World Country Guide

Excursions

The Alborz mountain chain is a popular destination for excursions from Tehran. There are numerous mountain resorts offering cable car facilities as well as skiing slopes (the season running from January to March). Within easy reach of Tehran are the towns of Rey, Varamin, Qazvin and Shemshak, which have preserved much of their original character.
The country’s second-largest city, Tabriz, has a ruined but restored fine blue mosque built in 1465. The covered Qaisariyeh Bazaar dates back to the 15th century. About 22km (14 miles) from the salt lake is the town of Uromieh, which claims to be the birthplace of Zoroaster. Other towns worth visiting include Ardabil, Astara, Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht.
The Golden Triangle is the name popularly given to the region enclosed by the ancient cities of Hamadan, Kermanshah and Khorramabad. This is a part of Iran which is particularly rich in historical associations; for many centuries the Silk Road passed through the pleasant rolling countryside of the region, and there are several indications of settlements dating back over 6000 years. Hamadan was the summer capital of the Persian Emperors, although one of the few easily visible signs of the city’s antiquity is the Stone Lion, dating back to the time of Alexander the Great. Kermanshah is a good base for visiting the Taghe Bostan Grottoes, which have several excellent bas-relief carvings. The site of the Seleucid Temple of Artemis is in Kangavar; it consists of massive fallen columns and is now being reconstructed.
Esfahan is the former capital of Persia and has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city’s most remarkable feature is its magnificent central square which is roughly seven times larger than San Marco in Venice. The mosques, palaces, bridges and gardens also deserve a visit. The Friday Mosque (Masjid-e Jomeh) is one of Iran’s finest buildings. The Shaikh Lotfullah Mosque is famous for the stalactite effect of its northern entrance. There are also several good bazaars.
Shiraz is the capital of the Fars Province, and another of the country’s ancient cities. Several of the buildings date back to the ninth century, and there are many excellent parks and gardens. About 50km (30 miles) away is Persepolis, also on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and famous for the Ceremonial Seat of Darius, built on an enormous platform carved out of the Kuhe Rahmat. Another UNESCO-listed archaeological site can be found at Changha Zanbil, 40km (25 miles) southeast of Susa.
Khorasan is a large province in the east where a great revival of learning occurred in the early Middle Ages. Mashhad, a former trading post on the Silk Road, is the capital of the region.
The city of Kerman in the southern desert region has several stunning mosques and a ruined citadel, although visitors are advised to exercise caution and only travel on tours organised through Iranian government-approved tourist organisations.