Isfahan attractions:

Isfahan, the central city of Iran, is considered as one of the most beautiful cities of Iran. It is called the “Half of the World” or “Nesfe Jahan”.

The most highlighted site in Isfahan is the Naqshe Jahan Sq. which is registered as the UNESCO world heritage. It is the second biggest square in the world after Tiananmen Sq. in Beijing.

The Naqshe Jahan Sq. includes two beautiful mosques of Imam (Shah) Mosque and also Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. A’ali Qapu Palace is another attraction.

The interesting highlighted attraction is the beautiful bazaar in the Naqshe Jahan Sq. called Imam or Qasariyeh Bazaar which is not for selling the things but Iran hand crafts are made and sold there. It is a good chance to see hand- made industry of Iran.

Among the other sites in Isfahan are Vank Cathedral, Chehel Sotoun (Forty Four Colum) Palace, Sofe Mountain, Monar Jonban, Hasht Behesht Garden and Friday Mosque.

There are two nice bridges of 33 Arcs (Sio se Pol) and Khajou Bridge that are so nice to see at nights with the lights reacted in the Zayande Rood River. Zayandeh Rood River is passing through Isfahan city. It is mostly dried in summer because of lack of rain in Iran.

3 days would be enough to see the most highlighted places of Isfahan.

Do not miss beautiful Isfahan.

When you travel to Iran, the MUST-see country, you will gain a lot of information about different aspects of Iran. The tour guides will tell you the Dynasties, the history of the places, the stories and a lot and a many other things. You will become familiar with the sincere Iranian generosity and hospitality. Of course, it is you who should judge at the end. Here what I am going to say is just some tips and information that are requisite to know before your trip and may help you choose the best cities and arrange the desirable tour package conclusively in order to use the maximum of your time and enjoy the most. In a general glimpse, Iran is a 4 season country. Except few cities, all the other cities are touristic cities. In spite of the negative image that is broadcast throughout the world, it is really a safe country for female, male and solo travelers. 99% of the travelers depart it with a changed idea and find many new experiences. Please refer to the related menus to get useful information over your trip to Iran. Hope that I am helpful enough.

Yazd

Is 7000 years old and one feels well almost immediately in this very traditional town. Yazd was once the center of the ancient Persian religion of Zoroaster. Outside the town one can still visit the Towers of Silence. Until 1960 they put their dead on a gridiron rost. Then the vultures came and cleaned the bones. Zoroastrians believe that burying or burning corpses is pollution of the soil or the air. 1970 the Shaw stopped this practice and forced them to bury their dead in coffins made of concrete. In Yazd there is a temple where a sacred fire is said to burn without interruption for 1500 years.

Zoroastrianism was one of the first religions with an almighty invisible god. According to that religion there is an eternal battle between the Good and the Evil. Man has a choice. If you do well, you enter paradise (…a Persian word!!!), if not, you go to hell. Zoroastrian women are allowed to wear patterned headscarfs and knitted skirts.

Clearly, the Shiite version of Islam is the state religion (98%). Other religions (Christians, Zoroastrians, and Jews) are tolerated as long as they do not engage in missionary activities. There are even guaranteed seats in parliament for them. Iran has the second highest Jewish population in the Middle East. The only forbidden religion is the Muslimic Baha’i religion.

How to cope with the desert:

At first one is surprised how a desert city can feed so many people. The secret is the abundance of water. Since more than 2000 years they use underground water supplies (qanates). They run 300 ft below the surface and use gravity to transport cool water from the far away mountains to the city. There are 80,000 miles of known man-made water canals in Iran. That explains the abundance of trees and parks and it was the priority and a symbol of pride for each ruler to make his city even greener.

Another technical miracle is the wind towers, a kind of ancient air conditioning, of course without electricity. They use wind, even gentle breezes, to cool down the air and you believe it when you stand under a wind tower and enjoy the cool air, when the outside temperature is 30 F higher.

