Iran

Quick Facts

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Capital

Tehran

Government

Theocratic Republic

Nationality

Iranian

Population

68,279,000

Languages

Persian, Turkish, Kurdish

Religions

Islam (Shi'a, Sunni)

Currency

Iranian Rial (IRR)

Calling Code

+98

Time Zone

IRST (UTC+3:30)

Daylight Saving Time

IRDT (UTC+4:30)

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Introduction

Tagh2

© All Rights Reserved Shahabsito

Iran (Persian: ايران /irɑːn/), formerly Persia (until 1935), is an ancient nation whose past dates back well over two and a half milleniums. No number of monuments, museums or ancient mosques could truly indicate the depth of Persian history, but Iran makes a brave attempt. Tehran, the capital, would best be steered clear of if it were not for the excellent National Museum and a handful of other fascinating museums. The site of Persepolis, a palace complex built 500 years before Christ, is now a collection of ruins; while unable to regain the lustre it had in its early days, today's Persepolis is impressive nonetheless.

Brief History

Geography

Iran's borders are with Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia to the north-west; the Caspian Sea to the north; Turkmenistan to the north-east; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; Iraq to the west; and finally the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south.

Regions

Iran is made up of 30 provinces. Geographically, Iran can also be divided into the following regions.

• Northwestern Iran, also known as Iranian Azerbaijan, borders Azerbaijan.
• Northern Iran on the Caspian Sea
• Northeastern Iran, bordering Turkmenistan, includes the holy city of Mashad
• Western Iran, bordering Iraq
• Central Iran, includes the cities Tehran, Isfahan and Qom
• Eastern Iran, a desertous region bordering on Afghanistan.
• Southwestern Iran includes a coastal region along the Persian gulf and the city of Ahvas.
• Southern Iran, on the Persian Gulf, includes the city of Shiraz.
• Southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman, borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Cities

• Ahvas
• Esfahan - Iran's 3rd largest city. The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Esfahan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Karaj
• Mashad - One of the holiest Shi'a cities in the world and home to the shrine of Imam Reza. It is Iran's second largest city.
• Qom - A holy Shi'a city, it is home to the shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume, sister of Imam `Ali ibn Musa Rida.
• Shiraz - A city along Alexanders path, Persepolis and the tomb of Hafez.
• Tabriz - The first or last big border city coming to or from Turkey.
• Tehran - Iran's capital and largest city.
• Yazd - A true ancient desert city with a wealth of things on offer.

Sights and Activities

Isfahan

Moonlit Emam Mosque

© All Rights Reserved ameurice

Esfahan probably is the most popular and one of the most impressive cities in Iran which is definitely worth a visit. The Meidan Emam or Naqsh-e Jahan Square is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the site is known for the Royal Mosque, the Mosque of Sheykh Lotfollah, the magnificent Portico of Qaysariyyeh and the 15th-century Timurid palace. Meidan Emam itself dates back to the 17the century. The city is loaded with many more museums, mosques and even a cathedral and church. Spend at least 3 or 4 days here, not only to see the specific sight, but also to wander around, watch everyday local life and soak up the atmosphere.

Qom

Qom is one of the most holiest cities in Iran and the middle East and has centuries of history for travellers. Sometimes called the Jewel of Iran, the most famous sight in Qom definitely is the Fatima È Massummeh Shrine which is a highly respected shrine and can only be visited if you are accompanied by a Muslim friend or a guide.

Persepolis

Persepolis is located about an hour from Shiraz in the Fars Province and was founded by Darius I in 518 BCE. It used to be the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. An impressive palace complex was built here inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site and therefore is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Yazd

Yazd city view

© All Rights Reserved TLWH

Yazd is an old desert city with many sights to explore, including a water reservoir with four badgirs (wind towers), mosques, ancient tombs, gardens and squares. It is a very pleasant and relatively low key city with almost no high rise buildings. It is also a very friendly city and walking around, relaxing at one of the many cafes is actually one of the highlights here. It desert location only adds to the charm.

Others sights and activities

• Skiing - Yes, Iran is a place where snow falls in wintertime and north of Tehran are some pistes.
• Qeshm Island - in the Persian Gulf, famous for its eco destinations including Hara marine forests. Birds are abundant here.

Arg-e Bam

© All Rights Reserved skatoozian

• Bam - its cultural landscape is on the UNESCO list as well, but unfortunately it is in danger and the massive earthquake damaged a lot back in 2004.
• Desert Oasis - it is best to rent a car and driver to explore some of the finest and remotest desert oasis in the world.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Iran has a complex climate, ranging from subtropical to sub polar. In winter, a high-pressure belt, centered in Siberia, slashes west and south to the interior of the Iranian Plateau, while low pressure systems develop over the warm waters of the Caspian, the Persian Gulf, and the Mediterranean. In summer, one of the lowest pressure centers in the world prevails in the south. Iran also can have four seasons at the same time. While it is cold in the north of country like Ardebil and Tabriz, in the south the weather is spring-like in BandarAbbass and Boushehr.

Iran is divided climatically into three main regions:

• 1. the extremely hot coast along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman;
• 2. the temperate but arid central highland;
• 3. the tableland of the intensely cold Alborz Mountains.

