Great Tehran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 From the  antiquity point of view Tehran is not so old, but it stands beside Shahr-e-Ray,a city with an age of 7000 years where once Tehran was like a futile land beside it.

The population of Tehran during the day time is about 9 million and at night less than 8 million.

Tehran has got so many sights, such as

beautiful parks including Jamshidiyeh and Mellat, ski resorts such as Shemshak and Dizin nearby. Palaces houses, Carpet museum, Tehran Contemporary

Arts museum, Reza Abbasi museum, Iran National museum and Glassware and Ceramics museum.

Meanwhile ,there are national, traditional, Indian, Czech, French, Polynesian and Japanese restaurants and all of them welcome you.

 

 

 

Isfahan

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isfahan( Dubbed Nesf-e-Jahan, meaning;half of the world)   is undoubtedly the most beautiful city of Iran. This city has an area of  about 106 sq. kilometers and its altitude is 1500 meters from the sea level. Isfahan is located at a distance of about 400 km. to Tehran and the road to Isfahan is express way. There are 10 flights to/ from  Isfahan everyday. At the beginnings of Islam this city had been the capital of Iran .The flourishing of this city mostly was during 1501-1722 A.D.

 

Imam square (formerly called Naqsh-e-Jahan Sq. ) up to the eighth century had been the greatest square in the world, Imam mosque (formerly called Shah mosque ),Sheikh Lotfollah mosque, and Aliquapoo palace stand at this square and each of them is a beautiful architectural masterpiece of Safavid dynasty.

  The roofed bazaar of Isfahan, which itself is one of the typical shopping centers and a sightseeing , stands adjacent to this square .

   Isfahan has so many sightseeing, some of them are as follows:

-      Aliquapoo palace ; this palace, that had been

        ppropriated to the reception of high ranking   

        personalities and ambassadors, was              constructed at    the order of  Shah Abbas in the beginnings of the 11 ^th century H.

-      Chehelsotun palace (40 column palace );this palace was constructed in a garden with an area of 67000 sq. meters during the reign of Shah Abbas, the 1^st  .Actually ,this palace has 20 columns ,but because of their reflection in the water, they call it Chehelsotun.

-      The bridges of Isfahan ; Khajoo bridge,Allahverdikhan bridge,Shahrestan bridge, Saadatabad bridge and Farman bridge are among the historical monuments and sightseeing ,constructed over the pretty Zayandeh-rood river.

Vank church and museum ,Manareh-jonban (Shaking minarets), Koohsangi fire-temple, different Imamzadehs, the schools of Chaharbagh, Babaghassem,Mollah-Abellah,Mirza Hassan, Kassehgaran, and Heydar are among other sites to be visited.

The townships of Isfahan are Ardestan, Khansar, Khomeini-shahr, Samirom,Shahreza (Ghomsheh),Flawerjan, Fereidoon-shahr, Faridan,Natanz and Kashan, almost all interesting for the tourists.

In the field of handicrafts, Isfahan stands among the most important cities.The articles of inlaid-work, fretwork, turquoise-work, and also pretty tablecloths, trays, and Gaz (A kind of candy) all are the souvenirs from Isfahan.The carpets, Klims &Jajims of Isfahan have their own admirers .

                       

 

 

 

Shiraz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Beautiful Shiraz is the city of poetry and roses

and located 919 km. to Tehran. The province

of Fars is one of the oldest civilization centers

of Iran. This province has an area of 133000 sq. km., and located on the south of Isfahan province. The mausoleum of two great poets of Iran Saadi and Hafez stand in this city.Khalili garden, Eram garden, Narenjestan Ghavam,the castle of Karimkhan Zand, the mosque and bazaar of Vakil, the holy shrine of Shah Cheragh all are the sightseeing in this city .The archaic magnificence and glory of Shiraz refers back to the periods of Ashkanian and Sassanian.In 1180 L.H., Karimkhan made Shiraz the capital .

