Unveiling Iran: An Epic Adventure Through History & Culture
Exploring Iran: A Journey Through Time and Culture
When you dive into travel guides about Iran, it feels like everything is a must-see. If it’s your first time in Iran, make sure to visit the most famous cities: the capital, Tehran; the former capital, Isfahan; the cultural capital, Shiraz; the Zoroastrian city of Yazd; the merchant city of Kashan; and the remnants of Persian history, Persepolis and Pasargadae. This route will take a minimum of 10 days if you’re rushing, 14 days with breaks for lunch, and more than 20 days if you want to include shopping, leisurely walks, and interactions with locals. So, let’s explore the multifaceted Iran.
The Milad Tower
Before planning your itinerary in Iran, consider one very important thing: Iran is a Muslim country with strict rules, some of which also apply to tourists. If you are a young single woman, you will most likely be denied a visa—Iranians prefer that women travel accompanied by a man. When applying for a visa, a woman must have her photo taken wearing a headscarf, and from the moment of entering the country, the headscarf can only be removed in the hotel. You won’t even be allowed to leave the hotel without a headscarf—the administration will surely remind you that it is necessary; otherwise, the tourist police will stop you on the street. Once, I took off my headscarf in a European-style coffee shop, taking advantage of the fact that the other tables in our part of the hall were empty. Unfortunately, after five minutes, a waitress ran over and asked me to put the headscarf back on—guests from the second floor noticed my indecent exposure and demanded that everything be corrected.
As you can guess, with such a strict attitude towards uncovered hair, you should not expect to be able to walk in open clothes in Iran. Covered shoulders, covered legs, nothing tight or transparent. You won’t need a swimsuit either—there is only one beach in Iran where women are allowed to swim, and it is unlikely that you will get to it, as it is far from the main tourist route.
It is forbidden to import alcohol into Iran, and you are unlikely to find it in restaurants: prepare for an absolutely sober journey!
Tehran
The most tourist-friendly city in Iran. Many people speak English, there are no problems buying a SIM card, it is easy to rent a car and find a hotel in any price category, in stores there are European goods, and in catering establishments there are European dishes, including fast food. The capital has many interesting places, but now let’s talk about where you must visit.
The Azadi Tower, Tehran
The National Treasury of Jewels, also known as the Jewelry Museum, operates four days a week and only for two and a half hours each day (check the schedule on the website). After a very strict inspection (they take everything away—even bags and phones), you enter a special world.
Before your eyes is the richest collection in the world, located in the safe storage of the central bank. An incredible number of art objects made of the most expensive materials, collected by Persian rulers. Only originals, not a single copy. Everything in the treasury is of immeasurable value. The precious globe cannot even be evaluated—34 kilograms of gold, 3.7 kilograms of rubies, emeralds, and diamonds (51,000 stones!), skillful work, and historical value—this is a creation of the 19th century. There are also thrones, crowns, shields, and weapons of rulers encrusted with stones, and the largest pink diamond in the world, Darya-ye Noor.
The Golestan Palace, also known as the Marble Palace
The palace was built and rebuilt almost continuously from the 16th century, and as a result, it includes 20 buildings, including the throne room, picture and portrait galleries, museums, and pavilions. The main halls were intended for official receptions and even coronations; they are decorated with frescoes, paintings, mosaics, mirrors, marble, wood, and other incredibly expensive things.
In other rooms, there are luxurious porcelain from the best world factories, ceramics from various eras, tapestries, clothes, and rich weapons. Fortunately, photography is allowed here.
The Carpet Museum
Even if you are indifferent to carpets, it is still worth visiting—Iranian carpets are unlike the familiar carpets of the former socialist republics. The collection in Tehran is rich—there are carpets from the 17th century, the colors have faded, but the patterns are still clearly visible. There are huge carpets for entire walls (and these are not the walls of a tiny room, these are the walls of a palace). There are silk carpets, there are entire comics. There are even 3D carpets with volumetric flowers and animals.
You can dedicate half a day to walking through the Grand Bazaar—the main bazaar of the country and the historical center of Tehran—and then move on to modern symbols, such as the Freedom Tower. It was built during the reign of the last Shah in honor of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire—and it was near this tower, on the same Azadi Square, that the empire ended. Thousands of Iranians came to the square in 1979 to overthrow the Shah—and they succeeded.
If you want to see Tehran from above, the best observation deck is the Milad Tower, the sixth tallest tower in the world.
Isfahan
Back in the 17th century, the famous Persian Shah Abbas moved the capital to Isfahan. He tried so hard to make this city the most beautiful that he even invited Armenian masters—architects, potters, weavers—and allocated a separate quarter for them to live in (it has been preserved to this day). The heart of Isfahan is Imam Square, one of the largest squares in the world, with several ancient mosques. There is also the Ali Qapu Palace, and nearby, across the park, is the summer palace of Chehel Sotun, or “forty columns,” famous for its battle frescoes.
The Ali Qapu Palace
A separate wonder is the bridges of Isfahan. Some of them are about 400 years old, and the Shahrestan Bridge is several centuries older (and its supports date back to the 3rd century). The bridges of Isfahan serve not only as bridges but also as dams and places for recreation. In each of the spans, companies of Iranians sit, communicate, have fun, and smoke hookah; some have small cafes. They say that the most delicious tea in the city is served on the most beautiful of the bridges in a small tea house. Luxurious parks are laid out around the most popular bridges, and on the lawns, spreading carpets, Isfahanis arrange picnics. They bring baskets of food, thermoses of tea, hookahs, and even primus stoves with them. It is very clean and surprisingly quiet—everyone talks and laughs somehow mutedly, perhaps that is why no one interferes with each other.
Shiraz
Travel guides to Shiraz usually recommend visiting the tomb of the famous Persian poet Hafez, a small fortress in the center, and the Pink Mosque with unusual mosaics.
I would advise you to pay attention to the Shah Cheragh Mausoleum. This is a tomb of the brother of the eighth Imam Reza, who is revered in Iran no less than Jesus Christ in Europe. The mausoleum is decorated with countless mirrors and stained glass windows, and the atmosphere inside is simply magical.