After the 300 miles in the car of the previous day another 300 miles wait for us. This time it is real desert. Barren land, wherever you look. Every 300 ft an overloaded truck is following the asphalt lane, a kind of modern camel. A sudden sandstorm makes driving more challenging, but in the evening we arrive safely in Esfahan.

There are many beautiful parks all around the city.

Jamshidieh Park (or Jamshidieh Stone Garden), established in memorial of Jamshid Davallu Qajar, a Qajar Prince that dedicated this garden to Farah Diba, Empress of Iran. The park, which is located in the Niavaran district at the base of the Kolakchal Mountain, is one of the most picturesque and beautiful parks in Tehran. There are numerous restaurants, traditional teahouses (houses of culture which represent the diversity of Iran’s ethnic and tribal heritage), picnic areas, and hiking trails from the lower area of the park all the way up to the top of the mountain.
There is also a classically designed open air amphitheatre. The park was developed during the Pahlavi era, but has been extensively upgraded and maintained since the Iranian Revolution. It is especially popular amongst the youth.

Darband is a beautiful mountain resort in the mountains surrounding Tehran. A great place to cool down for those escaping the summer heat and Tehran’s pollution. Darband Mountain up skirt, a place for people of Tehran to spend their time in a cool environment by the river & nature
The initial start of the trail at Darband is about 250 meters long and is dotted with a number of small cafés and restaurants. These are quite popular and are busy in the evenings, as locals and tourists alike visit the many hookah lounges (locally called ghavekhane sonnati) along the trail. On the way to the trail, there are stores that sell seasonal treats (fresh almonds, berries, etc)

Darake is an area in the north-eastern part of Tehran which consists of a village and numerous trails into the mountains above. The trails are what draw the crowds, though for various reasons. They lead into the mountains and all along the trail are fast moving streams and waterfalls created by thousands of years of melting snow, making its way down to the base of the mountains to where Tehran lies.
The trail is extremely popular among Tehranis, especially younger ones. Along the trail are several chaikhanes (tea houses) where one can rest, sit on a rope bed, and sip some piping hot tea. What to eat with your tea? Well, besides a number of common Iranian nibbles one will find an abundance of shahtoot, or mulberries. The shahtoot are large, plump and delicious. You will of course eat them using your fingers, turning your fingertips a shade of purple. When you have had enough of hiking you can stop just about anywhere along the trail, position yourself on had enough of hiking you can stop just about anywhere along the trail, position yourself on some of the large rocks that lie beside the stream and dip your feet into the ice cold water. It is extremely cold water but exhilarating.
It is best to start out for Darake early in the morning, before the sun rises too high in the sky. If you go early and on a Friday (everyone’s day off), you will find that you are not alone. You will see hundreds of Tehranis taking a break from city life and will doubtless get a chance to meet and speak to many of them.

To be continued…

The majestic mountains surrounding Tehran is a gift of nature whose beauty no human construction can ever compete with. Without them Tehran would not be “Tehran”.

The affluent parts of Northern Tehran boast luxury apartment buildings and condominiums featuring such amenities as “White Glove” doorman service with pools, Jacuzzi and private garages in the flat. (You drive the car into the elevator and it will deliver your car up to your own private garage next to your flat) Real Estate prices in Tehran have in the last couple of years reached levels that are comparable to New York City. It’s not uncommon to see a two to three-bedroom apartment in Tehran going for more than $1,000,000 on the market today. On the other hand, few investments in the world offer such fast and generous returns.

Tehran is expanding in all directions and up into the mountains. Recently, the most ambitious and rigorous efforts have been pursued to establish order and discipline in the extremely chaotic traffic of the city. Cameras have been installed throughout the highway system and in busy intersections which zoom in to register the license plate of violators. An authoritative voice blares out from loudspeakers installed at busy intersections admonishing the driver who has violated the traffic rules. Huge digital displays along the highways deliver traffic messages.

To be continued…