Iran’s Tourist Places
Iran, with all its mesmerizing beauty and glory, stretches for miles and miles embracing many different geological structures, cultures, and ethnicities uniting them as one nation and one marvelous country full of wonders and a long history of civilizations, having such unforgettable sites to visit that has made tourists to never stop thinking about Iran’s tourist places.
Iran’s Tourist Places are many, if not infinite. Therefore, picking out Iran’s Tourist Places and putting them on a list is not an easy job. Many breathtaking beauties inevitably have to be left out in order for you to wrap it all up in an article.
Every tourist starts packing up for Iran with a goal in mind but quite often, most end up receiving more than what they initially bargained for. Why is that? Because no matter where your field of interest lies, history, architecture, art, music, nature, poetry, culture; Iran has it all. Traces of all are found easily in numerous cities of Iran and are entirely accessible for travelers in search of Iran’s Tourist Places. Our Tailor-made tours and Classical Cultural tours of Iran often interest travelers with diverse tastes who are looking for something different or more personalized tours adjusted to their demands.
Now, let’s take a look at a brief list of the most popular sites in the list of Iran’s Tourist Places.
Persepolis:
Persepolis, also known as Takht-e Jamshid, was built around 500 BC as the famous Achaemenid Empire’s ceremonial capital. After the attack by Alexander the great, the complex and the five palaces within were mostly burnt down by the fire but the ruins were rediscovered again in 1620 by Garcia de Silva Figueroa and then later on turned into one of Iran’s Tourist Places. With pillars still standing high and many other remains on display, Persepolis is now located in Marvdasht, within the 60 km distance of Shiraz city, and it frequently visited as it is one of the most popular sites between Iran’s Tourist Places.
The complex was built by king Darius the first and was particularly used for celebrating the spring equinox which is an important event in Iran and some of the neighboring countries, and is still widely celebrated by them in this day and age. The event is called Nowrouz and is considered to be the Persian new year and the starting point of the Persian calendar. Rest assured that visiting Persepolis will be an exceptional experience while visiting Iran’s tourist places.
Thinking of Iran’s Tourist Places, Persepolis is always one of the first few to pop up in mind.
Choghazanbil ziggurat:
Choghazanbil is a historical complex built by an Elamite king at 1250 BC with the intention of replacing the city of Susa as a religious center. The construction is the most ancient between Iran’s Tourist Places and now can be found in Khuzestan province which contains one of the very few ziggurats in the world (beside Mesopotamia).
The ziggurat is consistent of five levels with a temple on top as a mean to reach out to God. There are walls separating the space into three and ziggurat is placed in the center with temples of higher gods while the middle holds the temples of the lesser gods and the outer area consists of royal palaces and royal tombs.
Back in 1979, Choghazanbil was the first of Iran’s tourist places to be inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Knowing the ziggurat was considered as the best example of stepped pyramidal monument, those infatuated by history always put it on the list of Iran’s Tourist Places to visit.
Fin Garden:
Fin garden, located in the city of Kashan, is a classic Persian garden completed in 1590 and contains the famous Kashan Fin bath in which Amir Kabir, a great historical figure of Iran and chancellor to Nasereddin shah was murdered. Now the spot of his assassination is one of the most frequently visited between Iran’s Tourist Places.
The garden may originally be traced back to the Safavid period, but went through several developments, expansions and a period of neglect up until 1935 when it was listed as a national property of Iran. It was later also declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2012. An obvious must-see star among the Iran’s Tourist Places.
Nasir ol-Mulk mosque:
Also referred to as the pink mosque, the Nasir ol-Mulk mosque was built during the Qajar era in Shiraz. Being one of the most eye-catching sites among Iran’s Tourist Places, the traditional mosque showcases multi-color glasses which the mosque is mostly characterized with as well as its Panj Kase design.
Even though the mosque is under protection, it is still used and visitors are also accepted. Some of the most gorgeous pictures taken by tourists in Iran’s Tourist Places belong to the interior and façade of this mosque.
Shushtar historical hydraulic system:
Situated in island city of Shushtar, Khuzestan province, the Shushtar hydraulic system consists of many bridges, dams, canals and some other structures that make up a still functioning hydraulic system.
The majority of the system is ancient and is one of the oldest amid Iran’s Tourist Places and was built during the Sassanid era while some parts are speculated to even date back to the Achaemenid dynasty and Darius the great.
The Shushtar hydraulic system has been called ‘a masterpiece of creative geniuses’ by the UNESCO and is one of the greatest complexes built before the industrial revolution era.
Certainly, a site to catch the eyes of those more interested in architecture among the other Iran’s Tourist Places.
Hormuz Island:
Hormoz or Hurmuz Island, situated mere kilometers off the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf, is barely inhabited but is one of the popular locations among Iran’s Tourist Places.
Also called the rainbow island, Hormuz has been characterized and heavily associated by the colorful sand, particularly the rose-colored beaches creating an illusion of the sea-soaked blood for the viewers. The unusual red color of the sea is caused by a high concentration of Iron oxides in the sand.
With such rare and unique landscapes, it’s safe to put it in the list of most anticipated Iran’s Tourist Places.
Fortunately, booking our Island tours could be easily done for those already intrigued to visit one of the most beautiful of Iran’s tourist places.
