Iran
Badab-e Surt is a series of terraced travertine (limestone) pools – smaller than those at Turkey's Pamukkale, but more colourful and serenely isolated…
Must-see attractions in Iran
Iran
This lovely old bazaar in the heart of Qom, a short stroll from Astane Sq, is worth a visit as one of the most authentic covered markets in Iran. With a…
Iran
Once the fourth stop on the ancient Rey–Khorasan caravan route, Dehnamak is most interesting for its recently restored Safavid-era caravanserai, now a…
Southeastern Iran
With prominent blue-and-white-tiled roofs dating from the late Qajar period, this attractive mausoleum is the last resting place of several Kerman…
Tehran
Housing more than 100 pieces dating from the 17th century to the present day, this is a great place to see the full range of regional patterns and styles…
Shiraz
One of Shiraz’s several shrines, housed in an open-sided colonnade built during the Pahlavi era, is dedicated to Sheikh Mohammed Shams-ed-Din, simply…
Iran
The archaeology museum is home to four of the fascinating 'Saltmen' mummies discovered over the years in the Chehrabad Salt Mine (now an archaeological…
Iran
Small but lavishly tiled, the octagonal tomb tower of Sufi poet Sheikh Attar (1145–1220) sits in a very pretty garden that's a popular destination for…
Iran
This wild-looking, incredibly eroded, cave-ridden mesa soars above (or, more accurately, falls into) the Qezel Owzan river in the ribbed and riven…
Iran
Imamzadeh Jafar is a splendid, ancient pale-brick building with round side-towers, arched false-windows and a five-level dome culminating in a brick cone…
Madraseh va Masjed-e Sepahsalar
Tehran
Just south of the Iranian majlis (parliament), this Islamic college is arguably the most noteworthy example of Persian architecture of the Qajar period,…
Tehran
The Glass & Ceramics Museum is, like many of its exhibits, small but perfectly formed. The galleries walk you chronologically through the ages, with…
Iran
The three-legged giant folly of a tower that sits on Basij Sq like a child's fantasy spacecraft is actually a jerkily revolving restaurant-coffeeshop that…
Southeastern Iran
Possibly Iran's most mind-blowing work of contemporary art was haphazardly created over decades by deaf/non-verbal shepherd Darvish Khan Esfandiarpur, who…
Iran
Directly west of Khayyam Sq, the city centre's most interesting feature is this restored caravanserai, which incorporates into its arched niches a series…
Tehran
Also known as Stone Garden, Park-e Jamshidiyeh climbs steeply up the lower reaches of the Alborz Mountains and offers a clean, quiet atmosphere in which…
Southeastern Iran
Wrapping a conical crag in ruined fortress ramparts, Qaleh Dokhtar is a dramatic, if well camouflaged, castle. From its summit you can appreciate its…
Iran
This unique, partly ruined mud-brick structure has 18 extraordinarily sturdy rear columns that date from about AD 760 – reputedly making this the second…
Iran
The region’s greatest attraction is the fabled ruin of Alamut Castle, Hasan-e Sabbah’s famous fortress. The site is a dramatic crag rising abruptly above…
Southeastern Iran
Around Qa'en you can find several old villages of low, domed, mud hovels, which have been almost entirely abandoned as folks moved to new, more sanitary…
Tehran
This white, twin-spired church, a centre for Christianity in the Islamic Republic, sits at the southern edge of the city's Armenian quarter. Built between…
Iran
The extraordinarily high, if austere, west iwan of the Masjed-e Jameh dates from a 1424 rebuild, rising above a bare-brick octagonal prayer hall. But the…
Iran
Though not one of Semnan's classic caravanserai villages, Padeh's sizeable shattered citadel, dating back at least 1500 years, has been so eroded by water…
Southeastern Iran
The expansive Imam Mosque courtyard covers 6000sqm with tiled iwans (barrel-vaulted halls) on three sides. But it's the main southwest iwan that's the…
Iran
This unmissable eight-towered castle dominates the city centre from a rocky promontory. It looks especially dramatic when floodlit at night and offers…
Shiraz
Dominating the city centre, this burly fortress was built in the early Zand period and formed part of the royal court that Karim Khan hoped would rival…
Iran
A fascinating museum of Kurdish culture awaits in a restored two-storey mansion dating back to the Safavids, complete with subterranean hammam. Mannequins…
Southeastern Iran
Although possibly 9th-century in origin, the main core of Qa'en's bulky central mosque predominantly dates from a 1394 rebuild funded by a Timurid…
Decorative Arts Museum of Iran
Esfahan
Housed in a building that once served as stables and warehouse to Safavid kings, this small museum contains a fine collection from the Safavid and Qajar…
Qeshm Island
Qeshm’s main settlement, Qeshm Town lies on the far-eastern tip of the island. Many Iranians come here to shop in one of the numerous duty-free malls…
Qeshm Island
In the local dialect, harra is the word for grey mangrove, and this protected area is the Persian Gulf’s largest mangrove forest – a definite must-see for…
Qeshm Island
This picturesque village enjoys a long beach where hawksbill and green turtles lay their eggs between April and July. Residents of Shibderaz work in…
Iran
Built for the sardar (military governor) of Qajar Shah Muzaffar al-Din (r 1896–1907), this striking two-storey mansion sits amid 11 hectares of orchards…
Southeastern Iran
As you walk east into the Bazar-e Sartasari from Tohid Sq, turn left at the first 12-sided charsoq (junction) to find shops selling shiny copper-plated…
Southeastern Iran
Birjan's adobe-plastered fortress has been comprehensively restored and looks particularly impressive at night when glowing with the lights of the…
Iran
This gem of a small museum displays ancient stone and pottery from archaeological sites in the region. Highlights include a giant double-headed bull…
Tehran
Near the front gate of the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex, this museum exhibits many excellent paintings, including a dazzling full-sized portrait of Fathi-Ali…
Iran
Half close your eyes and you could almost imagine this beautiful shrine as a Buddhist temple in the Nepali foothills – all that's missing is the ek on the…
Iran
This ornately furnished 1937 building, set in a walled garden, was once the summer palace of Reza Shah. Gilded, over-the-top rooms mix guillotine-era…
Iran
Beyond the national park's eastern edge, 5.3km north of the highway, ridge-backed Espakho is a small, Khorasani village retaining several traditional…
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