchelokebab or sip some tea while enjoying thefreshness of the park in summer.

• Blue Mosque (Goy Machid), Near to MansurSt., Emam Ave (City Center, close to Saat Tower).9ː00 am till 4ː00 pm. Originally built in 1465, this


mosque was famous because of its blue tiles. It wasseverely damaged in an earthquake in 1778, leav-ing only the entrance Iwan. It was reconstructed in1970s by the Iranian Ministry of Culture. Inside ofthe mosque was tiled with superb blue ceramic manyof them destroyed during the earthquake. Duringreconstruction which is still in progress many of themissing parts replaced by painting instead of tiles.Some of the original tiles are the entrance. 150,000Rials.

• Bazaar of Tabriz, Rasteh-Kucheh (City center). isone of the oldest bazaars of the Middle East andthe largest covered bazaar in the world. It wasinscribed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO inJuly 2010. The Bazaar is still alive and consideredone of the major shopping and commerce centerin Tabriz. Tabriz has been a place of cultural ex-change since antiquity and its historic bazaar com-plex is one of the most important commercial cen-ters on the Silk Road. Located in the center of thecity of Tabriz, Iran. Bazar consists of several sub-units called Bazarche (sub-Bazar) each of which de-voted to trade and shopping of specified goods. Themost famous Bazarches are Amir Bazaar (for goldand jewelry) and Mozzafarieh (a carpet bazaar).Although, numerous modern shops and malls havebeen established nowadays, the bazaar of Tabriz hasremained economic heart of both the city and north-western of Iran.

• Ark-e-Alishah (Ark Citadel), Serah Taleqani,Emam Ave (City Center, close to Saat Tower.). Dur-ing the Friday prayers there might be some restric-tions for visitors.. It is a 28 meter wall which isthe remnants of Tabriz city citadel and city wall.Ark was firstly made as a very big mosque in thir-teenth century, however the devastating earthquakeand other natural disasters ruined much of it exceptthe main wall of the mihrab which is preserved tilltoday. In later years this wall used as part of thecity wall and the main part of fortress of Tabriz tillend of Qdjar dynasty. During the wars of Safavid-Ottoman, and Perso-Russian wars this fortress wasalways one of the major Strong holds of Iraniantroops. In early 20th century the constitutional rev-olutionist used the ark citadel as their military basein Tabriz. At the collapse of Autonomous Govern-ment of Azerbaijan Ark was the latest resistance oftheir troops against Iranian army. In recent years thesurrounding area of Ark is used to build another bigmosque for Friday prayers.

• Constitution house, Rasteh Koucheh (Close toBazaar). It is a house retracing the story of the Ira-nian constitutional revolution in the early 20th cen-tury. Quite well documented and well kept, althoughfew English translations are available. The edifice is

located next to the Tabriz grand bazaar, on Mota-hari Ave. During the years leading up to the Con-stitutional Revolution and afterwards, the house wasused as the gathering place of the leaders, activists,and the sympathizers of the movement, among themSattar Khan, Baqer Khan, Seqat ol-Eslam and HajiMirza AqaFarshi. The two-story building was con-structed in 1868 by Haj Vali Me'mar-e Tabrizi. Ithas numerous rooms and halls. The most beautifulparts of the house are a skylight and a corridor dec-orated with colorful glasses and mirrors. The mu-seum is interesting only for visitors with advancedknowledge of Iran’s history and the ConsitutionalRevolution in particular.

• Azerbaijan Museum, Emam Ave. (Next to BlueMosque, very close to Saat Tower). It is a goodplace encompassing the long Iranian history with afocus on Iranian Azerbaijan. This is the most domi-nant archaeological museum in North-West of Iran.The museum includes the archaeological discover-ies in Azerbaijan region. It has three galleries: Pre-Islamic History, Islamic History, and Coins. It alsohas a gallery for recently built sculptures in the base-ment and a yard for the stone sculptures. But poorlykept: very few translations and erratic classificationmake the trip inside the numerous dynasties intricatefor first timers.

• Maghbarat-o-Shoara, Seqat-ol-eslam St.. Is agrave yard and a memorial for the poets and famouswriter who lived in the city. The most recent poetwho buried here is Azerbaijan poet Shahriyar.

Maghbarato-Shoara (Poets’ Tomb).

• East Azerbaijan State Palace, Shohada Sq.(Close to Bazar). It is state palace and main officeof East Azerbaijan Province governorship. The citealso include the Azerbaijan Governorship Museum.

• Fire Fighting Tower, Khaqani St. (located in theyard of fire fighting station.). is a fire fighting tower.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site

29.5. SEE 77

it used to be part of fire fighting services. Someonewas checking in the top of the tower around the cityfor any sign of fire. In case they would send the firefighters toward the direction of smoke.

• Jomeh Mosque, Rasteh Koucheh (Next to Bazaar).is a large, congregational mosque (Jāmeh) in Tabrīzcity. There have been some reconstruction like mak-ing a new entrance to the mosque but the new partsdoesn't look good.

• Behnam House, Maqsoudieh St.. The edificewas built during the later part of the Zand dynasty(1750–1794) and the early part of the Qajar dy-nasty (1781–1925), as a residential house. Duringthe reign of Nasereddin Shah Qajar (1848–1896)this building was substantially renovated and embel-lished with ornamental paintings. The house con-sists of a main building, referred to as the WinterBuilding, and a smaller structure, referred to as theSummer Building. The Winter Building is a two-story symmetrical construction standing on a base-ment. Like many traditional houses in Iran, thishouse has an inner ,اندرونی) andaruni) and an outer,بيرونی) biruni) courtyard, the former being thelarger of the two. In the course of a 2009 renova-tion project, some hitherto unknown miniature fres-coes were discovered in this house which were re-stored by specialists. The Behnām House is part ofthe School of Architecture of Tabriz Art University.

• Rob-e-Rashidi, Abbasi St. It is ruins and remnantsof an educational and scientific complex was built13th century when Tabriz was the capital of Ilkhaniddynasty. Scientists, physicians, writers, and poetsfrom all around the Ilkhanid territories brought hereto built a big dominant scientific complex. They hadschools for teaching the latest scientific discoveriesof the time. An encyclopedia calls Safina-yi Tabrizis also written here. The recovery of the complexand its renovation is incomplete and some other con-structions are going on the site.

• Gholestan Garden, Mohagheghi St.. Is good placeto relax under the shadows of trees.

• Tabriz Meuseum of Natural History, Azadi BlvdSt. (A ten minutes walk from Abrassan Sq. towardTuba Mosque). is a museum of natural history withtaxidermy samples from wild life of Iran and someother countries.

• Tabriz Cartoon Museum, Mohaqeqi St.. is a mu-seum and gallery for caricature. There is also anannual international caricature competition held inhere.

• Shahriar Literary Museum, Shahriar Alley, offSouthern Artesh Street. The house of the impor-tant poet Shahriar, who wrote in Persian and Azerilanguages, can be visited here. No explanations inEnglish available, interesting for advanced visitorsor lovers of Persian literature. Free.

• Canonical palace This beautiful palace was builtapproximately 60 years ago.

29.5.2 Around Tabriz

Kandovan Village.

Babak Castle.

St. Stepanos Monastery.

Around Tabriz there are many historically and scenery in-teresting places to visit. The mountainous region of southAzerbaijan offers breathtaking views and excellent treksamong castles, rocky paths and remote villages.

http://as.doe.ir/Portal/File/ShowFile.aspx?ID=52228612-92a1-4afe-bea5-d3c1125c5364

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http://en.tabriz.ir/?MID=27&Type=SingleContent&ID=114



The lake and remnants of Royal Palace in Takhte Soleyman.

• Kandovan Touristy village, Osku-Kandovan Rd.(Convenient wayː Darbast taxi, which costs about20 USD; Economical wayː Take the minibus next toGolestan park, which costs about 2 USD). This vil-lage is famous because of man-made cliff dwellingwhich is still inhabited. The troglodyte homes, ex-cavated inside volcanic rocks in foot hills of MountSahan. It is similar to dwellings in Cappadocia,Turkey. a troglodytic village 2 hours away fromTabriz. Great for discovering both the odd beautyof the place and the daily life of an Iranian village,among sheep, donkeys, hens and cats... Women inprinted chadors can go outside and playing kids areall around. Mullahs obviously don't bother goingthere too often. Resistant walking shoes are manda-tory if you want to climb up the village. A livingexample of human adaptation to exceptionally un-usual natural surroundings, Kandovan village is lo-cated 50 km to the south of Tabriz, Osku, on thenorthern slopes of a valley at the foothills of MountSahand. A river originating from the Sahand peakspasses through the valley. There are a number ofnatural springs to the north of the river, the wa-ter from which has traditionally been used for thetreatment of kidney stones, according to the locals.The physical structure of the village looks like im-ages from fairy tales. Natural cones, scattered overa vast area, serve as human dwellings on rock for-mations which themselves seem to have been thework certain sculptors. The road from Tabriz goesthrough this natural artwork. On getting nearer tothe dwellings, the visitor finds out that large familiesare living inside two or three of these hollow inter-connected cones with features such as openings ontheir surface playing the role of actual windows. Thelowest cones are used as stables and those on top asthe living quarters. The interiors of the dwellings,usually divided into a living and a bed room, aredimly lit; however, the villagers are used to it. Theinterconnecting corridors are very narrow. From theoutside, the dwellings look so similar to each other

that one may easily get lost in the village. Steep path-ways and steps are made of rock pieces for animalsas well as human beings. As the legend goes, the firstpeople to settle here were the soldiers involved inmilitary operations nearly 800 years ago, who foundthe cones by chance and used them as their tem-porary camouflage and accommodation. However,among archaeologists, it is considered to be of Pre-Islamic Period.

• Lake Urmia (Sharafkhaneh Port about an hournorth of Tabriz). A salt lake with salt beachesand improbable bathing spots (gender separate, ofcourse). Numerous migratory birds stop there ontheir long trip for some rest and food. The lakeis drying because of the many dams on the feed-ing rivers, so check for the status of the lake beforeheading towards the lake.

• Babak Castle, Babak Castle Rd., Kaleybar (Youneed to rent a taxi for a day from Tabriz or takeminibus trip.). A 9th-century castle in the peak ofJomhour in the middle of Arasbaran Forrest. It isnested on a rocky peak at an altitude of 2,700 m.Babak was one of the Iranian heroes fighting theArabs invasion, around 9th century. The road goesup to the foot hills of the Jomhour castle and fromthere it takes 2-hours hiking walk to get up to thepeak where the castle is, but definitely worth it. Thecastle has an interesting military design which madeit impenetrable for invaders back in the days. It hasalso nice view to the forests around. It is better tovisit it in summer time to avoid the harsh winterweather of the Azerbaijan region.

• Mount Sahand. A big dome topping at around3,700 m. Interesting to climb in summer, or for sky-ing in winter (1 lift available, another in project)

• Saint Stepanos Monastery, Border line, West ofJolfa. (Take a three hour ride from Tabriz to Jolfa,then turn left at the border and drive about thirty min-utes along Aras river westward.). This 9th-centuryArmenian church is north of Tabriz and south ofAras River, close to the Iran-Nakhichevan border.Along with two other Armenian Churches in the re-gion (St Thaddeus and the Chapel of Dzordzor) it isinscribed a UNESCO site in 2008.

• Takht-e Soleymān (5-hour ride from Tabriz to-wards the south, The rout passes through Bonab,Shahin Dezh, and Tekab). It is remnants and ruins ofseventh century Iranian Royal Palace and ZerdostianTemple dated back to 224-651 AD inscribed a UN-ESCO site. It includes a lake in the center of palaceand the ruins of the Sasanid palace around the lake.There is a royal prison located several miles away

29.6. DO 79

from the palace. Takhte Soleyman is named one ofthe 10 best ancient ruins by The Guardian newspa-per. The name means the Throne of Solomon, inearlier ancient period known as Shiz or Adur Gush-nasp, literally “the Fire of the Warrior Kings”.

29.6 Do

El-Goli park

• Hike in El-Goli Park (formerly known as Shah-goli park) (Southeast of Tabriz, Shah-Gulu (Bus line:130)). El-Gulu or as local calls Shah-Gulu is a grandpark in south east of Tabriz. There is a big rectan-gular artificial lake in the middle of the Park with arestaurant. This place used to be a summer palacefor the Iranian royal families during the time thatTabriz was the capital of the state and once it was theresident for the crown prince. Nowadays the palacein the middle renovated in the form of a restaurantand a small amusement park is constructed in nextto the park. In summer time many residents came tothe park and dust hike through the pedestrian path-way around the lake or have their dinner in the For-rest hills next to the lake.

• Hot springs and Hydrotherapy Resorts in thenorth-west of Iran. Important and rich hydrother-apy centers such as “Sare Aine”, Boostan Abad, andspecially the coastal strip along Urmia Lake enjoygreat popularity among all tourists. Situated 20 kmoff the city of Ardabile, Sare Aine Spa forms oneof the most significant health resorts in Iran. More-over, hot springs rich in phosphoric and other min-eral properties, located in this region, substantiallycontain various medicinal benefits. As a picturesquenatural phenomenon comprising distinctive medici-nal and healing features, Urmia Lake definitely con-stitutes one of the main attractions around Tabriz.

Mountain peak Eynali

• Baghlar Baghi Amusement Park (Chay-KenarBlvd.). Is the biggest amusement park in Tabriz nor-mally operating in Late Spring, Summer, and earlyAutomn.

• Hike in Mt Eynali and Its Artificial Forest (inthe north of Tabriz). There is a paved hiking roadfrom the foot hill of Mount Eynali to its first peak.Many residents hike through the red during week-end. There is also an Eynali cable - a gondola liftwhich lifts visitors from the foot hills of Mount Ey-nali to the peak. The top station which calls TheRoof of Tabriz has a view of all of the city. Thereare couple of sites in the top station including an oldshrine (Zoroastrian Temple), a monument for theunknown soldiers (war heroes), two windmills anda restaurant which calls “Roof of Tabriz”.

• Watch Soccer in Sahand Stadium (Sahand Sta-dium in the south of Tabriz). Sahand soccer sta-dium, the second largest soccer stadium in Iran, islocated in the south of Tabriz. The city also hoststwo Iranian Pro-league soccer teamsː Tractor-Saziand Gostaresh. During Iran’s soccer season, thereare normally weekly matches at Sahand Stadium.However, note that in Iran, women are forbiddenfrom attending men’s soccer matches.

• Watch International Cycling Tour of Azerbai-jan (City center of Tabriz). May (check the sched-ule on the web site).. There is an international roadbiking cycling tour called Tour of Iran that is heldannually in Tabriz. It starts from the city center ofTabriz and lasts about a week. Check for this year’sschedule on their web site. Note that in Iran Womenis not allowed to go to the stadium to watch men’sgames. free.

• Movies, Theater, and Music. Most of the movietheaters are located in the city center of Tabriz closeto Shahnaz St. The majority of the movies are Ira-nian movies in Farsi with no subtitles. There are

http://www.tourofiran.com/

http://www.tourofiran.com/


some local theater and music festivals time to timewhich are held normally in one of the following sa-loons: Vahdat (in main campus of University ofTabriz), Moalem in Northern Artesh St., and Petro-chemical Cultural Complex in Chay Kenar Blvd.

• Watch Muharram Ceremony, All alleys inside thecity. This is a ten-day religious festival for mourningShia Imam Hossein, who was killed in the seventhcentury. Most of city residents wear black clothes.In first nine days of festival people come to streetsafter sun set with drums and march in the streets.At the tenth day of festival (Ashura day) the cere-mony starts from early morning and lasts up to sun-set. Many people donate food, tea, and sherbet inthe streets in tenth day. The ceremony held everyyear based on Islamic Lunar Calendar from Muhar-ram 1st to Muharram 10.

• Watch Nimeh Shabann. This is a religious Shiaceremony to celebrate the birthday of the ImamMahdai. Normally there are fire works all aroundthe city. The ceremony is held in the city based onthe Islamic lunar calendar on the night of Shaban15.

• Watch Akhir-Charshanbeh (CharshanbehSouri). This is a major fireworks ceremony held onthe last Tuesday night before March 20 every year.During the day people go to the new year shopping.At the night people around the city celebrate by avery intense fire works. They also make bonfiresand young people jump through the fire. This is oneof the major pre-Islamic ceremonies which havesurvived till today. If you participate in the nightceremony, take necessary safety measures.

29.7 Learn

Tabriz is the site for some of the major Iranian universi-ties including University of Tabriz, Sahand University ofTechnology, Azad University of Tabriz, and AzerbaijanUniversity. The entrance to this universities for Iraniannationals is through nation wide entrance exams. TabrizUniversity however offers degree programs for foreignnationals through the regular application without entranceexam.There are couple of big libraries in the city includingTabriz National Library which are holding some of theoldest handwritten Iranian literature as well as moderntexts.

29.8 Buy

29.8.1 Souvenir

• If you want to spent lots of money, the Tabrizi car-pets are among the finest in the world, and you willfind masterpieces in shops and inside the Bazaar.Tabrizi rugs are among the most decorative rugs andfrequently use colors like pink, red and cream. Rugshere are about 50% less than what you pay in theWest, but you can typically only take 2-3 rugs backto your home country without paying a customs fee.

• Gold and Silver Jewelries are also handcrafts ofTabriz.

• Tabrizi nuts and Dried Fruits are quite famousin the region. There are couple of famous storeswhich are known nation wide including: Tavazoe(in Abrasan Square, Imam Ave.), and Rex (ShahnazSq., Imam Ave.)

29.8.2 Traditional Shopping Center

• Tabriz Bazaar (City center). Tabrzi Bazar which isthe largest historic arcade in the middle east is stillone of the biggest shopping centers in the city. InTabriz Bazar to every alley is assigned for specificgood example: Amir Alley for gold, Moazafarrieyfor Carpet and so on.

29.8.3 Modern Shopping Centers

The three big modern supermarket are: Refah, Sepah,and Laleh. There are small supermarkets all around cityand some other smaller arcades in the city center in Tar-biat St.

• Laleh Shopping Center (Next to Baghmisheh For-rest Park, Northern Baypass Expy.).

• Refah, Laleh square, Azadi Blvd.. An Iranian chainstore.

• Sepah Shopping Center, Daneshsara Sq..

29.9 Eat

Traditional Meals: Kabab, rice, Abgousht (MeatBroth), Kufte Tabrizi (Big Meat Ball) some restaurantsserve them all, but if you step inside a more modest Ch-elowkebabi, odds are you won't have much choice apartfrom the traditional rice and kebab. But still you can findsome restaurants which serve all, for instance there is ahistorical bath Nowbar Bath in city center which is ren-ovated as a traditional restaurant in recent years and itserves Abgousht, Kufteh, and other foods.

29.10. DRINK 81

• A table of some of Tabriz traditional foods (köfte,steam cooked Rice, Bonab Kababi, and Sangakbread).

• Kufteh Tabrizi.

• Abgoosht.

• Dolma.

• Cutlet.

• Qurutli Ash, a thick soup made of qurut.

Fast foods: There are small fast food restaurants forpizza, and sandwiches all around the city.Drinks: The most common drink in Tabriz (likewisemany other middle eastern cities) is tea which is served intea houses along with option of qaliyan (shusha). The fa-mous traditional cold drink is dough (yugurt juice) whichis served in restaurants and it is also being sold in super-markets along the cities. Officially there is no Cola, Fantaor other western soft drinks because of sanctions, butthere are local brands like Zam Zam and Koolak whichhave similar tastes as the western brands.Confectioneries and dried nuts: Tabriz is famous forits confectioneries and dried nuts. Some of the most fa-mous confectioneries are Qurabiya, Tabrizi Luvuz, Zul-bia, Pashmak, Nuga(or Nuqa), and Ris. There are nochain stores like in many big cities so you have to goto confectionery store. Some of the famous ones are:Karimi (in Vali Asr district), Eftekhari, and Reks (inImam Ave close to Shahnaz St.).

• Qourabieh.

• Tabrizi Lovuez.

• Nuka.

• Riss.

• Konjod Halvasi, a cookie made of sesame.

• Tabriz Baklavasi.

• Dried fried salted nuts.

Fruits and vegetableː fresh fruits and vegetables can bepurchased from Rahli Bazar in the city center. There arealso smaller shops around the city for fruits and vegeta-bles. Sometimes vendors also sell fruits and vegetablesfrom the back of their trucks for a cheaper price. Fruitsand vegetables are normally brought to Tabriz from gar-dens and farms around the city as well as gardens of otherparts of Iran.

•

•

•

•

•

Cold and Frozen Deserts: In summer time Ice Creamand Faloodeh is sold in some of the fast food style restau-rants in the city center. Many of these ice-cream placesis a family business and they have their own secret recipefor ice cream. The recipe passes from generation to thenext generation inside the family. The most famous onesare: Shams (in Imam Ave close to saat), and Vahid (inArk Alley).Hot Appetizers: Labou (hot boiled sweet red-beet) andPakhla (salty boiled Fava Beans) are sold normally in win-ter time by peddlers in street sides.

• Tabriz Modern Restaurant, Near to ShariatiSquare, Emam Kh St, ☎ (0098411)5563841.Kababs, Kufta, Dolma, Salad, and bread are all good

• Delestan, In front of University of Tabriz, 29 Bah-man Blvd, ☎ (0098411)3338507. Turkish, Inter-national, Persian, Fast Food, Pizza & Pasta, Grill,Chicken Wings

• Tooska, Shah-Gulu Blvd.. Fast Food

• Chniese Resturant.

29.10 Drink

Nightlife may not have the same meaning in Iranian townsas it means in western cities. Apart from private parties,there is nothing even vaguely close to a nightclub in thewhole country. However, places for getting out at night inTabriz include ice-cream & juice houses, kebab restau-rants, Qalyan (hubble bubble), and tchaikhaneh. Goingto theaters and walking around some of the major streets(Valiasr district, Abrasan, and Shahnaz Shariati St.) isone of the major hobbies of the youngsters in Tabriz. Insummer times families go to some of the big parks to havetheir supper in a public area in a picnic style way.

29.11 Sleep

29.11.1 Hotels

The hotels are convenient but relatively expensive. Thehotels in city center are recommended if you are lookingto see the historic cites of Tabriz and feel the life of Tabrizresidents. While the hotels in new suburbs are far awayfrom the city center and mostly used by business travelers.Here is a list of major hotels in Tabrizː


El Goli hotel

• Tabriz Hotel Pars (also called HotelShah-Gulu), Next to Shahgoli Park, ☎+98(411)33807820-30. This hotel probably isthe most famous hotel in the city. It is often usedby business travelers. Prosː It is next to ShahgoliPark. It has swimming pool. Conː Located far awayfrom the city center. It is five-star but not worth theprice.

• Shahriyar International Hotel, Shah-Gulu Blvd.,☎ +98(411)33291420-29. Five-star but not worththe price. It is far away from the city center. Oftenused by business travelers.

• Tabriz Hotel International, In Front of BlourTower, Emam Ave., ☎ +98 411 3334 1081.Renovated interior, very clean and quiet, semi-international standards (meaning new western bath-room, soap, clean towels, room service, buffetbreakfast, TV, mini-bar, English-speaking staff ...).Worth a good European 3 star hotel. 50$ single /75$ double (breakfast included).

• Hotel Gostaresh, Abrasan Sq., Emam Ave., ☎ +98(411) 334 5021.

• Hotel Azarbaijan, N. Shariaty St.. Dirty and noisy,definitely not worth it. 375.000 Rls Double Room..

• Ark Hotel, In front of Baghe Golestan (Fajr) (Citycenter). inside Ark alley. Very impolite staff. Maynot relay messages left by your local contacts for you,by phone or orally. Especially if you are a femaleand message was left by male local or vice versa.

• Hotel Morvarid, In front of Baghe Golestan (Fajr)(City center). Formally polite staff but will interfereand investigate your relations with locals! May notget your local contacts messages for you in your ab-sence or let them wait for you in lobby. Will warnthem they are not permitted to contact foreigners.

• Qods Hotel, Mohagegi St (The opposite of previ-ous terminal (facing a large round about intersection.Gas station nearby.), ☎ (0098411)5568098. Cleanand excellent staff. [June 2011] 45,000 Toman(450,000 Rial).

• Hotel Darya. It include in the price Wi-Fi, SatelliteChannels, Breakfast, Swimming Pool, and Sona.

• Hotel Park, Between Shahnaz and Golestan Park,Emam Ave, ☎ (0098411)5551852. wi-fi, TV, mini-bar, air conditioned rooms, and some English speak-ing staff. It is located in the down town close tothe historic sites. four bedː160,000 toman, doubleː100,000 toman, and single bed 60,000 toman. (up-dated Jan 2016)

• Behboud Hotel بهبود) ,(هتل No 9, ShoarAlley, next to Shahid Beheshti Clinic, nearBaghshomal Square, off Southern Artesh Street,☎ (009841)35576647-8, fax: (009841)35576649.This new hotel rents out huge apartments that sleepup to four people. Kitchens are provided but mostof the equipment for preparing some food yourselfis not. The hotel attributes four stars to itself, whichis not justified. Its quiet location a few blocks offthe bazaar and the town hall makes it a good option,though. Expect 270,000 Toman for double occupa-tion. Bargain (or have your Iranian partner do it foryou) for longer stays. (updated Jan 2016)

29.11.2 Guest Houses

Guest Houses are mostly located in Ferdowsi Street andAmin Street.

• Mashad Guest House (Near the tourist office askthere). Single Roomː 70,000 Rls (7,000 toman)..

29.12 Connect

29.12.1 Phone

• Country Code for Iran: 0098 (+98)

• Area Code for Tabriz: 0411

• Tabriz Cellular Phone (Code): 0914

29.12.2 Internet

• Deniz Internet Cafe, Maghazahaye Sangi Alley(off South Shariati St). A good area to hang out.There is coffee shop down the road that has anespresso machine and the guys who work at the in-ternet cafe are friendly helpful, speak English andare fun to hang out with.

http://www.pars-hotels.com/

http://www.pars-hotels.com/

tel:/+98(411)33807820-30

http://www.shahryar-hotel.com/en/component/content/frontpage

tel:/+98(411)33291420-29

http://www.tabrizhotel.co/en/

tel:/+9841133341081

http://www.gostaresh-hotel.com/WebSite/Pages/Default.aspx

tel:/+98(411)3345021

tel:/+98(411)3345021

http://www.hotelparktabriz.com/

http://www.behboudhotel.com/

29.14. GO NEXT 83

29.13 Stay safe• Emergency services: 110

You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here

29.14 Go next• Sardroud

• Ardabil


• Maku

• Maraghe

• Osku

• Takab — Takht-e Soleyman, a Zoroastrian fire tem-ple and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is locatednearby

• Urmia — capital of West Azerbaijan province

• Zanjan




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sardroud








https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takab




Chapter 30

Takab

Takab (Persian: تکاب ) is a city in Iranian Azerbaijan.

30.1 Get in

30.2 Get around

30.3 See• Takht-e Soleyman سليمان) تخت in Persian).

Once a fire temple of Zoroastrians, this archaeo-logical site has been declared World Heritage sitein 2003.

• Karaftoo Cave

• Zendan Mountain

30.4 Do

30.5 Buy

30.6 Eat

30.7 Drink

30.8 Sleep

30.9 Connect

30.10 Go next

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http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1077


Chapter 31

Urmia

Urmia is the capital of West Azerbaijan province, in theAzerbaijan region of Iran, near the Turkish and Iraqi bor-ders.

31.1 Get in

31.1.1 By plane

There are two daily flights to Tehran.

31.1.2 By train

The railway is still under construction.

31.1.3 By car

By the newly built bridge over the Urmia lake you canreach Tabriz within 1.5 hours.

31.1.4 By bus

There are daily buses from Van in Turkey and Arbil inIraq and also to Tehran, Tabriz and major Western Iraniancities.

31.1.5 By boat

31.2 Get around

Urmia has many parks and touristic coastal villages onthe shore of Urmia Lake. The oldest park in Urmia,called Park-e Saat, was established in the first Pahlavi’sera. Urmia’s largest park is Ellar Bagi Park (Azerbai-jani “Garden of the Peoples”) along the Shahar Chayi, orthe City River.

• The Urmia lake, the second saltiest lake in theworld is only a few kilometers away. You can gofor swimming and you will flow on the water.

• Natural History Museum - Displays the animalsnative to the vicinity of Urmia.

• Urmia Museum - an archaeological museum.

31.3 See• Lake Urmia

• Church of Naneh Maryam (Mother Mary): Thefirst church in the East built by the magi who madethe journey to Jerusalem to see Jesus Christ.

• Three Domes Tower:The Three Domes Tower issituated in an alley branched off the Ostad BarzegarStreet in the southeastern part of Urmia

• Friday (Grand) Mosque:Urmia’s Friday Mosqueis located in the middle of Urmia Bazaar. It has avast courtyard and a large brick Shabestan (coveredarea), roofed in the middle part with a high dome.

• old Urmia Bazaar:The Urmia Bazaar is situated inthe southeastern corner of Urmia. At present, themajor part of the bazaar which still stands intact isflanked by the Imam (Asgarabadi), Eghbal and Ma-habad (Montazeri) streets.

• Band Park:Band is a village alongside the route toPiranshar, which is one of the major places for goingout in Urmia. Here you can drink tea, smoke waterpipe, eat kebab and enjoy long and warm eveningsin summer time.

• Marserkis Church:The Marserkis Church is oneof the stone structures of the province. The roof andall walls are skillfully and solidly built with stones ofirregular shapes

• Sardar Mosque:Built in the Qajar dynasty byAbd-o-Samad Khan, father of Agha Khan andgreat grandfather of Azim-o-Saltaneh Sardar, Sar-dar Mosque is situated some 500m away from the

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86 CHAPTER 31. URMIA

Friday Mosque. In 1951, the latter installed a bigclock on top of the entrance door, which is why it isalso called the Sa’atlu (clock) Mosque.

• Nine Steps (Doquz Pelleh) Ice House:The DoquzPelleh Ice House is situated by a little spring called“Darreh Chay” in an old district of Urmia called“Asgar Khan”. Doquz means “9” in Turkish. Theice house was regularly harvested by the people ofUrmia before the city expanded to its present shape.Also, the Chaharshanbe Suri ceremonies used to beheld beside the little pool some 40 meters away fromthe spot where the spring water flows into the icehouse.

31.4 Do

31.5 Buy

31.6 Eat

31.7 Drink

31.8 Sleep• Reza Hotel, Besat Street, ☎ 222 6580.

• Qods Hotel, Tak Setareh, ☎ 223 1861.

31.9 Connect

31.10 Stay safe

31.11 Go next

Chapter 32

Zanjan

The Jemeh mosque

Zanjan is the capital city of Zanjan province in IranianAzerbaijan. Zanjan have a lot of historical sites and an-cient.Soltaniyeh (Persian: , سلطانيه also Romanized asSolţānīyeh, Solţāneyyeh, Sultaniye, and Sultānīyeh; alsoknown as Sa‘īdīyeh)is a city in and capital of SoltaniyehDistrict of Abhar County, Zanjan Province, Iran.At the2006 census, its population was 5,684, in 1,649 fami-lies. Soltaniyeh,located some 240 kilometres (150 mi) tothe north-west of Tehran, used to be the capital of Mon-gol Ilkhanid rulers of Persia in the 14th century.Its nametranslates as “the Imperial”. In 2005, UNESCO listedSoltaniyeh as one of the World Heritage Sites.William Dalrymple notes that Öljaitü intendedSoltaniyeh to be “the largest and most magnificentcity in the world” but that it “died with him” and is now“a deserted, crumbling spread of ruins.

32.1 Get in

32.2 Get around

32.3 See

• Soltaniye Dome. Sultaniye Dome is a UNESCOWorld Heritage site, the third largest Dome in the

world after Santa Maria Dome and Hagia SophiaDome and the largest brick made dome in the world

• Caravanserai Sangi.

• Rakhtshurkhaneh. It is a traditional Qajari eralaundry house and is today Zanjan’s Museum ofAnthropology. Historical Edifice of RakhtshooyKhaneh which in means Wash-house lies at the his-torical texture of the Zanjan city and it was builtnearly 20th century.This place was used for washingclothes by women around the city.It was constructedby two brothers named Mashad Akbar and MashadiEsmail.At the present this historic building is beingused as Zanjan anthropological museum.

32.4 Do

Zanjan is known for having one of the best indoor sportclimbing walls in the Middle East. It is located in Enghe-lab sports complex.

32.5 Buy

Zanjan is famous for its knives, traditional sandals, andhandicrafts.

32.6 Eat

32.7 Drink

32.8 Sleep

32.9 Go next• The beautiful Katale (Catale) Khor cave is near here.

• The landscape outside the city is very beautiful.

87



http://www.sultanieh.ir/



Chapter 33

Khorasan

Khorasan is a region in the north-east of Iran. Previouslya single province, it was split into three in 2004.

33.1 Provinces

• North Khorasan - comprising 6 counties:- Boj-nourd; Esfarayen; Garmeh Jajarm; Maneh Semel-ghan; Shirvan ; Farooj

• Razavi Khorasan (in the centre, inbetween NorthKhorasan and South Khorasan) - comprising 19counties:- Bardaskan; Chenaran; Dargaz; Fariman;Ghouchan; Gonabad; Khaf; Kalat; Kashmar; KhalilAbad; Mashhad; Neyshabour; Roshtkhar; Sabzevar;Sarakhs; Torbat-e Jam; Torbat-e heydariyeh; Tay-bad; Mahvelat;

• South Khorasan - comprising 8 counties:- Birjand;Darmian; Ferdows, Nehbandan; Qayenat; Sarayan;Sarbisheh ; Boshrooyeh

33.2 Cities

• Mashhad - the capital of Markazi(Central) Kho-rasan (also called Razavi Khorasan)

• Bojnourd- the Capital of North Khorasan

• Khaf

• Neyshabur

• Sabzevar

• Torbat Heydarye

• Torbat Jam

• Qayen

• Esfarayen

• Gonabad


33.4 Understand

In middle Persian, Khorasan literally meant “where thesun rises”—a fitting name as this region at the northeast-ern tip of Iran is where the sun is seen earliest in thecountry every day. Apart from the hard-to-miss holycity of Mashhad, here you will find ancient buildingsand artifacts from various empires that ruled the regionthroughout the history intermingling with a diverse arrayof ethnicities (Turkmens, Afghans/Pashtuns, Baluchis,and Arabs depending on where you are).Whether you are on an overland tour of the world west toeast, or are following the steps of Marco Polo along theSilk Road, Khorasan can be a great gateway to CentralAsia. In addition to the transportation links to WestAfghanistan and Turkmenistan the region has, and theconsulates of Central Asian countries conveniently basedin Mashhad, traditional yurts of nomadic Turkmens dot-ting the Khorasani countryside (especially on its northernreaches) will make you feel you are at the gate of some-thing different from now-familiar Persian heartland.

33.5 Talk

33.6 Get in

33.7 Get around

33.8 See

• Diri-Baba and Ag Gunbaz mausoleums

• The cave dwellings of Maraza

• Shamakhi Astrophysical Observitory

• Akbarieh Gardens in South Khorasan province,one of nine world heritage Persian gardens.

88



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bojnourd

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khaf

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Neyshabur

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sabzevar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Torbat_Heydarye

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Torbat_Jam

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qayen

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Esfarayen

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gonabad


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Europe_to_South_Asia_over_land

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Europe_to_South_Asia_over_land


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Silk_Road



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/West_Afghanistan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/West_Afghanistan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Central_Iran

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/World_heritage

33.13. GO NEXT 89

Akbarieh garden

33.9 Do

33.10 Eat

33.11 Drink

33.12 Sleep

33.13 Go next

Chapter 34

Esfarayen

Esfarayen (Persian: , اسفراین also as Esfarāyen; for-merly, Meyanābād, Mīānābād, and Mīyānābād) is a cityin and the capital of Esfarayen County, North KhorasanProvince in Iran.

34.1 Understand

Esfarayen is a small historical city with many beautifulsights to see including natural ones.

34.2 Get in

34.2.1 By plane

The nearest airport to Esfarayen is Bojnourd's andSabzevar's airport which is around 60 km north and 100km south of Esfarayen, respectively.

34.2.2 By train

34.3 Get around

34.4 See

• Belgheis City (an ancient city)

• Tomb of Babaghodrat

34.5 Do

34.6 Buy

34.7 Eat

• Kamejosh or kalejosh or mastjosh: It is one of fa-vorite food among Esfarayen and Sabzevar cities.

34.8 Drink

Dogh (yogurt drink)

34.9 Sleep

34.10 Connect

34.11 Go next

90

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/North_Khorasan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bojnourd





Chapter 35

Mashhad

Imam Reza shrine

Almost everything about Mashhad relates to its role asthe holiest city in Iran, even its name (literally: burialplace of the martyr). As the capital of Iran's Khorasanprovince, Mashhad’s year-round cool temperatures andfascinating insights into the Shi'ite heartland have muchto offer visitors.