The Lut desert:
What is an Iran’s Tourist Places checklist without an honorable mention of its unmatched vast deserts?
The Lut desert, with a temperature going as high as 70.7 C or 150 F has been listed as the first natural monuments of Iran by UNESCO since 2016. Lut is one of the largest deserts in Iran along with the Kavir desert and is spread in three provinces making it one of the very accessible options between Iran’s Tourist Places as it’s reachable from many cities of Iran.
One of the things making the Lut desert a remarkable choice among Iran’s Tourist Places is the discovery of archeological monuments dating back to 7000 years ago. And of course, there are exciting desert activities waiting for curious tourists as you would expect, along with the clear sky and lack of light pollution for star-gazers and astronomers and golden dunes for those looking for unique sceneries on their visit to Iran’s Tourist Places. An Iran desert tour would help making an unforgettable time as a traveler.
Martian Mountains:
Mountains make up a great proportion of Iran’s natural echo-system and many mountains of Iran are world-famous for the beauty, hiking route or ski resorts and therefor always find their way in a list on Iran’s Tourist Places.
Martian mountains of Chabahar with millions of years of age are named so because of their peculiar and unique shapes and unusual gray and white color creating beautiful sights that mark them as one of the natural sites amid Iran’s Tourist Places. Of course, if you’re looking to connect with the nature of Iran, our Eco tours and Cultural intense-specialty tours are options you might want to consider.
Museums of Iran:
There are more museums inside Iran than you might expect. The abundance of historical, cultural and artistic objects and remains results in 689 museums across the whole country (as of 2019) and although only naming a few would be an injustice to the rest, we’ll try to introduce some of the more prominent ones mostly mentioned as Iran’s Tourist Places.
The National Museum of Iran located in Tehran is divided in two complexes named: ‘the Museum of Ancient Iran’ and ‘the Museum of Islamic Archeology and Art of Iran’. The first showcases ancient artefacts from the lower Paleolithic period to Sassanid era. The second complex mostly exhibits Islamic artefacts two of the floors available in the building. When one thinks of Iran’s Tourist Places to visit, the National Museum of Iran is an obvious option.
Sa’dabad complex, built by Pahlavi and Qajar dynasties, is a construction in Tehran consistent of many museums inside such as: the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Glassware and Handicrafts, et cetera. It would be a shame to miss out the Sa’dabad complex while visiting Iran’s Tourist Places.
The carpet museum of Iran is also a great pick as carpets are very important elements of Iranian and Persian culture and Persian carpets are one of the most favored in the whole world. For those who take interest in looking at the colorful shapes masterfully and artistically put together in those Iranian carpets, this is one of the most unique choices between Iran’s Tourist Places.
Vakil Bazaar:
Located right in the middle of the historical heart of Shiraz, Vakil bazaar was named after Karim Khan Zand in the 18th century.
There are great courtyards, bath houses and old shops inside the bazaar which is surrounded by mosques like other bazaars of the middle east, making it a different place for tourists while visiting Iran’s tourist places.
If you’re looking to take home some souvenirs as a reminder of your visit to Iran’s Tourist Places, Persian rugs, handicrafts and spices are laying ready to be sold which make Vakil bazaar the place to go.
Chehel Sotun:
Placed in Isfahan, and built by shah Abbas for entertainment purposes, Chehel Sotun is a pavilion with a long pool in the front and one of the most popular sites among Iran’s Tourist Places. In Persian, Chehel Sotun translates to forty columns. The interesting bit about Chehel Sotun is that unlike the name there aren’t forty columns but only twenty surrounding the pavilion. With each column making a reflection in the pool water, the number of the columns doubles, hence why the name of Chehel Sotun was earned in the first place.
Chehel sotun is one of those Iran’s Tourist Places you definitely have to pay a visit to.
Si-o-se-pol (The bridge of thirty-three/ Allahverdi Khan Bridge):
Si-o-se-pol, one of the most heard of Iran’s Tourist Places, was originally built in the 17th century to function as a bridge and also a dam which is a great example of the Iranian architecture during the Safavid era. The historical bridge is the largest one spanning over Zayanderud, the largest river in the Iranian plateau placed in Isfahan. This bridge is also a great place to take beautiful photos of you and one of Iran’s tourist places.
Ali-Sadr Cave:
Ali sadr is the largest water cave in the world placed in the west of Iran, province of Hamedan. Naturally the 11-kilometer-long cave is one of the top Iran’s Tourist Places highly recommended to every traveler; Iranian or not. The visitors are provided with boats and guides in order to explore through the cave containing several lakes, enjoying one of the most spectacular locations of Iran’s tourist places.
There has been an archeological discovery of artworks belonging to 12,000 years ago as well as jugs and pitchers in Ali-sadr which makes an even more interesting trip to the cave and a reason for its prominence among the other Iran’s Tourist Places.
At the end of the day, sadly, time limitations and many other obstacles prevent tourists from visiting every single of Iran’s Tourist Places. Organizing a plan and making a personalized list can really help you prioritize your preferred Iran’s Tourist Places and spend a stress-free vacation while you visit Iran. So, make sure to do your research on Iran’s Tourist Places and find your favorites beforehand to avoid confusion and waste of time. We’ve only barely scratched the surface by introducing a few possible options, but with a few clicks you can learn about a thousand more of Iran’s Tourist Places to visit.