 

 

 

Persepolis

 

The Persepolis is one of the architectural masterpieces, constructed 521 years B.C., at the order of Darius the 1^st .The Persepolis stands 50  km. far from Shiraz, founded on the stone hill called Rahmat located in the plain of of Marvedasht.On the epigraphs existing in these ruined palaces the names of Darius the 1^st, his son Khashayarshah and Ardeshir the 3^rd  are engraved.

The entrance way to the palaces has two staircases having 110 large stairs with short height.The Great gate or the Nations gate has the statues of two winged cows and human heads.The epigraphs above the features are in three languages of  the old Persian, Ilamit and Babylonian indicating the completion date of the palace.

 

In addition to the entrance gate there are two exit gates, one facing to the south and the other one to the east . The southern gate is larger than the two other ones  .Its floor and foundation are made of stone and connected to  the Apadana palace. The remained columns and the bas-reliefs of the platforms are so pretty, still inducting the glory of this palace. The area surface of the palace is 125000 sq. meters.

 

There are several famous palaces and monuments constructed  at Persepolis as follows :

-         the small palace or Nations gate

-         the Apadana palace

-         Darius` palace

-         100 Column palace or 100 Column hall

-         the unfinished palace or gate

-         the treasury of Persepolis

-         the Three-door palace or consultation hall

-         stony well

-          the graves of Ardeshir the 2^nd and the 3^rd

-         the aggregate of Persepolis palaces were put on fire by                          Alexander 330 years B.C.,and only these ruins have  remained.

 

 

   Arg-e-Bam

 

   

 

 

 

 At the northeast of Bam city, at the skirt of a  giant rock , a strong fortress is constructed known as Arg-e-Bam. This fortress is the ancient city of Bam. The three sides of the fortress are surrounded by gardens, residential houses and agricultural farms and its northern part stands along a river. This old city is composed of four 4 parts and 38 watching towers. The length of its western and southern sides are 520 and 35 meters and its surface area is about 20.000 sq. meters .There are 4 enclosures at the southern side of the fortress and one enclosure at the northeast side. All around the fortress a deep ditch was made in order to protect  the fortress from the attack of the strangers   .

The main construction materials of the building are unbaked bricks, clay, and straw, but in some parts of the building also stone , bricks and  the trunks of date palms are used. The different parts of the building subsequently are as follows :

        ·                    the entrance gate

·                    the public residential quarter

·                    the casern

·                    the central building or the house of the governor.

 

 

 

The construction of the buildings refers back to   the preIslamic period and it is said that                 Bahman-ibn-Esfandiar founded it. This site was attacked several time through the history and again renovated.

                     

 

 

          YAZD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yazd is an ancient province with a civilization and cultural background since more than 3 thousand years B.C.

The tribes traveling from Balk to Pars in old times called it Yazdan(meaning God )and gradually it became a sacred and praying place.

During the Islamic period some called it Darolebadeh which means the House of Praying.

All the Khaneghahs in this city indicate that once it was the refuge and residential place of the mystics and Gnostics. Some of the Khaneghahs such as Bogh-e-Sheikh Ali Soleiman in Bidad, Khaneghah of Sheikh Dada in Bandarabad, of Shahnematollah Vali and of SheikhAhmad Fahdan still exist in Yazd .

Before the Islamic period also Yazd had been so important in religious concerns, up to a degree that the people from other parts of Iran went there, particularly during the spring  time, for achieving religious rites.

Yazd is the gem of desert.The Greek historians called this archaic city Isatis .

Yazd of today has been constructed on the ruins of the old Yazd & Katheh. Some experts from Unesco have dubbed Yazd the Venice of Iran.Yazd is a city where many Zoroastrians live . This city is the birthplace of Zoroaster the prophet.

