Things to do in Central Iran
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Tour Guide, Arash Sadeghzadeh
Young, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and highly organised guide and fixer. Recommended.
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Mohsen Hajisaeed
Young, highly organised Mohsen speaks excellent English, leads tours in Yazd, Kerman, Fars and Esfahan provinces (including Bavanat), and can arrange hotel discounts.
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Yord Cultural Complex
In an enormous colourful yord (tent) about 8km northwest of town, this complex not only offers the chance to enjoy some fine Iranian-nomad food, but also to experience the Qashqa’i culture. The warm atmosphere, colourful costumes, live music and delicious food afford a dreamy escape from modern life into a Qashqa’i tented embrace. Yord is almost impossible to reach by public transport, so ask your hotel to write the name in Farsi and get a taxi (about IR25,000); it is also worth paying the taxi to wait for you (about IR70,000 total) as taxis out here are rare indeed.
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Bazar-e Bozorg
Esfahan’s Bazar-e Bozorg links Imam Sq with the Jameh Mosque, 1.7km northeast. The bazaar’s arched passageways are topped by a series of small domes, each with an aperture at its apex spilling shafts of light onto the commerce below. While the oldest parts of the bazaar, around the Jameh Mosque, are more than a thousand years old, most of what you see today was built during Shah Abbas’ aggressive expansions in the early 1600s.
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Bastani Restaurant
In the shadow of the Imam Mosque, the Bastani is the best-located restaurant in Esfahan. That, however, is where the compliments end. In recent years the quality of the food has been less consistent. Which is a pity, as the menu is full of interesting-sounding dishes. If you do eat here, the billing can be confusing so check it carefully. It’s a pity, as the menu is full of interesting-sounding dishes and it used to be good. Hopefully it will pick up.
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Imam Mosque
The Imam Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. The richness of its blue-tiled mosaic designs and its perfectly proportioned Safavid-era architecture form a visually stunning monument to the imagination of Shah Abbas I and the ability of his architect. The sumptuous decoration of the mosque perfectly complements the architectural elegance.
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Seray-e Mehr Teahouse
This is a serendipitous place to find after wandering through the Bazar-e Vakil. Hidden away through a small door behind the Serai Mushir Bazar, the split-level teahouse has a small menu of tasty favourites (think dizi, kubideh, zereshk polo ) and a delightfully relaxed atmosphere in which to sit, sip tea and puff on qalyan.
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Si-o-Seh Bridge Teahouse
This teahouse at the north end of Si-o-Seh Bridge is an Esfahani institution (and it’s not touristy) and the last of the bridge chaykhanehs. The teahouse is typically male dominated, but foreign women do get honorary male treatment and it is invariably a boisterous atmosphere, especially under the pylons.
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Hammam-e Khan Restaurant
Deep in the heart of the old city, this restored underground hammam is one of the original historic restorations in Yazd and deserves its ongoing popularity. The interior is all tranquil pools, arched ceilings and fine tilework, and the food is delicious (as long as it’s not too busy).
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110 Hamburgers
The best, however, is this place to which Shirazis come like moths to a neon flame (two glowing palm trees). Their version of the shwarma, with meat sliced off a spit and shovelled into a bread roll with healthy bits like tomato and pickle (IR18,000), is good.
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Driver, Hossein Soltani
Hossein works in the Shiraz Eram hotel and moonlights as a (safe) driver and fixer.
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Yazd Water Museum
For at least 2000 years Iranians have been digging qanats (underground water channels) to irrigate crops and supply drinking water. To build a qanat you first need to find an underground water source. This source could be more than 100m deep, but as the whole system is reliant on gravity the source must be higher than the final destination. Then you dig a tunnel just wide and tall enough to crawl along, so the water can flow across an extremely shallow gradient to its destination.
The mounds of soil you'll see in long lines across the desert are the top of wells, dug to dispose of excavated soil and allow ventilation.
Because of the hazards and expense of constructing a q…
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Shotorgalu-ye Safavi
At the centre of Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin (Fin Garden) is Shotorgalu-ye Safavi , a two-storey pavilion. At the rear is the Shotorgalu-ye Qajari, built by the Qajars, with ornately painted ceilings and walls. Nearby is a delightful teahouse, which sells cheap tea and kababs.
But it is the bathhouse that is most historically significant as the place where Iranian nationalist hero Amir Kabir was murdered. Mirza Taqi Khan, known as Amir Kabir, served as prime minister under Nasir od-Din Shah from 1848. He was a moderniser who instituted significant change, especially in the fields of education and administration. But his popularity proved unpopular in the royal court and the sha…
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Old City
With its badgirs (windtowers or wind catchers) poking out of a baked-brown labyrinth of lanes, the old city of Yazd emerges like a phoenix from the desert - a very old phoenix. Yazd's old city is one of the oldest towns on earth, according to Unesco, and is the perfect place to get a feel for the region's rich history. Just about everything in the old city is made from sun-dried mud bricks, and the resulting brown skyline is dominated by tall badgirs on almost every rooftop.
The residential quarters appear almost deserted because of the high walls, which shield the houses from the narrow and labyrinthine kuches (lanes) crisscrossing the town.