35.1 Understand

Mashhad started life out as Sanabad, a village pitstop fortrade caravans headed towards Turkmenistan. But in theninth century, the eighth Shi'ite Imam Ali Bin Moosa AlReza, the great grand son of Imam Ali who was the cousin& son in law of Prophet Mohammad was poisoned bythe jealous caliph of the time. Imam Reza was buried inMashhad, and his shrine became one of the holiest sites tothe shi'ite Muslims after the Holy Kaaba in Saudi Arabiaand Karbala in Iraq.Over the next thousand years, the shrine complex was lev-elled, ransacked and rebuilt a number of times dependingon the ruling army of the day. Today the Shrine is themost important place in the city and in the whole of Iran.Dress code for women is strict, as it is in any part of Iran,however a self encompassing chador is not a must for anylady in public place in city. For women, a simple head-scarf or roo-sari, with a trenchcoat and pants are fine.Men are also not allowed to wear shorts. These rules are

the same for any and all cities and villages in Iran; it isnational law.

35.2 Get in

35.2.1 By air

Mashhad International Airport (Shahid HashemiNejad Airport) (IATA: MHD) is located just a fewkilometres South of the city centre. A taxi from theHoly Shrine area to the airport should not cost more than150,000 Rials.Being Iran’s second largest city, Mashhad is connected toall Iranian cities that have an airport. On the busier routes,there are several options per day. However, during thepeak season(s) of pilgrimage, tickets sell out early.Mashhad is also connected internationally, as it featureson the timetables of all the larger Middle Eastern air-lines. There are flights to Bahrain, Damascus, Dubai,Kuwait, Bishkek, Beirut, Jeddah, Dushanbe, Kabul,Doha, Almaty, Lahore and Istanbul.

35.2.2 By train

The railway station is located just North of the HolyShrine area. There are several regular trains from Mash-had to Tehran, both day trains and overnight trains. Theyvary in speed, price and quality, the fastest do the trip in8 hours. There are night trains to Isfahan (one or two perday, 18 hours) and many other destinations.You get here from Turkmenistan. There are trains fromAshgabat and Merv to the Sarakhs border. And at theother side of the border there is a daily train from theSarakhs border to Mashhad.

35.2.3 By bus

There are mostly night buses to Mashhad from other im-portant cities. There are NO international buses fromAshgabat or anywhere in Turkmenistan.

91


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorasan



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bahrain




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bishkek

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Beirut

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jeddah

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dushanbe

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kabul

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Doha

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Almaty

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lahore




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Merv

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sarakhs



92 CHAPTER 35. MASHHAD

35.3 Get around

Mashhad has a rapid transit system, which opened in2012.

35.4 See

Tomb of Nader Shah

Apart from Imam Reza shrine there is a number of largeparks, the tombs of historical celebrities in nearby Tusand Nishapur, the tomb of Nadir Shah and Kooh Sangipark and Mellat Park that have modern attractions forchildren such as the tallest Ferris wheel or fanfar in Iranand Koohestan Park-e-Shadi Complex that includes azoo, where many wild animals are kept and which attractsmany visitors to Mashhad. It is also home to the MashhadAirbase (formerly Imam Reza airbase), jointly a militaryinstallation housing Mirage aircraft, and a civilian inter-national airport.Some points of interest lie outside the city: the tomb ofKhajeh Morad, along the road to Tehran; the tomb ofKhajeh Rabi' located 6 kilometers north of the city wherethere are some inscriptions by the renowned Safavid cal-ligrapher Reza Abbasi; and the tomb of Khajeh Abasalt, adistance of 20 kilometers from Mashhad along the road toNeishabur. (The three were all disciples of Imam Reza).Among the other sights are the tomb of the poet Ferdowsiin Tus, 24 kilometers distance, and the summer resorts at

Torghabeh, Torogh, Akhlamad, Zoshk, and Shandiz.The Shah Public Bath, built during the Safavid era in1648, is an outstanding example of the architecture ofthat period. It was recently restored, and is to be turnedinto a museum.

• Imam Reza Shrine Complex (The shrine is vis-ible from far away and has entrances on all sides.There are separate entrance doors for brothers andsisters, bags and cameras have to be left at luggagedeposit offices outside the shrine for a 10,000 Rialsfee. All visitors will be frisked at the gates leadingto the Shrine. Mobile phones can be brought intothe shrine. Women have to wear a chador.). Thiscomplex has been developed around the tomb ofthe eighth Imam of Shia Islam. The burial cham-ber where the Imam rests is the holiest place for allShia Iranians. Foreigners are allowed to visit thecomplex, while the central area and certain court-yards allegedly are off-limits for non-Muslims. Shi-ites come to this place as pilgrims to mourn the deathof their religious leader and don't want to be dis-turbed by crowds of tourists. That said, there areno marks of any kind telling where you can go andwhere not. If you manage to blend into the crowd,it is possible to visit the core of the shrine. It is im-pressing from the architectural point of view withthe corridors and domes completely adorned withPersian mirror mosaic. It pays off to take some timeand soak in the athmosphere of praying and mourn-ing. The complex also includes a library and theGhoharshad Mosque, which is the largest mosquein the world by area and the second largest in capac-ity. Travellers have the option to visit the ForeignPilgrims Assistance Office where you will be shownsome videos about the shrine (from PRESS-TV) andhanded out some booklets. There are some English-speaking volunteers available to guide you aroundin the complex, but they will not show you the HolyShrine itself. Free. (updated Jan 2016)

• Central Museum (Located inside the Holy Shrinecomplex, it is signposted in English). Weekdays08:00 am till 05:45 pm, Holidays 08:00 am till noon.This museum shows an arbitrary mix of items suchas coins, stamps, European clocks and astronomi-cal instruments, pictures of marine animals, but alsosome interesting items like the old tombs of ImamReza and pictures dating back to the beginning ofphotography in Iran. Some of the explanations arein English. Avoid visiting this museum with a guidefrom the Foreign Pilgrims Assistance Office, as theywill press you to adequately appreciate each of theitems, even the Euro coins. 10,000 Rials (also forforeigners). (updated Jan 2016)

• Carpet Museum (Located inside the Holy Shrinecomplex, it is signposted in English). Saturday till

http://www.musroc.ir/en/Pages/Home.aspx

35.7. LEARN 93

Wednesday 08:00 am till 12:30 pm, Thursdays08:00 am till 11:30 am, Holidays 08:00 am till 12:00pm. The name says it all. Great and impressivepieces on display. 10,000 Rials (also for foreigners).(updated Jan 2016)

• Nader Shah Park & Mausoleum. Monumentto the founder of Afshar dynasty (1736–1747) (up-dated Oct 2015)

• Ferdowsi Park & Mausoleum. (updated Oct2015)

• Gombade Sabz Mausoleum. (updated Oct 2015)

• Torghabeh. Sightseeing, village restaurants (up-dated Oct 2015)

• Shandiz. Village restaurants (updated Oct 2015)

35.5 Money

A few money changers line up on Imam KhomeiniBlvd., this is where rates are competitive. Hotels changeat much worse rates, if at all.If Mashhad is your first station in Iran, you may considergetting an Iranian ATM to prevent having your moneystolen. The state-owned Bank-e Melli-ye Iran providessuch a service for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists justneed to head the nearest branch of this bank. Informa-tion on this service can be found here. The drawback isthat the card expires the date your visa expires (mind thispoint if you extend your visa) and that you hand your Eu-ros or Dollars to the bank who converts it to Rial at thegovernment rate. This is by far lower than what you re-ceive from money changers. So your safety comes at aprice.Another way to prevent having your money stolen, is go-ing to the nearest bank and getting a gift card. They areexactly like ordinary ATM debit cards, but once they getempty, they cannot be recharged. Sepah Bank or Bank-e- Sepah is a governmental bank that has a current ac-count service for foreigners which provides both ATMdebit card and cheque writing option. A list of permittedIranian banks can be found here

35.6 Buy

Mashhad has three large bazaars. Interesting things tobuy include Khorassan crafts, fur-cloak, jewelry, per-fume, saffron, and religious souvenirs.

• Bazaar-e Reza (Bazaar-e Bozorg). Two storiesheight and one of the main shopping centres in thetown. Sells souvenirs, sweets, saffron and clotheson the first floor and jewellery on the second floor.

Saffron costs $2200 per kilogram

Famous for the turquoise which is mined near Mash-had. All products are aimed at the Iranian taste.

• Sara-ye Bazaar-e Reza Mostly a fabric and textilebazaar.

• Kuwaiti Bazaar, on the 17th Shahrivar Square.

• Bazaar-e bozorg-e markazy, on the corner of shi-razi Av. and akhond-e khorasani st.(Shohada cross-road).

• Shargh-Zist Trade Center All things with bestprices, Tabarsi Sqr, north side of Holy Shrine.

• Proma Trade Center, Janbaz Sqr.

• Almas-e Shargh, Northern Khayyam Blvd.

• Zist Khavar, Shariaty Sqr.

• Sajjad Blvd (500 metres northeast of Khayyammetro station). You can find few good quality shop-ping centers in this Blvd (a bit expensive).

35.7 Learn

• Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

• Medical & Health University of Mashhad

• Institute of Technology “SIT”

• ImamReza International University

• Azad University of mashhad





http://www.um.ac.ir/

http://www.mums.ac.ir/

http://www.sadjad.ac.irsadjad/

http://www.imamreza.ac.ir/

http://www.mshdiau.ac.ir/

94 CHAPTER 35. MASHHAD

35.8 Eat

Iranian cuisine is one of the best in the world. They donot eat spicy food but even then their food is very tasty.Chello Kebab is a very popular dish as well as BakhtiariKebab. There are also different kinds of breads available.So eating will be an assured good and affordable experi-ence in MashhadYou can find lots of great restaurants and all kinds offast-foods are available. The most advertised restaurantof Mashhad (and one of the most expensive) is 'PadideShandiz'. There are also numerous other decent restau-rants in Shandiz. Full meals with rice cost from 5 to 20dollars.Padide Shandiz address: Shandiz town.You can find a kind of ice-cream named ice pack “Per-sian: پک "آیس in mashhad. it’s really great to taste it.There are lots of Ice Pack bars in Mashhad. The mainone is placed at “Shariati Sqr”. This kind of ice-creamcan be found with all kinds of flavors like “chocolate ,apple , cherry , strawberry , coffee , peach and all kind offruits you can imagine” This type of ice-cream inventedin Iran, is even getting popular in the United States ofAmerica.Hezardestan Traditional Teahouse, Jannat (جنت)

street (in a parallel street to Modarres Blvd. Jannat streetis a pedestrian zone. There is a huge Lonely Planet adver-tisement on the wall opposite to the restaurant so it is hardto miss.). Very beautifully decorated subterranean restau-rant. The menu comprises (only) four dishes (ChickenKebab, Dizi, Ghormeh, mashed eggplant) which are verywell done and are served with lots of side dishes. Serviceis lame, however, bring enough time. Base charge for tea= 150,000 Rials. Meals 250,000 to 470,000 Rials. (up-dated Jan 2016)

35.9 Sleep

Mashhad attracts huge number of visitors specially dur-ing the summer months, so be sure to make travel reserva-tions in advance. Mashhad can also be very cold duringwinters, hence heavy woolens are required during win-ters. Even in summers nights are pretty cold and requireslight woolens.

35.9.1 Hotels

Five-star hotels in the city are: Pars Hotel, Ghasr Ta-laee international Hotel, Ghasr International Hoteland Pardisan Hotel. There are also couple of good ho-tels near the Imam Ali Bin Moosa Al Reza Shrine, namelyKhayyam Hotel, Ghadir International to name a few.The Shrine is 10 min. walk from the Khayyam Hotel andthe rent for double bedroom with attached bath is around

100-120 USD per night. but the rent for Ghasr TalaeeHotel is very expensive about 400 USD per night. Butthere are lots of rooms for rent around the shrine whichare pretty cheap and suitable to rent, they are ranged from30-90 USD per night depending on the distance fromshrine.

• Razavieh Grand Hotel مشهد) رضویه (هتل (Justnext to the main entrance of Reza Bazaar.), ☎ +9851 3365 3611. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 13:00.Located very close to the shrine and the RezaBazaar, yet not noisy. The four stars this hotel at-tributes to itself are bogus, however. The roomsand facilities are simple, old-fashioned and a bitrun-down. Staff is not motivated. expect 160,000Toman for double occupancy. Bargain.. (updatedJan 2016)

• Hotel Atlas. Located very close to the shrine. (up-dated Jan 2016)

• Hotel Atrak. Located very close to the shrine andthe Reza Bazaar, yet not noisy. (updated Jan 2016)

• Hotel Ferdous فردوس) ,(هتل ☎ 0513-8540830,fax: 0513-8544656. Located close to the shrine onbusy Imam Reza Blvd. expect 3.86 million Rials fordouble occupancy. Discounts available outside thepeak season.. (updated Jan 2016)

• Ghasr Talaee international Hotel, Basij square,Imam Reza st., Mashhad, Iran, ☎ +98(51)−38038,fax: +98(51)−38037. Check-in: 14:00, check-out:12:00. Five star hotel, located close to the shrine onbusy Imam Reza Blvd.

35.9.2 Homestays

• Vali’s non smoking homestay, 38th (Farsi:۳۸)alley (previously 6th) off Malakoshoaraye Baharstreet (previously Engelab Eslami street), house 277(Farsi:۲۷۷) (close to Lashgar square at the intersec-tion with Imam Khomeini street), ☎ 851 6980, 0915100 1324, e-mail: [email protected]. Vali is acarpet merchant and a regional guide but most of alla chatterbox! (he speaks English and basic French)His wife cooks delicious meals which you can en-joy sitting on the terrace. Two bedrooms and an ex-tremely comfortable dorm are available in the base-ment full of Persian rugs with a basic shared bath-room. The setting is simple but cozy and there is awarm family atmosphere. Internet and Wi-Fi. Lotsof tourist information (Vali can help you to sort yourvisa for Turkmenistan). Hikes and excursions canbe organized for one or more days in the villagesand mountains surrounding Mashhad. (to help youfind Vali’s place copy this Farsi phrase and show itaround: ملکا استانداری و لشکر راه چهاره بینشماره۳۸اشعرابهار انصاری۲۷۷ ولی ). Dorm 300

http://www.parshotels.com/

http://razaviehhotel.ir/

tel:/+985133653611

tel:/+985133653611

http://www.hotelferdous.com/

tel:/+98(51)-38038

http://www.valishomestay.com/


35.11. GO NEXT 95

000 rials, breakfast 60 000 rials, dinner 150 000 ri-als.

35.10 Stay safe

• In crowded places and places of worship, such as theHoly Shrine, be careful about pick-pockets. Takecare of your possessions as there’s a small risk oftheft by pick-pockets.

35.10.1 Emergency services phone num-bers

• Police: 110


• EMS: 115


35.11 Go next

35.11.1 Inside Iran

You can easily use ground transportation and visit theseancient cities in a short period of time:

• Tous, the hometown of Ferdowsi, the great Iranianpoet of the tenth century (AD) and the author ofShaahnaameh, a great Iranian epical masterpiece.

• Nishapur, hometown and the place of tombs ofKhayyaam and Attaar. Two peots and polymaths.Khayyaam was also a great mathematician and as-tronomer.

• Torghabeh, beautiful nature and a country side.

• Torghabeh Shandiz, beautiful nature and a countryside.

35.11.2 To Turkmenistan

Since no public transportation goes across the Turkmenborder, to get to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, the followingoption is the most convenient:

• Take a bus to Quchan: every 2 hours from 6:30AM.Cost: 8000 rial. Duration: 2h30.

• From Quchan, take a private taxi to Bajgiran (villageat the border). Cost: 60,000 rial for 2, or less if youcan. Duration: about 1h.

• At Bajgiran, go to the border (opening time: 7.30 -15.30 Iran time). Crossing the border can take upto 2 hours. Turkmen police will ask for an entry taxof $10 (per person) + $2 of bank fees (per group),to be paid in US dollars only.

• In the Turkmenistan side, take a taxi to Ashgabat,which can cost up to $15 per person. Duration:about 1h.

35.11.3 To Afghanistan

Herat in Afghanistan is only a few hundred kilometersfrom here.

35.11.4 Visas and permits

Following countries have Consulate in Mashad:

• Consulate of Afghanistan, Imam Khome-ini Avenue, Doshahid Street, Sevom Is-fand Sq., ☎ +98-513-8544829, +98-513-8597552, fax: +98 21 33113508, e-mail:[email protected].

• Consulate of Kazakhstan, Rahnemai Street 10, 41h., ☎ +98-513-8417716, fax: +98-513 8401293, e-mail: [email protected].

• Consulate of Kyrgyzstan, No. 209, Next toGas station, Abkooh Ave. 91839, ☎ +98-513-2229845, fax: +98-513-2227045, e-mail:[email protected].

• Consulate of Pakistan, P.O. Box No.91375-1733,Imam Khomeini St., Opposite of Melli Garden, ☎+98-513-6040364.

• Consulate of Turkmenistan, No. 34, KonsoolgariAlley, 10th Day Sq. 91386, ☎ +98-513-8547066,fax: 98-513-8547073.

• Consulate of Saudi Arabia, No. 4, Molavi St. Saj-jad Blvd, ☎ +98-513-6076276, +98-513-6076279,fax: +98-513-6076273, +98-513-6076278.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tous

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nishapur

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Torghabeh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Torghabeh_Shandiz





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bajgiran

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bajgiran







tel:/+98-513-8544829

tel:/+98-513-8597552

tel:/+98-513-8597552


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kazakhstan

tel:/+98-513-8417716


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kyrgyzstan

tel:/+98-513-2229845

tel:/+98-513-2229845



tel:/+98-513-6040364


tel:/+98-513-8547066


tel:/+98-513-6076276

tel:/+98-513-6076279

Chapter 36

Nishapur

Khayyam thomb

Nishapur (also Neyshābūr, Persian: (نیشابور is anancient city in Khorasan near Mashad. It was one of thelargest cities of old Persian Empire before the Mongolianattack.

36.1 Get in

36.1.1 By train

There are train routes from Tehran and Mashad.

36.1.2 By minibuses

Several minibuses leave from Mashad to Nishapur everyday.

36.2 Get around

Tomb of Omar Khayyam. You can see a monu-ment, a bust, and a little museum. The museum, how-ever, shows a few arbitrary items not connected to OmarKhayyam, and displays some text from Wikipedia (in-cluding the “clarification needed” tag). 150,000 Rials(foreigner price). (updated Jan 2016)Imamzade Mahruq. Right next to Omar Khayyam’s

tomb, this Imamzade actually contains two tombs,Mahruq’s tomb is deeper into the complex. free. (up-dated Jan 2016)Tomb of Farid ad-Din Attar. Tomb and mausoleum

for the important sufi poet Farid ad-Din Attar. Alsohere: the tomb of the important painter Kamal al-Molk.150,000 Rials (foreigner price). (updated Jan 2016)

• Shadiyakh excavations

• Mazare Shahmir

• Caravanserai

36.3 Do

36.4 Buy

Neyshabur Turquoise has been used for more than 2000years and for this turquoise it is sometimes called “theturquoise land”. Neyshabur turquoise and jewellery madefrom it are sold as souvenirs in Neyshabur and Mashhadresorts.Rhubarb (Persian rivaas or rivand), a sour vegetable,grows at the foot of the eponymous Rivand Mountains. Soft drinks made from the stems of the plant, such as“Sharbate rivaas” and “Khoshaabe rivaas” , are sold atsome Nishapur resorts as souvenirs.

36.5 Eat

96






https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nishapur

36.9. GO NEXT 97

36.6 Drink

36.7 Sleep

36.8 Connect

36.9 Go next

Firoze, Hemmatabad, Some, Emam Reza Town,Ghadamgah, Darrod, Sabzevar, Eshqabad

Chapter 37

Qayen

Qayen is a city in Khorasan, eastern Iran.

37.1 Understand

37.2 Get in

37.3 Get around

37.4 See

A mud wall surrounds the modern town.There are several ancient places around the town, such asthe Tomb of Bozorgmehr Qaini, 5 km to the south.

37.5 Do

37.6 Buy

37.7 Eat

37.8 Drink

37.9 Sleep• Islamic Azad University’s Hotel, Asian Highway,

☎ +985625262151.

37.10 Connect

37.11 Go next

98



tel:/+985625262151

Chapter 38

Sabzevar

Sabzevar is a city in Khorasan,Iran.

38.1 Understand

38.2 Get in

38.2.1 By plane

38.2.2 By car

38.2.3 By bus

38.2.4 By boat

38.3 Get around

38.4 See

Mil-e Khosrow Gerd (meaning “The brick tower of kingKhosrau) is the highest brick tower in the city. Mosquesinclude the Masjed Jameh of Friday mosque, with itstwo tall minarets. They were both built during the Islamicage of Sabzevar.

38.5 Do

38.6 Buy

38.7 Eat

38.7.1 Budget

38.7.2 Mid-range

38.7.3 Splurge

38.8 Drink

38.9 Sleep

38.9.1 Budget

38.9.2 Mid-range

38.9.3 Splurge

38.10 Connect

38.11 Stay safe

38.12 Cope

38.13 Go next

99



Chapter 39

Torbat Jam

Torbat Jam is a city in Khorasan,Iran.

39.1 Understand

Torbat-e Jam is the birth and burial place of the renowned11th century mystic Sheikh Ahmad Jami. The city is infact named after the great mystic.

39.2 Get in

39.2.1 By plane

39.2.2 By car

39.2.3 By bus

39.2.4 By boat

39.3 Get around

39.4 See

• Robat-e Sangan

• Khajeh Azizollah Mosque

• Shah Qassem Anvar Mausoleum

• Noor Mosque

• Abouzar Bozjani Mausoleum

39.5 Do

39.6 Buy

39.7 Eat

39.7.1 Budget

39.7.2 Mid-range

39.7.3 Splurge

39.8 Drink

39.9 Sleep

39.9.1 Budget

39.9.2 Mid-range

39.9.3 Splurge

39.10 Connect

39.11 Stay safe

39.12 Cope

39.13 Go next

100



Chapter 40

Khuzestan

Khuzestan is one of 30 provinces in Iran and regardedas the birthplace of their civilisation by many Persians.

40.1 Cities

• Ahvaz

• Abadan

• Khorramshahr

• Dezful-Andimeshk (twin cities)

• Ramhormoz

• Mahshahr (Mahshahr, Sarbandar, Bandar ImamKhomeini}

• Behbahan

• Masjed Solayman

• Izeh

• Shushtar

• Shush (sometimes known as Susa)


Susa, ruins of the Darius palace

• Tchogha Zanbil. Its ziggurat (Choghazanbil), is aUNESCO World Heritage site which is the best pre-served ziggurat temple in the world. Built about1250 BC by the king of the Elamites to honour theirgod.

• Susa — a settlement from the 4th millenium BC,listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

40.3 Talk

40.4 Get in

40.5 Get around

40.6 See

• Susa — Achamenian Palace, Susa museum and cas-tle, Daniel temple, Haft-Teppeh (1500 BC)

• Shustar — amazing 2000 year old water structureslike the Sika watermills, dams, bridges and tunnels,also olden town (bazaar, houses, castle)

• Ayapir — discover Bakhtiari’s land on the beauti-ful slopes of the Zagros mountains, visiting ancientElamite sites of Tarisha temple and Kool Farah alogwith nomads and villages in Izeh, Baghmalek andHaftguel

40.7 Do

40.8 Eat

40.9 Drink

40.10 Stay safe

101



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorramshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dezful

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Andimeshk

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ramhormoz

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahshahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Behbahan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masjed_Solayman

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Izeh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shushtar


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tchogha_Zanbil



102 CHAPTER 40. KHUZESTAN

40.11 Go next• Dezful to see the Shevi waterfall


Chapter 41

Abadan

Abadan is a city in Iran.

41.1 Get in

41.1.1 By plane

Abadan Airport (IATA: ABD)Iran Air - Isfahan, Tehran (Mehrabad Airport)Iran Air Tours - Isfahan, Mashad, Shiraz, Tehran(Mehrabad Airport)Iran Aseman Airlines - Dubai, ShirazKish Airlines - Tehran (Mehrabad Airport)

41.2 Get around

41.3 See

Traditional bazaar

41.4 Do

Play golfVisit Shadegan wetland (bird watching)

41.5 Buy

Khuzestan handicraft.

41.6 Eat

lots of sea foods like: 1-ghaliye mahi(a kind of foodmade of fresh fish) 2-medfune 3-khoroshte bamie 4-mahisobur( a specific fish tht is barbequed) and lots of dessertsmade of local dates.

41.7 Drink

High quality tea is available anywhere.

41.8 Sleep

Karvansara Hotel Abadan

41.9 Go next

103






http://www.iranairtours.com/




http://www.iaa.ir/


http://www.kishairline.com/

Chapter 42

Ahvaz

White Bridge

Ahvaz (Persian: ,اهواز also Romanized as Ahwaz) is a cityin Khuzestan Province in South Western Iran.

42.1 Understand

Ahvaz is situated on the banks of the Karoun River, whichsplits the city into two large districts. The western half ismostly housing with some government departments. Theeastern half is both residential and Industrial. The maintrain station is on the western side and the airport is onthe eastern side. Extremely hot in the summer. Expect45 degrees in July and August.

42.2 Get in

42.2.1 By plane

There are daily flights to Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz.There are weekly flights to Dubai-Kuwait City-Mashad.Airlines serving Ahvaz airport are Iran Air-CaspianAirlines-Mahan Airlines-Eran Air-Aria Air-Iran AirTours-Iran Asseman Airlines.There are many travel agencies, but the best and mosttrusted is OXIN travel agency that sits on the corner ofthe 7th street in Kianpars. They are a trusted companyand have flight tickets for all the destinations in Iran, they

also provide great vacation tours to Asian countries likeU.A.E., Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, Vietnam andmany more.

42.2.2 By train

There are daily trains to Tehran-Khorramshahr and Ban-dar Imam Khomeini. Ahvaz is the major junction fortrains heading from the southern ports to Tehran, andfrom Tehran you can change trains and go further toMashad or Tabriz. There are 3 daily trains to Tehran.

42.2.3 By car

42.2.4 By bus

There are daily busses to many destinations in Iran1.Ahvaz-Tehran- 2.-Ahvaz-Isfahan 3.Ahvaz-Shiraz-4.Ahvaz-Mashad- 5.Ahvaz-Khorramabad. The main busstation is located in Kampelo for busses headed north(i.e.:Tehran)For buses headed east(Isfahan and Shiraz-MasjedSuleiman) the station is at 4 Lions SquareSouth bound buses leave from Khorramshahr Square.

42.2.5 By boat

42.3 Get around

Taxis roam around the city 24 hours a day and are rela-tively inexpensive. Around 3000 tomans for the longesttrip in the city. There are also taxi agencies everywhere,if you can't find one on your own, all the hotels have taxiagencies. Busses ply most innercity routes and are verycheap.

42.4 See

Being an oil business oriented city, there are not a lotof interesting places to see in Ahvaz. Most people go

104







https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kuwait_City


42.8. DRINK 105

to Kianpars street at night and stroll amongs the shops.You could visit the old and hectic bazaar area(TaleqaniStreet). The best places in Ahvaz are situated alongsidethe river. The river boulevard is a nice place to stroll andhas many parks. One of the attractions of Ahvaz is theoil well flares situated on the border of the city, but it’sonly nice at night time.

• Riverside Park, Kianpars, Ahvaz. Riverside Parkthe oldest park of the city. It is located in Kianparsand beside the White Bridge. The view of Karounriver, white bridge, other side of the city and the is-lands are interesting.

• White Bridge. The white bridge was the first bridgecrossing Karoun river made by German engineersabout 80 years ago. The bridge is now considered asthe main symbol of the city.

42.5 Do

• Sailing on the river. You can rent a boat and gosailing on Karoun river in many parks nearby theriver.

42.6 Buy

All the Ahvaz neighborhoods have a local market place,the upscale shops are mostly situated alongside ChamranBlvd.(Kianpars), Zeitoon Karmandi (Cheetah Square),and the main bazaar is on Taleqani Street.

42.7 Eat

42.7.1 Budget

There are many sandwich shops and fast food shops inthe city. Most are average. Good ice cream store locatedin a cellar below a cake store. Haji Baba Coffee Shopcan be found next to the bazar, heading towards the whitebridge.. No English spoken.

42.7.2 Mid-range

Oxin Hotel Restaurant- Try the Shir Mahi(Fish) Kebabsand they also serve great Meat Kebabs. They have spe-cials that change daily, my favorite is the Shrimp.Athena Pizza in Kianpars serves excellent deep dish piz-zas.Pizza Pizza in Zeytun is the best, make sure you visit thislocation if you visit Ahvaz, the Pizza Pizza in Kianpars isnot that great!!!

42.7.3 Splurge

Astoria Hotel Restaurant-Expensive and below averagefood.

42.8 Drink

You cannot legally find alcohol in Iran so your drinkingis limited to soft drinks and fruit juice. There are manygood fruit juice shops in Ahvaz and you will find themeasily. In the summer stay away from Cantaloupe juiceand Banana milk shakes.

42.9 Sleep

42.9.1 Budget

There are many mehmansara (Guest House) in Ahvaz.Most don't admit foreigners and the ones that do are notup to foreign standards. But they are inexpensive. NaderiHotel is a decent one.

42.9.2 Mid-range

Oxin Hotel is near the airport and is moderately priced.It has an excellent restaurant and the rooms are clean andthey have great air conditioning. They also have largescreen televisions in the lobby and mostly show footballgames. They speak very good English and can help youarrange any kind of tour or transport. Hotel Iran is rea-sonably ok, but make sure u ask for a room on refurbishedfloors. BASIC English spoken. Restaurant good and rea-sonably priced at around 9000 toman for a chicken kebab.Chuchey kebab. Plenty of hot water and good AC in re-furbished rooms.

42.9.3 Splurge

Fajr (Former Astoria) Hotel is the best hotel in the city.It is situated by the riverside and has great views but it’sexpensive.

42.10 Connect

42.11 Stay safe

Iran is generally a safe country. It is advised however,that being an obvious tourist may attract some unwantedattention from interested Iranians, but do not be alarmedor react negatively. Standard advice to keep your bag se-cured and safe, and to leave personal and valuable belong-

106 CHAPTER 42. AHVAZ

ings in your hotel room or hotel safe should be regarded.Iranians are generally peaceful, hospitable people, but itis advised to act with caution when walk in the streetsalone late at night or when approached by strangers to thesame degree that you would in your native country.You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here


• Police: 110


• EMS: 115


42.12 Stay healthy

Ahvaz, in Iran according to a 2011 WHO survey is foundto be the worst air polluted city in the world. Peoplewith respiratory problems, for example asthma patients,should consider before visiting.

42.13 Cope

Not easy without Farsi or Arabic. The Arab visitors toAhwaz have little trouble in communicating as the ma-jority of the city’s population are Arabs (almost 70%), sothe local residents can communicate with Arab touristsand visitors or can act willingly as interpreters from Farsito Arabic and vice versa.

42.14 Go next




Chapter 43

Dezful

Dezful is a city in North of Khuzestan, Iran.

43.1 Get in• Dezful-Andimeshk Highway

Highway Dezful-Andimeshk

• Dezful have Airport

43.1.1 By plane

43.2 Get around

43.3 See

43.4 Do

43.5 Buy

43.6 Eat

43.7 Drink

43.8 Sleep

Masjed-e Jomeh, Dezful

43.9 Go next

107

http://www.dezful.ir/







Chapter 44

Izeh

Izeh (Persian: ,(ایذه formerly known as Izaj andMalemir, is a city in the Khuzestan province in south-western Iran.

44.1 Understand

Izeh has temperate weather in spring and summer, al-though in winter it is usually the coldest city in theKhuzestan province. Izeh is populated by Bakhtiari, atribe living in the northern part of the Khuzestan area. Itis an agricultural rather than an industrial city. The fore-most product is rice (locally called Berenj) that mostlycomes from Susan, Sheyvand, Meydavood and Chitanbe.Izeh also has mines of rocks and minerals. It is famous forits dam and ancient monuments that are located in Kol-farah, Eshkaft Salman, Khongazhdar and other places.It had an estimated population of 129,105 in 2005.

44.2 Get in

44.3 Get around

44.4 See

44.5 Do

44.6 Buy

44.7 Eat

44.8 Drink

44.9 Sleep

44.10 Connect

44.11 Go next

108



Chapter 45

Khorramshahr

Khorramshahr is a city in Khuzestan, Iran.

45.1 Get in

Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology

45.1.1 By plane

45.2 Get around

45.3 See

45.4 Do

45.5 Buy

45.6 Eat

45.7 Drink

45.8 Sleep

45.9 Go next

109

http://www.khorramshahr.ir/



Chapter 46

Shushtar

Shushtar is in Khuzestan province and is one of the old-est cities in Iran. It has many historical and architecturalwonders.

46.1 Get in

46.2 Get around

46.3 See

The historical hydraulic system

• The Historical Hydraulic System on the RiverKârun was built as far back as the 5th century B.C.under the reign of King Darius. It comprises aUNESCO World Heritage site.

• The Band Mizan which splits the Karoun River intotwo channels (Gargar and Shatit).

46.4 Do

swimming, boating and kayaking

46.5 Buy

46.6 Eat

46.7 Drink

46.8 Sleep

46.9 Connect

46.10 Go next

110



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_list

Chapter 47

Tchogha Zanbil

Choghazanbil Ziggurat

Tchogha Zanbil is an area in Khuzestan, Iran. ChoghaZanbil (Persian: (چغازنبیل is an ancient Elamite com-plex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. Tchogha Zanbilis listed in UNESCO World Heritage List.

47.1 Get in

There are plans to extend the Train line from Tehran toAhvaz

47.2 Get around

The city stretches out a lot so you might want to use asavari to get to the Arg-é Bam.

47.3 See

• The main attraction, the ancient citadel of Arg-éBam, suffered badly in an earthquake in December2003. Today little is still to be seen and access isextremely restricted; there is only one main accesspath still open to the public and the castle on top ofthe hill is out of bounds.

• The ancient citadel of Tchogha Zanbil probably hasa history dating back around 2500 years,

47.4 Do

47.5 Buy

47.6 Eat

47.7 Drink

47.8 Sleep

47.9 Go next

111





Chapter 48

Lorestan

Lorestan is a province of western Iran.

48.1 Regions

Lorestan is divided into 10 administrative counties, andhome to some 1.700.000 people. Outside of the maincities, as listed below, the province is dotted with hun-dreds of villages.North and East Lorestan has a very cold snowy winterwith pleasant summer. Central Lorestan includes the cap-ital city of Khorram Abad with moderate weather duringa year. The area is covered by Mediterranean Forests.South Lorestan has moderate winters with very hot sum-mers. Pole Dokhtar and Kuhdasht are notable cities.Another socio-economical division of Lorestan could beconsidered as following: Eastern Lorestan – mostly lo-cated on Silakhor Plain- which is more industrialized.Borujerd is the major centre. Western Lorestan, less de-veloped area but a special centre of archaeology in West-ern Iran. Khorram Abad is the center.

48.2 Cities

Chief towns:

• Khorram Abad - province capital

• Borujerd - popular city

• Aligoodarz

• Dorood

• Koohdasht

• Azna

• Delfan

• Selseleh

• Alashtar

• Nurabad

• Pol-e-Dokhtar


The towns of

• Oshtorinan

• Zagheh

• Manoolan

The villages of

• Vennai

• Fial

48.4 Understand

Lorestan is mostly populated by Lor people which are apure Iranian ethnic - similar to Kords. The majority ofpeople do farming.

48.5 Talk

The language is mostly Lori - an Iranian local language.Persian is used easily. English can not be used frequentlywith average people.

48.6 Get in

48.6.1 By plane

Khorram Abad Airport

48.6.2 By train

Dorud and Azna are connected to National Railway.

112


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorram_Abad


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Borujerd

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aligoodarz

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dorood

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Koohdasht

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Azna

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Delfan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Selseleh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alashtar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nurabad_(Lorestan)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pol-e-Dokhtar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Oshtorinan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zagheh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Manoolan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Vennai

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fial

48.9. DO 113

48.6.3 By bus

Frequent bus services to all cities. Borujerd and Khor-ram Abad have good connections to many Iranian citiesby bus.

48.6.4 By car

Lorestan is located between Tehran and Khoozestan andis paved with good highways. From Tehran you can drive4 hrs to get to Borujerd.

48.7 Get around

Mini buses and vans are the most common vehicles fortravelling inside the province. Shuttle Taxis known asSavari are also available. Don’t trust and use personal un-marked cars.

48.8 See

• Falakol Aflak Castle of Korram Abad

• Jame Mosque of Borujerd

• Gahar Lake of Dorud

• Soltani Mosque of Borujerd

• Kio Lake of Korram Abad

• Bazaar of Borujerd

• Gahar Lake Dorood

• Oshtorankooh Mountain Azna

• Bishe waterfall Dorood

• Ab sefid waterfall Aligoodarz

• Chegan waterfall Aligoodarz

• Shevi waterfall Dezful

• Nozhiyan waterfall Dorood

• Emamzade qasem Azna

• Kamandan village Azna

• Falakolaflak castle Khorram Abad

48.8.1 Itineraries

• Stay 2 days in Borujerd and visit Jame and SoltaniMosques. Visit the old Bazaar and go to ChoghaHill. Spend a day with friends in Goldasht or Vennaiand eat local kebab and yogurt drink. Preferably,stay in Zagros Hotel.