This city has got several sightseeing and attractions such as :

      -         Zoroastrian fire-temple

      -         Dakhmeh ( a place for the dead )

      -         Masjid Jame Kabir

      -         Masjid Jame Fahraj

      -         Boghe Seyed Rokneddin

      -         Dowlatabad Garden

     -         Typical Houses In Old Quarter

      -         Tekyeh Amir Chakhmagh

      -         Old Cistern Of Yazd

 

                 

              

Hamedan

It is said that the foundation of Hamedan city had been ordered by Dia-eco the Median king (that lived about 700 year B.C.) .As Herodot wrote, the Median king had made Ekbatan or Hegmataneh as the capital of Iran.

 

Alisadr Cave

Alisadr cave is the most beautiful cave in Iran. This cave stands in a mountain called Soubashi located 80 km. to the north of  Hamedan at the village of Alisadr.Because of its beauty ,this cave is inserted in  our tour schedules.

              

                  

 Neishapour

 The historical city of Neishapour ,the birthplace of Omar Khayam the great poet and scientist, Attar the Gnostic poet and Kamalolmolk the great artist, stands at 112 km. to the west of Mashad .The mausoleum of Khayam is located in one of the beautiful Iranian gardens.This garden belonged to Khayam himself. Khayam lived at the ends of 5^th century and the beginnings of the 6^th.

The mausoleum of Attar stands at its vicinity and is the  pilgrimage point of  his lovers.

                  

 

Ardebil

The city of Ardebil stands at the northwest of Iran.It has cool summers and in winters it is very cold. It is said that Zoroaster wrote Avesta in Sabalan and in order to propagate his religion,he set up toward the city of Badanpirooz and there some people believed in his ideology.As the name of Ardebil is seen in the book of Vis &Ramin, therefore the antiquity of this city should be more than 1500 years .  

 

Spas Of Sarein

The city of Sarein stands at the west of Ardebil

and its distance is 28 km. to it  .The thermal water of Sarein has bicarbonate chloride and is of gaseous calcium ,it is very warm and has so much silicate in it.The analysis of the water from different spas of Sarein indicates that the origin of all of them is the same ,but  bubbling out  from the  deeper points  of the ground and in the upper layers of the earth solves some calcium carbonate and comes out in form of calcium  bicarbonate .

Bathing in the spas of Sarein has many good effects and is relaxing and cures the rheumatism and nervous pains.

 

                       

 The Provinces  Of Mazandaran & Gilan

 

These two northern provinces are  like two  green gardens lying on the coast line of Caspian. 

In fact, Mazandaran and Gilan are the greenest provinces of Iran.The capital cities of these two provinces are Sari and Rasht.The population of Mazandaran is about 2.7 million and the population of Gilan corresponds to about 2.3 millions.

By traveling to Namakabrood in Mazandaran the tourists benefit from the purest air ,and by riding in tele-cabin, they travel over a forest that reminds one of the forests in the first days of creation.

Behshahr is one of the cities where you find the

Monuments of the Safavid period such as Safiabad palace, Mellat park, Cheshmehemarat palace and Abbasabad (A half ruined palace at the heart of a natural lake on the mountain crest ).

There are so many hotels and villas at the coasts of Ramsar, Farahabad and Chaloos for the visitors to stay in .

The green province of Gilan is ,in fact, the twine sister of Mazandaran. The historical village of Massouleh, stands at a distance of 63 km. to Rasht .This site is one of the places worthseeing in the province of Gilan, with pretty landscapes,crystalline waters running in the rivers, and green mountains, and the houses on the mountain ,with the yard of the upper house seeming to be the roof of the lower one .

Anzali lagoon, proclaimed by Unesco as one of the protected ones , is one of the prettiest lagoons with beautiful birds in the region.The visit to Massouleh and Anzali is interesting for the nature lover visitors ,therefore inserted in our tour itineraries.

                                      

 

Zigorat Temple (Choghazanbil )

 

Zigorat temple stands at 45 km. of Shoush (Susa).This temple was constructed 1300 years B.C.

It is a souvenir of the new Elamite civilization .This temple was destroyed in 640 B.C. ,during the attack of Ashour Banipal, when the sovereignty of the Elamites , after thousands of years, ended .