11 Days Highlights of Iran

About the destination: Tehran, also spelled Teheran, is the capital city of Iran Tehran is a cosmopolitan city, with great museums, parks, restaurants, warm friendly people. It deserves at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary. The city can be roughly divided into two different parts - north and south. The northern districts of Tehran are more prosperous, modern, cosmopolitan and expensive while southern parts is less attractive but cheaper. A combination of factors make Tehran a pleasant place to visit: The dry climate which is constantly cool (at least in the evenings), the proximity of the mountains, the parks and gardens where flowers blossom all through the year, the alleys of trees in the avenues or even smaller streets, and even the water that runs down from the upper city along deep and wide gutters which look like small rivers during spring.

About the destination: Isfahan, also known as Esfahan, is a city in central Iran, south of Tehran and is the capital of Isfahan 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 considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. An ancient town and capital of Persia, it was long noted for its fine carpets and silver filigree. Today, textile and steel mills take their place. Its architecture, tree-lined boulevards and relaxed pace make it one of the highlights of Iran. The city has an Armenian Quarter called Jolfa (originally called New Julfa) established by Shah Abbas I in the 1600s after he destroyed the prosperous Armenian town of Julfa in Armenia and forced all of the Armenians to move to Persia, mostly to Isfahan. They were allocated land and rebuilt a prosperous community that was a key part of an Armenian trade network extending from Singapore and India to Venice and Amsterdam. Today the quarter still has many Armenian Churches, an Armenian school, shops and Armenian residents.

About the destination: Yazd, capital of the region with the same name, is one of the oldest and most important historical cities in Iran. It is located south of the central Iranian plain, on an oasis where the deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut come together, which is why it is sometimes called the "bride of the Kavir" (desert). The city is located on a valley located between Mount Shir Kuh. The story of Yazd dates back 3,000 years, times of empire fear, when it was known by Ysatis (or Issatis). The current name of the city may have derived from Yazdegard I, Sassanid king. The city was a Zoroastrian center during the sasanida era. After the Arab conquest of Persia, many Zoroastrians emigrated from the neighboring provinces to Yazd. The city remained Zoroastrian even after the Arab conquest paying tribute, although gradually Islam was imposing itself in the city.

About the destination: The capital of Fars province, city of poets, wine and flowers Renowned for its Persian lyrics, roses, cypresses and nightingales Shiraz is the capital of Fars and one time capital of the empire. Little is known of the city’s pre-Islamic past other than that a settlement certainly existed here during the Achaemenid era and that the Sassanian king Ardashir (212-41) held court here. It became a provincial capital around 693 and by 1044 was said to rival Baghdad in importance as a cultural and artistic center. Its rulers saw the wisdom of tribute and the city was spared by both Mongols and Timur – and these eras become among the most successful in Shiraz’s development. Shiraz’s modern history is closely associated with the Zand Dynasty when Karimkhan Zand chose it as his capital in 1747 – the most famous relics of this era being the Vakil Mosque and the Arg-e-Karim. Shiraz is also the birthplace of the nation’s two greatest poets – Saadi and Hafez who are immortalized here in lovely mausoleums. The most interesting buildings in Shiraz are located in the old part of the town. Among them are about a dozen mosques, some with bulb- shaped domes, and others with pear shaped domes and cupolas. These mosques are mostly scattered in among the old houses.