Iran is a country of contrasts, made up of a natural landscape of dense rainforest along the Caspian coast and the north where temperatures rarely fall below freezing, towards the east of the country the landscape emerges into desert basins and salt lakes. Iran is also one of the world’s most mountainous countries, its landscape dominated by rugged mountain ranges. Across Iran’s vast countryside you will discover a varied amount of wildlife from bears, gazelles and wild pigs, to wolves, jackals, panthers, Eurasian lynx, and foxes. There is also a lot of culture to discovery in this country once known more as a warring country some of which can be discovered in places like Tehran, Mashhad Isfahan and Shiraz.
Khezr Beach, Hormoz Island, Persian Gulf
Picture courtesy of Hamed Saber
A sprawling city at the foot of the Tochal mountain range Tehran is the largest city and capital of Iran, it has long but somewhat unknown history dating back to the 9th century. The is still a lot of history to be seen however a lot of the older more traditional buildings were torn down in the 1950’s to make way for more modern buildings and architecture. Tehran is a city of contrasts and can been seen across the city, there is a divide between the north and the south with a split of modern and rich to traditional and poor, religious and secular. The north of the city seems most modernised and affluent with most hot spots to be here.
Tehran
Picture courtesy of Ensie & Matthias
Shiraz has been Iran’s regional trade centre for more than one thousand years and is located in the southwest of Iran on the Rudkhaneye Khoshk seasonal river, known as the city of poets, wine and flowers is a city of gardens, due to the many gardens and fruit trees that can be seen in the city. A popular destination to experience some of Iran’s great culture has a lot of history to explore like the tombs of Hafez, Saadi, and Khaju e Kermani which are enclosed in a mountain above the cities old quarter.
If you wish to explore the history and culture and enjoy the natural beauty of Iran you can book a flight to Tehran or Shiraz or any of Iran’s other major cities for an interesting break away.
Shiraz botanical garden
Picture courtesy of indigoprime
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