As Christians all over the world geared up for Christmas this week, so too were Iranians preparing to celebrate the festive holiday in all its glory. Iran’s Christian Armenian minority in particular has been storming the gift shops in Tehran, buying them out of all their ornaments, Santa figures and pine trees to hang in...
The modern day city of Shush in the Khuzestan province is where lies, what used to be, one of the most important cities of the ancient Near East, the city of Susa. It sits in the lower Zagros Mountains, between Dez and Karkheh rivers and 250 kilometers east of the great Tigris River. The city...
Drifting through the rich mystical land of Iran, the Sufi spiritual tradition of the Safavid Dynasty still flows strongly in the Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble complex. Founded, in northwestern Iran, early 14th century and finished late 18th century this sacred spiritual den was built as a microcosmic city; with a mosque, school,...
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...
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...