• Take a minibus to Khorram Abad (2 hrs) and spendtwo days there. Many historical monuments arearound the city among them Falakol Aflak Castle isthe most exciting.

• Join a tour – not very easy to find one – to stayovernight in Oshtorankuh and fish in Gahar Lakes.

• Visit Ghali Kuh in Aligoodarz or see Pole Dokhtar.

• Visit Oshtorankooh mountain, Kamandan village,Bidestane village, Emamzade qasem mosques inAzna.

48.9 Do

• Fishing in Gahar Lake

• Hiking in Chogha Hill or Kio Parkland

• Climbing in many places – Lorestan is mostly cov-ered by elevated mountains

• Skiing in Borujerd in winters

• Eating in Borujerd kebab restaurants

48.10 Eat

Borujerd has a good reputation for food. Kebab, localbread and ice cream are fantastic. Don't miss many halvaand local sweets in Borujerd and other cities.

48.11 Drink

No alcohol is served in Iran. Soft drinks and bottled wa-ter are available easily. Doogh is yogurt drink and verypopular in Lorestan.

48.12 Stay safe

• Avoid travelling alone in villages or among tribes.

• Don't use unauthorised cars which work as taxi.

• Call police on 110 in emergency.











114 CHAPTER 48. LORESTAN

48.13 Go next• Easily, take a bus ticket from a terminal anytime in

any city and go back to Tehran.

• Take a mini bus or shared taxi to Khorram Abad andget to your flight.

• Go to Dorud and use a train to go to Tehran or Ah-waz.

• Go to Borujerd to get a bus ticket to Tehran, Isfahan,Shiraz, Ahwaz, Hamadan, Kermanshah, Sanandaj,Qom and so on.

• If you have your own car, go toward Borujerd andthen Arak, Qom and Tehran.

Chapter 49

Borujerd

Borujerd is an old city in Lorestan, a western provinceof Iran. The city has been populated since 50 A.D. Manyhistorical sites and monuments are located in and aroundthe city. Borujerd is a developing middle size city lo-cated in the fertile valley of Silakhor and surrounded byelevated mountains of Zagros. The city of Borujerd in-habits 252,000 people (2009) and is a regional center foragriculture, business and higher education.The city of Borujerd is the official center of Shahrestan-eBorujerd or Borujerd county.

49.1 Talk

The language is Borujerdi - a local accent of Persian andLori. Persian is used easily. English can not be usedfrequently by average people. However, the presence ofmany university students in the city may be a chance forfinding help.

49.2 Get in

Train: Dorud is connected to National Railway. Once apart of Borujerd county, this city is located 45 km southeast of Borujerd. It takes 40 min to get to Borujerd byminibus or less by a hired taxi.Bus: Frequent bus services run from many cities of Iran tothis city. Borujerd has a good connection to many Iraniancities by bus. Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Ahwaz, KhorramAbad, Hamadan and Kermanshah are main cities withfrequent buses to Borujerd.Car: Lorestan is located between Tehran and Khoozestanprovinces and is paved with reliable highways. FromTehran you can drive 4 hrs to get to Borujerd. The 396km distance is mostly freeway and highway and Qom andArak are main cities in between.Air: currently there is no active airport for public in Boru-jerd. The closest airports are located in Khorram Abadand Hamadan cities.

49.3 Get around

Use public bus system, shared taxi or telephone taxi. Hir-ing a registered taxi for the whole day costs about 30 US$or less. For short distances a hired taxi costs 2 $ or less.Payments should be in Rial.

49.4 See

There are many architecture and natural places worth tovisit in Borujerd. This city has a good combination ofboth historical and natural attractions. The following at-tractions are more popular for local and foreigner tourists.Historical:

• Jame Mosque (10th A.D)

• Soltani Mosque (Qajar era)

• Imamzade Ja'fer (from 11th A.D. Seljuk era)

• Imamzadeh Ghasem

• Shahzadeh Abolhasan

• Great Bazaar of Borujerd

• Tomb of Zavvarian (5 km north of Borujerd)

• Sametieh tomb of Borujerdi poet Samet.

• The old houses from Qajar era (30+ houses dis-tributed in Sufian suburb).

Parks and natural features:

• Fadak Garden

• Chogha Hill with 360' view of the city and ZagrosMountains.

• Goldasht valley 3 km west of the city

• Samovar Park a municipal park with a statue ofsamovar.

• Kuche Bagghi gardens and farmlands

115

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lorestan





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ahwaz



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamadan



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khoozestan

116 CHAPTER 49. BORUJERD

• Vennai a tourist-friendly village in Garrin Moun-tains.

• Gahar Lake of Dorud (60 km south of Borujerd).

49.5 Do

• Walk in the busy lanes of the bazaar to see and knowthe tribal lurs.

• Walk in Shohada, Takhti and Bahar streets in theevenings with your local friends.

• Spend half a day in Vennai and try local pickled cu-cumber.

• Climb professionally in Garrin or Oshtorankuh Mt.

• Chill out in Kuche Baghi parkland with a localfriend.

• Hike in Chogha Hill for 20 min in the afternoon andsee the 360' view of the city and surrounding moun-tains in day and night lights.

• Record photos or video of the local festivals inMuharram or Nowruz.

49.6 Sleep

There are not many places to choose for accommodation.The four star Zagros hotel is probably the best choice ifyou can pay 50 US dollar or more per night. Located ontop of Chogha Hill, it offers you the best view of the cityor snow-covered mountains. The rooms and environmentare quite pleasant. For a cheaper price, Esteghlal Hotelin Bahar Street is another choice. Few guesthouses areavailable in Takhti St., Shohada and Razan Square.

49.7 Eat

Borujerd has a good reputation for meal. Kebab, localbread and ice cream are must-eat foods. Don't miss localhalva and sweets in Borujerd.

49.8 Drink

No alcohol is served in Iran unless your local friends offerto you. Soft drinks and botteld water are available easily.Doogh is youghurt drink and very popular in Lorestan.Borujerd also offers a good selection of Ash - differentIranian soups.

49.9 Stay safe

Iran in general and Borujerd are generally very safe fortravelers. However, you should always avoid scams. Beadvised:

• Avoid traveling alone in villages or among tribes.

• Visit natural scenes in day time with your friends.

• Do not use unauthorized cars that work as taxi.

• Call police on 110 in emergency.

49.10 Go next

If you have your own car, go toward Arak, Qom and thenTehran. Most of the buses and minibuses leave from EastTerminal (terminal-e sharq). If your next destination isHamadan, Kermanshahan or Kordestan provinces in westof Iran, use buses, shared or hired taxis in West Terminal(terminal-e qarb).




Chapter 50

Khorramabad

Khorram Abad is a city in Western Iran and capital ofthe Lorestan Province.

50.1 Understand

50.2 Get in

50.3 See

5 Paleolithic cave-dwelling sitesIn the city center, a tall citadel called Falak-ol-Aflak(The Heaven of Heavens), a relic of the Sassanid era, isnow a nationally popular museum.

50.4 Do

50.5 Buy

50.6 Eat

50.7 Drink

50.8 Sleep

50.9 Connect

50.10 Go next

117



Chapter 51

Nurabad (Lorestan)

Nurabad is an Iranian city, located high in the moun-tainous area of northwest Lorestan. It is home to some60.000 people and the capital of its district.

51.1 Understand

The common language in town is Laki, one of the mainlanguages of western Iran. Keep into account that winterscan be very cold at these heights.

51.2 Get in

51.3 Get around

The roads are reasonably good and there are bus connec-tions. Train stations in the area are in Dorud and Azna.

51.4 See

51.5 Do

51.6 Buy

51.7 Eat

51.8 Drink

51.9 Sleep

51.10 Connect

51.11 Go next

118



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dorud


Chapter 52

Markazi

Markazi is a province in Iran.

52.1 Cities• Arak

• Mahallat

• Tafresh


52.3 Understand

52.4 Talk

52.5 Get in

52.6 Get around

52.7 See

52.7.1 Itineraries

52.8 Do

52.9 Eat

52.10 Drink

52.11 Stay safe

52.12 Go next

119



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahallat

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tafresh

Chapter 53

Arak

53.1 Get in

53.2 Get around

53.3 See

Hasanpour House

• Hammame Charfasl (Four-Season Bath)

• Baghe Nezam Lashgar (Esmaeili)

• Saraye Mehr (In the Bazaar)

• Sultan Abad Museum

• Koohe mostofi

• Park Amirkabir

• Park Jangali

• 'Bagh-e-Vahsh the zoo was first opened to investi-gate the pollution from the industries mainly fromthe Aluminium plant on animals

• 'Pol-e-doab an old mud based bridge built oversharra river

• Darreh-e-Gerdou famous for its walnut trees andranges, it is very popular place for morning exercisesand weekend getaways.

• Museum of Artifacts

• Mojtama-e Tafrihi-i.e. Amirkabir

53.4 Do

53.5 Buy

Known for their hand-knotted carpets which are generallyreferred to as Sarouk rugs, known for their exceptionalquality and ability to withstand decades of wear

53.6 Eat

53.7 Drink

53.8 Sleep

53.9 Connect

53.10 Go next

120

Chapter 54

Mahallat

Mahallat (pop.50,000) is a city in Markazi Province,Iran. It is a place of culture and warm mineral water.Inancient times it was an important location for Zoroastri-anism.

54.1 Get in

You can take bus from Tehran or Isfahan direct to Ma-hallat.Also in the mahallat has two bus terminals

54.2 See

• Khorheh ruins There are remains of Hellenistic ar-chitecture from Alexander the Great’s time in Ma-hallat as well as fire temple ruins back from theZoroastrianism era.

54.3 Do

Sarchesmeh atashgah flower Village

54.4 Buy

54.5 Eat

54.6 Drink

54.7 Sleep

• Hotel Agsha

54.8 Connect

54.9 Go next

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https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Markazi




Chapter 55

Tafresh

Tafresh (Persian: ( تفرش is a city in the MarkaziProvince of Iran.

55.1 Understand

Called the “City of Iran’s Fathers”, this academic city hasbrought forward many key figures in Iranian history, no-tably in science and politics. In the 7th century Sasaniandynasty in Persia, Tafresh was a stronghold for Zoroastri-anism, Iran’s state religion in those days. Today, it’s a rel-atively small city with some 13,000 inhabitants and num-bers are decreasing as people leave the town and move tolarger cities.

55.2 Get in

Tafresh is situated about 222 kilometres (138 mi) south-west of Tehran.

55.3 Get around

55.4 See

• Tafresh Azad University lies just out of town, be-tween Tafresh city and the village of Moinabad.

• The nearby tiny village of Delaram is used as a sum-mer resort. Delaram is famous for its walnut cultiva-tion and Tafresh locals also head out there for a strollin the lush field there, which they call “dasht”. Onthe way to the dasht you'll pass the buried remainsof a historic mill.

55.5 Do

55.6 Buy

55.7 Eat

55.8 Drink

55.9 Sleep

55.10 Connect

55.11 Go next

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Chapter 56

Qazvin (province)

Qazvin (province) is a province in Iran.

56.1 Cities

• Qazvin

• Takestan

• Abyek

• Booin Zahra

• Eqhbalieh

• Mohammadieh

• Alvand

• Isfarvadin

• Mahmood Abad Nemooneh

• Khoram Dasht

• Ziä Abad

• Avaj

• Shäl

• Danesfahan

• Abgarm

• Ardägh

• Moallem Keläyeh

• Razmian

• Kouhin

• Bidestan


56.3 Understand

56.4 Talk

56.5 Get in

56.6 Get around

56.7 See

56.7.1 Itineraries

56.8 Do

56.9 Eat

56.10 Drink

56.11 Stay safe

56.12 Go next

123



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takestan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abyek

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Booin_Zahra

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Eqhbalieh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mohammadieh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alvand

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfarvadin

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahmood_Abad_Nemooneh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khoram_Dasht

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zi%C3%A4_Abad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Avaj

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sh%C3%A4l

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Danesfahan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abgarm

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ard%C3%A4gh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Moallem_Kel%C3%A4yeh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Razmian

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kouhin

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bidestan

Chapter 57

Qazvin

Qazvin is the largest city and capital of the Qazvin(province) in Iran.

57.1 Understand

Qazvin was an ancient capital in the Persian Empireand nowadays is known as calligraphy capital of Iran.The most famous calligrapher was Mir Emad Qazvini.Dehkhoda who wrote the Persian dictionary (you can findhis statue in Azadi Square. The most famous poet wasUbayd Zakani.Qazvin can perhaps be said to be a mod-erate city, in relation to its adherence to Islamic religiousand cultural values. Many people, women in particu-lar, dress modestly but are not limited to the a black he-jab, and many women can be seen wearing thin, brightlycoloured scarves to cover their hair. However, manywomen wear an enveloping headress, designed to com-pletely cover all hair. It is advised to dress respectfullyin this context, by all means express yourself through anature of hejab materials and colours, but be mindful ofsocial and religious values at play.

57.2 Get in

57.2.1 By plane

The nearest international airport is the Imam KhomeiniInternational Airport (IKIA) located in southern Tehran.The Mehrabad International Airport (MIA) is servicingthe domestic flights. Arriving at either airports you caneasily hire a taxi, get bus or train to take you to Qazvin.Make sure to hire a registered taxi and agree on paymentbefore you actually set off. Your taxi fare to Qazvin fromIKIA is around $ 20-25 and from MIA is around $ 15-20.You travel all the way through an straight highway takingyour time at most 2 hours and in the meantime you mayenjoy watching beautiful sightseeings and two giant plantsof the country, Abeyek Cement and Shahid Rajaee GassPower plants.

57.2.2 By car

Qazvin is linked to Tehran and other major cities viaa series of motorways, These are not usually too busy,though attempt to avoid times where workers are com-munting to and from work. Cars can be hired at TehranInternational Airport. Taxi’s are usually the most easiestmeans of travelling to Qazvin by car. You have a choiceof private taxi’s, or travelling via official taxi ranks. Themain difference between the two is the state of the ac-tual cars, however do not be put off by the sight of anelderly, slightly unconventioanl car, these are usually per-fectly safe to travel in.

57.2.3 By bus

Buses depart very frequently from near Azadi square inTehran. The fare is $1 for the old Mercedes buses and $2for modern Volvo or similar buses (January 2010).

57.3 Get around

57.4 See• The Qajar era Caravanserai of Sa'd al-Saltaneh.

& Qajar Hamam

• The Grand Hotel - The first modern hotel built inIran

• The first modern School built in Iran

• The first street built in Iran (Sepah)

• The first Municipality built in Iran

Qazvin contains three buildings built by Russians in thelate 19th/early 20th century. Among these is the currentMayor’s office (former Ballet Hall), a water reservoir, andthe Cantor church, where a Russian pilot is buried.

124

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qazvin_(province)






57.6. LEARN 125

• The Russian Church of Qazvin.

Qazvin contains several archeological excavations datingback 9000 years. There are also 23 castles from the Is-maili Assassins nearby as well. And in the middle of thecity lie the ruins of Meimoon Ghal'eh, one of several Sas-sanid edifices in the area.Qazvin contains few buildings from the Safavid era, whenit was capital of Persia. Perhaps the most famous of thesurviving edifices is the Ali Qapu mansion, today a mu-seum in central Qazvin.There many mosques and religious schools

• The Ancient Jāmeh Mosque of Qazvīn' (-Masjid-e-Jāmeh Atīq Qazvīn) is one of the oldest mosquesin Iran, and is the grand, congregational mosque(Jāmeh) of Qazvīn city. The foundation of themosque is laid on a Zoroastrian fire temple.

• Masjed Al-nabi (Soltani Mosque) with an area of14000 metres, this mosque is one of the most glo-rious mosques of antiquity, built in the Safavieh’smonarchy era.

• Sanjideh Mosque- Another mosque of Qazvin dat-ing back to pre-Islamic Iran; a former fire temple. Itspresent day form is attributed to the Seljukian era.

• Peighambarieh Shrine- Where four Jewish saintswho foretold the coming of Christ, are buried.

• Sardar School- A mosque Made by two brothersHossein Khan and Hassan Khan Sardar in 1815, asa fulfillment of their promise if they came back vic-torious from a battle against the Russians.

Other attractions near Qazvin are the tombs of twoSaljuki era princes, Aboo Saeed Bijar, son of Sad, andAboo Mansoor Iltai, son of Takin — located in two sep-arate towers known as the Kharaghan twin towers. Con-structed in 1067 CE, these were the first monuments inIslamic architecture to include a non-conic two-layereddome.

57.5 Do

Wander in the bazaars...Have a break atNegarossaltaneh Café located at “RastehVazeer, Sad_o_saltaneh complex”Visiting Famous Parks

• Mashahir in Shahrdai Street

• Barajin (Fadak)

• Melat

• Afarinesh

• Varchor Waterfall in Razjerd

Visit Qazvin MuseumParagliding in blue sky flight site in Shafi Abad & BarajinRoad, near to Fadak ParkWatching Iranian movies in Bahman Cinema in front ofMelat ParkSwimming in Ovan Lake

57.6 Learn

Try to learn Persian, and use it while in Iran. Iranians arenoted for their hospitality, and would greatly appreciate atourist’s attempts to communicate via Persian. Qazvin isan historical city, try and broaden your historical knowl-dege by sampling the historical sites.

• Imam Khomeini International University, .

• Qazvin Islamic Azad International University, .

57.7 Buy

Take a visit to the bazaar of Qazvin. It is huge and youwill be able to find all sorts on display. Jewellery in Iranis of high quality, and cheap by Western standards. Thesame can be said for electronical goods, which arrive inIran via Japan, sometimes before the products can bebought in Europe and America.

57.7.1 Qazvin Shopping Complexes

City Star in Khayam streetFerdosi in Ferdosi streetIranian in Adl street

57.7.2 Qazvin hypermarket

Proma Hypermarket

57.8 Eat

Food in Iran is a delicacy, and is made up of a wholerange of Middle Eastern influences. Do eat chelo kebabin one of the many restaurants in Qazvin. This meal ispretty much a standard dish in Iran, however Qazvin doeshave its own regional variations on the dish. The famous

126 CHAPTER 57. QAZVIN

Qazvinian food is called “Gheime Nesar”. Try to sam-ple as many different foods as possible while in Qazvin,the diversity of flavors and influences makes for deliciousfood. Restaurants are usually very hospitable, so askingfor a variation in the dish, or asking for vegetarian optionsor about food allergies will not be a problem.

57.8.1 Budget

57.9 Drink

International health agencies advise drinking bottled wa-ter in Iran. This is cheap and therefore not a concern. Al-cohol is not tolerated (Except for NON MUSLIMS andnon-Muslim religious practices). In Iran, IF any Muslimis caught partaking in or producing alcohol it is illegal andpunishments can be very severe.

57.10 Connect

In need of help or advice, contact your national embassy,located in the capital city (Tehran) or you can find touristinformation centers in Qazvin, and for Police you can call110.

57.11 Stay safe

Iran is generally a safe country. It is advised however,that being an obvious tourist may attract some unwantedattention from interested Iranians, but do not be alarmedor react negatively. Standard advice to keep your bag se-cured and safe, and to leave personal and valuable belong-ings in your hotel room or hotel safe should be regarded.Iranians are generally peaceful, hospitable people, but itis advised to act with caution when walk in the streetsalone late at night or when approached by strangers to thesame degree that you would in your native country.You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here


• Police: 110


• EMS: 115


57.12 Sleep

57.13 Cope

Qazvin is located in a modest and mountainous regionand the weather in summer is slightly cooler than Tehran.The temprature in summer does not go higher than 35degrees. Hoever the best time is in the Spring and Fall,when the climate is warm and breezy.

57.14 Go next

From Qazvin you can do a daytrip to the mountains of Al-borz. Most visitors go here to see the remains of HasanE-Sabah’s castle Alamut, from where he ruled the assas-iner’s order, a medieval terrorist organisation. The re-mains of the castle is currently (January 2013) being re-constructed in a way that may seem a bit dubious from anarcheological point of view. Apart from Alamut, a daytrip to Alborz has a lot of impressive landscapes to offeralong with some other castles from Hasan’s time.




Chapter 58

Takestan

Takestan (or in تاكستان Persian) is a rural city in theIranian province Qazvin. Most of its 75,000 or so peopleare Tats and make their livings through agricultural activ-ities, including the production of many different grapes,peaches, nectarines, hay, wheat and cucumbers. Duringthe reign of reform oriented Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, the city’sname, then Syadehen, was changed to Takestan, whichmeans as much as “a place of vine-yards”.

58.1 Understand

58.2 Get in

The city is about 40km from Qazvin, the province cap-ital, and the easiest way in (both with private transportand public transport) is through there. The nearest inter-national airport is the Imam Khomeini International Air-port (IKIA) of Tehran, from where you can rent a car orhire a direct private taxi. You should be able to get a taxiall the way to Takestan for under $40. If you're travellingby public transport, the train connection between Tehranand Tabriz has a stop at Takestan.

58.3 Get around

58.4 See

• Pir-i Takestan Mausoleum. An 11th century,Seljuk style mausoleum.

• Alvand Hill. Around this archeological site, marbletombstones and ceramics from the Safavid era havebeen discovered.

• Dokhtar (Qiz) Castle. Thought to originate in thetime of Sassanide or Al Booyeh, this brick buildingis located in the hills near the Abakloo village, out-side of the city.

58.5 Do• Avaj Thermal Spring. People travel to this spring

for its alleged therapeutic effects. The temperatureof the water is said to be higher since the 1990 earth-quake in this area.

58.6 Buy

58.7 Eat

58.8 Drink

58.9 Sleep

58.10 Connect

58.11 Go next

127






Chapter 59

Western Iran

Western Iran is a large section of the country, to thewest of Iranian cities like Tehran and Qom. Most of theregion is co-located with Zagros Mountains starting fromTurkey and Kurdistan and ending in Persian Gulf.

59.1 Provinces• Alborz

• Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari

• Hamadan

• Ilam

• Kermanshah

• Khuzestan

• Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad

• Kurdistan

• Lorestan

• Markazi

• Qazvin

59.2 Cities• Ahvaz

• Arak

• Borujerd

• Hamadan

• Ilam

• Kermanshah

• Khorram Abad

• Qazvin

• Sanandaj

• Yasouj


59.4 Understand

Many Iranian ethnics such as Kurds, Lors and Bakhtiarislive in Western provinces of Iran.

59.5 Talk

The official language is Persian. Western dialects such asKurdish, Luri and Laki are frequently used.

59.6 Get in

Ahvaz and Kermanshah have international airports withflights to the Persian Gulf countries and Iraq. Otherprovincial capitals have airports with domestic flightsmostly to Tehran and Mashhad. To go to most cities ofthe region, you can use buses from Tehran, Isfahan, Shi-raz and other major Iranian cities. The national railwayconnects Theran to Persian Gulf and is mostly preferredby travellers to Khuzestan.The Persian Gulf Highway connects Markazi, Lorestanand Khuzestan provinces to Tehran. Hamedan and Ker-manshah can be accessed through this road or throughTehran - Saveh Freeway.

59.7 Get around

59.8 See

• Gahar Lake in Oshtorankuh Mountain in Lorestan.

• Susa, one of the oldest cities of Iran in Khuzestan

• Ali Sadr Cave in Hamadan Province

59.8.1 Itineraries

128




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zagros

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alborz_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chahar_Mahaal_and_Bakhtiari_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamadan_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ilam_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kermanshah_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khuzestan_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kohgiluyeh_and_Boyer-Ahmad_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kurdistan_(province)






https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Borujerd


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ilam





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yasouj



59.13. GO NEXT 129

59.9 Do

59.10 Eat

59.11 Drink

59.12 Stay safe

59.13 Go next

Chapter 60

Alborz (province)

Alborz Province is in Western Iran. Alborz Province(Persian: البرز , استان Ostan-e Alborz ) is one of the31 provinces of Iran, centered in Karaj. It was formedby division of Tehran Province into two provinces, af-ter the Parliamentary approval on June 23, 2010, andwas introduced as 31st province of Iran. Situated north-west of Tehran, the Province of Alborz has 6 counties,Karaj, Fardis, Savojbolagh, Eshtehard, Taleghan, andNazarabad. Karaj is the seat of the province. It is situ-ated 35 km west of Tehran, at the foothills of the Alborzmountains, and is Iran’s smallest province.

60.1 Cities

• Eshtehard - known for its dry climate and amazingnatural attractions

• Fardis

• Hashtgerd - the capital of Saojbolagh county

• Karaj – the capital and biggest city

• Nazarabad - known for the famous Uzbeki hill

• Taleghan - a group of historical pleasant villagesdeep in the mountains


• Jadde Chalus - A famous road that pierce throughAlborz mountains and lead to the coast of Caspiansea. The road is known to be one of the most beau-tiful roads in Iran

• Baraghan - A historical village just north of Karaj.It has a several historical places and stunning land-scapes. The population of the village speak Karajilanguage.

60.3 Understand

60.4 Talk

Native people of Alborz province speak Karaji language,an Iranian language which is similar to other languagesin Alborz mountains. Beside that and of course Persianwhich is spoken by everyone, since during the previousdecades millions of people immigrated to Karaj from dif-ferent parts of Iran, you can find people who speak otherlanguages too(eg. Kurdish, Azeri, Gilaki etc)

60.5 Get in

• Metro - Tehran Metro is connected with Karajthrough line 5(Dark green). Currently there are 3metro stations in the province: Karaj, Mohammad-shahr and Golshahr. The new line which will con-tinue to Hashtgerd is under construction and will beoperational in the early future.

• Train - All trains that connect Tehran with the west-ern parts of Iran as well as those that go to Turkey,pass through Karaj and most of them stop at Karajrailway station.

• Bus - Karaj is on Free Way 2, which connectsTehran and Tabriz.

• Shared Taxi - Several shared taxi(Savari) stationsoffer possibility to come from Tehran to differentparts of Alborz province. The stations are locatedin Vanak, Tajrish, Enghelab, Azadi, ... Their pricevary from 4 to 5000 Tomans(1-1.5 Euros) depend-ing on their routes

60.6 Get around

60.7 See

60.8 Do

130


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Eshtehard

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fardis

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hashtgerd


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nazarabad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Taleghan

60.12. GO NEXT 131

60.8.1 Skiing and Snowboarding

Alborz province provides some of the best skiing resortsin Iran. Dizin and Khor resorts are located north toKaraj. Dizin has one of the longest routes in the mid-dle east. Its lift reaches 3600 meters, making it one ofthe 40 highest resorts in the world.

60.8.2 Hiking

Alborz province take its name from Alborz mountainrange which is north to the city. Hiking is very popularbetween the people especially on Friday early mornings.Try Azimieh mountain north of Karaj. You can continuefor a half day walk to visit Amirkabir lake on the otherside of it.

60.9 Eat

60.10 Drink

60.11 Stay safe

60.12 Go next• Qazvin is the next major city if you travel westwards.

You can get a bus, shared taxi or other means oftransportation to Qazvin if you stay beside the free-way or in Golshahr station.


Chapter 61

Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari

Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiar is in Western Iran.

61.1 Cities• Shahrekord


61.3 Understand

61.4 Talk

61.5 Get in

61.6 Get around

61.7 See

61.8 Do

61.9 Eat

61.10 Drink

61.11 Stay safe

61.12 Go next

132


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shahrekord

Chapter 62

Hamadan (province)

Hamadan Province is in Western Iran.

62.1 Cities• Hamadan

• Lalejin


62.3 Understand

62.4 Talk

62.5 Get in

62.6 Get around

62.7 See

62.8 Do

62.9 Eat

62.10 Drink

62.11 Stay safe

62.12 Go next

133



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lalejin

Chapter 63

Ilam (province)

Ilam Province is in Western Iran.

63.1 Cities

• Ilam

• Abdanan

• Arkwaz

• Dehloran

• Dareh Shahr

• Eyvan

• Mehran

• Sarable


63.3 Understand

63.4 Talk

63.5 Get in

63.6 Get around

63.7 See

63.8 Do

63.9 Eat

63.10 Drink

63.11 Stay safe

63.12 Go next

134


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ilam

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abdanan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Arkwaz

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dehloran

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dareh_Shahr

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Eyvan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mehran

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sarable

Chapter 64

Kermanshah (province)

Kermanshah Province is in Western Iran.

64.1 Cities• Kermanshah

• Eslamabad-e Gharb

• Harsin

• Javanrood

• Kangavar

• Paveh

• Sonqor


64.3 Understand

64.4 Talk

64.5 Get in

64.6 Get around

64.7 See

64.8 Do

64.9 Eat

64.10 Drink

64.11 Stay safe

64.12 Go next

135



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Eslamabad-e_Gharb

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Harsin

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Javanrood

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kangavar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Paveh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sonqor

Chapter 65

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province is in WesternIran.

65.1 Cities• Yasouj


65.3 Understand

65.4 Talk

65.5 Get in

65.6 Get around

65.7 See

65.8 Do

65.9 Eat

65.10 Drink

65.11 Stay safe

65.12 Go next

136




Chapter 66

Kurdistan (province)

Kurdistan Province is in Iran.

66.1 Cities• Sanandaj


66.3 Understand

66.4 Talk

66.5 Get in

66.6 Get around

66.7 See

66.8 Do

66.9 Eat

66.10 Drink

66.11 Stay safe

66.12 Go next

137



Chapter 67

Central Iran

Central Iran lies at the heart of the country, home to ma-jor cities and travel destinations like Esfahan, the capitalTehran, and the holy city of Qom.

67.1 Regions• Fars

• Isfahan (province)

• Kerman (province)

• Kermanshah (province)

• Qom (province)

• Tehran (province)

• Yazd (province)

67.2 Cities• Esfahan

• Kashan

• Kerman

• Qom

• Shiraz

• Tehran

• Yazd


67.4 Understand

67.5 Talk

67.6 Get in

67.7 Get around

67.8 See

67.8.1 Itineraries

67.9 Do

67.10 Eat

67.11 Drink

67.12 Stay safe

67.13 Go next

138





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fars

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfahan_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kerman_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kermanshah_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qom_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tehran_(province)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yazd_(province)








Chapter 68

Qom (province)

Qom is a province in Central Iran.

68.1 Regions

68.2 Cities

• Qom - The capital.

• Dastjerd

• Ghanavat

• Jafariye

• Kahak


68.4 Understand

68.5 Get in

68.5.1 By air

The nearest and most easily accessible international air-port is Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Air-port (IATA: IKA), which is due to replace the olderMehrabad International Airport (IATA: THR).

68.5.2 By train

There are train routes which take you from Tehran andother nearby cities such as Arak, Yazd and Isfahan.

• Qom train station, ☎ +98/(0)251/6617141.

68.5.3 By car

Driving from Tehran might be a reasonable option, how-ever, if you're worried about driving in Iran you can re-serve a private bus to take you to Qom. After all, it ismuch safer to travel by private buses.

68.6 Get around

There is a pretty impressive bus and taxi system, whichhas many bus routes to Tehran and other cities. It is verycheap to travel by local buses in Qom. Private tour busesare generally much more expensive.

68.7 See• Jamkaran Mosque. The mosque is reserved for

Muslims only.

• Mar'ashi Najafi Library. Library has over500,000 handwritten texts

• Shrine of Fatima-al-Massumeh. The Holy Shrineis the burial place of “Fatema È Massumeh”.Women must wear a chador to enter.

• Howzeh lake: Rich in natural spring water which issaid to purify the heart.

• Feyze seminary: The place which devout Muslimsgather up to meet and hear speeches from the reli-gious leaders.

68.8 Do

68.9 Buy

Qom has many carpet and sweet (candy) shops. Qom isfamous for it’s “sohan,” a flat sweet biscuit made of pis-tachios and saffron. “Gaz”, a nougat candy is also avail-able. Qom is also known for the unique and beautiful silk

139



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dastjerd

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ghanavat

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jafariye

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kahak








http://www.jamkaran.info/

140 CHAPTER 68. QOM (PROVINCE)

rugs which are famous worldwide for their unique silk andpatterns. Naturally, as one of Islam’s holy cities there arenumerous religious shops which sell religious books, ver-sions of the Koran and cassettes.

68.10 Eat

There are lots of places to eat in Qom which range fromold style Persian restaurants to international restaurants.Persian restaurants offer a more authentic cultural atmo-sphere than international restaurants.

68.11 Drink

Drinks are forbidden in Islam, thus the only types ofdrinks you will be experiencing there will be non-alcoholic.

68.12 Stay safe

68.13 Go next

Chapter 69

Fars

Fars (Persian: (فارس is a province of Central Iran. Itis in the south of the country and its center is Shiraz. Ithas an area of 122,400 sq. km. In 1996, this provincehad a population of 3.8 million people, out of which 42%resided in rural areas and the rest were urban settlers.Nominally, Fars is the original homeland of the Persianpeople. The native name of the Persian language is Fārsior Pārsi. Persia and Persian both derive from the Hell-enized form Πέρσις Persis of the root word Pārs. Fārsis the Arabicised version of Pars. The Old Persian wordwas Pārsā.

69.1 Regions

• Estahban

• Abadeh

• Eghleed

• Bovanat

• Jahrom, Jahrum

• Darab

• Sepidan

• Shiraz

• Fasa

• Firouzabad

• Kazeroon

• Lar

• Lamerd

• Marvdasht

• Mamasani

• Konj

• Neyreez

69.2 Cities• Shiraz

• Estahban

• Abadeh

• Eghleed

• Bovanat

• Jahrom, Jahrum

• Darab

• Sepidan

• Fasa

• Firouzabad

• Kazeroon

• Lar

• Lamerd

• Marvdasht

• Mamasani

• Khorrambid

• Neyreez

69.3 Other destinations• Abshare Margoon

69.4 Understand

69.4.1 Climate

There are three distinct climatic regions in the FarsProvince. First, the mountainous area of the north andnorthwest has moderate cold winters and mild summers.Secondly, the central regions have relatively rainy mild

141


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Estahban

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadeh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Eghleed

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bovanat

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jahrom

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jahrum

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Darab

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sepidan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fasa

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Firouzabad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kazeroon


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lamerd

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Marvdasht

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mamasani

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Konj

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Neyreez


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Estahban

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadeh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Eghleed

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bovanat

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jahrom

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jahrum

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Darab


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fasa


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kazeroon


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lamerd

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Marvdasht

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mamasani

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorrambid

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Neyreez

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abshare_Margoon

142 CHAPTER 69. FARS

winters and hot dry summers. The third region locatedin the south and southeast and has moderate winters withvery hot summers. The average temperature of Shiraz is16.8° C, ranging between 4.7° and 29.2° C.

69.5 Talk

69.6 Get in

69.6.1 By plane

Each day many domestic and international flights arrivefrom various air lines in Shiraz International Airport.Many flights originate in countries such as Syria, Dubai,Abodabi, Saudi Arabia and in special cases Egypt, Rus-sia, and Turkey.After undergoing renovation and redevelopment workin 2005 Shiraz international Airport is identified as thesecond most reliable and modern airport in Iran (afterImam Khomeini International Airport of Tehran). Do-mestic flights between Shiraz and other cities such asTehran, Mashhad, Esfahan, Ahwaz, Abadan, Kerman-shah, Boshehr, Baandar Lengeh, Lar, Lamerd, Bandarabbas, Kish, Qeshm, Siry islands, Lavan, and in urgencycases to other airports in Iran.

69.6.2 By road

Shiraz is accessible via freeways to Isfahan, Kerman,Bushehr, Ahvaz and Yasouj, and accessible via road toBandare Abbas.

69.6.3 By train

Shiraz is connected by rail road to other cities such asTehran and Isfahan.

69.7 Get around

69.8 See

• Persepolis ruins about 50km northeast of Shiraz.

• Naghshe Rostam stone reliefs near Shiraz.

• Pasargad and the tomb of Cyrus the Great.

• Abshare Margoon waterfall near Sepidan, 100kmnorth of Shiraz.

Persepolis

Naghshe Rostam

69.8.1 Itineraries

69.9 Do

• Alpine skiing - Sepidan ski resort is located near thecity of Sepidan, in the northwest of Fars Province.It makes winter sport fans from neighbouring cities,reagons and even countries to gather in this city overthe weekends. The hills of the Zagros Mountains inthis region have created a suitable space for differentgames and sports on their snow-covered slopes.

• Poolad Kaf is another ski resort. The pistes areserved by a telecabin and 3 drag lifts. Skis can behired and, in the summer, mountain-bikes. A snow-mobile track runs around the perimeter. A new hotelcomplex is under construction, and should be com-pleted by 2011 or 2012. Before then, accommoda-tion is available next to the snowcat hanger. Roomsare doubles, with communal showers, and are cleanand decently sized. Outside of the ski season, dis-counts can easily be negotiated, especially if you arethe only visitors.

Alternatively, camping is an option. Those who speaksome Farsi may wish to speak to the nomads, who willlikely offer you tea and perhaps even a place to stay.


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Naghshe_Rostam



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alpine_skiing

69.13. GO NEXT 143

69.10 Eat• Faloodehye shirazi is a rose water sorbet that con-

tains small pieces of cooked rice noodle. The dishis quite subtle, slightly sweet with just a hint of rosepetals; the noodles add a chewiness to the sorbetbut little flavor. Faloodeh is served with a wedge oflemon, which added a refreshing kick. It’s an idealway to end a meal on a searing day. You can orderFaloodehye shirazi in Icecream shops and most teahouses (chai khaneh ). Have tea or faloodeh in thetea houses of the world famous gardens of shiraz.

