Iran is a large country in southwest Asia with an area 1648000 sq. km. bordering to the south with the Persian gulf and to the north with the Caspian sea. Its territory is mostly mountaineous, with only a few plains in the coastal areas. At 5610m mount Damavand is the country's highest peak. The first urban settlements in Iran date back to 7000 BC. Iran was first unified by the Medes in 625 BC, after which Iran (known as Persia) developed into the largest empire of its time. In 632 AD Iran was conquered by the Arabs and Islamised. In 1979 the country underwent a revolution which deposed the Shah and is currently an Islamic republic. Travelling to Iran is relatively uncomplicated for western tourists, since 15 days visa are granted on arrival. The country is very safe for travelling and has many major historical sights and other attractions.
Mt Damavand photo gallery  - 120 pictures of Mt Damavand
Tehran photo gallery  - 126 pictures of Tehran
Qom photo gallery  - 43 pictures of Qom
Kashan photo gallery  - 105 pictures of Kashan
120 photos of an expedition to Mt Damavand in Iran, the highest mountain in the Middle East and the highest volcano in Asia
126 photos of Tehran, the capital and largest city of Iran
43 photos of Qom, a major Shia religious centre in Iran and its second holiest city
105 photos of Kashan, a city in central Iran with impressive traditional houses
Isfahan photo gallery  - 230 pictures of Isfahan
Pasargadae photo gallery  - 33 pictures of Pasargadae
230 photos of Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran and a major cultural and arts centre
33 photos of Pasargadae, the ancient Persian capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Naqsh-e Rostam photo gallery  - 20 pictures of Naqsh-e Rostam
Shiraz photo gallery  - 203 pictures of Shiraz
Persepolis photo gallery  - 93 pictures of Persepolis
20 photos of Naqsh-e Rostam, the burial site of Persian emperors near Persepolis
203 photos of Shiraz, a large city in southern Iran with many historical sights
93 photos of Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Achaemenid (Persian) empire
Yazd photo gallery  - 111 pictures of Yazd
Around Yazd photo gallery  - 70 pictures of Around Yazd
Abyaneh photo gallery  - 18 pictures of Abyaneh
111 photos of Yazd, a city in central Iran with an impressive cultural heritage and a centre for the Zoroastrian faith
70 photos of sights and attractions in the region around Yazd, Iran
18 photos of the pictoresque village of Abyaneh, with its red mud brick houses
Mashhad photo gallery  - 104 pictures of Mashhad
104 photos of Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran and a major pilgrimage centre for Shia Muslims
Susa photo gallery  - 23 pictures of Susa
Chogha Zanbil photo gallery  - 29 pictures of Chogha Zanbil
Shushtar photo gallery  - 18 pictures of Shushtar
23 photos of Susa, the ancient winter capital of the Persian Achaemenid empire
29 photos of the Chogha Zanbil ziggurat, one of the best preserved ziggurats in the world
18 photos of Shuhstar, a city in Iran with an historical hydraulic irrigation system
Qeshm photo gallery  - 172 pictures of Qeshm
Kish photo gallery  - 43 pictures of Kish
172 photos of Qeshm, a large Iranian island in the Persian gulf, inzteresting for its geological formations
43 photos of Kish, an Iranian island in the Persian gulf and a major tourist centre
Persian architecture photo gallery  - 21 pictures of Persian architecture
Karaftu caves photo gallery  - 16 pictures of Karaftu caves
21 photos of Persian architecture dating from the 5th century BC to the 19th century AD
16 photos of the Karaftu caves in the Kurdistan province in west Iran
Kurdistan photo gallery  - 14 pictures of Kurdistan
Miscellaneous photos photo gallery  - 4 pictures of Miscellaneous photos
14 photos of the Kurdistan province in western Iran
4 miscellanous photos of Iran
Soltaniyeh photo gallery  - 10 pictures of Soltaniyeh
Takht-e Soleyman photo gallery  - 23 pictures of Takht-e Soleyman
10 photos of the dome of Soltaniyeh in northwestern Iran
23 photos of Takht-e Soleyman and Zendane Soleyman in the West Azarbaijan area of Iran
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Related travelogues
  • Iran 2014-15: a two weeks loop covering Tehran, Shush, Tchoga Zanbil, Shushtar, Kish, Qeshm, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kashan and Qom
  • Iran 2011: two weeks spent in Iran visiting Shiraz, Persepolis, Yazd, Kashan, Tehran, Mashhad and climbing Mt Damavand
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©Copyright Alfred Molon