Iran People & Culture

It is the second largest city of Iran in population after the capital. It used to be the nice quick getaway for the people of capital and the suberbians. Nowadays it is almost attached to Tehran and as croweded and populated and probably poluted. I lived my last 12 years in Iran in Karaj. It still has some nice beautiful spots but not much left from the serenity and the cleanness. It has some sightseeings oncluding one of the major dams providing water and power for capital.

Tehran is a must see city as long as you are OK with Trafic and pollution!! It has strange and lively and crazy nature of any metropolitan city. A combination of old and new, modern and ancient, one of the most friendly people to foreigners!!! They would take you to their homes and accomodate you to the best of their ability, feed you and take you for sightseeing just because they love foriegners!! Of course the general caution rules always apply. There are wired people everywhere. Used to have one of the best tap waters in the world, don;t know about the last 5 years! Has international resturants but you are gonna have a lot of fun if you are a Kabab lover. I love the traditional sweets, cakes and confections in general. Delicious Turkish Coffes. Lots of sight seeings, huge colorful bazzars, old bulidings, etc. There is much to say, take me and I will show you around for free;) Afterall it is my beloved hometown!

The first cit y  I've visited in Iran... not as beautiful as tehran but people are ver friendl y. Take care of the seasnakes !

After Esfahan, it has to be Shiraz for me in Iran ... and with the Perspepolis and related sights, perhaps even more important ...don't miss Shiraz's literary heritage now that its wine heritage is just history... check out the tombs of Hafez and Saadi... the former, especially, is some sight in the evenings, rarely have I seen so many people visiting the tomb of a literary figure... but this is partly because Hafez was a prophetic figure too... so you have people selling cards with prophetic wishes and Hafez verses written on them and parrots to pick them up for you outside the gate ... people stay wrapped around Hafez's grave for hours wishing for something or the else ... but it is a social place too where people come out for an evening stroll in nice clothes ... in comparison, Saadi's tomb is less visited, and Khaju Kermani's tomb is just a grave in a cave atop the Quran-e-Darwaza (near the grave is the man-sized cave where the poet is said to have sat alone and written most of his ascetic life) ... while at the Quran-e-Darwaza, head up further on the stairs from Khaju Kermani's grave and you come to a wonderful chaikhana - sit there smoking a sheesha, drinking tea and enjoying wonderful aerial views of Shiraz ... the Quran-e-Darwaza itself is an impressive gate... old timers will tell you that this used to be the outskirts of Shiraz earlier... now the city has expanded so much that it is well within the city... take a walk in the pleasant Dilkusha Gardens if you want a change...

The sad thing of the sity is that most teahouses are closed. Instead you can go to the Abassi hotel for a coffee, after having a kebap husseini in het Sherezade Restarant first, of course. Te meet young people you can also go to the countless coffeshops in the Armenian Quarter - if you can't find one, ask for it on the streets and there is a chance that you have company of a local.

Firs of all Iran is one of the countries that has a huge culture and sivilisation and Mashhad is the heart of Iran. I found Mashhad as a cradle of culture and beauty.People there are very nice, kind, and hospitable.Women and girls are very shy and timid!

Try to see some 'zurkaneh' - a traditional Iranian sport. It's a weird combinnation of the athletic and spiritual. There's something almost trance-like about it with a lot of drumming and chanting going on. A very unique experience.

You have to visit the grave of Hafez, it is a very nice atmosphere at night. Also the Persepolis or "Takhte Jamshid" is a must.

They call Esfehan, half of the WORLD in Iran. It's such an amazing city. The architecture of the buildings are from 500 years ago and they are just wonderful. It has some great bridges and very cool stuff to do there.

Bam is the greatest mud city in the world. Sigh, the earth quick of 2004 destroyed most of this beautiful city....

Isfahan (actually: Esfehan) is one of the most beautiful cities of Iran. I went there as a four year old child and the one thing I remember so clearly is the impression it made on me. With it's colourfull mosques and large squares it's a must see if you go to Iran. It has great architecture and Esfehan has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esfahan

This city has many places to visit so if you decide to go there, plan ahead of time. Get a cab for the whole day and tell them where you want to go, the drivers usually know the best route to maximize the places you can visit. Of course you want to visit the bazaars too, so many hand-made souvenirs to be purchased!

Extremely friendly people under very bad government. They will invite you in their houses. Don't refuse! or you lose wonderful experience. :-)