Dominating all of its surrounding landscape near the ancient city of Gorgan, the 1000 year old Gonbad-e Qabus Tower stands tall; magnificently representing the Ziyarid Dynasty’s timeworn civilization. Also known as Gonbad-e Kavus, this 53 meter tall tower, made of entirely of fired brick, is the tomb of, ibn Voshmgir, the Ziyarid ruler and writer...
The Legendary Age-old City of Persepolis The might metropolis of Persepolis, an enormous archive of Persian texts, bas-relief carvings, palaces, halls and tombs of the ancient empire’s royalty, is the legendary ceremonial capital of the great Achaemenid Empire. It is among the world’s greatest archaeological site of no equivalence. Carved on the southern face of...
Dating all the way back to the 7th century, located in the most northern corner of Iran near the border of Armenia, stand three of the oldest and most historic monasteries of the Armenian Christian faith: St. Thaddeus, St. Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor. These historic marvels of traditional Armenian art and architecture are...
One of the seldom remaining corners of the world that is still the home to semi-nomadic people, the ancient village of Meymand is a relatively self-contained habitat in the valley of Iran’s central mountains, in the province of Kerman. Truly a place of wonder, the villagers have a very unique and interesting lifestyle that changes...
South-east of Iran at 1060 meters above sea level, between the Lut Desert and the Jebal Barez Mountains, rests the ancient city of Bam. What is now a mostly modern city in the province of Kerman, used to be a key trade hub of the Silk Road. It was the connection between Central Asia, the...
“What are they waiting for?” I ask a spice seller, pointing at the long queue zigzagging down the street. “Moslem restaurant. Best tah-chin of Tehran,” he replies proudly. In Farsi, tah means bottom, while chin suggests the idea of layering; tah-chin is the unpretentious, crusty rice layered with chicken that has absorbed every last drop...
Standing high in the mountains, along the ancient Persian-Mesopotamian trade route, is the epic story of the battles of Darius the Great (Darius I). Carved 100 meters high on a limestone cliff, this giant 15 by 25 meter bas-relief depicts Darius the Great accompanied by two of his royal guards; triumphing over and stepping on...
Dating back to the historic times of the 17th century, the Bazaar of Isfahan is known to be one of the largest and oldest bazaars of the Middle East. Located in downtown Isfahan, this old market place has kept true to its antiquated appearance with its vaulted ceiling on top of a two kilometer street....
Located in ‘Bagh Ferdows’ (Ferdows’ Garden), the cinema museum is a playground for film lovers and art enthusiasts alike. The history of the museum’s building goes all the way back to Mohammad Shah Qajar’s ruling period. During the time of his reign, the complex was his royal family’s summer residence (circa 1800). From Mohammad Shah...
The grandest most spectacular masterpiece of the Qajar era, the Golestan Palace (Palace of Flowers), is the oldest historical monument in the city of Tehran. Originally built during the reign of Shah Tahmasp I (circa 1550), it was later renovated during the Qajar period. As Tehran was chosen as the capital of Iran, this lustrous...