The annual average precipitation for the country is about 305 millimeters (12 inches), but there are huge variations. The desert regions receive only about 125 millimeters (5 inches) per year, however, and the plain along the Caspian Sea gets about 1,270 millimeters (50 inches) then Iran has four Seasons in all-over year. In the summer, temperatures vary from a high of 123 F (50o C) in Khouzestan at the head of the Persian Gulf to a low of 35 F (1o C) in Azerbaijan in the north-west. Precipitation also varies greatly, ranging from less than two inches in the south-east to about 78 in the Caspian region.

Getting There

By Plane

Iran Air is the main national airline of Iran and is based at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) near the capital Tehran. It flies to a significant number of cities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and destinations include Bangkok, Rome, Amsterdam, Beijing, Istanbul, Paris, Moscow, London and Beirut.

Dozens of other airlines serve the airport, for example with Air Arabia from Sharjah and Air France and KLM from Paris and Amsterdam. Most airines are within the region, serving cities like Damascus, Kuwait and Dubai and several cities in Central Asia.

Other international airports are located in Shiraz, Isfahan and Mashad and mostly serve neighbouring countries and countries in the region.

By Train

The Trans-Asia Express travels on a weekly schedule between the gateway to Asia, Istanbul, and the capital of Iran, Tehran. Trains leave Istanbul Wednesdays at around 11pm and arrives in Tehran about 70 hours later. In the opposite directions, trains leave Tehran Thurdays around 6.30pm and take about the same time. The trainride is divided into two parts, one from Istanbul to Lake Van and one from Lake Van to Tehran and only one carriage actually is moved over the lake to make the entire journey.

There is a weekly train travelling from Damascus to Tehran, stopping in Aleppo in Syria and Tabriz in Iran along the way. Like the train from Istanbul to Tehran, the journey contains two stages, one to Lake Van and one from Lake Van onwards.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Several ferries and fast catamarans travel between Iran and a number of other Gulf states. Destinations include Bandar Lengeh to Dubai, Bandar Abbas to Dubai and Sjarjah, Khoramshahr and Bushehr to Kuwait and Bushehr to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Check the Iran Traveling Center for more details about schedules and prices.
Theoretically, there are also ferries across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, but don't hold your breath.

Getting Around

By Plane

Iran Air and Aseman Air among a few other airlines have an extensive network of domestic flights. The main destinations include Tehran, Tabriz, Mashad, Esfahan, Shiraz, Kish and Zahedan, but there are several more options that might come in handy. Prices are very low compared to many other countries and a one hour flight generally won't cost much more than around 40 USD.

By Train

Raja Trains offers a number of comfortable, reliable and cheap rail links across the country, some of which are really spectactular like the Tehran to Mashad overnight train. The main routes include Tehran – Jolfa, Tehran – Gorgan, Tehran – Bandar-e-Abbas, Tehran – Mashhad and Tehran – Khorramshahr. Notable stops on the routes are Qom, Kashan, Shiraz, Esfahan and Yazd, which are all reachable by train.

By Car

Renting a car is possible but traffic in and around the bigger cities is chaotic to say the least. Roads are ok though, except for some rougher roads into the central deserts and mountains in the east and north.
Agencies are represented in the bigger cities and airports, or you can rent one with a driver for a day or even a week. A good way to cover a lot and economical when travelling with 2 or 3 persons. A national driver's licence is required and an international permit recommended. Insurance is required as well and if you bring your own car you'll need a carnet de passage and international certificate of proof of ownership of the car.

By Bus

There are many buses on most major routes and transport is generally comfortable, reliable and cheap. Note that the newer buses (usually Volvo, Scania or other Scandinavian stuff) are much better (airco actually works) than the old and rusty Mercedes buses, which are cheaper as well. On most routes, you won't have to wait much longer than a few hours before you are on your way again.

By Boat

There are some ferries operating to and from the islands in the Persian Gulf and the mainland. Islands include Kish and Hormuz and ferries leave from places like Bandar-e-Abbas.

Red Tape

Foreign visitors require a visa to travel in Iran.
Citizens of only several countries can stay for up to 3 months withouth a visa. These include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia and Turkey.

All other foreigners will need to aplly for a tourist visa. These visas are valid for a maximum stay of 30 day and can be extended in Iran.

Some foregin visitors can obtain a visa, valid for 15 days, upon arrival at certain Iranian airports, including the two airports in Tehran and the airports in Mashad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz.
Please note that this is only possible when you need a tourist visa, all other sorts like transitvisas, business visas etc. need to be obtained before arrival in Iran.
Also note that citizens from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Australia can not get a visa upon arrival at one of the airport mentioned above.

Citizens of the following countries can get a tourist visa upon arrival at the airport, valid for 15 days:

Albania, Armenia, Austria. Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Although frequently mentioned that the 15 day visa on arrival is not extendable, it seems that many travellers actually did extend the visa, up to maximum for 30 days. Still, it is advised to apply for a visia before you leave if you want to travel for more than 2 weeks. If you want to travel for a longer period of time than 15 days, it is possible to obtain a visa at the nearest Iranian embassy or consulate. Usually it takes much shorter to obtain one at neighbouring countries than trying to get one in your home country which can take more than a month in certain occasions.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Iranian Rial (IRR; symbol Rs) = 100 dinars.
Notes are in denominations of Rs50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100.
Coins are in denominations of Rs500, 250, 100 and 50.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

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