69.11 Drink

Tap water in Fars province is drinkable, but has a lot ofchalk in it.

69.12 Stay safe

69.13 Go next

Chapter 70

Abadeh

Abadeh is a city in the Fars province of Iran.

70.1 Get in

By Bus or Car as Abadeh is located on the main road ofIsfahan-Shiraz.

70.2 Get around

70.3 See

Abadeh historical monuments include Emirate KolahFarangi, Tymcheh Sarafyan and Khaje tomb, located inthe Khoja mountains.

70.4 Do

70.5 Buy

Famous carved wood-work, made of the wood of pearand box trees.Sesame oil, castor oil, grain, and various fruitsAbadeh crafts can be embroidered in cotton. The townalso produces Abadeh rugs.

70.6 Eat

70.7 Drink

70.8 Sleep

70.9 Connect

70.10 Go next

144


Chapter 71

Firouzabad

Firouzabad (اردشيرخوره) is in Fars province, Iran.

71.1 Get in

71.2 Get around

71.3 See

Ghal'eh Dokhtar (Persian: دختر ,(قلعه also knownas The Maiden Castle, is a castle made by Ardashir I,in present day Fars, Iran, in 209 AD. It is located on amountain slope near the Firouzabad-Shiraz road.The for-tified palace contains many of the recurring features ofSasanian palace and civic architecture: long halls, arches,domes, recessed windows, and stairways.Castle of Ardeshir e Babakan (in Persian: قلعهبابکان ,(اردشير also known as the Atash-kadeh ,ه isa castle located on the slopes of the mountain on whichGhal'eh Dokhtar is situated on. Built in AD 224 by Ar-dashir I of the Sassanian Empire, it is located two kilome-tres (1.2 miles) north of the ancient city of Gor, i.e. theold city of Firouzabad in Fars. The palace was built nextto a picturesque pond that was fed by a natural spring,perhaps in connection with the Persian goddess of waterand growth, Anahita.The fire temple tower among the remains of Gōr.

71.4 Do

71.5 Buy

71.6 Eat

71.7 Drink

71.8 Sleep

71.9 Connect

71.10 Go next

145



Chapter 72

Kazeroon

Kazeroon is in Fars province, Iran.

72.1 Understand

72.2 Get in

72.3 Get around

72.4 See

• Shapur statue

• Parishan Lake

72.5 Do

Ashora and Tasoa carnival has been one of the mostcelebrated and unique carnivals in Iran. The date of thiscarnival is in the ninth and tenth of Moharam Month. Inthese two days people go out and show the killing of Hus-sein, son of Ali. The theater starts from morning til noon.Almost all people in the city walk on the street together.They morn for this historical event

72.6 Buy

72.7 Eat

72.8 Drink

72.9 Sleep

72.10 Connect

72.11 Go next• The nearby ruins of The ancient city of Bishapur ,

include bas-relief depictions from the Sassanid era.A statue of Shapur I (AD 241–272) can be found ina large cave at the site.

• The ruins of the Qal'eh-ye Gabri (Castle of theGabrs, or Zoroastrians) are located on a mound S.E.of Kazerun

146



Chapter 73

Margoon Waterfall

Margoon falls

Margoon Waterfall is in Sepidan of Iran. This waterfallis the main attractive of Abshare Margoon protected area.Margoon waterfall falls from the heart of a rocky moun-tain and has about 70 meter height and 100 meter widthand is considered as the big ones of waterfalls in Iran.

73.1 Understand

Most of the people know Abshare margoon protected areajust because of its famous waterfall and almost all visitsof ordinary people to this area happen in hot months ofthe year when the temperature of this area hardly reach to25(but temperature reach 40 degree and more in most ofthe country). But this protected area has lots of attractives, and professional tourists can enjoy mountain climbing,rock climbing, camping, landscape photography etc.

73.1.1 History

73.1.2 Landscape

73.1.3 Flora and fauna

As Abshare Margoon protected area is a part of ZagrosMountain range, it has diverse flora and fauna. Oak isthe main plant of the forests of the area and brown bear,Persian leopard, wolf, fox, wild boar, wild goat, Porcu-pine etc. are some of its wilderness.

73.1.4 Climate

The area has a cold weather between November and Aprilas sometimes the parts of waterfall gets freezed. It has amild weather in summers.

73.2 Get in

A road comes to Margoon Village-a village just near thewaterfall-, to reach the road Sepidan and Yasuj are thestart points.

73.3 Fees/Permits

There is no fees for entrance, hiking etc. Damaging theflora, fauna or polluting the water is forbidden in the area.

73.4 Get around

If you are not a real professional mountain climber, per-sonal cars are the best to reach the area.

73.5 See

In the gorge which waterfall falls, there is another streamwhich people can follow it to reach to the end of the gorge

147



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yasuj

148 CHAPTER 73. MARGOON WATERFALL

where there is a cave which the stream flows out of it.A horrible sound is heard from inside the cave which isfrom another waterfall at the end of the cave. visiting thewaterfall at the cave is proposed to visitors who can swim.

73.6 Do

73.7 Buy

73.8 Eat

73.9 Drink

73.10 Sleep

73.10.1 Lodging

73.10.2 Camping

73.10.3 Backcountry

73.11 Stay safe

73.12 Go next

Chapter 74

Pasargad

Tomb of cyrus

Pasargad is a historical site near Shiraz, in Fars province.Famous for the tomb of Cyrus the Great .

74.1 Get in

Bus to Saadatshahr, from there savari to Pasargad.

74.2 Get around

The sights are a few kilometers apart, so you might wanttransport in between.

74.3 See

• Tomb of Cyrus, is the burial place of the ancientCyrus the Great of Persia who founded of the Per-sian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. How-ever it is unfortunately hidden under an ugly scaf-folding and corrugated iron roof. It’s an UNESCOWorld Heritage site, listed as Pasargadae.

• Persian Gardens, one of nine world heritage listedPersian gardens in Iran.

• Private palace (Palace P)

• Gateway palace, very little left of it.

• Irrigation of the royal garden, interesting to seehow advanced they were then

• Throne of the Mother of Solomon, a ruin of apalace on a hill.

74.4 Do

74.5 Buy

74.6 Eat

There are no restaurants on site.

74.7 Drink

Buy your bottled water near the ticket office.

74.8 Sleep

74.9 Connect

74.10 Go next

149






Chapter 75

Sepidan

Sepidan is a county in the Fars province of Iran, Ardakanis the capital of the county. Sepidan is in a mountainousarea and has cold winters and mild summers.

75.1 Get in

Ardakan is in the middle of the road which connectsFars province to Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.Shiraz and Yasuj are the best places to reach Ardakan.There is no airport or railway in the county.

75.2 Get around

If you do not want to climb or hike the region (for profes-sionals), car is the best choice to travel inside the county.

75.3 See

Nature: Sepidan is a good place for nature lovers. Roanjand Barmefirooz are the highest peaks of the county,3,720 and 3,706 meters above sea level. This peaks arecovered with snow year round and are one of the mostimportant sources of fresh water in Fars province. Land-scapes like Abshare Margoon(Margoon Waterfall), Be-heshte Gomshodeh(Lost Paradise) and Pooladkaf ski re-sort are at the foothills of these peaks, and Chellegah isalso very beautiful.History: Though Sepidan is visited mostly for its natureand landscapes, it can be a destination for historical andarcheological tourists. Anshan, which is considered asthe Cradle of Achaemenid Emire is in Beyza district ofthis county. Golbahar Tower is another monument of thecounty which has been built in Safavids.

75.4 Do

Mountain Climbing: Sepidan peaks are the most tech-nical ones to climb in Fars province. All of the Shiraz

mountain clubs have winter and summer climbs in theirplans. Some of the walls of the mountains are also usefor technical rock climbing and training.Alpine Skiing: Sepidan has the only county in Farsprovine witch have ski resorts.

75.5 Buy

75.6 Eat

Sarbast is a village besides the road to Shiraz, Sarbast icecreams are famous as they are still made traditionally.

75.7 Drink

75.8 Sleep

There is a hotel in Pooladkaf ski Resort.

75.9 Connect

75.10 Go next

150

http://sepidan.org/



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yasuj


Chapter 76

Shiraz

Hafez Tomb

Shiraz (شیراز) is the capital city of the Fars provinceand a treasure trove of Persian culture. It was the capitalof Iran during the Zand dynasty’s era (1747–79), and isthe celebrated birthplace of the great Persian poets Hafizand Saadi. The city has a population of about 1,300,000.

76.1 Get in

76.1.1 By plane• Shiraz International Airport (IATA: SYZ) has

regular flights to all major and some smaller citiesin Iran. There are International flights to Istanbul,Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain, Kuwait,Doha.

Turkish Airlines is operating weekly 4 direct flights fromIstanbul to Shiraz and back.

76.1.2 By train

Shiraz Train station has trains to Isfahan and Tehran.However, the bus journey is shorter (2 hours less), so thatmight be recommended.

76.1.3 By bus

Shiraz is well connected to most parts of the country bybus.

76.1.4 By car

Motorways connect the city to Isfahan, Kerman, Bushehr,Ahvaz and Yasouj, and Bandar-e Abbas is reachable byhighway.

76.2 Get around

For non-Iranian visitors, taxis are probably the most con-venient mean of transport. However be sure to haggle fora good price prior to getting into the car.If an unmarked car stops while you are hailing a taxi,don't be alarmed. Many taxis in Shiraz are unmarkedand also as a means to supplement their income, is notuncommon to find private car owners touting themselvesas taxis.However it is always best to find a taxi through a reputable“telephone taxi” agency. For a set fee, drivers of theseagencies will take passengers to their destination, drivethem around town and also wait for them while they shopor run errands. All hotels and local residents will havea phone number of one these agencies. There are alsotaxis driven by women that specifically cater to womenpassengers.The city also has a reasonable bus service.

151

http://www.shirazcity.org/English/City.html










https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Doha






https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bandar-e_Abbas

152 CHAPTER 76. SHIRAZ

A metro runs between Ehsan on the north side of the cityand Namazi in the city centre.

76.3 Talk

Don't hesitate to talk to people, especially youths. Almostall of them speak English well enough to talk to you, an-swer your questions and chat with you. Respect Iraniangovernment and do not air condescending views of Iran.

76.4 See

Saadi Thomb

• Hafez Tomb. Mausoleum of Hafez- Hafez (1324–1391), the greatest master of Persian lyric poetryand the literary giant of the 14th century in the westand central Asia, was born in Shiraz, lived all his lifehere, sang its praises in unsurpassed verse and wasburied in a garden known after him as the Hafezieh,in the northeast part of the city. The wide appeal ofthis poet among all Persian-speaking people makehis tomb a cherished placed, visited by all. Thismausoleum was rebuilt in the early 50’s. A flight ofstone steps reaches to the tomb under a tiled cupolaresembling a dervish’s hat. The tombstone is beauti-fully inscribed with two of Hafez’s poems or Ghaz-als. Visitors to the tomb can still, as they have donefor centuries, take the omens, or faals, by picking apage at random from a volume of Hafez, kept forthis purpose. (updated Mar 2015)

• Saadi Tomb. Here lie the earthly remains of oneof Iran’s greatest poets. Even from the very earlydays after the poet’s death, the mausoleum of Sa’dibecame a place of pilgrimage to lovers of poetry andliterature. In 1808 AD Karim Khan Zand renovatedthe mausoleum. The tomb was rebuilt in the early50’s. The porch with its tall columns of pinkish mar-ble is a traditional feature of Iranian architecture.(updated Mar 2015)

• Arg of Karim Khan. Formerly a prison, but nowan architectural wonder on exhibit. The design ofthe citadel combines military and residential archi-tecture, for it was the home of Karim Khan and themilitary centre of the dynasty. Tile works depictinglegendary tales were added at the entrance gate ofthe citadel during the Qajar period. (updated Mar2015)

• Narangestan Qavam (Bagh-e-naranjestan). Bothtraditional and historical house, it was built in themid-to-late 19th century by Mirza Ibrahim Khan.The Qavam “Naranjestan” preserves the eleganceand refinement enjoyed by the upper-class familiesduring the 19th century. The mirrored porch was afocal point of the house, overlooking onto gardenslined with date palms and flowers. The house todayis a museum open to the public. (updated Mar 2015)

Interior of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

• Nasir al-Mulk Mosque. Built during the Qājārera, the mosque has extensively colored glass in itsfaçade, and other traditional elements such as panjkāseh-i (five concaves) in its design. (updated Mar2015)

• Jame’e Atigh Mosque. (updated Mar 2015)

76.6. BUY 153

• Vakil Mosque. Built between 1751 and 1773, dur-ing the Zand period; however, it was restored in the19th century during the Qajar period where its ex-uberant floral decorative tiles date from. (updatedMar 2015)

• Shah Cheragh. Seyed Amir Ahmad, known asShah-e Cheragh, the brother of Imam Reza, cameto Shiraz in the latter half of the 8th century. Hepassed away in the city and his tomb is now a placeof pilgrimage. The structure, tile work and the domeof the mausoleum have been rebuilt several timesover the centuries. The tomb, the beautiful silverdoors and the exquisite mirror work are the handi-crafts of masters and contemporary artists of Shiraz.(updated Mar 2015)

• Qur'an Gate (Dar vazeh Quran). The city’s mainentrance. The original gate was built as an orna-mental decoration by the Buwwayhids (Buwayhiddynasty) about 1000 years ago, but this was replaced60 years ago by new gate, which is considered one ofthe finest architectural designs in Iran and has wonnumerous awards. From the gate walk up the stonestairways to enjoy picturesque and panoramic viewsof Shiraz. The tomb of Khajooyeh Kermanee, a fa-mous poet, is also located here. Hidden in the al-leys on the hill-side are numerous restaurants thatserve the finest chelo kabob. It is an excellent placefor picnics and taking photographs. (updated Mar2015)

• Khan-e Zinat ol-Molk (The house of Zinat ol-molk), Next to Naranjestan Qavam. Historicalhouse and adjoining gardens that house the FarsDignatories museum.

• Abesh Khatoon Tomb

• Seyed Taj-e-din Gharib Tomb

• Sheykh Roozbahan Tomb

• Khan school

• Ghal'eye Karim Khan

• Christians Church

76.5 Do• Vakil Bath. An old public bath. (updated Mar

2015)

• Delgosha Garden (Bagh-e-delgosha). Enjoy awalk in this lovely old garden with flowers and bitterorange trees. (updated Mar 2015)

Afif Abad Gardens

• Afif abad Garden (Bagh-e-afifabad). Garden andhouses owned by the Ghavami family. It contains aformer royal mansion, a historical weapons museum,and a Persian garden that is one of the oldest gardensin Shiraz, all open to the public. (updated Mar 2015)

Eram Garden

• Eram Garden (Bagh-e-eram). Inscribed onthe UNESCO World Heritage List, this stunninglybeautiful complex contains a vast network of gar-dens, as well as a colorful palace and a system ofsmall artificial rivers flowing throughout the entirearea. Tourists can admire the wonderful flora or fol-low the little canals’ intricate system. Make sure theweather is sunny before coming here! (updated Mar2015)

76.6 Buy

Retail stores usually open between 9AM and 1PM, re-opening again from 5PM to 9PM. It is customary tohaggle for a discount, which is referred to as a takhfeef.


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Haggle


76.6.1 Bazaars

• Bazaar Vakeel. Huge ancient bazaar specializingin fine carpets, textiles, antiques and handicrafts,and spices. There is also a wonderful courtyardwith a pool located in the bazaar, perfect for pho-tographs. Caravansarais, bath houses, and old shopswhere hundreds of vendors are housed. (updatedMar 2015)

• Saray-e-Moshir. Caravansary at the south en-trance of Bazaar Vakil, which now functions as ex-hibition space for Iranian handicrafts. (updated Mar2015)

• Mesgarha Bazaar. (updated Mar 2015)

• Moshir-e-Now Bazaar

76.6.2 Shopping malls

• Aftab Fars Shopping Centre (MaaliAbaad Blv.).(updated Mar 2015)

• Hafez Shopping Centre, Afifabad Blv.

• Persian Gulf Complex (Sepidan Hwy. Near Sadraand Golestan Towns). (updated Mar 2015)

• Setareh e Fars Shopping Centre, Afifabad Blv.

• Sina Shopping Centre, Motahhari Blv.

• Zaytoon Shopping Centre, Paramount Intersec-tion.

76.7 Eat

76.7.1 Local foods

• Kebab with rice - Like elsewhere in Iran, themighty old kebab with rice is a common fare, thoughShiraz does offer a local variation on the nationaldish.

• Shirazi salad - A delicious and famous salad avail-able throughout Iran, made with cucumbers, toma-toes, onions and a simple lemon juice and olive oildressing.

• Kalam polo - Traditional food cooked only in Shi-raz. Some delivery food restaurants serve this food,but it can hardly be found in normal restaurants. It ismade of rice, meatballs, chopped cabbage and someother vegetables and spices.

Unmixed Shirazi salad, forming an Iranian flag

• Ash-e Shirazi - This is a kind of soup made of veg-etables and meat. It is served all over the city, butonly early in the morning, from 5 to 7 am.

• Masghati Halva - A great dessert and snack.

• Nokhod (Chickpea) Cookie - Delicious cookiemade of chickpeas, it makes for great souvenirs.

• Shirazi Faloodeh - Paloodeh/Faloodeh is an icecream made of rice starch, which takes the form ofnoodles. It is flavored with “sharbat” (sugar water),which can be of different flavors. Shirazi paloodehis the best of its kind, especially when mixed withBahar-e-Naranj Distill.

76.7.2 Restaurants

Many of these places have live music playing.

• Haft khan, buffet and classic restaurant, Iranian andinternational cuisine

• Bel passi, Italian Restaurant

• Brentin

• Lotus Restaurant, on the 13th floor of Pars Inter-national Hotel

http://setareh.co.ir/default.aspx?language=en-US

76.7. EAT 155

• Lotus Restaurant, on the top floor of Setareh-e-Fars Shopping Centre

• Kaktoos Restaurant

• Shater Abbas

• Sharzeh Restaurant, a classic old restaurant lo-cated just outside the Vakil bazaar

• Soofi Restaurant, traditional restaurant located atSattarkhan St.

• Hammam-e-Vakil (Vakil Bath), classic old stylerestaurant

• Parmin Restaurant

• Shandiz Restaurant

• Sita Traditional Restaurant, with live Iranian mu-sic

• Gambron SeaFood Restaurant, serving food fromthe whole of Persian gulf

• Dragon, Chinese Food

• Noor, Lebanese Restaurant, Chamran Blv

• Zeytoon, classic restaurant, Iranian restaurant

• Shater abbas, traditional Iranian restaurant, locatedin khak shenasi St.

76.7.3 Fast Food

You can find at least one fast food parlor in every Streetof Shiraz.

• Bagro, experience the real taste of pizza and sand-wich in a lovely place

• Givani, modern restaurant offering Burgers, FC,Pizza

• Safir SFC, another Modern themed restaurant

• Exis, Italian and Mexican Fast Foods

• Sand, a lovely fast food with a unique interior design

• Iranwich

• Hot

• Rabo

• Soofi

• Shaverma

• 110 Wimpy

• Emperor

• Zaver, great Italian pizzas

• Haft khan

• lio good

• Baba bastani بستنی) ,(بابا West GhodoosiBlv. Ice cream shop, more creamy than most otherice cream found in Shiraz. Try the special cone icecream. The shop is popular with the locals, so expecta queue. No seats but there is a small park beside.(updated Apr 2015)

76.7.4 Cafes

You can find coffee shops of every size, at shopping cen-tres and on the main streets.

• Brentin, Sattarkhan Blv

• Blensi, Dena Building, Moali abad Blv

• Wafi, Dena Building, Moali abad Blv

• Parmin, Parmin Building, Moali abad Blv

• Tulip, Khakshenasi st

• Safir, Ghasr dasht st

• Soofi, Chencheneh Intersection

76.7.5 Food Gardens

There are a lot of gardens out of Shiraz, and many havebeen remodeled as restaurants. Most have live musicplaying in the evenings and offer great view.

• Nakhlestan Garden

• Padra Garden, relatively new

• Darband Garden

• Silvia Garden


76.8 Drink

For more information on typical drinks in Iran, seeIran#Drink

• Distills - Shiraz has many kinds of aromatic distills.

• Haiku, Gas Square, in front of Azadi Park, acrossstreet,. 9am to 1pm. Special herb teas and coffeewith fresh baked cakes and desserts. (updated Aug2015)

76.9 Sleep

76.9.1 Budget

There are a few budget hotels located about 200m southof the roundabout at Arg-é Karim Khan.

• Darya Hotel, Piruzi Street. Clean. Single:IRR180,000; Double: IRR250,000.

• Golshan Hostel, No. 15 Alley 38. Lotfali Khan-e-Zand (Look for sign on the north side boardwalkof the street, follow the alley), ☎ +98-711-2220715,e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 14:00,check-out: 12:00. Awesome traditional court tohang around, drink tea and have a shisha. Theowner, Parviz, is an honest and good host, whospeaks English fluently. He knows all transport pos-sibilities and can book you a hotel he likes in an-other city at a fair price. Tours guide are good guys.There is a five-bed dorm room. The hostel runstours to Persepolis-Necropolis US$30 (half-day, ad-mission fee not included (150,000 IRR + 100,000IRR)) and Pasargad-Necropolis-Persepolis US$45(full-day, admission fee not included (150,000 IRR+ 100,000 IRR + 150,000 IRR)). Dorm bed:IRR300,000 IRR; Single: IRR:750,000; Double:IRR900,000; Triple: IRR1,650,000. Breakfast in-cluded. (updated Feb 2015)

• Niayesh Boutique Hotel, No. 10, Shahzadeh Ja-mali Lane, Bibi Dokhtaran Mausoleum Lane, Na-mazi junction, Lotfali Khan-e Zand St. (Difficultto find, but it’s not far from Shah-e Cheragh Shrine.From the police station 300 metres or so up theroad it’s clearly signposted.), ☎ +98-711-2233623,e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 14.00,check-out: 13.00. A new hotel with a nice innercourtyard and an OK restaurant serving standardfare. There is a dormitory, but it only sleeps four(with two single beds and a double bed). Great valuefor money. Optional extras like tea and laundry arequite expensive, so make sure you settle on a pricebefore agreeing to use additional services. There are

reports of private car drivers booked through thishotel overcharging, and the hotel is not responsiblefor that. The hotel offers tours to Persepolis viaFars Tourist Agency for US$20-25 (half-day) andUS$30-45 (full-day). Dorm bed: US$10, Single:US$25;, Double: US$40; Triple: US$50, includesbreakfast.

76.9.2 Mid-range

• Apadana Hotel, Ahli St., ☎ +98 (711) 2301336 &2359322, fax: +98 (711) 2301337.

• Aryo-Barzan Hotel, Roodaki Ave., ☎ +98 (711)2247182-4, fax: +98 (711) 2228959.

• Eram Hotel, Karim Khan-é Zand., ☎ +98 71 230-3884.

• Parseh Hotel, 22 Bahman St., ☎ +98 (711)2226600, fax: +98 (711) 2223003.

• Parsian Hotel, Roodaki Ave., ☎ +98 (711)2304965-69, fax: +98 (711) 2331000.

76.9.3 Splurge

• Chamran Grand Hotel, Chamran Blvd.,, ☎ +98(71) 36271218, 36289494, 36288484, fax: +98(71) 36291111, e-mail: [email protected].

• Homa Hotel, Meshkinfam St. (next to Azadi Park.),☎ +98 (71) 32288000, 32288009, fax: +98 (71)32288014 & 32288021. Housed in the former In-tercontinental.

• Pars International Hotel, Zand Boulevard., ☎+98 (71) 32332255, fax: +98 (71) 32307006 &32336380.

• Persepolis International Hotel, Atlasi Sq., AzadiBlvd., ☎ +98 (71) 32271280, 32271294, fax: +98(71) 32280941.

76.10 Stay safe

You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting a

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iran#Drink

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Golshan-Hostel/157062401024039

tel:/+98-711-2220715


http://www.niayeshhotels.com/

tel:/+98-711-2233623


http://www.aryohotel.com/

tel:/+98(711)2247182-4

tel:/+98(711)2247182-4

http://www.eramhotel.com/

tel:/+9871230-3884

tel:/+9871230-3884

tel:/+98(711)2226600

tel:/+98(711)2226600

tel:/+98(711)2304965-69

tel:/+98(711)2304965-69

http://www.chamranhotel.com/en

tel:/+98(71)36271218

tel:/+98(71)36271218


http://www.homahotels.com/Ehotel.aspx?id=6

tel:/+98(71)32288000

tel:/+98(71)32332255

http://www.persepolishotel.com/

tel:/+98(71)32271280


76.11. GO NEXT 157

gift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here

• Police: 110

• Fire Assistance : 125

• EMS: 115


76.11 Go next• Pasargad was a Persian capital built by Cyrus the

Great in the 6th century BC. Around 500 BC, DariusI built a new capital at Persepolis 50 km away. Bothare now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Listand both are near Shiraz.

Persepolis (Takht-e-Jamshid)

• Takht-e-Jamshid (Persepolis) - The World Her-itage Listed centre of the great Persian Empire, cer-emonial capital of the Achaemenians and the show-piece of Achaemenian art, Persepolis (Capital ofPersia in Greek) is a historic site in Fars Province,60 km to the northeast of Shiraz. Iranians call itTakht-e Jamshid (throne of Jamshid), Jamshid be-ing the first, probably mythical, ruler of Iran. Thismagnificent court was the summer residence of theAchaemenian emperors and their official receptionquarters. It must be by some strange accident ofhistory that Persepolis was never mentioned in for-eign records, for it was here that representatives ofall the varied peoples of the empire gathered to payhomage, and bring tribute, to the King of Kings,probably each spring, at the time of the ancient NowRuz festival. Although set on fire and destroyed by

Alexander in a gesture symbolizing the destructionof Persian imperial power, its still impressive ruinspermit a fairly complete reconstruction of its origi-nal appearance.

• Palace of Apadana

• Bishapur

• Firouzabad

• Ghal'eh Dokhtar

• Palace of Ardashir - The Palace ruins of Sassanidking Ardashir I. As of September 2014, entrance is150000 Rial per person for foreign tourists. To getthere, there are several options. You can either hirea taxi from anywhere in Shiraz, take a shared taxifrom the front of the Kar Andish Bus Terminal in theeast of the city or go by bus. Local minibuses leavefrom the so-called Ali Ibn Hamze Terminal, whichis a smaller terminal south of the bigger Kar Andishdomestic bus terminal, right next to the river. Askfor minibuses to Mavdasht or Persepolis. One rideis 15000 or 20000 Rial per person. From Mavdasht,taxis take you to Persepolis in 10 minutes. Don't paymore than a maximum of 60000 Rials. To get backto Shiraz, take a taxi from Persepolis to MavdashtTerminal, which is a hardly visible spot next to thestreet near the southern exit of Mavdasht. If you asklocals for 'bus Shiraz', they'll point you. From there,minibuses leave again when they are full for 15000Rial per person. On the way to Persepolis, you passthe Qur'an gate(city gate). You can ask the driverto drop you off at 'Darvazeh ye Qur'an' to visit thatafter coming back from Persepolis.





https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/World_Heritage_List

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/World_Heritage_List

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bishapur


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ghal%2527eh_Dokhtar

Chapter 77

Isfahan (province)

Isfahan is a province in Central Iran.

77.1 Cities

• Isfahan - capital city

• Aran va Bidgol

• Kashan

• Matin Abad

• Na'in

• Varzaneh


77.3 Understand

77.4 Talk

77.5 Get in

77.6 Get around

77.7 See

77.7.1 Itineraries

77.8 Do

77.9 Eat

77.10 Drink

77.11 Stay safe

77.12 Go next

158



https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aran_va_Bidgol


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Matin_Abad


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Varzaneh

Chapter 78

Aran va Bidgol

Aran va Bidgol is a desert town in the Isfahan provinceof Iran. Bordered by desert sands in the north and east, it’seasily reached as it is only a 12 km drive north-east fromthe city of Kashan. Aran va Bidgol is home to around55,000 people and originally consisted of two adjoiningbut separate villages.

78.1 Understand

78.2 Get in

The main way in is via a local road from nearby Kashan,which in turn is reachable via Road 71 and Freeway 7.

78.3 Get around

78.4 See

As in most comparable towns, the vast desert landscapesare among the main attractions. The Maranjab desert tothe north holds salt lakes, sand dunes and vast flatlandswith desert vegetation. There’s a fairly rich desert floraand fauna, with animals including jackals, sand cats andthe odd leopard spotting. The Maranjab caravansaryis one of the main sights, reminding of days long pastwhen Silk Road travellers on their way from Europe toAsia or back would find a place to rest here. It now offersaccommodation to modern day travellers.

78.5 Do

Visitors may want to arrange for a desert trip by camel orhorseback.

78.6 Buy

78.7 Eat

78.8 Drink

78.9 Sleep

78.10 Connect

78.11 Go next

159




Chapter 79

Isfahan

Isfahan (Persian: ,اصفهان also known as Esfahan) is acity in central Iran, south of Tehran and is the capital ofIsfahan Province. The Persians call it “Nesf-e-Jahan”,meaning “Half The World”. Due to its beautiful hand-painted tiling and magnificent public square, it is consid-ered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.An ancient town and capital of Persia from 1598 to 1722,it was long noted for its fine carpets and silver filigree.Today, textile and steel mills take their place. Its archi-tecture, tree-lined boulevards and relaxed pace make itone of the highlights of Iran.

79.1 Understand

The city is 430km south of Tehran at the foothills of theZagros mountain range. The city enjoys a temperate cli-mate and regular seasons. Isfahan is located on the mainnorth-south and east-west routes crossing Iran.The city has an Armenian Quarter called Jolfa (origi-nally called New Julfa) established by Shah Abbas I in the1600s after he destroyed the prosperous Armenian townof Julfa in Armenia and forced all of the Armenians tomove to Persia, mostly to Isfahan. They were allocatedland and rebuilt a prosperous community that was a keypart of an Armenian trade network extending from Sin-gapore and India to Venice and Amsterdam. Today thequarter still has many Armenian Churches, an Armenianschool, shops and Armenian residents.

79.2 Get in

79.2.1 By plane

Isfahan International Airport or Isfahan Shahid Be-heshti (IATA: IFN) was a military air base before therevolution. There are daily flights to Tehran and Mashhadin Iran. There are also flights to Damascus, Dubai,Kuwait and Istanbul. From the Airport you can take cabfor c. IRR200,000 to the city centre. Since most peo-ple are going there anyway, you can always ask people toshare taxi.

79.2.2 By train

There is a night-train to Tehran and a daily train toMashhad. There are no trains to Shiraz.The night train from Tehran to Isfahan costs IRR240,000for sleeping in a comfortable 6-bed compartment.The train station in Isfahan is located far from the oldtown. Take bus #37 from the train station to Safah busterminal(صفه ,(;ترمینال where you can change for bus#91 to old town. The best place to get off is Chahar-baq street, where there are many hostels, hotels, cafes andthings to see.

79.2.3 By car

Isfahan is well-served by highways. There are good routesto the capital Tehran, Kashan, Shiraz, Yazd and Ahvaz.

79.2.4 By bus

Isfahan is well connected to most parts of Iran by bus.There are multiple bus terminals in Isfahan and youshould note which one is more suitable for you.There are buses to/from Tehran every 15 minutes. Alsothere are a few luxury buses with a so-called “Europeanstandard” (very comfortable seats, open mini-bar, etc.).Royal Safar Iranian is one a few luxury bus operators.Seats are extremely comfortable with lots of leg room.Water is provided and movies are shown. The ticket toTehran costs IRR220,000.

79.3 Get around

79.3.1 By bus

It is easy to get around Isfahan by bus. A single journeycosts IRR5000; you can pay the driver directly, or buymulti-journey contactless cards at certain bus stop booths.Note that there are separate men (front) and women (rear)sections on each bus.

160



















http://en.royall.ir/

79.4. SEE 161

From Kaveh Bus Terminal, take Bus 91 which runs downChahar Bagh-e Pa'in St towards the city center, pastTakhti Junction and Imam Hossein Sq.

79.4 See

79.4.1 Squares and streets

Naqsh-e Jahan Square

• Naqsh-e Jahan Square. Also known as shahsquare or imam square-1602 (Meidan Emam). Thesquare contains two mosques, a palace, and thebazaar. The square is the largest historical publicsquare in the world after Tiananmen Square in Bei-jing and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thesquare is surrounded by buildings from the Safavidera. This a very popular place for locals to picnic onFriday and holiday evenings. (updated Jun 2015)

• Chaharbagh Boulevard. 1596, dating from theSaffavid era, the avenue is the most historically fa-mous in all of Persia. (updated Jun 2015)

• Meydan Kohne. (updated Jun 2015)

• Shahshahan Square. (updated Jun 2015)

79.4.2 Mosques

The stunning mosques of Isfahan are among the mostbeautiful and interesting in the world.

• Imam Mosque (called Shah Mosque before the rev-olution), Naqsh-e Jahan Square, south side. Builtduring the Safavid period, it is an excellent exam-ple of Islamic architecture of Iran, and regarded asone of the masterpieces of Persian Architecture. Itis registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Its splendour is mainly due to the beauty of itsseven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscrip-tions. (updated Jun 2015)

Shah Mosque

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, interior of the dome

• Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque, Naqsh-e JahanSquare, east side. One of the architectural master-pieces of Safavid Iranian architecture, this mosqueis considered to be the most beautiful in Iran. Builtin 1602 by Shah Abbas I.= and designed by his chiefarchitect, Sheikh Bahai. The mosque was designedto be a private mosque for the royal family and there-fore it does not have any minarets. There is a tun-nel from the mosque to the Royal Palace, across thesquare. (updated Jun 2015)

• Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan, north of Naqsh-e Ja-han Square in the old quarter. Started in AD842,this is the first Islamic building to adopt the four-courtyard layout of Sassanid palaces. (updated Jun2015)

• Hakim Mosque, Hakim (north of Naqsh-e Jahanin the old quarter). One of the oldest mosques inIsfahan. Built by Shah Abbas II between 1656 and1662. Located on the site of a 10th century mosque.The portal was covered in mud until it was discov-ered in 1956. (updated Jun 2015)

79.4.3 Palaces

• Ālī Qāpū (The Royal Palace). Early 17th Cen-tury. It is forty-eight meters high and there are seven

162 CHAPTER 79. ISFAHAN

Ali Qapu Palace

Chehel Sotoun

floors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase.In the sixth floor music room, deep circular nichesare found in the walls, having not only aestheticvalue, but also acoustic. It is rich in naturalistic wallpaintings by Reza Abbassi, the court painter of ShahAbbas I, and his pupils. There are floral, animal andbird motifs. (updated Jun 2015)

• Hasht Behesht (The Palace of Eight Paradises).1669, reportedly built for residence purposes of theking’s harem. Set within lush gardens which are freeto roam if you don't want to go inside the building.(updated Jun 2015)

• Chehel Sotoun (The Palace of Forty Columns).1647: It is called Palace of forty columns, as thereare many columns, and in Iranian, 40 means many.Incidentally, there are twenty columns, and theseare reflected in the pool in front, which might alsoaccount for its name. The function of this palacewas for holding religious-national ceremonies androyal festivals and for receiving royal ambassadorsand guests. It’s Persian Gardens is one of nine in-scribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Con-tains some spectacular battle murals. (updated Jun2015)

• Talar Ashraf (The Palace of Ashraf). 1650 (up-dated Jun 2015)

79.4.4 Schools

• Madreseye Sadr

• Madreseye Madar Shah (Imam Jafar Sadegh afterrevolution). The compound was built during SoltanHossein, a Safavid king, to serve as a theological andclerical school to train those who were interested insuch sciences.The dome and the greater part of thewalls are covered in bright yellow bricks which givea feeling of lightness. The entrance gate decoratedwith gold façade and silver, and the tile-works insidethe building are masterpieces of fine art and indus-try. The central court, with its pool and garden, aresurrounded by arcades on two levels, each giving ac-cess to a student’s room.

• Madreseye Khajoo

79.4.5 Bridges

Si-o-se Pol, another one of the 11 bridges

Walk along the Zayanderud River beside the ancientbridges. You see many locals doing this everyday. How-ever, as a result of a drought and badly planned dam, thereis usually no water in the river.

