Iran - City Guides

Tehran

Tehran or Teheran, the sprawling, chaotic, traffic-snarled, modern-day capital which still retains many sights from antiquity as well as many bustling bazaars and magnificent museums - including the Jewels Museum - which displays the last Shah's jewels and the Peacock Throne. The heart of the nation's economic and political life.
A-Z Listing of Tehran's main tourist sights

Ardebil

Ardebil is a pleasant city known for its carpet weaving north west of Tehran, near the Caspian Coast.

Ahvaz

Ahvaz is a modern, commercial city close to the historic sites of Shush (Susa), Shustar and the ziggurat at Choqa Zanbil.

Bam

Historic Bams Arg-e-Qadeem-e Bam, a mud-walled citadel dating back over 2,000 years was destroyed in an earthquake in December 2003.

Bandar-e Anzali

Bandar-e Anzali is Iran's main port on the Caspian Sea and center of the country's caviar industry.

Bichapur

This ancient, ruined Sassanian city from the 3rd century BC is still being excavated.

The Caspian Coast

The Caspian coastline is one of the most popular destinations for Irans domestic tourists. Sandy beaches give way to wide open steppes, thickly forested foothills and eventually the bare peaks of the Alborz mountain range.

Darakeh & Darabad

Darakeh and Darabad are two places visitors can find peace and tranquility close to Tehran.

Esfahan (Isfahan)

Esfahan (Isfahan) dates back over 2,500 years and was Persia's capital from 1598 to 1722. The city is one of Irans major tourist destinations.

Firouzabad (Firuz Abad)

Firouzabad in Fars Province, southern Iran, is an easy day trip from Shiraz.

Hamadan

The ancient city of Hamadan is one of the oldest continuously occupied places on earth.

Kashan

Kashan is an ancient oasis town famed for its architecture, gardens, carpets, pottery, tiles and numerous Timurid and Seljuk minarets and mosques.

Kazvin or Qazvin

Qazvin is pleasant town handy for visiting the Valley of the Assassins and Alamut.

Kerman

Kerman is a world-famous center for carpet manufacture.

Kermanshah

Kermanshah province boasts a beautiful mountain location with ancient bas reliefs at Taq Bostan.

Khoramabad

Khoramabad is the capital of Luristan province. The city was founded in the Sassanid period and was first known as Shapur Khast meaning "as desired by Shapur".

Kurdistan Province

The Iranian province of Kurdistan is situated on the western border of Iran south of the Azerbaijan region.

Mahan

Off the beaten track in Iran - Bandar-e-Torkman, Mahan, Khaf, Nesihabur, Torghabe, Zhosk.

Maku

Maku is located in a gorge near the Turkish border and Mt. Ararat.

Mashhad

Mashhad is Iran's second largest city and a former gateway to Afghanistan. Mashhad is a pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims who pray at the shrine of Imam Reza.

Masuleh

Masuleh in Gilan Province, near Rasht, is a traditional village in a spectacular location untouched by the modern age.

Masuleh

Neishabur (Neyshabur)

Neishabur is the birthplace of Omar Khayyam, near Mashhad in north eastern Iran.

Persepolis

This ancient capital founded by Darius the Great in the 6th century BC and sacked by Alexander is a major tourist destination for its magnificent palaces, reliefs and museums.

Qum (Qom)

Qum (pronounced GHOM) is a holy pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims and Irans second-oldest city after Mashhad. Many of the countrys top religious leaders, including the Ayatollah Khomeini, studied theology here.

Rey

Located 12km south of Tehran, Rey, also known as Shahr-e Rey (lit. "The City of Rey") has a history going back some seven thousand years.

Shiraz

Pleasant, relaxing Shiraz, called the "City of Poets, Wine and Roses," was the Persian capital and during the 18th century. Modern-day Shiraz is a regional capital and university town with splendid gardens filled with roses and orange trees. Nearby is the ancient city of Firouzabad, dating from the Sassanian Period.

Sultanieh

Situated 5 km south of the Zanjan-Takestan Road, Sultanieh is a worthwhile stop on the way from Qazvin to Zanjan.

Tabriz

Tabriz in Azerbaijan Province is a large industrial city situated in the northwest of the country near the Turkish border, this former capital of Armenia was known for its calligraphy and book making.

Panorama of Tabriz, Iran

This excellent short video guide to Iran's regions was produced by the Iranian Student Association (ISA) at Penn State University

Torghabeh

Torghabeh is a relaxing summer resort near Mashhad in eastern Iran.

Tuz

An old citadel in eastern Iran near Mashhad.

Yazd

Yazd is a beautiful oasis town on the edge of the Kavir Desert with historical Zoroastrian connections.

Books on Iran