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 Bam's 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 Iran's 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 Iran's major tourist destinations. Highlights include Esfahan's historic bridges, the Chehel Sotoun Palace and the Meidan.
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 Persian 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".
Kish Island
The small resort island of Kish in the Persian Gulf is a favorite warm weather getaway for, at present, mainly Iranian tourists from the big cities.
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.
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. Persepolis is usually visited from nearby Shiraz.
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 12 km 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.
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.
Off The Beaten Track in Iran
Get off the beaten track in Iran by visiting Mahan, Khaf, Torghabe, Zoshk or Bandar-e-Torkman.