• Si-o-Seh Pol (The Bridge of 33 Arches). 1602. It ishighly ranked as being one of the most famous ex-amples of Safavid bridge design. Beautiful whetherthere is water underneath it or not, there is also a ba-sic eatery at the northern end. (updated Jun 2015)

• Pol-e Shahrestan (Shahrestan Bridge). 11th Cen-tury. It is one of the oldest surviving bridges in Iran,built in the 14th Century (C.E.). (updated Jun 2015)

• Pol-e Khaju (Khaju Bridge). 1650. It is the finestbridge in the province of Isfahan and built by thePersian Safavid king, Shah Abbas II around 1650CE. This structure originally was ornamented withartistic tile works and paintings and served as a tea-house. (updated Jun 2015)

79.5. DO 163

• Pol-e Joui (or Choobi). It is one of Isfahan’s oldestbridges and was built in 1665, during the Safavidera. (updated Jun 2015)

• Pol-e Maarnaan. (updated Jun 2015)

79.4.6 Churches and Cathedrals

Vank Cathedral

• Vank Armenian Cathedral (Holy Savior Cathe-dral - Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Վանք) (One block eastof Nezami Str. and Khaghani Str. intersection).17th-century Armenian cathedral. The interior iscovered with fine paintings and gilded carvings andincludes a wainscot of rich tile work. The delicatelyblue and gold painted central dome depicts the Bib-lical story of creation of the world and man’s expul-sion from Eden. 150,000 rial.

• Bedkhem Armenian Church (Bethlehem Arme-nian Church) (One building west from intersectionof Nazar Str. and Tohid Str.). Another interestingcombination of Persian and Armenian religious ar-chitecture, this large church completed in 1627 isfull of stunning paintings and frescoes. Behind JolfaSquare, less than 5 minute walk from Vank Cathe-dral. 50,000 rial.

79.4.7 Gardens

• Flowers Garden

• Birds Garden

79.4.8 Others

• Atashgah - a Zoroastrian fire temple. This templeis dramatically set atop a rock on the outskirts ofIsfahan and provides a commanding view of the city(although much of it is covered in smog). You can

take one of the blue buses (ask at the drivers), whichwill take you there.

• Buqe'h-ye Ibn-Sina (Avicenna’s Dome) - 12thCentury.

• The Tombs of Nizam al-Mulk & Malek Shah -12th & 18th Century.

• Jolfa - The Armenian Quarter, it includes one of themost beautiful churches in Iran.

• Sheikh Bahai Bathhouse - falling apart due to ne-glect.

• Pigeon Towers - Built in the 17th century to attractpigeons, whose feces were then used as fertilizer.

• Hamam-e (Bathhouse) Ali Gholi Agha

79.5 Do

• Take a taxi to the south of the city to Soffeh Moun-tain and catch a telecabin up for IRR60,000 or gobowling underneath the telecabin station.

79.6 Learn

• Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani University - Foreign stu-dents can learn Persian here as part of tailor-madecourses to suit their needs. Contact: Foreign Stu-dent Coordinator Ghaem Blv., Sepahan Shahr,Tel:98-311-6502820-28

• University of Esfahan

• Esfahan University of Medical Sciences

• Esfahan University of Technology

• Malek Ashtar University

• Sheikh Baha'i University (SHBU)

• Mohajer Technical College

• Khorasgaan(Esfahan) Azad University

• Art University Of Esfahan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Persian


79.7 Work

There is a technology university known as IUT and thereare a lot of technology towns such as Sheikh bahaee, Jay,Amir Kabir, Oshtorjaan and many others which all areactive in industry. Qualified people would like work inthese towns or Foolad mobarakeh or Melt Iron compa-nies, both active in the steel industry.

79.8 Buy

Isfahan bazaar

Note that shops in the main square must pay an additional8% tax on sales, which is passed on to the customer. Un-less the item that you are purchasing is unique or inexpen-sive, you may be better off shopping outside of the mainsquare.

• For a real treasure trove, visit the famous bazaar.

• Isfahan carpets are world-famous, being the veryfinest of the Persian carpets. They are also often ex-tremely expensive. Carpets from the nearby townof Na'in are similar in style, also well-known, andare expensive too. For those who are interested, itis possible to buy the highly decorative and brightlycoloured traditional dress of Isfahan, but such cloth-ing can be expensive, so it’s better to haggle for areasonable price.

• Miniatures These exquisite miniature paintings arepainted on camel bone. Most of them are soldframed, and prices start from about IRR15,000. Itcan be more costly if the artwork is done by a minia-ture master. Shop and look at various shops beforemaking your decision.

79.9 Eat

In some parks, you can simply obtain a carpet and teafrom the park warden, and have a picnic on the grass!You will find families gather in these parks, and bring bar-becues and cook freshly made kebabs, which smell (andtaste) delicious.

79.9.1 Local foods• Chelo kebab (kebab with rice) is a must; there are

regional variations in Isfahan.• Beryani is a popular lunch dish in Isfahan. It has

made with sheep meat and lung. Although Iranianslove this meal, it is very fatty. Therefore some west-erners may dislike Beryani.

• Fereni (a concoction of rice flour, water and milk)at Fereni Hafez, which is along Hafez Street nearImam Square. It costs IRR3000 for a small bowl orIRR5000 for a bigger one.

79.10 Drink

Visit one of the tea-houses in the bazaar or under one ofthe bridges.

79.10.1 Coffee

There are lots of coffee shops in Isfahan.Feel Cafe in “Mir Fendereski” St. is one of the most pop-ular Cafes in Isfahan.

79.11 Sleep

79.11.1 Budget• Nik hostel, ☎ +98 913 305 5008, e-mail:

[email protected]. Check-in: 13, check-out:12. It is a guest house in the downtown. It is an oldhouse but it is clean. The owner can speak Englishand a little bit Dutch. Send him an email before ar-riving in Isfahan. Bed in dorm (+ breakfast) is 10€,private room with 2 beds (+ breakfast) is 20€. (up-dated Sep 2015)

• Amir Kabir Hostel, Charbagh st (There isa bus stop right outside the entrance.), ☎ +98311 2227273, fax: +98 311 2210255, e-mail:[email protected]. Popular among backpack-ers due to the cheap prices, but the rooms aredirty. Sleep on the floor: IRR200,000; Dorm bed:IRR250,000; Single: IRR400,000 Double: USD20;Triple: IRR900,000.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Foolad_mobarakeh


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Haggle

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Feel-elIfant/331042986976979?ref=ts&fref=ts

tel:/+989133055008


tel:/+983112227273

tel:/+983112227273


79.12. CONNECT 165

79.11.2 Mid-Range

• Dibai House, 1 Masjed Ali Alley, Harunie, ☎+98 311 2209787, fax: +98 311 2209786, e-mail: [email protected]. Dibai House com-prises a fully and scrupulously restored 17th-centurySafavid historic mansion that with modern facili-ties. No smoking indoors. Price includes break-fast, and owner Sufi is extremely helpful with travelinformation. €40/60/80 per room/night for sin-gle/double/triple rooms. 10% discount for stayslonger than a week and for groups of 5 or more.

• Hasht Behesht Apartment Hotel, Ostan-dari st, ☎ +98 311 221 486869, e-mail:[email protected]. Clean, modernand central.

• Bekhradi Historial Residence, No. 56 Son-bolestan Alley, Ebn-e-Sina, Shohada Sq., ☎ +98311 4482072-3, fax: +98 311 4882073, e-mail:[email protected]. Quiet, traditional khan-e-sonnati (Iranian traditional house). Five beautifullyresorted Safavid-style rooms, some with bathroomsset around two garden courtyards. There is also arestaurant and free internet in this quiet area northof Imam Square. Rooms between US$60-US$90per person, per night (+16% tax/service).

• Safir Hotel, Amadegah Street (Across the streetfrom the Abassi Hotel), ☎ +98 31 32222640, e-mail:[email protected]. Glass elevator. Some roomsdon't have windows. Includes a pool with massageservices at USD50/hour.

79.11.3 Splurge

• Abbasi Hotel. Built during the reign of King Sul-tan Hossein of Safavids about 300 years ago. KingSoltan Hossein attributed this magnificent com-plex of building to his mother. That is why it iscalled “the school and caravansaray of Madar-shah”(which means king’s mother). The hotel also has anice restaurant and tea house in the courtyard.

• Kowsar International Hotel. Overlooks Zayan-deh Rood River.

• Ali-Qapu Hotel, Chahar Bagh Ave, ☎ +98 3112227922, fax: +98 311 2216049. 97 rooms and 4suites.

• Aseman Hotel. Overlooks the river.

79.12 Connect

There are various Internet cafés in Isfahan. The best placewhich has the fastest connection and also cheapest in thecity is the Central Library of Esfahan. It is accessiblefrom Naghshe-Jahan Square by five minutes walk.

79.13 Cope

79.13.1 Visas & Permits

There is an old consulate of Russia behind the bazzar.

79.14 Money safety

You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here

79.15 Go next• Na’in is the first Desert city toward east. it’s a small

and quiet town at the edge of desert. A perfect pat-tern of a desert town. Everything you like to see ina desert town you can find there. to get there, busesdepart Jay terminal USD2 every half an hour from06:00 to 20:00. private taxi is also available. 140km1/5 hrs.

• Toudeshk-Cho is 100km from Isfahan, on the wayto Yazd. It is a very, quaint traditional desert villageand it is easy to get to from the Jey Minibus ter-minal. It is well known among backpackers as thelocation of the Tak-Taku Homestay (details on theToudeshk-Cho page or call Mohammed on +98 913365 4420).

• Qom is a holy city a few hundred kilometres away.

• Shiraz is south of Isfahan.

• Kashan is famous for its beautiful mansions from the1800s and its gardens.

http://www.dibaihouse.com/

tel:/+983112209787


http://ehbhotel.webs.com/

tel:/+98311221486869


http://www.safavidinn.com/

tel:/+983114482072-3

tel:/+983114482072-3


http://www.safirhotel.net/

tel:/+983132222640


http://www.abbasihotel.ir/

http://www.hotelkowsar.com/

http://aliqapu.pih.ir/

tel:/+983112227922

tel:/+983112227922

http://www.asemanhotel.ir/

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Russia




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Na%E2%80%99in

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Toudeshk-Cho


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Toudeshk-Cho





• Dasht-e-Kavir (central desert of Iran) is easilyreached by a 6 hours bus journey from Isfahan.You'll find oases, salt lakes, etc.

Chapter 80

Kashan

Tabatabaei House, early 1800s, Kashan. A fine example of tra-ditional Persian architecture.

Kashan is a city in the Isfahan province of Iran. Kashanis the first of the large oases along the Qom-Kerman roadwhich runs along the edge of the central deserts of Iran.Its charm is thus mainly due to the contrast between theparched immensities of the deserts and the greenery ofthe well-tended oasis. Archeological discoveries in theSialk Hillocks which lie 2.5 miles (4 km) west of Kashanreveal that this region was one of the primary centersof civilization in pre-historic ages. Hence Kashan datesback to the Elamite period of Iran. The Sialk zigguratstill stands today in the suburbs of Kashan after 7000years. After world known Iranian historical cities suchas Isfahan and Shiraz, Kashan is a common destinationfor foreign tourists due to numerous historical places.

80.1 Get in

Kashan is situated around 250 km south of Tehran. A busride from Tehran’s South Terminal (Terminal-e-jonub)takes at least three hours. From Isfahan, the distance is220 km, there are frequent buses from the Kaveh termi-nal. Buses tend to drop passengers at Valiasr Squareor Montazeri Square, in particular if your buses justpasses Kashan on his way to another destination. Expectenough taxis hanging around. For leaving Kashan, headto the bus terminal.Kashan is also connected to Tehran, Isfahan and numer-ous other cities by train. The train station is located atthe Eastern fringe of the town.The closest airports are located in Tehran and Isfahan.

80.2 Get around

Most historical houses and the Agha Bozorg mosque caneasily be reached on foot. A taxi to the Fin Garden shouldnot cost more than 80,000 Rials (Jan. 2016). For sightsfurther outside the city, consider hiring a taxi. (see be-low).

80.3 See

Fin garden

• Agha Bozorg Mosque. This historical mosque wasbuilt in the late 18th century by master-mimar UstadHaj Sa'ban-ali. The mosque is not in use any more,the theological school in its basement is, however,active. It was here where Ustad Ali Maryam as a

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pupil started his career as a brilliant architect. free.(updated Jan 2016)

• Fin Garden. One of the most beautiful historicalgardens of the middle-east and the world. It con-tains Kashan’s Fin Bath, where Amir-Kabir a fa-mous vizier of Qajarid was murdered by the KingNasereddin Shah. The garden covers 2.3 hectareswith a main yard surrounded by ramparts with fourcircular towers. In keeping with many of the Persiangardens of this era, the Fin Garden employs a greatmany water features. It’s one of nine world heritagePersian Gardens. 200,000 Rials (foreigner price).(updated Jan 2016)

• Kashan Bazaar. With its fantastic mudbrick ar-chitecture, it is one of the jewels of the city. Pay asmall amount to one of the touts hanging around thebazaar and you will be led to the roof of the bazaar,where you can get an idea of the technical marvel ofbuilding such large structures from mudbricks andhave a wonderful view over the old city. (updatedJan 2016)

• Timcheh Amin-o-dowleh. Actually forming a partof the bazaar, this large structure was formerly a car-avanserai and has been renovated recently. Have atea from the stand, take a break and look at the Ira-nian way of doing business here (updated Jan 2016)

• Historical bathhouse (Hammam-e-Khan). Oldhammam beautifully transformed into a tradionalcoffee shop where you can take a rest, drink tea orsmoke a shisha. no entrance fee, 100,000 Rials fora serving of tea with cookies.. (updated Jan 2016)

• Sultan Amir Bath. Beautifully restored bath-house, with lighting installed to make the impressioneven more memorable. Don't forget to ask for thestairs to the roof. 150,000 Rials (foreigner price).(updated Jan 2016)

• Boroujerdi ha Residence. The house of Borou-jerdi, belonging to a trading family who migratedto Kashan, was built over a hundred years ago. Theconstruction date can still be seen on the coveredinscription of the building, completion of whichtook 18 years of work by tens of laborers, archi-tects and master painters. Since exceptional atten-tion has been paid to all minute architectural detailsdemanded by the geographical and climatic condi-tions of the area, the house has attracted consid-erable attention of architects and recognition fromIranian and foreign scientific and technical teams.200,000 Rials (foreigner price). (updated Jan 2016)

• Tabatabaie Residence. A large house with severalcourtyards, which once belonged to a wealthy mer-chant. Experience how well the wind towers work.

It consists of delightful wall paintings with elegantstained glass windows and includes other classic sig-natures of Traditional Persian residential architec-ture such as biruni and andaruni. 150,000 Rials (for-eigner price). (updated Jan 2016)

• Sultan Amir Shrine (Imamzadeh-ye Sultan MirAhmad). free. Women must be covered with achador. (updated Jan 2016)

• Ameri-Ha (Amerian) House عامری) .(خانه Tra-ditional house built in the mid 19th century duringthe Qajar era, the house is one of several large spec-tacular old houses in the central district. Like theother houses around it, it was re-built after Kashanwas ravaged by a series of massive earthquakes inthe 18th century. The house is now a boutique ho-tel. (updated Jan 2016)

• Sialk Ziggurat. Claimed to be the world’s oldestziggurat, dating to the 3rd millennium BC. (updatedJan 2016)

• Abbasian House عباسیان) (خانه is a large tra-ditional historical house built during the late 18thcentury, the house is a beautiful example of Kashaniresidential architecture. It is said to have been theproperty of a famous cleric. It has six courtyards thatwould fit the needs of different families. One of thechambers has a ceiling designed with mirror piecesso as to give the impression of a starry sky under thenocturnal glitter of candlelight. The house is now apublic museum.

• Sharifian House

• Al-e-Yaseen House

• 40 Dokhtaran Fortress

• Abu-Lu'lu'ah Shrine (the assassin of Islam’s sec-ond Caliph) constructed in an eleventh centurydistinctive Persian-Khwarezmian dynastic architec-tural style, consisted of a courtyard, porch and con-ical dome decorated with turquoise coloured tiles,and painted ceilings.

• Puppet and toy museum, No 43 Allameh Al-ley (It is signposted from Tabatabaei residence.),☎ +98(31)−5522-5134. If you are tired of his-torical houses, consider this cute museum showingsome Iranian puppets and toys. Workshop included.50,000 Rials (foreigner price). (updated Jan 2016)

• Ghal'eh jalali


http://www.puppets.ir/

tel:/+98(31)-5522-5134

80.7. SLEEP 169

80.4 Do

There are a few must-dos in Kashan: Make sure to visitthe traditional bazaar and walk around a bit in the neigh-bouring streets to catch the feeling of an Iranian town onthe fringe of the desert. Make sure to visit Fin gardenand, if you happen to visit Kashan in the right season, therose gardens in the suburb. And, of course, visit one ortwo of the historical houses.For many travellers, Kashan is the first stop after busyand noisy Tehran. It is well worth to plan an extra dayin Kashan, as its traditional hotels, the tea houses, and itsgardens will inspire you to linger around, take a rest andrecharge your batteries. For this purpose, the attractionsare best visited without a guide.

80.5 Buy

Carpet and rose water are the two world known productsof the city. You will see numerous shops trying to sellrose water and other aromatic liquids to tourists.Traditional cookies.

80.6 Eat

The traditional hotels of Kashan all have decent restau-rants where lunch and dinner are available. Apart fromthis, there are traditional restaurants near the sights, andseveral garden restaurants line on the road next to FinGarden. All of them serve Persian food only. Fast foodshops can be found in all busier streets.

• Mozaffari Restaurant مظفری) خانه ,(سفره offAlavi Street (opposite of Tabatabaei residence.), ☎+98-31-55235300. Traditional restaurant servingKebabs and other Iranian dishes. Nicely decoratedwith carpets and a pond under a very high ceiling.Expect to pay 400,000 Rials per person. (updatedJan 2016)

• Manouchehri House, No 49, 7th Emarat Al-ley, Sabet Alley, Mohtasham Street, Kashan (Thereare foolproof signs from Mohtasham street.), ☎+98(31)−5521-2617, fax: +98(31)−5524-5531.This little restaurant is part of the Manouchehri bou-tique hotel. It overlooks the inner courtyard withthe fountain and is tastefully decorated. The menuchanges daily and contains Iranian dishes with culi-nary ambitions. It is a good place if you are tired ofthe standard Iranian fare. Expect better service andhigher prices than elsewhere. Expect to pay 500,000Rials per person. (updated Jan 2016)

• Abbasi Tea House & Traditional Restaurant,off Alavi Street , Fazel Naraghi Street (It is part

of the Abbasi traditional house), ☎ +98(31)−5524-5764. Traditional restaurant serving Kebabs andother Iranian dishes. Nicely decorated with carpetsand a pond. Don't forget to admire the intricatewoodwork of the ceiling. Some of the items on themenu don't carry prices, inquire or risk to be grosslyovercharged. Expect to pay 500,000 Rials per per-son. (updated Jan 2016)

80.7 Sleep

Kashan is a small town where the tourism infrastructureis not yet fully developed. Accommodation should be re-served well in advance if you travel in the tourism season.In the high season, locals offer private rooms.

• Manouchehri House, No 49, 7th Emarat Al-ley, Sabet Alley, Mohtasham Street, Kashan (Thereare foolproof signs from Mohtasham street.), ☎+98(31)−5521-2617, fax: +98(31)−5524-5531, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in:14:00, check-out: 12:00. Traditional (or boutique)hotel with very nice and atmospheric interior locatedvery close to the Bazaar. The inner courtyard witha water basin invites for relaxation in the afternoon.This house was renovated in a long process, picturesfrom the works are on display in the corridor. Itis owned by an Iranian-Swiss lady who supposedlyinvested two million US-Dollars into the hotel, andwho ensures a European level of quality. It is pop-ular and often booked out, reserve ahead. Doublerooms start at 2.3 Million Rial. Inquire. (updatedJan 2016)

• Noghli House, No 20, Ab anbar-e-Khaan Passage,Paamenar Alley, Molla Habibollah-e-Sharif St.,Kashan (Walk around the Agha Bozorg Mosque.),☎ +98(31)−5523-3324, fax: +98(31)−5523-9346,e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 14:00,check-out: 12:00. Traditional house around a court-yard. Rooms with shower and rooms with sharedshower. (updated Jan 2016)

• Ehsan House, near Kamal-ol-Molk Square (Walkwest along Fazele Naraji Street from Kamal-ol-MolkSquare. When you see the street leading to AghaBozorg Mosque on your left, turn right into the al-ley. It’s a few meters into the structure), ☎ +98(31) 5544 6833, +98 (31) 5546 4600, e-mail:[email protected]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. The most atmospheric place to stayis Ehsan House across the road from one of themosques. It Kashan’s first traditional house that wasconverted into a hotel, with a beautiful courtyard andfree Wifi and breakfast. Standard price is 300,000rials for a room which can sleep three people, but it

tel:/+98-31-55235300

tel:/+98(31)-5521-2617

tel:/+98(31)-5524-5764

tel:/+98(31)-5524-5764

http://www.manouchehrihouse.com/hotel.html

tel:/+98(31)-5521-2617


http://noghlihouse.com/en/

tel:/+98(31)-5523-3324


http://www.ehsanhouse.com/?lan=en

tel:/+98(31)55446833

tel:/+98(31)55446833

tel:/+98(31)55464600


170 CHAPTER 80. KASHAN

is very possible to bargain. (Dec 2010: Dutch trav-eller paid 150,000 for 1 person). They have bothtraditional rooms where you sleep on the floor androoms with bed. It is highly recommended to get atraditional room. Also ask one of the friendly staff toorder traditional Iranian food. (updated Jan 2012)

• Golestan Hostel, Motahhari Square, Kashan (Onyour right when you face the Bazaar’s Eastern En-trance). Negative reviews from many travellers. Notclean and not a nice place for women travellers. (up-dated Jan 2012)

• Amir Kabir Hotel

• Sayyah Hotel, Abazar street. Single room quoted350,000/250,000 rials with/without shower in theroom, both including breakfast. (updated Apr 2011)

80.8 Go next

Kashan is located on the Tehran - Qom - Natanz - Isfahanroute. Thus, Tehran and Isfahan are the two logical nextstops of most visitors.

• Numerous buses and occasional trains connectKashan to Isfahan, Tehran, and Qom.

• Kashan can be your last stop in Iran before flyinghome. It is possible to bargain with taxi drivers fora trip to Imam Khomeini airport of Tehran, expectto pay less than 1 Million Rials (in January 2016).Alternatively, driver-guides can take you to the air-port with a stopover in Qom to visit Iran’s secondholiest place, the Shrine of Fatima-al-Massumeh. Ifyou choose this option, be sure to dress as conserva-tively as you can.

• Abyaneh, a famous, historic Iranian village is inNatanz County, near Kashan. With a unique reddishhue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran, attract-ing numerous native and foreign tourists year-round,especially during traditional feasts and ceremonies.The village has been called an entrance to Iranianhistory. The local clothing, for example, is in a styleof great antiquity. An Abyunaki woman typicallywears a white long scarf (covering the shoulders andupper trunk) which has a colourful pattern and anunder-knee skirt. Even the most immediate villages’women have different dress style so that one couldtell if she is from Abyaneh or not. Abyaneh can beaccessed on a day trip from Kashan, or you can hirea driver to take you to Abyaneh, Natanz, and dropyou in Isfahan.

• Na'in is another desert city, to the south. It’s a smalland quiet town at the edge of desert. A perfect pat-tern of a desert town. Everything you like to see in

a desert town you can find there. Take the buses toYazd or Kerman or Zahedan and ask the driver tolet you off in Na'in. There is an easier way; be on“Avarezi” check point to get the Tehran-Na'in buseswhich cross there at 1pm and 8pm.

• In the small town of Niasar, you can visit the firetemple dating back to Sassanian times, a man-madecave, a Qajar palace, a waterfall, a bathhouse fromthe Safavid era, a water mill, and the village itself, ofcourse. While none of the attractions is overwhelm-ing by itself, it is a leisurely half-day trip.

• A trip to the sand dunes of the Maranjab desert, asalt lake and a caravanserai is on the list of manyKashan visitors. It can be combined with a visitin the small town of Noushabad with its under-ground city (a shelter people dug to take refuge fromthe Mongolian invaders) and the mud castle and theHoly Shrine of Helal Ali in the town Aran va Bidgol.It is also possible to have an overnight stay in the car-avanserai arranged, but don't expect too much com-fort. The salt lake is not attractive when wet afterrainfall.

• In spring, the little town of Qamsar is worth vis-iting. It is the biggest center in the Middle East forproducing rose water.

http://www.sayyahhotel.com/?page=1000&Ln=EN&sm=1




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abyaneh

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Matin_Abad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Natanz


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Niasar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Noushabad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aran_va_Bidgol

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qamsar

Chapter 81

Matin Abad

Matin Abad is in Natanz County, Isfahan Province inIran.

81.1 Get in

Natanz County is half way between Isfahan city andKashan.

81.2 Get around

81.3 See

81.3.1 Abyaneh city

If you want to visit Abyane through Matin abad, you willgo from desert to mountain with crossing the distanceabout 40 km from height of 980 m to height of 2300 m. inthe you will cross of Hanjan, Barz, Toreh and Kamjan vil-lages till you arrive to Abyaneh. Characterized by a pecu-liar reddish hue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran, at-tracting numerous native and foreign tourists year-round,especially during traditional feasts and ceremonies.

81.3.2 Ardestan and Zavareh Villages

Ardestan is located about 60 km in southeast of MatinAbad in the transit road of Bandar Abbas. After arrivingto Zavareh two way continue to Zavareh where you canvisit natural attractions, Jame mosque and old quartersthen after drinking.

81.3.3 Kashan

81.3.4 Natanz

81.3.5 Karkas Village

A drive to Karkas heights could also be interesting. Youcan walk in the Karkas Tour includes walking Karkas

mountainous and its village and continues to Chimeand Takieh villages after crossing Hanjen village in theChimeh ro road and at the end arrive to Firizhand Beau-tiful village. There is also a famous warm mineral waterlake called the Red water. After another 2km there isalso Bidhed village that is located in a beautiful valley. Inthis village that is located about 5 KM of Firizhand wecan see glorious top of Karkas Mountain and take photo-graph from this beautiful village.

81.3.6 Itineraries

Matin Abad ( 1 Day )

Day 1:Early in the morning drive to Matin Abad camp, eatingbreakfast and camel riding in Matin Abad, then continueto Abyaneh where you will eat lunch and visit picturesquemountain village of Abyaneh, continue to Kashan andvisit Fin Garden and Boroujerdi’s House, drive to Tehranor continue to Isfahan.

Matin Abad ( 2 Days)

Day 1:Early in the morning drive Qom and Kashan, in kashanvisit Fin Garden and Boroujerdi’s House. Continue toAbyaneh, eating lunch and visiting picturesque mountainvillage of Abyaneh. In the evening drive to Matin Abadcamp. Local kebab in Matin Abad. O/N in Matin AbadDay 2:Early in the morning camel riding and eating breakfast,continue to Natanz, where you will visit Jame Mosqueand Imamzadeh Aqha Ali Abbas, eating lunch, drive backto Tehran or continue to Isfahan.

81.4 Do

• Camel riding in the desert

• 4x4 rides in the desert

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• Biking in the desert

• Desert excursions

• Astronomy- Due to the open space and the clearskies of the desert, many go to these parts for astron-omy purposes. There are also some facilities avail-able in the Matin abad camp.

81.5 Eat• Camel kebab

• Camel milk

81.6 Drink

81.7 Go next

Chapter 82

Na'in

Na'in (also known as Naein and Naeen) is a pre-Islamictown, more than 2,000 years old, on the edge of the Cen-tral Desert of Iran in the Isfahan province of Central Iran.

82.1 Understand

Mohammadieh neighborhood

Na’in lies 170 km north of Yazd and 140 km east ofIsfahan and the current population is about 75,000.With an area of almost 35,000 km², Na’in lies at an alti-tude of 1545 m above sea level. Like much of the Iranianplateau, it has a desert climate, with a maximum temper-ature of about 41°C in summer, and minimums of −9°Cor so in winter.

More than 3,000 years ago the Persians learned how toconstruct aqueducts underground (qanat or kariz) to bringwater from the mountains to the plains. In the 1960’sthis ancient system provided more than 70 per cent of thewater used in Iran and Na’in is one of the best places inall the world to see these qanats actually working as theywere intended.Unique to Na’in are some of the most outstanding mon-uments in all of Iran: the Jame Mosque, one of the firstfour mosques built in Iran after the Arab invasion; thePre-Islamic Narej Fortress; a Pirnia traditional house;the Old Bazaar; Rigareh, a qanat-based watermill; anda Zurkhaneh (a place for traditional sport).Besides its magnificent monuments, Na’in is also famousfor high-quality carpets and wool textiles.Some linguists believe the word Na’in may have been de-rived from the name of one of the descendants of theprophet Noah, who was called “Naen”. Many local peo-ple speak an ancient Pahlavi Sasani dialect, the same di-alect that is spoken by the Zoroastrians in Yazd today.Other linguists state that the word Na’in is derived fromthe word “Nei” (“straw” in English) which is a marshyplant.

82.2 Get in

From Isfahan, travellers can use the Jay terminal andtake the Na'in bus or mini bus (20,000 to 25,000 rial).An alternative is the Isfahan-Yazd bus, which leaves theterminal once every hour, if they inform the driver thatNa'in is their final destination and the fare is 35,000 rial.From Yazd, travellers can take the Yazd - Isfahan busesfrom Yazd terminal and ask the driver to stop in Na'inwhich costs 40,000 rial.From Tehran, there are two terminals available: Jonubterminal, with buses leaving at 10:00 and 17:00; Beihaghi(Arjantin) Terminal, with one bus departing at 23:00.The ticket price is 100,000 rial.In Na'in, there is a regular bus to Isfahan almost every halfhour, from the only bus station in town. Private taxis areavailable 24 hours a day at the "Falake Esfahan" (Isfahan

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174 CHAPTER 82. NA'IN

roundabout). Departing the town to Yazd is possible bywaiting for the buses to Yazd at the "Falake Esfahan" orby taking a taxi to the Yazd Road police station.

82.3 Get around

82.4 See

Jame' Mosque

• Jame Mosque. Tu-Su, 08:00-21:00 in summer, or08:00-18:00 in winter. The initial construction ofJame Mosque dates back to the 8th Century CE, butthe whole of the complex has been constructed instages. The stucco around the Mihrab (niche) be-longs to Ale'Buye in the 11th century. The yard wasconstructed in the time of the Siljuks (12th century),and the basement is believed to be pre-Islamic andlater became part of the mosque, one of the oldestin Iran. Its magnificent plasterwork over the niche,the marvellous brickwork around the yard, and itssilent basement--which may have been used as a firetemple before the mosque was built here—are onlya few of its features. This mosque has no Iwan anddome as do the other famous mosques in Isfahan andYazd. A 28 m tall octagonal minaret was added al-most 700 years ago. If you stand in the middle ofthe yard, you will find yourself surrounded by four-teen columns, each one adorned with a unique andintricate pattern of brickwork. You might also be

interested in the alabaster stonework which reflectssunlight throughout the basement. An undergroundwater channel runs underneath the mosque. Thereis a stairway that connects the mosque to the waterchannel and to chambers above the pool. 100,000rial. (updated Nov 2015)

Rigareh watermill

Rigareh second gate

• Rigareh watermill, Mohammadieh neighbour-hood, ☎ 0939 863 6090. Open to public only inNoruz (the Persian New Year holiday).. A qanat-based water mill. The age of this engineering mas-terpiece is unknown; however, some historians be-lieve that it dates back to the pre-Islamic era. Thewater is supplied by the Keykhosrow qanat channel,and the mill is placed almost 28 m underground.The access corridor to the mill is about 133 m long.A qanat channel crosses 9 m above the mill and fillsthe huge 9 m. height water tank. When enough pres-sure is provided, the water is released and rotates theturbine. The waste water flows out along the chan-nel and joins the main qanat channel with a gradualslope 15 m further down. This is the only place in thecountry where visitors can get inside a living flow-ing qanat with 19 m depth, accessible through a 12m corridor. Since the advent of electricity to grind



82.4. SEE 175

the wheat and barley, this water mill has become apart of history. (updated Nov 2015)

• Pirnia traditional house and ethnology museum.Tu-Su 08:00-21:00 in summer and 08:00-17:30 inwinter.. A perfect example of this region’s deserthouses, in terms of architecture and art, constructedin the Safavid Period. The house consists of an ex-terior, an interior, a deep garden, a silo room and allof the facilities that a lord’s house needed to haveat the time it was constructed. When you enter thehouse and pass the first corridor, you reach an octag-onal room called “hashti”, which used to be a waitingroom for clients and visitors. Beautiful paintings,amazing plasterwork of Qur’anic stories, a book offamous poems and exquisite calligraphy decorate theliving room. First, a judge of Na'in lived there.Then, during the Qajar Period, the house belongedto a governor of Na'in. Just a few decades ago, thehouse was purchased by the Ministry of Culture andArt. After renovation in 1994, the house was con-verted into the desert ethnology museum. 100,000rial. (updated Nov 2015)

Pirnia traditional house

• Mosallah edifice. 08:00-12:00 , 15:00-17:00. An-other remarkable monument to see in Na'in. Its vastgarden used to be a popular recreational area untila few years ago. The mausoleum inside the Mosal-lah was a pilgrimage site for visitors. The dome ofthe Mosallah is opposite the dome of the shrine ofEmamzadeh Sultan Seyyed Ali; these two are con-nected by a street. There is a water reservoir on oneside of the garden, which can be accessed througha stairway on its side. Water in this reservoir wascooled by two wind towers. The water reservoir(Persian: ab-anbar) was in use until a few yearsago. The architectural style of Mosallah is charac-teristic of the Qajar dynasty, and a number of liter-ary, political and religious figures are buried at thissite. “Mosallah” is an Arabic word for a place ofprayer but, no one knows if any praying was ever

done at this location. The Mosallah is an octago-nal mausoleum of dervishes and Qajar and Pahlavipolitical figures. It’s encompassed by a military fortfrom the Qajar era, with a high wall, thick enoughfor a horse to be ridden along the top. The pistachiotrees around the turquoise-domed mausoleum andtwo tall wind towers make the complex very photo-genic. (updated Nov 2015)

Mosallah

• Castle of Narenj. Also known as Narin castle. Theconstruction materials used in the castle, as well asits style of architecture, hint that it was built in thepre-Islamic era. According to surveys and otherevidence, this monument might belong to the Par-tiyan period. Its exact use is not known. How-ever, it is thought to have been part of the mili-tary and official compounds of the city. Many re-searchers of the Safavid era have spoken of numer-ous castles known as Narikh Qalae, which were usedfor military purposes. Hence, it can be concludedthat Naeen’s Narikh Qalae was also a military es-tablishment. The famous historian and researcher,Estakhri mentioned there was a moat with a 900m perimeter dug around the castle. (updated Nov2015)

Narenj citadel


• Bazaar. Remarkable historical attraction. Thebazaar extends 340 m in a curved line from theGate of Chehel Dokhtaran to the mosque of Kha-jeh Khezr, and is connected by main alleys, as wellas by tributary passages, to various neighbourhoodcentres. The bazaar has two main crossroads or cha-har su. Parts of it have been renovated, and its manyvaried stalls were active until a few years ago. How-ever, nowadays the bazaar has been almost deserted,since the retailers moved to the city’s street shops.Some important monuments, such as the mosqueof Sheikh Maghrebi, the mosque of Khajeh, andthe Hosseinieh of Chehel Dokhtaran, are very near.(updated Nov 2015)

Bazaar of Na'in

• Fatemi House. Grandest traditional house in Na'in.It’s in front of Narenj Castle, beside the old bazaar.The house was originally the possession of a veryinfluential family in Na'in. It consists of a largenumber of sections, each one with a different func-tion: winter living rooms, summer living rooms, sta-ble, resting rooms, silos, corridors, dining rooms forguests, and other facilities. Most of the rooms arefurnished with stained glass windows, inlaid woodendoors, and plasterwork. The house is now the prop-erty of a cultural heritage organization. (updatedNov 2015)

Fatemi House

• Mosque of Mohammadieh, Mohammadieh vil-lage (20 km east of Nain). Built in the late 10th/early11th century AD. The altar of the mosque, and theceilings on the two sides of its nocturnal prayer hallor Shabestan, resemble the Jameh Mosque of Na'in.The village also houses the beautiful Jameh and SarKuche mMosques, a fortress, the ancient Rigarehwatermill and the cloak workshops. (updated Nov2015)

• Aba Bafi Man-made Caves, Mohammadieh vil-lage. open from dawn to dusk, with a short breakfrom noon to 13:30.. In Muhammadieh, a precinctof Na'in, there are some man-made caves. Localscall them sardab and aba bafi. Evidence shows thatthey were dug by the Zoroastrian inhabitants whoused to live there because the cave entrances open tothe east, where the sun rises. After they were aban-doned by the Zoroastrians, Muslim inhabitants usedthem as loom workshops to weave cloaks and rugs,from two types of sheep and camel wools. Weavingcloaks by hand is one of the most valuable hand-icrafts and historical arts of Na'in. Some of theworkshops are 700 years old. There is an ancientfort over the hill, 150 m away, with a small entranceat the back. There visitors can enjoy a beautiful per-spective of the village and the desert around it. Free.(updated Nov 2015)

• Zurkhaneh. Zurkhaneh, Zorkhana or Zourkhaneh(in Persian/Kurdish: ,زورخانه literally “house ofstrength”) is a sport with thousands of years of his-tory, incorporating the values of strength, joy of ef-fort, generosity, chivalry, love of country, of art andliterature. It has played a great role in empoweringthe mental and physical health aspects of the Ira-nian people. There are 3 Zurkhaneh in Na'in, but theValiye Asr Zurkhaneh, located in Valiye Asr Street,is perhaps the most suitable to visit. (updated Nov2015)

82.7. EAT 177

Underground man-made caves

82.5 Do

• Desert trekking is one of the exceptional possibil-ities for sightseers in this desert town, since a desertwith moving sand dunes surrounds Na'in. It’s deserttrekking on real moving sand dunes, since there aresand hills from 5 to 62m high that are always mov-ing when the wind blows - the highest sand dunes inIran.Also sleeping (camping) on the moving sands andhaving breakfast there if you like. There is no regu-lar desert transport, so a private taxi or car should berented. The same man who rents bicycles can alsoorganize the budget tours to the desert.

• Mountaineering: There are some desert-typemountains west and north east of Na'in. The oneto the north east(as you see in the middle and lowerphoto) is worth a visit. There are some unpavedroads that lead there. Downhill bicycle is recom-mended, but do not visit there alone. Also there isa walking tour called survival tour available in themountainous area in distances of 5km, 10km and15km. For more info call the local guide.

• Cycling around:

There is a local guide who has bicycles to rent and alsoaccompany you to the mountaineering. You can call himat ☎ +98 939 863 6090.

82.6 Buy

Handmade products in Na'in are very important. Weav-ing carpets, a fine art, began in Na'in about the time ofWorld War II. Because carpet weavers from Na'in workedwith thinner wools, they began to weave rugs of muchhigher quality. Since the number of carpets produced waslow and the quality of carpets was exceptionally high, theweavers found a profitable market. Carpet-weaving in

Na'in has a history of using non-Iranian wools and of us-ing local, traditional designs with unique colouring, thusdrawing the attention of the world market. Using natu-ral and traditional colours and dying techniques peculiarto the region, carpet weavers in the city can easily pro-fess that they are some of the best producers of handwo-ven carpet in all of Iran and the world. Na'in style car-pet is woven in different places in Iran - but the qualitywill be very different in each place. One reason that car-pet actually woven in Na'in is so popular, is that it usespredominantly natural and traditional colours rather thansynthetic dyes. Other reasons include the sheer quality ofthe weft obtained from using mainly wooden looms. Thisall means that Na'in can easily claim that it is one of thebest producers of hand woven carpets in all Iran. Na'in’scarpets and cloaks are famous and reasonably priced.Woolen textiles are available in Muhammadieh, whereyou can buy the handicrafts directly from the producers.

82.7 Eat

Lale Sahra صحرا) (لاله Restaurant, located on MotahariStreet, has some typical but high-quality Persian food,with the good service. There is a place for having tradi-tional “abgusht” in front of Masjid-ar-Reza. Also, “del-o-jigar” is available in a small shop front of Laleh Park.You can have a delicious meal for just US$2. Mirza tra-ditional restaurant is scheduled to open soon.

82.8 Drink

If you want to taste a good yoghurt drink, you can find itat Del'o Jigar . Doogh (دوغ) is a sour drink made from yo-ghurt, salt, and water; sometimes carbonated and some-times flavoured with mint or other plants. It is an acquiredtaste but will rehydrate you quickly in the heat of Iran’ssummer. It is the same as Turkish ayran.

82.9 Sleep• Jahangardi Hotel (ITTO) (south of Imam Square,

toward Isfahan Road), ☎ +98 314625-3088. Thegovernment-run, excellent Jahangardi Hotel can ac-commodate both budget and mid-range traellers. Ithas stylish, split-level, apartment-style rooms.

• Mosaferkhaneh Gholami (Gholami Inn) (about300 m east of Imam Square, toward the Imamzadeh),☎ +98 314625-2441. Good value for budget trav-ellers. There is no English sign, but it’s a three-storybuilding with a bakery on the ground floor.

There is a free, quiet, secure place for camping for thosewho like to stay outdoors. It is popular among cyclists,

tel:/+98314625-3088

tel:/+98314625-2441


motorcyclists and backpackers. It’s in the historical com-plex of Babol Masjid, where the Jameh Mosque is lo-cated.The camping area is the open part of Hussainieh. Thepublic rest room is always open. The locals are veryfriendly and helpful. The Hussainieh is off-limits onlyduring religious ceremonies.Two hotels are going to be open within two years in thehistorical part of town. One hotel will be traditional; theother in the mid-range class.Naein has two other hotels. Rooms at all four hotels canbe reserved in advance and at a discount, depending onthe season. Each hotel is staffed by an English-speakinghotel manager.

82.10 Connect

Mohammadieh fort

031 is the town code.

82.11 Go next

There is a regular bus to Isfahan almost every half an hourfrom the only bus station in town. Private Taxis are avail-able 24 hours a day on the Falake Esfahan (Isfahan round-about). Trips to Yazd are possible by waiting for the busesto Yazd on Falake Esfahan or taking a taxi to the YazdRoad police station.

Chapter 83

Varzaneh

Varzaneh is an ancient central Iranian desert town inIsfahan province still showing evidence of its 5000 yearold civilization.

83.1 Understand

Varzaneh is located 105km southeast of Isfahan and240km away from Yazd.It has a population of 14,000 sprawling over 23,000km²at an altitude of 1477m above sea level. Like most partsof central Iran, it has a quite dry desert climate where,in July, temperatures can reach 40°C. The temperaturesometimes drops below zero in January and February af-ter midnight.Varzaneh was the last civilization on the Zayanderud riversince 5000 years ago. The Zayanderud river ends atGavkhouni which is 30km east of Varzaneh. Within thelands between wetland and Varzaneh, signs of very an-cient civilization are unearthed. Further investigations onsome pots that have been discovered, confirms the factthat the district of Varzaneh has been inhabited for 5,000years.Varzaneh is famous regionally and all over the world forits spectacular desert, which ranked as one of the mostaccessible deserts of Iran, in particular for tourists com-ing to Isfahan. Many travellers like their desert close tocivilization - that way they have food and water easy toreach by car, and access to medical centres in the case ofany problem. Although, Varzaneh desert is ranked as oneof the safest deserts of Iran, it’s only 15km away from itsdesert.Unique to Varzaneh, are the local women’s costumes.They wear completely white chadors, while women in therest of Iran, mostly wear black chadors.Many local people speak an ancient Pahlavi Sasani di-alect, a quite similar dialect to that spoken by the Zoroas-trians in Yazd today. According to some of linguists, theword Varzaneh, has a connection to the verb Varzidan,(ورزیدن) which means farming in old Persian.

83.2 Get in

From Esfahan, travellers can go to the Jey terminal andtake the Varzaneh buses or minibuses, paying IRR20,000(less than USD1). You do not need to do a reservation forticket in advance. You may go directly to Jey Terminaland ask the Terminal staff where the bus (or minibus) is.Almost once per hour, 07:00-17:00, there is a bus goingto Varzaneh. It takes 1h30 to reach there. Plenty of taxisare also available usually in front of Terminal to reachVarzaneh. You would pay about USD10-15 to get therewith a taxi.From Tehran, you need to go to Jonub terminal, withbuses leaving at 09:00 daily to Harand, a town about20km away from Varzaneh. For Harand-Varzaneh, youwill be finding very cheap taxis.From Yazd, travellers can take the Yazd-Esfahan busesfrom Yazd terminal and ask the driver to stop in Naeinwhich costs IRR60,000. Then from Nain, it is 70km toVarzaneh, for which you may take a taxi.In Varzaneh, there is a regular bus to Esfahan almost oneevery hour until 14:00. Note that the last bus to Isfahanfrom Varzaneh is at 14:00. For departure, just ask localpeople where to find the bus terminal (autobus terminal,as the locals call it) from the only bus station in town.Private taxis are available 24 hours a day. To reach Yazd,you would need to take a taxi to Na'in. From there it isvery easy, as all the buses going to Yazd from Isfahan andTehran will pass Na'in. So, if you stop at Road Policestation around Na'in, you will find a bus to Yazd within15 min. It takes all in all 3 hours to reach Yazd fromVarzaneh.

83.3 Get around

83.3.1 Vartun Hot Spring

Precisely, 12km away from Vartun village, and 90kmfrom Varzaneh town, there is hot spring. The pools are lo-cated inside a traditional historical buildings, dating backto Safavid era. Due to the fact that its hot water is rich inmany minerals, its medical effects for nervous and joint

179





180 CHAPTER 83. VARZANEH

pains has been verified. The complex is equipped withmassage room.

83.4 See

83.4.1 Varzaneh Desert

Trying hard to conquer a sandy hill, difficult job as they are verysoft

The sand dunes are from 5-62m high. The average heightof sandy dunes are highest between deserts of Iran. So, itmakes the landscape spectacular.More importantly, there is no regular transport fromVarzaneh to the desert, which is just 15km away. How-ever, taxis would be quite cheap to take you to desert.The sand dunes usually do not move considerably, thatis to say, you can camp for several nights there, havingan easy access to town. However, please note that exceptfor late spring and summer, the temperature often dropsbelow 10°C and to 10 degrees below freezing in Januaryand February), due to the lack of humidity. Thus, youwould need sleeping bags if you want to camp there. Thedesert is about 45km long in diameter.

83.4.2 Gavkhooni Wetland, Black Moun-tain and Salt Lake

The magic point of this region is that, close to Varzanehdry desert, you can find Gavkhooni wetland. Gavkhooniis a preserved ecosystem, which is host of thousandsof bird, migrating from north mostly. The number ofthe birds varies each year, depending on the rainfall ofthat year. In fact, the majority of wetland is dry eachyear. Generally, the wetland has a rich wildlife. Fromgees, storks, flamingos and Iranian zebras and deers tomany other reptiles can be found in this area. To reachGavkhooni, you need to take the Gavkhooni road on theeast of Varzaneh for about 25km. As a sign of your arrivalto wetland, you would see a completely black mountain,

simply called Black Mountain, (Persian Kooh-Siah,). The stones are very light, having many holes in-

side. The mountain is indeed the remaining of black mag-mas.

Salt Lake, in Khara near Varzaneh

Another interesting spot is the salt lake, which in fact be-longs to Gavkhooni ecosystem, being the southwesternpart of the wetlands. It is more than 15km² in area andthe salt plain stretches to the wetlands. There is a part ofthat which locals are mining salt from. It is very glori-ous and attractive for many tourists when they see a bluesky with purely vast white ground. There is a short roadto Salt lake from Varzaneh, which is not asphalt unfortu-nately. Therefore, people willing to visit the salt lake, takethe Shiraz road from Varzaneh for about 40km, reachingto Khara village. Then from Khara, you have about 15km in an specific road for salt lake. Starting from 8 km inlatter road, you will see the signs of a big salty area until10km afterwards.

83.4.3 Jame Mosque of Varzaneh

The Jame Mosque of Varzaneh was built initially in 1100AD. But, three centuries later, in the Timurid era, it wasextensively renovated. Its splendid Mihrab and all the tiledesigns at entrance of mosque and around the Mihrabmakes the mosque a very special one in this region.You do not need to pay to visit this 600 years old mosque.However, you may skip the time of saying prayers, i.e.,still local people say prayer here, three times a day. Thatis to say that, if you do not wish to say prayer with them,you would better to wait for some minutes, to let the localpeople leave the mosque, and visit the mosque. The dooris open from very early morning, until 1 hour after sunset.Though, if there is an occasion, including celebrations,memorial of a recently passed away local people, thenmosque might be a bit occupied a couple of hours per day.If there is such specific occasion, you would be listeningto quite loud voice from the only 20m high minaret ofmosque, from almost all of the town. That is actually afunction of Jame mosques in Persian post-Islamic age. Inparticular, on Friday noons, you could listen to the speechImam speaking about religion and recent social, political

83.4. SEE 181

issues. Like any other religious center around the world,from churches to temples, to enter such mosque wearingmodest clothes is necessary.The dome and the minaret of the mosque is clear fromalmost everywhere in town, therefore it is easy to reach.It is in fact located in the very centre of town.

83.4.4 The Old Bridge

A 900-year-old bridge in Varzaneh

The bridge is the last old bridge over Zayanderud river andhas 10 arches; 7 of the arches were built about 9 centuriesago during the Seljuq dynasty. While an extension of thethree other arches was done by local people about 140years ago. You would be able to recognize the extensionby a small wall. The bridge is 67m long and 6.5m wide.The old bridge connects the old district of town to the newone.Some boat bike and motorboat tours are organized aroundthe bridge for tourists. You would pay USD1 to take ashort tour.

83.4.5 Yusefi traditional house and ethnol-ogy museum

Yusefi house is a sample of very beautiful Qajar designtraditional big house. In Yusefi house, you would be find-ing bedrooms, baking room, guestroom, water reservoir,fountain and gardens, wells and windows in traditionalkind. The house currently has a function of museum aswell, having collection of photo tableaux from local re-gion, a sample of all of agriculture and cuisine appliancesand gadgets. The house truly introduce you how peoplein Varzaneh and villages around were living hundreds ofyears ago. Yusefi house is located in northern part of olddistrict of town, close to an intersection which is so-calledbetween locals as " Darvazeh-Abbas عباس ,"دروازه mean-ing (King) Abbas gate.

83.4.6 Folklore attractions

Women’s costume

Women’s costumes in Varzaneh have attracted very muchattention in media. In contrary to the rest of Iran, womentypically wear white chadors, rather than black ones.There are basically three theories so far to describe thewhiteness of women’s clothes in Varzaneh. Some believethat this harks back to the Zoroastrianism religion, forwhich white was a holy colour. Others believe that it isbecause of the abundance of cotton in this region, as peo-ple have been cultivating cotton here. While some peo-ple simply think white is a comfortable colour due to hotsummers.

Handicrafts

Varzaneh hand-crafted carpet is very famous in the world.Its design belongs to a general category of Na'in carpetdesign. Many women are still using natural threads, in-cluding silk and wool which makes the carpet of very highquality. It has been attractive for visitors to buy their car-pets in Varzaneh, buying them much cheaper that in themarkets of other cities.Weaving tablecloths using very traditional instruments isanother item of beauty made by women. In the picture,you can see a picture of woman using such devices. Thewoman says: if you work hard for a whole day, you canhave one table cloth of 1 square metre size at sunset.

83.4.7 1000-year-old Ghoortan Citadel

The ancient Ghoortan old bridge is located 12km west ofIsfahan, and you can reach it directly from Isfahan, be-ing 90km east of Isfahan city. It’s located on the bank ofthe Zayanderud river and has survived natural disastersand many wars for 1000 years. Having very thick wallsmade of adobe mud brick) made it a protected complexfor people living in the region. The thickness of wallsvaries from 3 to 4m and they are about 9m high. Thecitadel has an area of 40,000 square metres. Nowadays,only four families are living inside. The citadel is con-taining four mosques, a pigeon house, a water reservoir,a mill and many houses. It is protected by fourteen roundtowers and you would enter by two gateways.

83.4.8 Dovecote (Pigeon houses)

In dry regions, like Varzaneh district, the droppings wereprized by farmers and collected for fertilizing their aridfields. From Varzaneh to the west, until Ezhieh (a town25km west of Varzaneh), and also from south to Hassan-abad (a town 25km south of Varzaneh) there are plenty ofdovecotes or pigeon houses. The dovecote are also called



Dovecote: a house of 7,000 pigeons from 3 centuries ago

Kabootarkhaneh in Persian literature, which means sim-ply house of pigeons.Life in this region is very connected to farming, as morethan 70 percent of people’s businesses are directly or in-directly connected to agriculture. In below picture, youcan see one of pigeon houses of Varzaneh by close view,located on north at Zayanderud bank. It had been the hostof 7000 pigeons, having an area of 250 square metres andbeing 13m high. This structure date backs to 300 yearsago, the Safavid era.

83.4.9 Camel-mill Complex

First camel mill revived after a century in Iran

An old system of grinding wheat, has been revived for us-ing male camels. Historically, the last time Iranian wereusing this system was a century ago. Mr. Mohammadi,the owner and founder of the camel-mill, is using it mostlyfor tourist purposes, though he grinds wheat occasionally.He sings, while pulling rope of camel, a very nice folkloresong. The building is designed in completely traditionalmanner, as you can see in the pictures. The camel-mill islocated off road of cemetery of town. Mr Mohammadiwill offer you tea if somebody visits camel-mill. The en-trance would be IRR40,000 (USD1.20)

83.4.10 Ox-well complex

Haj-Ibrahim revived the system from 50 years ago, usingan specific race of ox which is so-called between localsas Zaboli race(Zabol is a town in southeast of Iran). Inthe case of Haj-Ibrahim’s ox, it took more than 6 monthsto prepare the ox, being wild in the beginning. The veryastonishing part is that now ox would work only by thesong of his owner, in the sense that, the ox would startworking and taking water from well, when Haj-Ibrahimstarts singing. Plenty of such oxen can be found at south-ern east of Iran, or in Baluchistan region of Pakistan. Thecomplex is mainly a well, an ox, rope, pulley and bucket.Using this system, water will be pumped to the fields,without making air pollution. For six hour working of anox per day, the water for 1500 square metres wheat fieldwill be supplied, which is very efficient system. The sys-tem was broadly used from 600 years ago, till 5 years ago,when gradually farmers started to use fuel water-pumpingmachines. Visiting this complex, Haj-Ibrahim will offeryou tea. The entrance would be IRR40,000 (USD1.20).

83.4.11 Water reservoirs and Wind-towers(Wind-catchers)

A water reservoir employs a wind-catcher to cool its water

A water reservoirs or āb anbār (Persian: ) isa traditional reservoir or cistern of drinking water in Per-sian antiquity. While, a wind-catcher (in Persian, Bad-gir, ) is traditional Persian architectural elementto create natural ventilation in buildings. In Varzaneh,you can see a water-reservoir employed a windtower to

83.7. EAT 183

cool down its water. There are seven water reservoirs inVarzaneh in total.

83.4.12 Caravansary

There is a saying that King Abbas I established 999 car-avanserai in the Persian empire to facilitate and promotetrade and travelling, one of them is in Varzaneh. You canfind this caravansary in eastern exit road of Varzaneh, be-ing about 400 years old.

83.4.13 Other touristic spots

There are many other attractions worth sightseeing, in-cluding windmills around river, small waterfalls overZayanderud river. Varzaneh is also very famous forGavkhooni Wetland (swamp), Salt Lake, Salt mine andSalt plain of Khara, for which you can find their details inGet Around part of page.

83.5 Do

• Desert entertainments and sports: Varzanehdesert is great place for camel-riding, horse-riding,paragliding, safari, motorcycling, camping, sand-boarding. You may find relevant photos at the bot-tom of the page. Equipment devices for these sportsand entertainments can be found in local clubs andtourist camps, in Varzaneh and around the desert.

• Observing sky (without and with telescope): Ifyou pass 3 or 4 hills inside the desert, where you aresafe from any light-pollution, from Varzaneh town,you would truly enjoy a glorious sky. It you go ina suitable time there, ie when it is not cloudy andmoonshine is at a minimum, then you would notneed a telescope to recognize many classic objects insky. In this situation, you will be finding the MilkyWay easily, even without a telescope!

• Rent a boat: You may rent a motorboat or pedalo-boat to enjoy it in Zayanderud river. Such boats canbe found to rent near The Old Bridge of Varzaneh.

• Mountain climbing: Mount Ergesht is located inthe northeast of Varzaneh, on the road to Nain,15km away from Varzaneh town. Mount Ergeshtis 2000m high. There is no bus dedicated for goingto this mountain. Taking a taxi is probably the bestoption.

83.6 Buy

83.6.1 Varzaneh Carpet and other handi-crafts

Varzaneh carpet is really famous regionally and world-wide. Having many silk parts, and the mixture of colorsmake the a typical of Varzaneh carpet light and some-times shiny. You can order them in hotels, guest housesin Varzaneh. As more than 60% of ladies in Varzanehare still weaving carpet in their homes, you can ask anyrandom local also to show you his/her carpet. The pricesmay vary from 100 to 2,000 Euro, depending on the sizeand quality.Also, there are several houses still weaving tablecloth.You can get many of them directly from local houses,or in guest houses, costing IRR10,000 (2.5 Euro) toIRR400,000 (10 Euro) for different sizes.

83.6.2 Herbal teas and organic alimentary

In addition, buying herbal teas, such as borage, Iranianblack tea, Shirazi chamomile, henna and local sweets canbe found in herbal tea shops. Local alfalfa honey and alsohoney from holy plant of manna also can be found, as afew families are involved in beekeeping. As Varzaneh hasboth farms of alfalfa and many manna in its deserts, honeyfrom these two plants are in good quality. Heidari familyhave been pioneer for beekeeping, and creating beehives,supporting local agriculture as well.

83.7 Eat

Varzaneh district has a high reputation of tradition of or-ganic (bio) food. Hereby, a short list of tastiest foods youmay try in Varzaneh. Except the possibility to ask localorganic food in hotel/hostel dinning sections, you mayask the locals for Gol-Hossein restaurant, as the oldestrestaurant of Varzaneh. You may consider the fact thatVarzaneh is a small town, and therefor any spot is quiteeasy to find.

• Eggplant dish (Kashk Bademjan,in Persian) As a must-to-say, it is a national foodof Iran, but as a tradition, people in Varzaneh cookit very well. It basically contains walnut, olive oil,garlic, eggplant, mint, turmeric, onion and (liquidor dried) whey. In the village, additionally, theyinclude saffron and pistachio. It is famous as oneof the tastiest vegetarian food of Iran. Though, tomake it as vegan food, you may ask chef to not addwhey, as it is basically obtained from yogurt. Youmay order homemade eggplant dish in any of thehotels/hostels of Varzaneh.

• Ghormeh Sabzi: Again as another national food ofIran, people of Varzaneh have a tradition of cook-ing this food more special. It mostly contain kidney

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Varzaneh


beans (or red beans), parsley, leeks (or green onionsinstead), coriander, dried fenugreek leaves, Persianlime, a bit onion and turmeric, and chopped lambmeat.

• Fesenjan: Pomegranate paste, chicken or duckbreast, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon saffron and onion.

• Organic bread: Still, much part of Varzaneh cuisineis ignorant to artificial additives. You would not besurprised if you are walking in a weekend or holidayin Varzaneh, and you smell continuously bread bak-ing smell, as indicated above almost nobody goes tobakery. Just in the bread, you usually find safflower,fennel, (black and white) sesame seeds inside/on thebread. Just ask a local you have a willing to try some.You would be always able to catch some for free, aseverybody has some at homes. Almost all of therestaurants and hotels in Varzaneh provide you thefood with organic local food. In religious gather-ings, and also in Thursday afternoons when peoplegather in graveyard, you can get some 'malak', whichis a kinda oil-bread cooked with turmeric and someother spices.

83.8 Drink

Getting herbal teas, and drinking some in outdoor is reallysuggested. In old supermarkets, as they call it Baqali, youcan always get some classic herbal teas, such as borage,valerian root, and saffron. Other routine beverages suchas dough also can be found all around easily.

83.9 Sleep

Most hostels and hotels are very cheap. Many touristcome to stay for a week or more to enjoy sunlight andsilence in desert, as it is in between two other major des-tinations, Isfahan and Yazd.

83.9.1 Budget

• Yasna Traditional Guest House ☎ +98 913 2149851 (mobile) ([email protected]) is a tra-ditional mud-brick guest house, with private bath-room and toilet. A bed in dormitory section andprivate rooms can be reserved with IRR300,000(only €7, or USD9) up to IRR500,000 (only €12,or USD15). Reservation via e-mail or text will getyou confirmation by return. You can ask any of thefriendly staff, who speak English, French and Per-sian, for home-made food.

• Sandbad hotel apartment ☎ +98 913 214 9851(mobile) ([email protected]) is a cosy

serviced-apartment, with private bathroom and toi-let, and TV and can be reserved with IRR200,000(only €5, or USD7). It’s a house converted to a ho-tel, with plenty of flowers in the yard. Reservationvia e-mail or text will get you confirmation by re-turn. In a temporary collaboration with Yasna GuestHouse, You can ask any of the friendly staff, whospeak English, French and Persian, for home-madefood.

• Chapaker traditional guest house is a traditionalhouse, with private bathroom and toilet, and TVand can be reserved with IRR 500 000or usd$15. Reservation via e-mail or text will get youconfirmation by return. You can ask any of thefriendly staff, who speak English, and Persian, forhome-made food. +98 913 203 0096, [email protected].

83.10 Connect

0314 is the town code.

83.11 Go next• There is a regular bus to Isfahan from Varzaneh al-

most every hour until 14:00. Note that the last busdeparts at 14:00. But it does not mean that you can-not go to Isfahan after 14:00. Experiences of manyhitchhikers shows that it is very easy to find a cartaking you to Isfahan. Just stop in front of the gasstation of Varzaneh. There is big yellow shelter witha bench equipped for people doing auto-stop (hitch-hiking). You do not save much money by hitch-hiking, as Varzaneh-Isfahan bus costs IRR20,000(USD0.75). Also, since taxi drivers frequently go toIsfahan, as they may have business, they would notcharge much cheaper than normal price. For depar-ture by bus, just ask local people where to find thebus terminal (autobus terminal, as the locals call it)from the only bus station in town. Private taxis areavailable 24 hours a day.

• To reach Yazd, you would need to take a taxi toNa'in. From there it is very easy, as all the buses go-ing to Yazd from Isfahan and Tehran will pass Na'in.So, if you stop at Road Police station around Na'in,you will find a bus to Yazd within 15 min. It takes allin all 3 hours to reach Yazd from Varzaneh. Taxiswould also not be expensive to take you to Na'in oreven to Yazd directly, as many people would go forother reasons to Yazd and Na'in. As for hitchhiking,it doesn't always work on the Varzaneh-Yazd route.But, luckily, you can catch many of the buses goingto Na'in paying IRR100,000 (about USD3.00)






Chapter 84

Kerman (province)

Location of Kerman province within Iran

Kerman Province is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It isin the southeast of the country. Its center is Kerman. Theprovince of Kerman is the second largest in Iran, 181,714km². The population of the province is 2652413 . Themain townships of Kerman province are: Baft, Bardsir,Bam, Jiroft, Rafsanjan, Zarand, Sirjan, Shahr-e-Babak,Kerman, Mahan and Kohnoj.

84.1 Cities

• Kerman

• Jiroft

• Zarand

• Sirjan

• Ravar

• Bardsir

• Kahnuj

• Rafsanjan

• Baft

• Shahr-e-Babak

• Mahan

• Bam

• Shahdad

• Rayen


• Khabr

• Kohpayeh

• Koh-banan

• Sirch

• Joopar

84.3 Understand

Kerman province is considered a paradise for palaeon-tologists because of an abundance of vertebrate fossilsfrom different geological eras. Fossils include Placo-dermi, jawed and jawless armoured fish dating back toDevonian era or first geological era (395 to 365 millionyears ago), dinosaurs dating back to the Jurassic era (195to 65 million years ago) and mammals from the ThirdGeological Era (ranging from two to seven million yearsago).The history of human settlements in the territory of Ker-man dates back to the 4th millennium BC. This area isconsidered as one of the ancient regions of Iran and valu-able historical vestiges have been discovered here. Jiroftis an example, where a previously unknown settlementdating back to around 2500BC has just been establishedby archeologists. Kerman has an abundance of historicalsites and landmarks, 283 in total, according to Iran’s Cul-tural Heritage Organization. Ancient abandoned citadelssuch as Arg-é Bam and Rayen castle have been preservedin the desert for two thousand years.

185


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jiroft

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zarand

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sirjan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ravar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bardsir

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kahnuj

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rafsanjan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Baft

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shahr-e-Babak

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahan


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shahdad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rayen

186 CHAPTER 84. KERMAN (PROVINCE)

Historical documents refer to Kerman as “Karmania”,“Kermania”, “Germania” and "Žermanya”, which meansbravery and combat. Geographers have recorded Ker-man’s ancient name as “Go'asheer” (Bardesheer).

84.4 Talk

84.5 Get in

84.5.1 By plane

Kerman International Airport (IATA: KER) has regularflights to all major and some smaller cities in Iran.

84.5.2 By bus

Kerman is well connected to most parts of the country bybus.

84.5.3 By car

Freeways connect the province to Yazd, Sistan-va-Baloochestan, Hormozgan, Khorasan-e-Jonoobi andFars.

84.5.4 By Train

Kerman is connected to the whole railway network ofIran. It is connected to Yazd and also it will be connectedto Zahedan in the near future (under construction).

84.6 Get around

84.7 See

The village of Maymand

• The cultural landscape of Maymand, inscribed onthe UNESCO World Heritage List

84.7.1 Itineraries

84.8 Do

84.9 Eat

kashk Bademjan Dizzy Khoresht Sabzi Kalle PachehCandies: Shohan Ghotab Pistachio Date

84.10 Drink

84.11 Sleep

Five-star Pars Hotel

84.12 Stay safe

84.13 Learn

Kerman province contains the following universities:

• Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman• Kerman University of Medical Sciences• Rafsanjan University of Vali Asr• Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences• Islamic Azad University of Baft• Islamic Azad University of Zarand• Islamic Azad University of Kerman• Islamic Azad University of Jiroft• Islamic Azad University of Bam• Islamic Azad University of Bardsir• Islamic Azad University of Shar-e-Babak• Islamic Azad University of Kahnuj• Islamic Azad University of Rafsanjan• Islamic Azad University of Sirjan• Kerman Khaje-Nasir Higher Education Center• Shahid Chamran College of Thechnology

84.14 Go next



http://www.parshotels.com/

http://www.uk.ac.ir/

http://www.kmu.ac.ir/

http://www.vru.ac.ir/

http://www.rums.ac.ir/

http://www.iau-baft.ac.ir/

http://www.iau-zarand.ac.ir/

http://www.iauk.ac.ir/

http://www.azadjiroft.com/

http://www.bam-iau.ac.ir/portal/default.aspx

http://www.bardsiriau.ac.ir/

http://www.iaurafsanjan.ac.ir/

http://www.iausirjan.ac.ir/University.aspx

http://www.kkhec.ac.ir/

http://www.chamran-edu.ir/

Chapter 85

Bam

This article covers the Iranian city; for the Russian railwayline see: Baikal-Amur Mainline.

Bam is a city in Kerman, Iran. The modern Iranian cityof Bam surrounds the Bam citadel which has been in-scribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Bam wasdevastated by an earthquake in December 2003.

Bam in 2002

85.1 Get in

There are plans to extend the train line from Tehran toBam.

85.2 Get around

The city stretches out a lot so you might want to use asavari to get to the Arg.

85.3 See

The ancient citadel of Arg-é Bam probably has a historydating back around 2000 years, to the Parthian dynasty(248 BC–224 AD), but most buildings were built duringthe Safavid dynasty. The city was largely abandoned dueto an Afghan invasion in 1722, which ended Safavid rule.

85.4 Do

The main attraction, the ancient citadel of Arg-é Bam,suffered badly in an earthquake in December 2003. To-day little is still to be seen and access is extremely re-stricted; there is only one main access path still open tothe public and the castle on top of the hill is out of bounds.

85.5 Buy

85.6 Eat

85.7 Drink

85.8 Sleep• Akbar Guest House is probably still the cheapest

place in town.

85.9 Go next

187

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Chapter 86

Kerman

Kerman is the capital of Kerman.

86.1 Understand

Kerman is a city in southeastern Iran with 677,650 inhab-itants (2006), situated on a sandy plain 1749 metres abovesea level. It is the capital of Kerman with 2,652,413 in-habitants (2006) and an area of 181,714 km². Kerman isthe largest carpet producing and exporting center in Iran.Kerman is a large producer of pistachios on the worldmarket. The province is rich in minerals, like copper,coal, chromium, lead, zinc, uranium and aluminum, butmining has remained on a small scale. In recent timescrude oil has been discovered, but is yet not exploited.

86.2 Get in

86.2.1 By plane

Kerman International Airport (IATA: KER) has regularflights to some major and smaller cities in Iran. The des-tinations include:

1. Tehran (3-4 flights per day)

2. Isfahan (1 flight per week)

3. Zahedan (1 flight per week)

4. Mashad (2 flights per week)

5. Kish Island (2 flights per week)

6. Kermanshah

7. Shiraz

86.2.2 By bus

Kerman is well connected to most parts of the country bybus.

86.2.3 By car

Freeways connect the city to Yazd(300 Km), Zahedan,Bandare Abbas(600 km), Birjand and Shiraz(600 km),Mashhad (1,200) km.

86.2.4 By Train

Kerman is connected to the whole railway network ofIran. It is connected to Yazd and also it will be connectedto Zahedan in the near future(Under construction).

86.3 Get around

You can get around the city by taxi or bus. You can alsogo to the small towns such as Mahan, Joopar Shahdad,...as well as the villages, such as Sirch, Zngi-Abad and ...by bus or taxi.

86.4 See

• Bazaar - Explore the arcades of the bazaar, indulgein the smells of oriental spices.

• Gonbad-e-Jabaliyeh - An amazing dome in theeast of Kerman.

• Ganjalikhan bath - A historic bath

• Mouyedi Ice-House - There are several small-gardens around this ice-house which were filled withthe water in winter, then after that the water iced, theices lead to the ice-house to use in summer.

• San'ati museum - An interesting museum in con-temporary arts of Kerman.

• Vakil traditional tea house - An attractive tradi-tional tea house in the covered bazar.

188






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https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Birjand






86.7. EAT 189

• Ganjali Khan Square - It is similar to “NaghsheJahan” and “Mirchakhmaq” squares. The bazaarsare located in three side of square and in the fourthside, the Ganjali Khan School is established.

• Ganjali Khan Mosque - It is located in the north-west of square and near Ganjalikhan School. It wasconstructed in 1007 A.H.

• Zarabkhaneh museum - It is located in the northside of square. This eight-angle place includes anarch, four porticoes and four booths in four views.Now, it has changed to coin museum.

• Jameh mosque - The Friday mosque.

• Moshtri-ye-Moshtak Ali Shah - A holy shrine.

• Malek mosque (Imam mosque) - A gem of amosque!

• National Library, housed in a former a textile fac-tory.

• Museum of the Holy Defense - Interesting instal-lation in the courtyard, depicting a battlefield in theShatt-el-arab. Admission 3000 IRR.

• Takht-e-Darya-Gholi-Beyg - A monument in theside of the hills in the east of Kerman.

• Ghal'e Dokhtar - A historical castle in the hills inthe east of Kerman; attributed to the Ashkanian era.

• Ghal'e Ardeshir - A historical castle in the hills inthe east of Kerman; attributed to the Ashkanian era.

86.5 Do

86.6 Buy• Rugs, Like many Iranian cities, Kerman produces

rugs and has its own well-known style of rug-making.

• Pistachio, Kerman is the center of producing thepistachio in Iran. More than 95% of Iran pistachiois produced in Kerman.

• Kolompeh is a very delicious pie

• Henna a flowering plant which is another souvenirof kerman.

• Cumin a herbaceous annual plant, which is anothersouvenir of kerman.

• Patteh is a unique handicraft which is produced inKerman.

• Quvetoo (Persian:قاووت - (قوتو• Distills, Kerman have many kinds of aromatic dis-

tills.

86.7 Eat

You can almost find any food that is served in other citesof iran.There are many restaurants ( both fast food andtraditional) around the city and notably on Jomhuri Blv.

• Qal'eh Restaurant and Teahouse, Alley No. 9,Imam street, Northeast of Ganj Ali Khan Square. Atraditional Iranian teahouse that serves tea, snacksand shisha. The owner, Mahmood (speaks Farsionly), can be reached at 09135313537.

86.8 Drink

Drinking alcohol is illegal, and if seen by police may bemet with punishment, though available on the black mar-ket.

• Doogh is a popular and delicious naturally-carbonated yogurt drink. It is generally served withice and a dash of mint.

• Distills - Kerman have many kinds of aromatic dis-till’s.

• Pāloodeh-e-Kermani (Fāloodeh-e-Kermani) is aspecial deliciously refreshing sorbet made fromsmall drops of starch, suspended in rosewater.

• Black tea (chāi, (چای is the national drink ofalcohol-free Iran. It is served strong and withcrystallised or cubed sugar (ghand, (قند which isheld artfully between the teeth while tea is sippedthrough.

• Fruit juices (āb miveh, ميوه ,(آب A wide vari-ety of fruit juices (āb miveh, ميوه (آب and drinksare available from shops and street vendors includ-ing cherry cordial (sharbat ālbāloo, آلبالو (شربتand banana milkshakes (shir moz, موز .(شير

• Soft drinks are widely available, both internationalmakes such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and their brandnames including 7up, Sprite, Fanta, etc., and lo-cal makes such as ZamZam. Note that “Coca-Cola Original” and “Pepsi Original” etc. are NOTmade of original The Coca-Cola Company’s andPepsiCo’s ingredients and taste exactly the same asZamZam.

190 CHAPTER 86. KERMAN

• Ma-o-sha'eir is a non-alcoholic beer which you canfind in the supermarkets.

86.9 Sleep• Pars Hotel, Jomhuri Blvd. - Kerman, ☎

+98(0)341 2119331-2, fax: +98(0)341 2119333, e-mail: reception&[email protected] ker-man reception&[email protected].

• Akhavann Hotel, Shahid Sodooghi Ave., ☎0098(+)341 2441411-2.

• Govashir Hotel, Imam Khomeini Expreress way.,☎ 0098(+)341 2512718.

• Hotel Omid has the cheapest rooms in town, but nosingles.

86.10 Learn• Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman is one of

the highest rank universities in Iran (among the 8 topIranian universities) for its educational and researchactivities as well as its design and development. Theuniversity was granted permission to be establishedon August 9,1972 and started its academic activitiesformally in 1975, in 3 disciplines: Physics, Chem-istry, and English; with 10 faculty members and 70students.The university is located in the south east-ern part of Kerman, in an area of 500 hectares.At the present time, it has an enrollment of about12500 students who are studying and doing researchin 16 colleges and research institutes of the univer-sity. There is about 140,000 square meters physicalspace available. There are about 100 different dis-ciplines available for the students to choose from,which offers programs leading to B.A., B.Sc., M.A.,M.Sc., D.V.M.,or Ph.D. degrees. There are 400 fac-ulty members, and 1000 regular employees at theuniversity.

• Afzali Pour (Kerman) University of Medical Sci-ences

• Azad University of Kerman

• Kerman Khaje-Nasir Higher Education Center

• Shahid Chamran College of Thechnology

86.11 Stay safe

Iran is generally a safe country. It is advised however,that being an obvious tourist may attract some unwanted

attention from interested Iranians, but do not be alarmedor react negatively. Standard advice to keep your bag se-cured and safe, and to leave personal and valuable belong-ings in your hotel room or hotel safe should be regarded.Iranians are generally peaceful, hospitable people, but itis advised to act with caution when walk in the streetsalone late at night or when approached by strangers to thesame degree that you would in your native country.You might want to have plastic money to prevent havingyour money stolen. Bank-e Melli-ye Iran (National Bankof Iran) which is a government-owned bank in Iran, pro-vides an ATM debit card service (plastic magnetic card)for tourists who visit Iran. Tourists just need to head thenearest branch of this bank. Information on this servicecan be found here. Another way to prevent having yourmoney stolen, is going to the nearest bank and getting agift card. They are exactly like ordinary ATM debit cards,but once they get empty, they cannot be recharged. SepahBank or Bank -e- Sepah is a governmental bank that hasa current account service for foreigners which providesboth ATM debit card and cheque writing option. A listof permitted Iranian banks can be found here


• Police: 110


• EMS: 115


86.12 Go next• Visit Rayen Castel with a magnificent old citadel

(similar to Bam).

• Mahan is only 30 kilometers away. Thereby you cansee Shazdeh’s garden which is a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site and about 5.5 hectares with a rectan-gular shape and a wall around it. The garden is afine example of Persian gardens that take advantageof suitable natural climate. As well as the Shah-Ne'matollah-e-Vali monument.

http://pars-hotels.com/en-us/SitePages/HotelOverView.aspx?hid=2&hname=Kerman%2520Pars%2520Hotel

tel:/+98(0)3412119331-2

mailto:kerman

mailto:kerman

http://www.uk.ac.ir/

http://www.kkhec.ac.ir/

http://www.chamran-edu.ir/




https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rayen_Castel


Chapter 87

Mahan

Mahan is a town in Kerman (province), 30 Km fromKerman, on the way of Kerman-Bam.

Shazdeh Garden

Shah-Ne'matollah-e-Vali monument

87.1 Get in

• By car Mahan is connected to Kerman by a freeway.

• By bus From Kerman, Khajoo squre.

• By private cars From Kerman, Khajoo squre, orSarasiab square.

Tiled mausoleum interior in the Shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali

87.2 Get around

Apart from Bagh-e-shazdeh, everything is in walking dis-tance. You can go to Bagh-e-shazdeh by taxi.

87.3 See• Aramgah-e-Shah Ne'matollah Vali mosque (En-

trance fee 25000 IRR)

• The tomb of Shah Nur-eddin Nematollah Vali,poet, sage, Sufi and founder of an order of dervishes,has twin minarets covered with turquoise tiles fromthe bottom up to the cupola.

• Karavan Sarai the old Karavan sarai is an impres-sive building with good views from the roof. Ask thefriendly lady at the tourist office to take you there.

• Historical house the only historical house that isstill in its original condition. No entrance fees, don'tpay the touts who hang around the house.

• Bagh-e-Shahzade a few kilometers out of town, abeautiful example of a mughal garden, excellentlymaintained, with many cool water features.

• Shazdeh Garden, one of nine Persian gardens in-scribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

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192 CHAPTER 87. MAHAN

87.4 Do

87.5 Buy

87.6 Eat

87.7 Drink

Like in other cities in Iran, drinking alcohol is illegal butyou can buy many types of drinks like Doogh, Fruitjuices, Black tea , Soft drinks(both international makessuch as Coca-Cola and Pepsi , and their brand names in-cluding 7up, Sprite, Fanta, etc., and local makes suchas ZamZam and ...), Ma-o-sha'eir and so on from themarkets.

87.8 Sleep

87.9 Connect

87.10 Go next

By bus or savari to Kerman.


Chapter 88

Rayen

The front gate of Arg-e Rayen

Rayen is a city in Kerman (province). Rayen is every-thing Bam used to be before the earthquake. Rayen hasa historic Arg (fortress) built entirely of sun-dried mudbricks. Its historic city has countless mudbrick houses,some of them unfortunately decaying, but it is this de-caying charm that makes the city even more attractive.Feel like an explorer. Be welcomed like a king. See acity, whose beauty is overpowering. Meet people, whoenjoy every visitor.

88.1 Get in

By bus from Kerman. Savari from Kerman.

88.2 Get around

Everything is in walking distance.

88.3 See

• The Arg, the beautifully restored historic fortress.

• Old houses around town feel like an explorer find-ing the old mudbrick houses

Fortress inside Arg-e Rayen

• Desert landscape climb one of the hills and see howingenious this oasis was built in the desert

88.4 Do

See the citadel, but be cautious not to damage the mudbrick construction.

88.5 Buy

Inside the 'arg' is a small workshop where a craftsmanmanufactures for sale tools and knives made from woodand steel.

88.6 Eat

There are small supermarkets between the main squareand the 'arg'.

193


194 CHAPTER 88. RAYEN

88.7 Drink

Non alcoholic malt beverages and all other standarddrinks are available in the town.

88.8 Sleep• Rayen Arg Tourist Hotel, turn right at the round-

about right when getting into town and a coupleof hundred meters further, you will see the ultra-friendly Rayen Arg Tourist Hotel. Prices are nego-tiable.

88.9 Connect

88.10 Go next

Buses only leave in the direction of Kerman, but you canhitchhike to Bam. Shared taxis are available at the mainsquare and will leave when full. Be aware that there is amilitary/police checkpoint between Rayen and Kerman,there may be 'sniffer dogs’ looking for drugs.

Chapter 89

Shahdad

Shahdad is a city in the east of Kerman (province). In aclose margine of the [lut desert].

A garden in Shahdad

89.1 Get in

By bus or by taxi from Kerman

89.2 Get around

Everything is in walking distance.

89.3 See

There are many castles and caravanserais at Shahdad andaround. Examples are the Shafee Abaad castle and TheGodeez castle. North of town the Aratta civilizationvillage and dwarf humans are said to have existed since6,000 BC. Sharain of emam Zadeh Zeyd, south oftown, is the most respected religious site of Shahdad.

89.4 Do

89.5 Buy

89.6 Eat

89.7 Drink

89.8 Sleep

Eco-lodges in villages near kalouts. for reserve call(+98)9393926423

89.9 Connect

89.10 Go next

By bus or savari to Kerman

195


Chapter 90

Tehran Province

Tehran Province (persian: تهران ,استان translitera-tion: ostān-e Tehrān) is a province in Central Iran. Itcovers on area of 18,909 square kilometers and is locatedto the north of the central plateau of Iran. This provincehas common borders with the Mazandaran province fromnorth, Qom province from south, Semnan province fromeast and Qazvin province from west.

90.1 Understand

90.1.1 Geography

The province of Tehran has over 12 million inhabitantsand is Iran’s most densely populated region. Approxi-mately 84.15% reside in urban areas and 15.85% in ruralareas of the province.The highest point of the province is Mount Damavandat an elevation of 5,678 m, and the lowest point of theprovince being the plains of Varamin, 790 m above sealevel.The largest Lakes of this province are Karaj River andJajrud River.Mountain ranges such as the Alborz span the north; SavadKooh and Firooz Kooh are located in the north east;Lavasanat, Qarah Daq, Shemiranat, Hassan Abad andNamak Mountains are in the southern areas; Bibi ShahrBanoo and Alqadr are situated in the south east and theheights of Qasr-e-Firoozeh being located to the east ofthe province.Environmentally speaking, the climate of Tehranprovince in the southern areas is moderately warm, but in the mountain vicinity it is cold , and in thehigher regions it is even colder with long winters andfairly large amounts of snow. The hottest months ofthe year are from mid-July to mid-September whentemperatures range from 28°−30° C and the coldestmonths experience −10° C around December-January.Tehran city has Cold winters and hot summers. Averageannual rainfall is approximately 500 mm, the maximumbeing during the winter season.

90.2 Cities• Tehran - the capital of Iran

• Behan - a small town outside of Tehran

• Damavand

• Dizin

• Karaj

• Ray (Iran) - the oldest existing city in Tehranprovince

• Shemiran

• Varamin

90.3 See

Palaces, Museums , Mosques , shrines , mausoleums andChurches

• Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage sitewhere the Peacock Throne of the Persian Shahs canbe found.

• National Museum of Iran

• Sa'dabad Palaces Complex

• Glassware and Ceramics Museum of Iran

• The Carpet Museum of Iran

• Tehran’s Underglass painting Museum

• Niavaran Palace Complex.

• The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art featuresthe works of great artists such as Van Gogh, PabloPicasso and Andy Warhol.

• Soltani Mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah

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https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Damavand

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dizin


https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ray_(Iran)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shemiran

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Varamin


90.4. DO 197

• Atiq Mosque, built in 1663

• Mo'ezz o-dowleh mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah

• Haj Seyd Azizollah mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah

• Al-javad mosque, Iran’s first modernist designmosque.

• The Old Sepahsalar mosque, another prominent Qa-jar era mosque.

• The new Sepahsalar mosque (Madreseh e Motahari)

• Filsuf o-dowleh Mosque, Qajar era

• Moshir ol-Saltaneh Mosque, Qajar era

• Mo'ayyer ol-Mamalik Mosque, Qajar era

• Shahr Banu Mausoleum

• Javan-mard Qassab Mausoleum, a pre-Islamic semi-mythical hero

• Dozens of Imam-zadeh shrines, hundreds of yearsold, including that of Imam Zadeh Saleh.

• Ibn Babviyeh cemetery, where many Iranian giantssuch as Takhti and Ali Akbar Dehkhoda are buried.

• Zahir o-dowleh cemetery, where many Iranian gi-ants of art and culture such as Iraj Mirza, Mo-hammad Taghi Bahar, Forough Farrokhzad, Abol-hasan Saba, Ruhollah Khaleghi, and Darvish-khanare buried.

• Kordan Tomb, Seljuqi era, Karaj.

• Maydanak Tomb, 13th century, Karaj

• The Polish cemetery north of Tehran, where numer-ous WW2 western allied soldiers are buried.

Churches:

• Surep Georg Church, 1790

• Thaddeus Bartoqimus Church, 1808

• Tatavus Church, from the Qajar era

• Enjili Church, 1867

• Assyrian Church

90.3.1 Itineraries

90.4 Do

Parks and Recreation are among the greatest things to dowhile you are in Tehran Province. Here are a ton of thingsthat might amuse you while you are in Tehran Province:

• Lavizan Forest

• The Niavaran Public Library

• Tochal Skiing resort : is one of the best Ski resortsaround the world.

The French (Poma) built gondolas that carry tourists andskiers to Tochal mountain.Within 10 minutes of driv-ing distance from Tehran lies a ski resort. Tochal is theworld’s 4th highest ski resort at over 3,730 metres (12,240ft) at its highest 7th station. The resort was completed in1976 shortly before the overthrow of the Shah.Here, one must first ride the eight kilometres (five mile)long gondola lift which covers a huge vertical. The 7thstation has three slopes. The resort’s longest slope is thesouth side U shaped slope which goes from the 7th stationto 5th station. The other two slopes are located on thenorth side of the 7th station. Here, there are two parallelchair ski lifts that go up to 3,900 metres (12,795 ft) nearTochal’s peak (at 4,000 m/13,125 ft), rising higher thanthe gondola 7th station. This altitude is higher than anyof the European resorts.From the Tochal peak, one has a spectacular view of theAlborz range, including the 5,671 metre (18,606 ft) highMt. Damavand, a dormant volcano.At the bottom of the lifts in a valley behind the Tochalpeak is Tochal hotel, located at 3,500 metres (11,483 ft)altitude. From there a T lift takes skiers up the 3,800metres (12,500 ft) of Shahneshin peak, where the thirdslope of Tochal is.Tochal 7th station has skiing eight months of the year. Butthere are also some glaciers and year-round snow fieldsnear Tehran where skiing began in 1938, thanks to theefforts of two German railway engineers. Today, 12 skiresorts operate in Iran, but the most famous are Tochal,Dizin, and Shemshak, all within one to three hours ofTehran.

• Darband hiking trail

• Chitgar Park

• Mellat Park

• Laleh Park

• Jamshidieh Park

• Niavaran Park

198 CHAPTER 90. TEHRAN PROVINCE

• Sa'ei Park

• Shatranj Park

• Tangeh Savashi

• Darabad hiking trail

• Darakeh hiking trail

• Jahan-e Kudak Park

• Azadi Sports complex

• Enghelab Sports Complex and Golf course

• Several caves, springs, and waterfalls outsideTehran.

• Latyan Lake

• Lavizan Forest Park

• Vard-Avard Forest Park

• Khajeer National Park

• Kaveer National Park

• Tar Lake

• Amir Kabir Lake

• Lar Protected Natural Habitat

• Varjeen Protected Natural Habitat

90.5 Eat

Kebab Shops are scattered all over the province.If youare sick or not into Kebab,there are lots of InternationalRestaurants in the city which range from Persian to Ital-ian.

90.6 Drink

There are a lot of Tea houses in the province , especiallythe capital. Soft drinks such as Cola, Fanta and Pepsiare also available. The ZamZam Cola is the local Iraniancola. Although, Alcohol is not allowed, it is drank in someunderground Parties and weddings.

90.7 Stay safe

90.8 Go next

Qom Province and the Caspian Mazandaran Provinceare just some of the existing beautiful and more culturalprovinces close by.

Chapter 91

Yazd (province)

Yazd is a province in Central Iran; the capital is Yazd.

91.1 Regions

91.2 Cities

Yazd is the capital city of the province.


91.4 Understand

91.4.1 Geography

Yazd Province is situated at an oasis where Dasht-e Kavirand the Dasht-e Lut deserts meet.

91.5 Talk

91.6 Get in

91.7 Get around

91.8 See

91.8.1 Itineraries

91.9 Do

91.10 Eat

91.11 Drink

91.12 Stay safe

91.13 Go next

199




Chapter 92

Yazd

A Badgir, a wind cooled water reservoir

Dowlat Abad garden

Yazd is a city in central Iran and the capital of the Yazdprovince. It is an ancient city dating back to the SassanianPeriod (224-651 AD).

92.1 Get in

Yazd is located midway between Isfahan and Kerman,689 km (427 miles) south east of Tehran. Yazd is wellconnected to the rest of the country by planes, trains andbuses.

92.1.1 By bus

From the bus station {GPS 31°52'37.5"N,054°17'04.0"E}, take a local bus (the bus stop isby a little white hut on the highway in front of the mainbus station) to the local bus station, then another to thebazaar. This is in the centre of town; from here you canfind your hotel.

92.1.2 By plane

There are International flights to Dubai and Damascusand daily flights to Tehran.

92.2 Get around

Most sights are in the old town near the Friday Mosque.You can easily walk between them on foot and enjoy therabbit warren of old passages and buildings as you do so.Get a good map from your hotel.

92.2.1 By foot

Most places in the old town are within easy walking dis-tance from each other.

92.2.2 By bus

Local buses are also available.

92.2.3 By taxi

Taxis are inexpensive. Motorcycle taxis are another fastand cheap way to move around the city but try to settleon a price beforehand.

200










92.3. SEE 201

Masjid-e Jame

Atashkadeh – Zoroastrian fire temple

Amir Chakhmakh Complex

92.3 See

• Masjid-e Jame (Friday Mosque), Masjid-e Jamestreet, which runs off Imam St. Dating back to thefourteenth century, it is well worth a visit. It is anexample of finest Persian mosaics and excellent ar-chitecture. Its minarets are the highest in the coun-try. Admire it at night when it is lit up. (updated Jul2015)

• Yazd Water Museum, Imam St corner. Houseconverted to a museum with a lot of informationabout the Canat water distribution system. Containsnice cool underground rooms. Free. (updated Jul2015)

A traditional roofed alley, represents the old fabric of the city

• Takyeh Amir Chakhmagh (Amir ChakhmaghComplex). Originally a mosque, a caravanserai, atekyeh, a bathhouse, a cold water well, and a con-fectionery, this imposing structure fronts a square inthe old town, opposite the water museum. You canpay a small amount to go inside and climb to the top,giving good local views, including of a nearby bad-gir (water reservoir with wind towers). The squarehas interesting fountains and is nice at night. (up-dated Jul 2015)

• Cistern of Fatemeh-ye-Golshan. Easily-viewedreservoir with 4 badgirs (wind towers). (updated Jul2015)

• Amir Chakhmagh Mosque (Old Mosque).Mosque next to the Amir Chakhmagh Complex.(updated Jul 2015)

• Market Square Clock, Imam St. (updated Jul2015)

• Atashkadeh (Zoroastrian Fire Temple), KashaniRoad (a few kilometres from the old town; a taximight be best). The fire on the inside has supposedlybeen burning since AD 470. Free but donations ap-preciated. (updated Jul 2015)

• Dakhmeh (Zoroastrian Towers of Silence). Hugecircular walls on top of hills, where the dead wereleft to be picked clean by vultures. A quiet, sereneplace. (updated Jul 2015)

202 CHAPTER 92. YAZD

• Alexander’s Prison. Neither built by Alexanderthe Great nor a prison, but a 15th-century domedschool which is quite an interesting sight with a cafein the 'prison room'. Guides say the deep well in themiddle of its courtyard was built by Alexander theGreat and was used as a dungeon although this is notconfirmed. Also called Ziaiyyeh school. (updatedJul 2015)

• Dowlat Abad Gardens. With a building with abeautiful large badgir. One of nine Persian gardensinscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.(updated Jul 2015)

92.4 Do• Walk around in the historic neighbourhoods and re-

lax in the parks. You can also hike up in the beautifulmountains of Yazd and enjoy a spectacular view ofthe city. If you are the more social type, relax in thecafes and chat with local Iranians. Most likely, theywill be very interested in talking with you.

92.5 Buy

Yazd is famous in Iran for its various handicrafts, such ascarpet, silk fabrics and cashmere. A good place for theseis bazaar, where also can be found snacks such as nougatand cashews.

92.6 Eat

For a friendlier and more cultural atmosphere try Persianrestaurants. Many restaurants serve the standard Iraniankebabas. There are a few international restaurants in Yazdwhich serve Italian, Indian, Arabian and Mexican food.The traditional restaurant and tea house of Kohan Hotelserves various Iranian traditional dishes such as fessenjun,gheime as well as some European and Indian dishes. Ithas a nice atmosphere and is located near the AlexanderPrison.

92.7 Drink

For typical drinks available in Iran, see Iran#Drink

92.8 Sleep

It is best to stay in the old town near the Friday Mosque,from which you can walk to most sights. There are manydescent hotels to choose from. A number of traditional

houses have been recently converted into atmospheric ho-tels. Some are good and others not so much. Many ofthem offer clean comfortable rooms encircling peacefulcentral courtyards where you can eat, drink tea or puffaway on a ghalyan while gazing at the sky.

92.8.1 Budget

• Orient Hotel (6th Alley at Jame Mosque St.), ☎+98-351-626 7783. Check-in: 14:00, check-out:12:00. From the owners of Silk Road Hotel, whichis on the other side of the street. The price of therooms are all same as the Silk Road Hotel. It is es-pecially tailored to the needs of families and grouptravelers. Has a glass deck on the second floor withnice panoramas of the city, and the beautiful Jame'Mosque, and a background of desert and mountains.To book your room at the Orient hotel, it is best tocall or email the Silk Road Hotel. Good hotel, nicecentral courtyard. Showers have good pressure andwater is hot. You can eat lunch and dinner here.Dorm bed: $5; Single: $15; Double: $20; Triple:$25.

• Silk Road Hotel, No 5, Tal-e Khakestary Al-ley, Masjed Jame St (Conveniently hidden inan alley near the Jameh Mosque; look for thesigns pointing the way on the wall.), ☎ +98-351-625 2730, fax: +98-351-6217703, e-mail:[email protected]. Check-in: 14:00,check-out: 12:00. This is undoubtedly the mostpopular and affordable of the backpacker hotels inYazd. They off private rooms with ensuite bath-rooms as well as a comfortable dorm. An excel-lent buffet breakfast and free wireless internet is in-cluded in the price. They also serve traditional foodin the lovely courtyard restaurant. They also offer anumber of interesting tours in and around Yazd - in-cluding overnight trips to the desert oasis Kharanaq,where they run another guesthouse.. Dorm bed: $7;Single: $20; Double: $30; Triple: $40.

• KohanHotel (100 metres from Alexander’s Prison),☎ +98-351 6212485, fax: 621 0393. Is a littlepricer and difficult to find, but also worth the ef-fort. They also have a beautiful courtyard restaurant,a underground qanat room (water management sys-tem) to explore, and good views of the old city canbe had from the roof. The hotel is family run, andalso there is a tourist information office, a youngman,who speaks wonderfully perfect German, En-glish and a little Spanish, he can provide informa-tion about Yazd and other cities of Iran, time tableof buses, air planes and trains. Various tours of Yazdare offered including camel rides, overnight stays indesert & bike riding in desert. From $28.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iran#Drink

http://www.orienthotel.ir/

tel:/+98-351-6267783

http://www.silkroadhotel.ir/

tel:/+98-351-6252730

tel:/+98-351-6252730


http://kohanhotel.ir/en/

tel:/+98-3516212485

92.9. GO NEXT 203

• Kourosh Hotel (100 meters from Alexan-der prison), ☎ +9835-36203560-70, e-mail:[email protected]. Traditional archi-tecture and modern amenities, in the middle of thecity. Breakfast and Wi-Fi free. (updated Dec 2015)

92.8.2 Mid-range

• Hotel Dad, #214, 10th Farvardin Ave, ☎ +98-351-6229400, fax: +98 351 6229449, e-mail:[email protected]. Hotel Dad is an 80-year oldhotel in the old center of town, with a traditionalstyle, and 54 rooms. Swimming pool with poolsideservice and a sauna and jacuzzi. It has both a tra-ditional Iranian and international restaurants, alongwith a coffee shop. Single: $70; Double: $110;Triple: $165.

92.8.3 Outside of Yadz

• Farvardinn Desert Inn, 30km south east of Yazden-rout to Bafq, Fahraj-Yazd (There are local busesto Fahraj every hour on the hour from the localbus station. A taxi costs US$5. The hotel is about100m to the left of the main street.)Across the oldFortress of Fahraj village), ☎ +98 9133524723, fax:+98 351 6229449. Check-in: flexible, check-out:flexible. This is a new guesthouse/hostel close toYazd, that is right on the Dasht-e-Lud desert. Theowner, Masoud, speaks excellent English and a littleFrench, is very nice and very knowledgeable aboutthe area. This hotel offers comfortable beds, a fullbuffet breakfast, new bathrooms, WiFi, kitchen fa-cilities, dinner with a local family, and camel-ridingcourses. This hotel is great for both backpackers andtraditional travellers looking for a trekking base oran authentic place to relax. There is a bus and trainbooking service for minimal commission. Tours:From 1-12 days - day tours to surrounding villagesfrom an experienced guide, camel-riding courses,nomad tours from Yazd to Shiraz, one day hikes toMt. Shirkuh (up to 4100m), or a tour of your choos-ing can be arranged. Camping: $4; Dorm bed: $7;Double: $25.

92.9 Go next• Meymand — population 60 in summer, 130 in win-

ter, continuously occupied for more than 3,000 years

• If you feel like visiting a place more cultural andbeautiful, the ancient city of Isfahan is near Yazd.

• Kavir National Park. The magnificent Iraniandeserts is ideal for those who are interested in ad-venturous journey or trekking. The white vast salt

flats, the golden dunes as well as the striking moundsin bright green, yellow and red create a marvellousspectrum.

• Yet another world heritage-listed Persian Garden,the Pahlevanpour Garden is about 40km to thesouth.

http://www.yazdkouroshhotel.com/

tel:/+9835-36203560-70


http://dadhotel.com/

tel:/+98-351-6229400

tel:/+98-351-6229400


http://www.fardesertinn.com/

tel:/+989133524723



Chapter 93

Hormozgān

The Gulf Region of Iran lies along the country’s PersianGulf coast.

93.1 Regions

The Gulf Region is comprised of the Bushehr and Hor-mozgan Provinces.

93.2 Cities

• Bandar-e-Abbas

• Bushehr


• Kish Island — visa-free and duty-free touristy island

• Qeshm — mountanious island, another duty-freezone

93.4 Understand

93.5 Talk

93.6 Get in

93.7 Get around

93.8 See

93.8.1 Itineraries

93.9 Do

93.10 Eat

93.11 Drink

93.12 Stay safe

93.13 Go next

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Chapter 94

Bushehr

Bushehr

Bushehr Barry Kent

Bushehr is a city in the Gulf Region of Iran.

94.1 Understand

Bushehr was the main trade center of Iran in the past cen-turies. The city structures are traditional in style, modestin proportion and cost. Due to its lack of rail connectionto the interior of the country and its shallow anchorage,it has lost its position as the primary port of Iran.

94.2 Get in

94.2.1 By plane

There are international flights to Kuwait and Dubai anddomestic flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Mashad.

94.2.2 By train

• A railroad has just been started from Shiraz. It willbe finished in a few years.

94.2.3 By car

• There is a good highway to Shiraz.

94.2.4 By bus

There are buses to Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, Tehranand other major cities of Iran.

94.2.5 By boat

Apart from enterprising fishermen, there are no domes-tic boat services from Bushehr. However, the Valfajre-8 shipping company operates (in theory, though not al-ways in practice) to Qatar (one way US$50, Mondays),Bahrain (US$45, seven to eight hours, Mondays) andKuwait (US$70, seven to eight hours, Wednesdays).

94.3 Get around

Getting around this place is a little bit fun. It’s fun becausemost of the times you will enjoy Bushehr by foot.

94.4 See• The Old city

• Ruins of British Consulate

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206 CHAPTER 94. BUSHEHR

94.5 Do• Do speed boat riding, You can find speedboats

anywhere along the coast and a 10 minutes ride willcost 30,000 Rials.

94.6 Learn• Persian Gulf University

• Bushehr University of Medical Sciences

• Islamic Azad University of Bushehr

• Iran Nuclear Energy College

94.7 Buy

94.8 Eat

94.8.1 Budget

94.8.2 Mid-range

• Ghavam Restaurant, Khalije Fars Street.

94.8.3 Splurge

94.9 Drink

94.10 Sleep

94.10.1 Budget

• Hotel Sadi, Nader Street, ☎ +98 771 2522605.This is the best budget option with clean rooms andpersonal bathrooms.

94.10.2 Mid-range

hotel delvar , this hotel is the best in bushehr

94.10.3 Splurge

94.11 Connect

94.12 Go next

tel:/+987712522605

Chapter 95

Kish Island

Kish Island is a beautiful island and tourist resort lo-cated on the north east of the Persian Gulf (Khalij-e Fars)about 17 km (10.2 miles) from the southern offshore ofthe mainland Iran. Kish is a free trade zone.

95.1 Understand

Kish Island, often called the Pearl of the Persian Gulf hasan area of 90 square km (36 sq. miles). It is known forbeing a beautiful resort in the Middle East and the PersianGulf, a unique coral island. Kish Island has relaxed lawsin comparison to the rest of Iran. Like mainland Iran, thepeople of Kish are generally friendly and hospitable.

• Kish Tourist Affairs Office: +98 764 4424423

95.2 Get in

No entry visa is required for Kish. Foreign nationalsneed no entry visa at the authorized arrival and departurepoints in Kish Island. At Kish International Airport, theofficials will take your photograph and fingerprints, andstamp your passport, allowing you to stay up to 14 dayson the Island. Beware: if you are western, you may besternly questioned as to the purpose of your visit. Makesure you bring all verification paperwork including hotelreservations with phone numbers, etc.Upon arrival at Kish Airport, all female passengers will beimmediately escorted to a room and very politely orderedto wear headscarves and long robes to cover their entirebody. The clothing is available at the Airport, and pas-sengers are expected to return them when leaving Kish.Female visitors may be detained for a period of time un-der the perception that they 'might have difficulty findingtheir way around the island'. However, the staff in generalare very polite, but speak little English.

95.2.1 By plane

At present, there are a number of international airlinesflying to Kish International Airport (IATA: KIH). The

most popular airline with the most regular domestic andinternational flights in Kish is "Kish Air". Kish Air hasinternational flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Kish Airalso offers domestic flights to Iran’s main cities, includingTehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad.

• Kish Airport: 4422100, 4422460

• Kish Air: 4423517, 4422030

• Airport Passport Office: 422640

Women who do not have appropriate Muslim dress (headscarves, long smocks or dresses) will be provided withthose free of charge upon arrival prior to passing throughcustoms and immigration. These are loaned free ofcharge, and should be returned upon leaving.

95.2.2 By car

Driving by car is an easy and smart option. Currently,there is only one route to Kish Island. If you are drivingfrom Tehran, take care on the road and be alert of thehighways and the pedestrians.

95.2.3 By bus

There are private buses that will take you from Tehranand other main cities to Kish Island. This is probably thesafest way of travelling in Iran. Private buses in Iran areinexpensive compared to other countries in the MiddleEast.

95.2.4 By boat

There are boats that will take you from the port cities ofBandar-e Abbas, Bushehr and Chahbahar. As of June2009 this has reportedly been suspended.

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208 CHAPTER 95. KISH ISLAND

95.3 Get around

If you are energetic, walking is your best option. How-ever, like the rest of Iran, there are plenty of taxis - butwithout meters. It is advisable to agree the fare in ad-vance, and to make sure that the driver understands whereyou want to go. The majority of taxis on the island areToyota Camrys and are fully air-conditioned. The normalfares are usually $2 USD to $5 USD depending upon thedistance, which is never too long as the island is rathersmall.Be careful to check your change as some taxi drivers willtake advantage of tourists and attempt to short-change.Harireh Taxi Service +98 764 - 4451700Paeeze Taxi Service +98 764 - 4451670Toosan Taxi Service +98 764 - 4422400Dalahoo Taxi Service +98 764 - 4451577

95.4 See

95.4.1 Popular tourist attractions

A view of a Greek ship at sunset

• Kish Dolphin & Crocodile Park: The DolphinPark an ocean atrium, and offers dolphin and othersea mammal shows. The entrance fee is $46 USD.

• The Green Tree Park: The Park with the oldesttrees on the island. Entry is free for all.

• Mysteries of the World Zoo: A small zoo with ex-otic animals on display. The entrance fee is $5 USD.

• Greek Ship: The historic and famous old ship rest-ing on one of the shores of Kish Island. It has be-come a major tourist attraction in recent years. En-try is free. It is a beautiful scenic area, and you canbring food for a picnic and sit in a shaded area.

• Giant Bird Sculpture: you can climb up inside ofit.

• Underground Town of Cariz: Is more than 2,500years old, and has been converted into an under-ground town 16 metres below the surface, and withan area of more than 10,000 square miles. The en-trance fee is $5 USD.

• The Ancient Town of Harireh: The ruins displaymortar masses and stone - made buildings in an areaof some 3 by 1 kilometre long. The structures werebuilt of sandstone, with some plaster on the walls.Some were originally a number of storeys in height.Harireh town is estimated to be 800 years old, and isthought to have been destroyed by a powerful earth-quake. Entry is free.

• Marjon Beach Park:Entry is free for all.

95.5 Do

95.5.1 The beaches

Snorkeling on the beaches of Kish Island is said to beamongst the best in the world, while the scuba-diving of-fers an even more spectacular insight of life beneath thewaters. A variety of other water sports are also avail-able: jet-skiing, sailing, fishing, parasailing, reef walk-ing, coral viewing, boating and water-skiing are some ofthe popular ways to enjoy yourself when visiting the Is-land. A variety of other water sports are also available.The Kish coastline is one of the least dangerous coastsin the world. Kish has gorgeous white sandy beaches forrelaxing walks.Women-only beaches are available for the female touriststo the Island. Women do not have access to most beaches,or to the prime snorkeling areas. There used to be an “in-ternational beach” where male and female foreign touristscould swim together, but it has been closed by the govern-ment.Contrary to the above information regarding the GreekShip, there is no restaurant on board what remains of thehistoric ship. Still, this is a beautiful island - and you couldbring food with you and enjoy the site while sitting at ashaded table nearby.

95.6 Buy

Kish is a trade free zone, making it a good place for shop-ping and trading. The price of goods in Kish are no-tably cheaper than in mainland Iran. Many Iranians andtourists visit Kish to purchase duty free clothes, electronic

95.9. DRINK 209

goods, cosmetics, etc. There are a number of large shop-ping centres, most of them situated in the eastern part ofthe island. Due to the daytime heat, most shops are closedfrom 13.00 until around 17.30. Some stay open until lateinto the night. The shopping malls in Kish cater to everytaste. However, be prepared to find numerous fake Amer-ican and European brands such as Gucci, Prada, Diesel,The Gap, Ikea and Starbucks. Very little of the merchan-dise is authentic. One exception is the 'Ikea' store, whichimports genuine Ikea merchandise such as ice-cube traysand dishes.

95.6.1 Malls

• Paradise 1 International Mall

• Paradise 2 International Mall

• The Paniz International Mall

• Zaytoon International Mall

• Morvarid International Mall

• Venus International Mall

• Marjon International Mall

• Arab Bazaar

• Kish Trade Centre

95.7 Work

It is not difficult to find work on the Island. If you aresociable and hospitable, working in cafes and restaurantsare the best way to go. If you are looking for work inthe commercial and tourist sector, you must have at leastsome experience and knowledge of the Iranian economyand of Kish Island.Most people on Kish Island work from 09:00 to 17:00, in-cluding the government employees. On Thursdays, gov-ernment employees work from 09:00 to 13:00.

95.8 Eat

Kish Island offers a wide selection of restaurants whichrange from Persian to International cuisines. Some of themost well-known restaurants include:

95.8.1 Budget

• Boof Fast Food Restaurant, Pardis II Mall, ☎ 7644420554. Kish’s answer to McDonald’s...

• Espadana Restaurant, ☎ 764 44220689.

• Papa Restaurant, ☎ 764 4430130.

• Hadee’s. Pizzeria.

• Kish KFC. Kish Fried Chicken.

95.8.2 Mid-range

• Asal Kish Restaurant, ☎ 764 4424420.

• Pars Khalij Buffet, ☎ 764 4430356.

Nahange Sefid - a variety of Iranian food (live music).

95.8.3 Splurge

• Shandiz Safdari. Shishlik (lamb chop grilled) ac-companied by Iranian Rice and Laban (Yoghurt)drink. expensive.

• Kooh-e-Noor. The 5* restaurant of Sadaf Inter-national Hotel. The restaurant has a “cave” theme.'Kooh-e-Noor' is translated as “the mountain oflight”, and is also the name of one of the world’slargest diamonds.

• Pavion Restaurant, ☎ 764 4422614.

• Nagshe Jahan Restaurant, ☎ 764 4420390.

• Paayaab Restaurant, olympic boulevard olympicsquare, ☎ 764 4423638.

95.9 Drink

Like mainland Iran, alcoholic beverages are not servedon the Island. The tea is light, good in taste and is kept atevery home, shop and other social places.'Cafe Aquarium' (ground floor of Pardis II ShoppingMall.) This popular hangout serves “Starbucks” coffee,Italian style sandwiches, banana splits, and fresh fruitjuice to a young, hip crowd.

95.10 Sleep

Accommodation in Kish is slightly more expensive thanmainland Iran, however it is not extortionate. Kish Is-land has a range of nice villas, hotels and guest housesfor tourists. Hotel reservations must be made through atravel agency in Tehran, which may be difficult if you arenot Iranian and/or do not speak Persian.

210 CHAPTER 95. KISH ISLAND

95.10.1 Budget

• Alighapou Hotel - +98 764 5-23203 44 0764

• Fanoos Hotel - +98 764 443200-5

• Ghasedak Hotel mainly catering for Chinese ex-pats. It is fairly basic but has friendly staff and islocated in walking distance to the jetty and somemalls.

95.10.2 Mid-range

• Eram Grand Hotel. A 2-star hotel with occasionalfires and difficulty in coordinating reservations withavailable rooms.

• Tatilat Hotel - +98 764 4443996-8

• Maryam Hotel' - +98 764 44 21111-7 - Was orig-inally a luxury hotel, but it is gradually becomingmore run-down. The lobby is still quite impressive,however, and the rooms are nice. Customer serviceis a lost art.

• Sunrise International Hotel - A nice and cleanplace. Each suite comprises of a double bedroom, aliving room with sofas and a television, a small kitch-enette with a fridge, and two modern bathrooms.The cost of a taxi from the airport is around $2.50US. The hotel also has a cosy restaurant and coffeeshop.

95.10.3 Splurge

• Dariush Grand Hotel - +98 764 44 49 00

• Sadaf International Hotel - +98 764 4420590-7

• Shayan Hotel

• Parmis hotel-+98 7644446223-30

• Flamingo Hotel one of the more recent hotels inKish

• The Flower of the East - coming soon.

95.11 Connect

95.11.1 Phone

• Area Code for Iran: 0098 (+98)

• Area Code for Kish: 0764

• Kish Cellular Phone (Code): 0934

95.11.2 Internet

There are various internet cafés on Kish Island. Internetspeed varies from café to café. A popular internet caféis The Kish Cyber Cafe at Shayan Hotel, Tel: 4422771-5 (2623), [email protected], One hour is around$2.50 US.

95.12 Stay safe• Emergency services: 110

• Kish Hospital: 4422811 or 4422211

95.13 Go next

If you feel like going to another beautiful island, Qeshmis also close by. It is not as tourist-friendly as Kish andis mostly visited by those interested in trade. You havethe options of travelling by boat or plane. Consider thecity of Bushehr for somewhere cultural and beautiful inmainland Iran.

http://www.kisheramhotel.com/



Chapter 96

Qeshm

Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf, withrocky coastlines that protects a mountainous and oftenbeautiful interior. The coast is dotted with small villagesand towns. Qeshm Island is free duty zone.

96.1 Get in

The simplest way is to get on a speedboat at Bandar Ab-bas main harbour. There are lots of them departing eachfew minutes. The ride takes between 20 to 40 minutesdepending on the boat. The rates were about $2-3 in Jan-uary 2008. A car ferry leaves regularly from Bander-e-Pol, about 60km west of Bandar Abbas. Total cost ofreturn ticket for one car and two persons is 180,000 IRR(rates of November 2011). It is allowed to go on the is-land with a foreign vehicle (they will want to see yourCarnet de Passage).There are flights from major cities to Qeshm Island byQeshm Air.There is a daily flight from Dubai costs about $40.

96.2 Get around

Qeshm Island is very long (approximately 150 km fromeast to west), and its main attractions are far awayfrom each other, and therefore taxis are strongly recom-mended.The cheapest and safest way to get a taxi is througha hotel, although hailing them of the streets is easy.Bargaining is recommended but some drivers will givequote the exact rate (be wise and distinguish betweenthese two kinds of behaviour). Hotel staff may advisein advance on the legitimate rates to destinations.In emergencies wave to any vehicle to attract a lift (butremember, don't show a “thumb up” sign as it is con-sidered an obscene gesture, and be prepared to pay thedriver. The minimum fare is between IRR10,000 andIRR25,000.

96.3 See

Chahkouh Valley at Qeshm Island

• Hara Marine Forests. According to environmen-talists, about 1.5% of the world birds and 25% ofIran’s native birds annually migrate to Hara forests,which is a national park.

• Portuguese Castle.

• Star Valleys.

• Laft Historical Port.

• Chahkouh Valley.

96.4 Do

Meet friendly people and listen to the traditional music.

• Chahkouh Valley.

96.5 Buy

Qeshm is a duty free zone, meaning it is possible to buythings here free of duty. Here there are many bazaars in

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212 CHAPTER 96. QESHM

Qeshm and the near town of Dargahan where shirts costaround $US2 and trousers for $US5.

96.6 Eat• Iranian cuisine — in the city centre or the main

town named Dergahaan has a wide array of conven-tional eatery-stalls and restaurants. those eateriesserve almost all Iranian cuisine with some specialitydishes of Qeshm. The most common item is the Ira-nian variant of the shewerma, or Arabic meat sand-wich. Kebabs and other Iranian dishes are available.

96.7 Drink

96.8 Sleep• Qeshm International Hotel, Bahman Blvd.,

• Tolla International Hotel. 10 kms away fromthe city centre and approximately an hour from theQeshm International Airport, which makes this ho-tel very calm and a little secluded. The hotel is com-parably cheap and has an extensive courtyard areafor walking or jogging. Tree-lined walkways and thelong benches installed on the sides are best for theevening stroll and rest. It also has a couple of restau-rants serves a nominal but satisfactory Iranian cui-sine, and most widely Indian and continental cuisine,a couple of coffee shops, a videoke (Video KaraokeBar) and an internet cafe (bandwidth speed is slow).100,000 IRR for single men and women (for bedslocated in what range from 2-person rooms to 10-person villas—; 300,000 IRR for an entire villa..

• Assads Bed & Breakfeast, Bandar'e Dulab (north-west part of Qeshm Island) (ask in Dulab forB&B or call him), ☎ 00989362477331, e-mail:[email protected]. charming b&b in Dulab, acalm village of the sea coast of Qeshm Island. Theplace is really well situated just 5 minutes form thesea. From this B&B, numerous possibilities to dis-cover the countryside. Assad can arrange tours tosaltcave’s, canyons and dessert by car or offroad bymotorbike. 10$/person incl. food=drink. (updatedApr 2015)

96.9 Go next

Kish Island is a good place to visit from Qeshm.



Chapter 97

Hormozgān

The Gulf Region of Iran lies along the country’s PersianGulf coast.

97.1 Regions

The Gulf Region is comprised of the Bushehr and Hor-mozgan Provinces.

97.2 Cities

• Bandar-e-Abbas

• Bushehr


• Kish Island — visa-free and duty-free touristy island

• Qeshm — mountanious island, another duty-freezone

97.4 Understand

97.5 Talk

97.6 Get in

97.7 Get around

97.8 See

97.8.1 Itineraries

97.9 Do

97.10 Eat

97.11 Drink

97.12 Stay safe

97.13 Go next

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214 CHAPTER 97. HORMOZGĀN

97.14 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

97.14.1 Text• Iran Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iran?oldid=2958795 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2, Sert-

mann, Jpatokal, Syced, Peterfitzgerald, Jc8136, Pbsouthwood, Dguillaume, Sumone10154, Jjtk~enwikivoyage, Ypsilon, AHeneen,Vidimian, Inas, JamesA, Pashley, Globe-trotter, Yann, Jonboy, Ravikiran r, Cacahuate, Xltel, Saqib, Nurg, Romaine, RegentsPark,ClausHansen, Stefan2bot, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Cupcakecommander, (WT-en) TVerBeek, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Bill Ellett, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, (WT-en) Jjtk, (WT-en) Nzpcmad, (WT-en) Wind-Horse, (WT-en) PierreAbbat, (WT-en) Fastestdogever, (WT-en) InterLangBot, (WT-en) Nrms, (WT-en) Abi, (WT-en) Mnd, (WT-en)Jake73, (WT-en) The Yeti, (WT-en) Rmx, (WT-en) Karen Johnson, (WT-en) Nils, (WT-en) Stephen Atkins, (WT-en) Willy...on tehwheels!, (WT-en) MMKK, (WT-en) Allyak, (WT-en) Janki, (WT-en) Kawkabalsharq, (WT-en) KruMalee, (WT-en) Omid Hatami,(WT-en) Pinkfluffybrick, (WT-en) CIAWorldFactbook2002, (WT-en) Jonathan 784, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) Hippietrail, (WT-en) MiddleEastern, (WT-en) Norvak, (WT-en) Robert-Antonio, (WT-en) Steffen M., (WT-en) Ali1986, (WT-en) Amirhassanm, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Puff the Magic Dragon, (WT-en) Improv, (WT-en) 386-DX, (WT-en) W., (WT-en) Overandaway, (WT-en)Emes, (WT-en) Hessam, (WT-en) Keri d, (WT-en) Kaveh, (WT-en) Markhoney, (WT-en) TransUtopian, (WT-en) Dark Paladin X,(WT-en) Test, (WT-en) ManOnABus, (WT-en) M.r.m2187, (WT-en) Kombizz, (WT-en) NAINTOURS, (WT-en) Shervinafshar, (WT-en) Babakgh, (WT-en) Puccini, (WT-en) Campdavid, (WT-en) Saffo, (WT-en) Johnny, (WT-en) Cancerward, (WT-en) Silwi, (WT-en)Babak, (WT-en) Roshandel, (WT-en) Jahan, (WT-en) Hamed14788, (WT-en) Odarijani, (WT-en) Masoud Karimi, (WT-en) Alireza-yami, (WT-en) CanuckViking, (WT-en) Rayani, (WT-en) Hsarafraz, (WT-en) Gypscholar, (WT-en) Tektronic, (WT-en) A hashemi,(WT-en) Xct, (WT-en) Dimo, (WT-en) Propars55, (WT-en) Jahangard79, (WT-en) Mahbod, (WT-en) Danieldemol, Aude, This, thatand the other, The dog2, Ikan Kekek, Jonte--, Felix505, Graham87, Alkamid, Aetherlur, ZxxZxxZ, LilHelpa, Cyfraw, JuliasTravels,Arjanizary, Andrewssi2, Keithonearth, Orijentolog, EvanProdromou, 4nn1l2, MarkJaroski, Bill-on-the-Hill, Sapphire, Texugo, Chub-byWimbus, Sms1371, Greenstruck, Sarbalavand, Druzhnik, ,ויקיג'אנקי Stajler, Zsombor~enwikivoyage, Jjtkk, Sonia Sevilla, Inasbot,Traveler100bot, Danapit, Lexusuns, SteveRBot, Zollerriia, Elliot Teong, Massreg, Wrh2Bot, Thatoo, Vacationer, Ziraksima, Matroc, Ad-dbot, Lbt, EBB, Maadikhah, Dukenemesis, AminC99, Outlookjim, Sadidafarin, ,شاملو Polkash, Hamidrezahalvaei1371, Mohamadrafiei,Meysam, Naintours, Hobbitschuster, Xpluto, Rubbish computer, Shadowwiki1, Hamedprophet, Msg128, Hrbackpacker, Duodidio, NetB-SDuser, Tshorba, BushelCandle, Mahsa Aslani and Anonymous: 569

• Babolsar Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Babolsar?oldid=2631565 Contributors: LtPowers, (WT-en) Payam, The Anomebot2,LilHelpa, Bill-on-the-Hill, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 3

• Bajgiran Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bajgiran?oldid=2948668 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, (WT-en) Lee Woo-jin, TheAnomebot2, Texugo, ChubbyWimbus, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Addbot and Smokestack Basilisk

• Bojnourd Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bojnourd?oldid=2638444 Contributors: LtPowers, K7L, (WT-en) Khajida91, Texugo,Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1

• Dizin Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dizin?oldid=2835473 Contributors: Wrh2, Sertmann, Atsirlin, LtPowers, Shaundd, Ste-fan2bot, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) Emes, Ikan Kekek, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, YiFeiBot and Anonymous: 4

• Hamadan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamadan?oldid=2885364 Contributors: Ypsilon, LtPowers, (WT-en) Khajida91,Mey2008, Billinghurst, Ikan Kekek, Rschen7754, ZxxZxxZ, Sumone’s bot, Alieseraj, CarsracBot, Texugo, Farahpour, Bludream, Inas-bot, Traveler100bot, In fact, Addbot, Maadikhah, YiFeiBot and Anonymous: 2

• Masjed Solayman Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masjed_Solayman?oldid=2864755 Contributors: LtPowers, K7L, (WT-en)Khajida91, Texugo, Traveler100bot, DaGizza and Anonymous: 1

• Qom Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qom?oldid=2928258 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Jonboy, Xltel, (WT-en) Episteme,(WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) The Yeti, (WT-en) Joelf, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Ilikecats, (WT-en) SeGlobetrotter, (WT-en) Arif Ali Zaidi, Gire 3pich2005, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, EvanProdromou, CarsracBot, Sapphire, Texugo,WOSlinker, Traveler100bot, Danapit, Wrh2Bot, Addbot, YiFeiBot and Anonymous: 35

• Sistan and Baluchestan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sistan_and_Baluchestan?oldid=2915651 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald,Ypsilon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Pashley, Saqib, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 6

• Baluchistan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sistan_and_Baluchestan?oldid=2915651 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, Ypsilon, Lt-Powers, Vidimian, Pashley, Saqib, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 6

• Caspian Iran Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Caspian_Iran?oldid=2949278 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, Dguillaume, Yp-silon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Globe-trotter, Xltel, (WT-en) Smm alone, (WT-en) Caspian, (WT-en) Forough, (WT-en) Forough.va, IkanKekek, ZxxZxxZ, Traveler100, Texugo, ,فلورانس Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 10

• Aqqala Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aqqala?oldid=2903903 Contributors: Andrewssi2, Traveler100, Matroc and Anonymous:1

• Babol Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Babol?oldid=2837658 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers, (WT-en) Khajida91, TheAnomebot2, NJR ZA, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 4

• Bandar Torkaman Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bandar_Torkaman?oldid=2489046 Contributors: LtPowers, Globe-trotter,The Anomebot2, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Matroc, -sche, Smokestack Basilisk and Anonymous: 1

• Behshahr Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Behshahr?oldid=2638104 Contributors: LtPowers, Inas, Pashley, (WT-en) Khajida91,The Anome, Traveler100, Texugo, Inasbot and Traveler100bot

• Fouman Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fouman?oldid=2727005 Contributors: Wrh2, Ikan Kekek and Traveler100• Ghaemshahr Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ghaemshahr?oldid=2953456 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Xltel, (WT-en)

Jnich99, (WT-en) Nrms, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, DaGizza, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 1• Gorgan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gorgan?oldid=2402751 Contributors: LtPowers, K7L, (WT-en) Khajida91, ZxxZxxZ,

Texugo, Inasbot and Traveler100bot

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iran?oldid=2958795

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Babolsar?oldid=2631565

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bajgiran?oldid=2948668

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bojnourd?oldid=2638444

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dizin?oldid=2835473

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamadan?oldid=2885364

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masjed_Solayman?oldid=2864755

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qom?oldid=2928258

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sistan_and_Baluchestan?oldid=2915651

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sistan_and_Baluchestan?oldid=2915651

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Caspian_Iran?oldid=2949278

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aqqala?oldid=2903903

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Babol?oldid=2837658

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bandar_Torkaman?oldid=2489046

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Behshahr?oldid=2638104

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fouman?oldid=2727005

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ghaemshahr?oldid=2953456

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gorgan?oldid=2402751

97.14. TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES 215

• Masouleh Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masouleh?oldid=2471958 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers, (WT-en) Od, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, Traveler100, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Wrh2Bot

• Ramsar Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ramsar?oldid=2873628 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Sertmann, Syced, LtPowers,Vidimian, (WT-en) Khajida91, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, NJR ZA, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Navid22 and Anony-mous: 4

• Rasht Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rasht?oldid=2884711 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers, Pashley, Jonboy, (WT-en)Morph, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Nzpcmad, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Allyak, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) PaulRichter, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Sammy Wilkes, (WT-en) Jensth, (WT-en) Mehrab, The Anomebot2, MarkJaroski, Traveler100bot,Maadikhah and Anonymous: 15

• Sari Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sari?oldid=2884671 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers, Xltel, (WT-en) Huttite,(WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Fastestdogever, (WT-en) Metaur, (WT-en) Ali1986, (WT-en)Andy2000, (WT-en) Hadifn, ZxxZxxZ, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Traveler100, AmaryllisGardener, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Matroc,Maadikhah, شاملو and Anonymous: 3

• Iranian Azerbaijan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iranian_Azerbaijan?oldid=2954797 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, W.Frank, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Pashley, Globe-trotter, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) FreedomOnMove, Eco84, Ikan Kekek,F4fluids, ZxxZxxZ, Arjanizary, Traveler100, Calak, ,طاها Traveler100bot, Danapit, SteveRBot, Nastoshka, Jverkoey, Yamangul, Turkspashaand Anonymous: 9

• Ardabil Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ardabil?oldid=2716985 Contributors: Ypsilon, LtPowers, Inas, Pashley, Saqib, (WT-en)Khajida91, Traveler100, Texugo, ,فلورانس Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Nameer widad, Missvain and Anonymous: 2

• Kandovan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kandovan?oldid=2919977 Contributors: LtPowers, Vidimian, (WT-en) Khajida91,(WT-en) FreedomOnMove, Eco84, The Anomebot2, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and شاملو

• Maku Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maku?oldid=2647640 Contributors: LtPowers, K7L, (WT-en) Khajida91, Texugo, Inasbot,Traveler100bot, Kiaora and Anonymous: 1

• Maragheh Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maragheh?oldid=2843021 Contributors: Ikan Kekek, F4fluids, Texugo, Samak andAnonymous: 1

• Sardroud Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sardroud?oldid=2741422 Contributors: Ikan Kekek, Traveler100 and Ziraksima• Tabriz Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tabriz?oldid=2955985 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2, Sertmann, Atsirlin,

Jc8136, Ypsilon, LtPowers, AlasdairW, Vidimian, Inas, Pashley, Jonboy, Saqib, Epolk, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Cardboardbird,(WT-en) Travelbird, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Bertilvidet, (WT-en) Mohammad Pourmirab Azari, (WT-en) Mehranm2, (WT-en) Mehrdad Alinejad, (WT-en) Muhammad g, (WT-en) Hooman, (WT-en) Pournick, (WT-en) Fatehimo, (WT-en) Bakhish2010, IkanKekek, F4fluids, The Anome, Eminn, LilHelpa, Texugo, Jjtkk, Inasbot, Bokaal, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Ziraksima, Matroc, Addbot, Mkarzarj, Maadikhah, Kiaora, YiFeiBot and Anonymous: 58

• Takab Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takab?oldid=2487675 Contributors: LtPowers, Vidimian, Saqib, (WT-en) Khajida91, TheAnomebot2, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Wrh2Bot

• Urmia Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Urmia?oldid=2698690 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, LtPowers, Vidimian, (WT-en)WindHorse, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Andy2000, Ikan Kekek, F4fluids, The Anomebot2, Sapphire, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot,Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Addbot, شاملو and Anonymous: 9

• Zanjan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zanjan?oldid=2716966 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Peterfitzgerald, Dguillaume,Ypsilon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Saqib, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Malakamiri, Ikan Kekek,JuliasTravels, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 7

• Khorasan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorasan?oldid=2717021 Contributors: Sertmann, Dguillaume, Ypsilon, LtPowers,Vidimian, (WT-en) Nzpcmad, (WT-en) Elahe, Mey2008, The Anomebot2, EvanProdromou, Texugo, Persian Aviator, Traveler100botand Anonymous: 9

• Esfarayen Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Esfarayen?oldid=2762664 Contributors: Ikan Kekek, Riley Huntley, Traveler100,Javadh, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 3

• Mashhad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mashhad?oldid=2957276 Contributors: Wrh2, Sertmann, Atsirlin, LtPowers, Vidimian,Ravikiran r, ClausHansen, (WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) SHC, (WT-en) Joelf, (WT-en) Worldtraveler,(WT-en) Allyak, (WT-en) Janki, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Ilikecats, (WT-en) Lee Woo-jin, (WT-en) Arif Ali Zaidi, (WT-en)Addtok, (WT-en) Mohi, (WT-en) Amidelune, (WT-en) Ahnxahn, (WT-en) Aroundeworld11, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa,Traveler100, EvanProdromou, CarsracBot, Texugo, ChubbyWimbus, WOSlinker, Jjtkk, Tommaso Abele, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Ad-dbot, Maadikhah, YiFeiBot, Migmig7868, Hobbitschuster, Absalan and Anonymous: 51

• Nishapur Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nishapur?oldid=2926018 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, LtPowers, Vidimian, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Aroundeworld11, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Traveler100, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 2

• Qayen Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qayen?oldid=2701015 Contributors: Sertmann, LtPowers, (WT-en) Sebindi, (WT-en) Sm-nasrollahi, (WT-en) Aroundeworld11, Texugo, ,فلورانس Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 2

• Sabzevar Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sabzevar?oldid=2404227 Contributors: LtPowers, (WT-en) Khajida91, Traveler100,Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1

• Torbat Jam Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Torbat_Jam?oldid=2405691 Contributors: LtPowers, (WT-en) Khajida91, Trav-eler100, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1

• Khuzestan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khuzestan?oldid=2824144 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, W. Frank, Ypsilon, LtPowers,Shaundd, Vidimian, Inas, Saqib, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) ALT wikignome, (WT-en) Pinkfluffybrick, (WT-en) Metaur, The Anomebot2,NJR ZA, LilHelpa, Texugo, ,فلورانس Traveler100bot, SteveRBot and Anonymous: 10

• Abadan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadan?oldid=2637682 Contributors: LtPowers, Vidimian, (WT-en) Jjtk, The Anome-bot2, Traveler100, Tiimta, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Addbot and Anonymous: 8

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Masouleh?oldid=2471958

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ramsar?oldid=2873628

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rasht?oldid=2884711

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sari?oldid=2884671

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Iranian_Azerbaijan?oldid=2954797

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ardabil?oldid=2716985

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kandovan?oldid=2919977

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maku?oldid=2647640

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maragheh?oldid=2843021

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sardroud?oldid=2741422

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tabriz?oldid=2955985

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takab?oldid=2487675

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Urmia?oldid=2698690

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zanjan?oldid=2716966

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorasan?oldid=2717021

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Esfarayen?oldid=2762664

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mashhad?oldid=2957276

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nishapur?oldid=2926018

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qayen?oldid=2701015

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sabzevar?oldid=2404227

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Torbat_Jam?oldid=2405691

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khuzestan?oldid=2824144

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadan?oldid=2637682


• Ahvaz Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ahvaz?oldid=2884710 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Peter-fitzgerald, Atsirlin, LtPowers, Vidimian, Inas, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Ogsirbac, Ikan Kekek,The wub, The Anomebot2, Traveler100, CarsracBot, Texugo, ,فلورانس Inasbot, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Addbot,Maadikhah, Ethically Yours, Missvain and Anonymous: 9

• Dezful Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dezful?oldid=2835776 Contributors: فلورانس and YiFeiBot• Izeh Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Izeh?oldid=2401251 Contributors: LtPowers, (WT-en) Huttite, Texugo, Inasbot, Trav-

eler100bot and Anonymous: 2• Khorramshahr Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorramshahr?oldid=2696952 Contributors: Ikan Kekek and فلورانس• Shushtar Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shushtar?oldid=2716979 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Saqib, (WT-

en) Huttite, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Ogsirbac, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1• Tchogha Zanbil Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tchogha_Zanbil?oldid=2716950 Contributors: Sertmann, Ypsilon, LtPowers,

Shaundd, Saqib, The Anomebot2, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 2• Lorestan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lorestan?oldid=2825077 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Inas, Tsandell, Nurg, (WT-en)

Morph, (WT-en) Roshandel, Eco84, The Anomebot2, JuliasTravels, EvanProdromou, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Asdefyn and Anonymous:6

• Borujerd Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Borujerd?oldid=2912914 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Inas, Tsandell, (WT-en)Morph, The Anomebot2, JuliasTravels, Traveler100, CarsracBot, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Matroc, Addbot, ,شاملو Hobbitschuster,Wiki9gel and Anonymous: 7

• Khorramabad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorramabad?oldid=2701660 Contributors: LtPowers, Nurg, K7L, (WT-en) Kha-jida91, Texugo, ,فلورانس Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Meysam and Anonymous: 1

• Nurabad (Lorestan) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nurabad_(Lorestan)?oldid=2653206 Contributors: JuliasTravels and Matroc• Markazi Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Markazi?oldid=2631549 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Vidimian, Gire 3pich2005, The

Anomebot2, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Danapit and SaMin SAmIN• Arak Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Arak?oldid=2637822 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Inas, Jnich99, (WT-en) Khajida91,

Gire 3pich2005, Traveler100, CarsracBot, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Danapit, Addbot and Anonymous: 1• Mahallat Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahallat?oldid=2302400 Contributors: LtPowers, Vidimian, (WT-en) Khajida91, The

Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 4• Tafresh Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tafresh?oldid=2407636 Contributors: Nurg, JuliasTravels, Traveler100, Texugo, Mahdi-

ubuntu and Traveler100bot• Qazvin (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qazvin_(province)?oldid=2406592 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, LtPow-

ers, Pashley, The Anomebot2, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1• Qazvin Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qazvin?oldid=2884706 Contributors: Jpatokal, LtPowers, Globe-trotter, (WT-en) Morph,

(WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Empelfant, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Sangak, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Inasbot, Traveler100bot,Matroc, Maadikhah, ,شاملو YiFeiBot and Anonymous: 12

• Takestan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takestan?oldid=2445662 Contributors: JuliasTravels• Western Iran Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Western_Iran?oldid=2694021 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers,

Vidimian, Saqib, Nurg, Gire 3pich2005, Texugo, ,فلورانس Traveler100bot, Asdefyn and Anonymous: 2• Alborz (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alborz_(province)?oldid=2884384 Contributors: Ikan Kekek, Texugo, DaG-

izza, Missvain and Anonymous: 2• Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chahar_Mahaal_and_Bakhtiari?oldid=2674512 Contributors:

Saqib, Texugo and فلورانس• Hamadan (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamadan_(province)?oldid=2849419 Contributors: Traveler100 and Texugo• Ilam (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ilam_(province)?oldid=2631626 Contributors: Texugo• Kermanshah (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kermanshah_(province)?oldid=2929195 Contributors: Ikan Kekek, Tex-

ugo and Anonymous: 1• Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kohgiluyeh_and_Boyer-Ahmad?oldid=2674514 Contributors:

Saqib, Texugo and فلورانس• Kurdistan (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kurdistan_(province)?oldid=2631639 Contributors: Texugo• Central Iran Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Central_Iran?oldid=2949315 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers,

Vidimian, Ymblanter, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Addbot• Qom (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qom_(province)?oldid=2631575 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers,

(WT-en) Pinkfluffybrick, The Anomebot2, Texugo, WOSlinker, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 1• Fars Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fars?oldid=2731563 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers, Vidimian, Globe-trotter,

Xltel, (WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) The Yeti, (WT-en) Andy2000, ZxxZxxZ, The Anomebot2,Gorilla Jones, CarsracBot, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Matroc, Addbot, شاملو and Anonymous: 3

• Abadeh Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadeh?oldid=2637683 Contributors: Syced, LtPowers, (WT-en) Khajida91, Tiimta, Tex-ugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1

• Firouzabad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Firouzabad?oldid=2402458 Contributors: Dguillaume, LtPowers, (WT-en) Kha-jida91, The Anome, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 1

• Kazeroon Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kazeroon?oldid=2955354 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Pashley, (WT-en) Khajida91,Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, DaGizza and Anonymous: 1

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ahvaz?oldid=2884710

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dezful?oldid=2835776

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Izeh?oldid=2401251

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorramshahr?oldid=2696952

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shushtar?oldid=2716979

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tchogha_Zanbil?oldid=2716950

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lorestan?oldid=2825077

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Borujerd?oldid=2912914

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Khorramabad?oldid=2701660

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nurabad_(Lorestan)?oldid=2653206

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Markazi?oldid=2631549

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Arak?oldid=2637822

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahallat?oldid=2302400

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tafresh?oldid=2407636

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qazvin_(province)?oldid=2406592

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qazvin?oldid=2884706

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Takestan?oldid=2445662

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Western_Iran?oldid=2694021

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alborz_(province)?oldid=2884384

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chahar_Mahaal_and_Bakhtiari?oldid=2674512

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hamadan_(province)?oldid=2849419

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ilam_(province)?oldid=2631626

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kermanshah_(province)?oldid=2929195

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kohgiluyeh_and_Boyer-Ahmad?oldid=2674514

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kurdistan_(province)?oldid=2631639

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Central_Iran?oldid=2949315

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qom_(province)?oldid=2631575

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Fars?oldid=2731563

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abadeh?oldid=2637683

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Firouzabad?oldid=2402458

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kazeroon?oldid=2955354


• Margoon Waterfall Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Margoon_Waterfall?oldid=2727340 Contributors: Pashley, Globe-trotter, Ri-ley Huntley, Texugo, Kasravi, Traveler100bot, DaGizza and Anonymous: 1

• Pasargad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pasargad?oldid=2717002 Contributors: Ypsilon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Saqib, (WT-en)Khajida91, (WT-en) Lenel, ZxxZxxZ, The Anomebot2, Inasbot and Traveler100bot

• Sepidan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sepidan?oldid=2778989 Contributors: LtPowers, Pashley, (WT-en) Electricotter, IkanKekek, Texugo, ChubbyWimbus, Kasravi, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 2

• Shiraz Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shiraz?oldid=2957348 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2,Syced, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Pashley, Globe-trotter, Jonboy, Ravikiran r, Cacahuate, Saqib, Stefan2bot, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Valtteri, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Themanwhowouldbeking, (WT-en) Eric Bauman,(WT-en) Joelf, (WT-en) JanSlupski, (WT-en) Janki, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Lenel,(WT-en) Mehrdad Alinejad, (WT-en) Sangak, (WT-en) Bonyan, (WT-en) Arminfrd, (WT-en) Naeemk, Mey2008, Ymblanter, Ikan Kekek,Ebrahim, ZxxZxxZ, LilHelpa, Marek69, Sumone’s bot, EvanProdromou, Texugo, WOSlinker, Jjtkk, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Bicarbon,Addbot, Maadikhah, Bruce one and Anonymous: 78

• Isfahan (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfahan_(province)?oldid=2954800 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, Lt-Powers, AlasdairW, Globe-trotter, Ravikiran r, Nurg, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) DorganBot, (WT-en) Fastestdogever, (WT-en) NAIN-TOURS, LilHelpa, Texugo, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot and Anonymous: 3

• Aran va Bidgol Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aran_va_Bidgol?oldid=2695994 Contributors: Nurg and JuliasTravels• Isfahan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfahan?oldid=2958060 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, AndreCarrotflower, Yp-

silon, LtPowers, Vidimian, Pashley, Globe-trotter, Jonboy, Ravikiran r, Xltel, Saqib, ClausHansen, Stefan2bot, (WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, (WT-en) Hot Coffee, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en)Rimu, (WT-en) Mnd, (WT-en) Chinzh, (WT-en) Janki, (WT-en) Od, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Estelle1789, (WT-en) Sleepy-head, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Fabienkhan, (WT-en) Peymora, (WT-en) Mehranm2, (WT-en) NAINTOURS, (WT-en) Meifeng84,Ymblanter, Ikan Kekek, ,مانفی ZxxZxxZ, Marek69, Sumone’s bot, EvanProdromou, CarsracBot, WOSlinker, Nik1960, Jjtkk, Inasbot,Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Bicarbon, Addbot, Maadikhah, Flipflopjk, YiFeiBot, Wikiboer, Ttcf, ParsiKade and Anonymous:74

• Kashan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kashan?oldid=2951035 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Vidimian,Ravikiran r, Xltel, Nurg, ClausHansen, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Joelf, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Sleepy-head, (WT-en) Andy2000, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, CarsracBot, WOSlinker, Traveler100bot, Ibaman, Wrh2Bot, Addbot,Naintours, NetBSDuser, Kashan travel guide and Anonymous: 19

• Matin Abad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Matin_Abad?oldid=2957871 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Nurg, Texugo, Trav-eler100bot, Matroc and Anonymous: 1

• Na'in Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Na'in?oldid=2919282 Contributors: Wrh2, Ypsilon, LtPowers, JamesA, Pashley, Alice,(WT-en) NAINTOURS, (WT-en) Mohammadieh, This, that and the other, Ikan Kekek, ZxxZxxZ, Magog the Ogre, Traveler100, Sapphire,Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Danapit, Ibaman, Naintours, Ttcf and Anonymous: 7

• Varzaneh Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Varzaneh?oldid=2956832 Contributors: Nurg, Ikan Kekek, JuliasTravels, Texugo,Ml31415, Matroc and Mohammad-javad-Isfahan

• Kerman (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kerman_(province)?oldid=2892701 Contributors: Sertmann, Ypsilon, LtPow-ers, Vidimian, Pashley, Xltel, (WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) M.r.m2187, Abstraktn, The Anome, NJRZA, Texugo, WOSlinker, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 6

• Bam Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bam?oldid=2892703 Contributors: Sertmann, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Saqib, (WT-en) Meltwa-terfalls, (WT-en) Joelf, (WT-en) Lenel, Abstraktn, NJR ZA, Dave.Dunford, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Addbot

• Kerman Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kerman?oldid=2884707 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Wrh2, Jpatokal, Peterfitzger-ald, LtPowers, Pashley, (WT-en) W66LinkBot, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Joelf, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) Buttboysarejones,(WT-en) Lenel, (WT-en) Ballsjackson, (WT-en) M.r.m2187, (WT-en) Farshid7, Ymblanter, ZxxZxxZ, The Anomebot2, Traveler100,Texugo, WOSlinker, Traveler100bot, Farshid7, Wrh2Bot, Asdefyn, Matroc, Addbot, Maadikhah, Ronaldoowen, YiFeiBot and Anony-mous: 7

• Mahan Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahan?oldid=2713243 Contributors: Ypsilon, LtPowers, AlasdairW, (WT-en) Morph,(WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) M.r.m2187, The Anomebot2, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 2

• Rayen Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rayen?oldid=2892705 Contributors: LtPowers, Pashley, (WT-en) Lenel, (WT-en) MrStew,Abstraktn, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 2

• Shahdad Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shahdad?oldid=2949966 Contributors: Sertmann, LtPowers, (WT-en) Khajida91, Ab-straktn, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Farokhmanesh and Anonymous: 1

• Tehran Province Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tehran_(province)?oldid=2709279 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers,Globe-trotter, Xltel, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Pinkfluffybrick, (WT-en) Andy2000, Eco84, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Danapit, ,شاملوPolkash and Anonymous: 5

• Yazd (province) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yazd_(province)?oldid=2619202 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, Pbsouthwood, Lt-Powers, Jonboy, Xltel, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Airin, (WT-en) Andy2000, The Anomebot2, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot and Anony-mous: 1

• Yazd Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yazd?oldid=2900523 Contributors: Wrh2, Peterfitzgerald, Atsirlin, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Jon-boy, Xltel, ClausHansen, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Jjtk, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Airin,(WT-en) Allyak, (WT-en) Janki, (WT-en) Estelle1789, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Electricotter, (WT-en)Lenel, (WT-en) Mo3000k, (WT-en) MrStew, (WT-en) Shipooli, (WT-en) Bas, (WT-en) Maria2000, (WT-en) Homas, Ikan Kekek,ZxxZxxZ, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Traveler100, CarsracBot, Texugo, WOSlinker, Traveler100bot, Ibaman, Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Ad-dbot, Armigo~enwikivoyage, YiFeiBot, Kouroshhotel and Anonymous: 44

• Gulf Region (Iran) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gulf_Region_(Iran)?oldid=2539795 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers,Vidimian, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, Ikan Kekek, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 3

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Margoon_Waterfall?oldid=2727340

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pasargad?oldid=2717002

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sepidan?oldid=2778989

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shiraz?oldid=2957348

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfahan_(province)?oldid=2954800

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Aran_va_Bidgol?oldid=2695994

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Isfahan?oldid=2958060

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kashan?oldid=2951035

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Matin_Abad?oldid=2957871

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Na%2527in?oldid=2919282

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Varzaneh?oldid=2956832

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kerman_(province)?oldid=2892701

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bam?oldid=2892703

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kerman?oldid=2884707

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mahan?oldid=2713243

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rayen?oldid=2892705

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shahdad?oldid=2949966

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tehran_(province)?oldid=2709279

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yazd_(province)?oldid=2619202

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Yazd?oldid=2900523

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gulf_Region_(Iran)?oldid=2539795


• Bushehr Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bushehr?oldid=2726987 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers, (WT-en) Episteme,(WT-en) Omid Hatami, The Anomebot2, Texugo, Hamedvahid, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, DaGizza, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 6

• Kish Island Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kish_Island?oldid=2868018 Contributors: Wrh2, Jpatokal, Dguillaume, Ypsilon, Lt-Powers, AHeneen, Vidimian, Inas, Jonboy, Xltel, ClausHansen, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, (WT-en) Jjtk, (WT-en) Khajida91, (WT-en) Jp james, (WT-en) Andy2000, (WT-en) Jahangard79, (WT-en) Arif Ali Zaidi, Ikan Kekek, TheAnomebot2, LilHelpa, EvanProdromou, MarkJaroski, Texugo, WOSlinker, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Far-gh, Addbot, Kishgroupand Anonymous: 73

• Qeshm Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Qeshm?oldid=2778551 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Jpatokal, Peterfitzgerald, Lt-Powers, Vidimian, Pashley, Cacahuate, (WT-en) Roundtheworld, (WT-en) Omid Hatami, (WT-en) Sleepyhead, (WT-en) Emes, IkanKekek, The Anomebot2, NJR ZA, Druzhnik, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc and Anonymous: 16

• Hormozgān Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gulf_Region_(Iran)?oldid=2539795 Contributors: Peterfitzgerald, LtPowers,Vidimian, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, Ikan Kekek, Texugo, Traveler100bot and Anonymous: 3

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