Wander around; you'll doubtles…
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Bazar-e Vakil
Shiraz’s ancient trading district is comprised of several bazaars dating from different periods. The finest and most famous is the Bazar-e Vakil, a cruciform structure commissioned by Karim Khan as part of his plan to make Shiraz into a great trading centre. The wide vaulted brick avenues are masterpieces of Zand architecture, with the design ensuring the interior remains cool in summer and warm in winter. Today, it’s home to almost 200 stores selling carpets, handicrafts, spices and clothes and is one of the most atmospheric bazaars in Iran, especially in the early evening when it is fantastically photogenic. As usual, it’s best explored by wandering without concern fo…
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Towers of Silence
Set on two lonely, barren hilltops on the southern outskirts of Yazd are the evocative Zoroastrian Towers of Silence. In accordance with Zoroastrian beliefs about the purity of the earth, dead bodies were not buried but left in these uncovered stone towers so that vultures could pick the bones clean. Such towers have not been used since the '60s.
At the foot of the hills on the southern outskirts of Yazd are several disused Zoroastrian buildings, including a defunct well, a water cistern and two small badgirs (windtowers or wind catchers), a kitchen and a lavatory. The modern Zoroastrian cemetery is nearby.
The easiest way to get here is by chartering a private taxi for ab…
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Jameh-ye Atigh Mosque
Walking through the southeastern (back) entrance to the Shah-e Cheragh courtyard and turning right after about 50m leads to the ancient Jameh-ye Atigh Mosque. Dating from 894 this is Shiraz's oldest Islamic structure, though most of what you see is from the late Safavid period onwards.
While the dome of the north iwan and the hypostyle columns in the ancient prayer hall in the southeast corner are impressive, the highlight is the rare turreted Khodakhaneh. It was built in the mid-14th century (or perhaps earlier) to preserve valuable Qurans; poet Hafez is believed to have worked here. The Khodakhaneh (House of God) bears an uncanny likeness to the Kaaba at Mecca, and bear…
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Haremsara (Museum)
Accessed via stairs east of the Tripylon, the Haremsara11 is the most argued about building at Persepolis. Despite the depictions around the door of the king defeating evil, scholars argue that is was either a harem for the king’s consorts and concubines or a residence for visiting ambassadors (it has the same number of rooms as the number of subject nations). Restored in the 1930s, today it houses a museum and administrative offices. The museum contains a stone foundation tablet and a range of artefacts discovered during excavations: alabaster vessels, cedar wood, lances and arrow tips. Note the highly polished walls; almost every wall in Persepolis was finished in this …
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Khan-e Tabatabei
Built around 1880 by wealthy carpet merchant Seyyed Ja’far Tabatabei, the Khan-e Tabatabei is renowned for its intricate stone reliefs, fine stucco and wonderful mirror and stained-glass work; photographers will love it. It covers 4730 sq metres, has 40 rooms and more than 200 doors. It consists of three sections: the andaruni (internal area), where family members lived; the biruni (external area), used for entertaining guests; and the khadameh (servants’ quarters). They are set around four courtyards, the largest of which boasts a fountain pool. From mid-afternoon (depending on the month), sunlight and stained glass combine to bathe some rooms in brilliant colour.
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Timche-ye Amin al Dowleh
The best way to appreciate the extent of Kashan's bazaar is to climb to its roof. There are tiny staircases throughout and it's fun to ask a bazari (bazaar shopkeeper) to lead you up. If that doesn't work, head to the magnificent Timche-ye Amin al Dowleh , a high dome with lavish interior mouldings completed in 1868. Beneath the dome, in a square dominated by carpet shops, ask the guys at the Chaykhaneh Caravan Sara to show you to the roof (they might ask for a payment, but not if you eat there).
You can climb all the way to the top of the dome, from where the views over the brown town and bulbous roofscape of the bazaar are inspired. Look for the just-dyed wool drying i…
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Khaju Bridge
Arguably the finest of Esfahan's bridges, the Khaju Bridge was built by Shah Abbas II in about 1650 (although a bridge is believed to have crossed the waters here since the time of Tamerlane). It also doubles as a dam, and has always been as much a meeting place as a bearer of traffic.
Its 110m length has two levels of terraced arcades, the lower containing locks regulating water flow. If you look hard, you can still see original paintings and tiles, and the remains of stone seats built for Shah Abbas II to sit on and admire the views. In the centre, a pavilion was built exclusively for his pleasure. It was a teahouse, but not anymore. Vendors at the end of the bridge sel…
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Aramgah-e Hafez
Iranians have a saying that every home must have two things: first the Quran, then Hafez. And many would reverse that order. Hafez the poet is an Iranian folk-hero – loved, revered and as popular as many a modern pop star. Almost every Iranian can quote his work, bending it to whichever social or political persuasion they subscribe to. And there is no better place to try to understand Hafez’s eternal hold on Iran than here, at Aramgah-e Hafez, his tomb. Set at the back of the ground of Hafez’s tomb is a teahouse which is a great place to chill out with some live traditional music and a cup of chay, though the man himself might have preferred a glass of Shiraz.
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Agha Bozorg Mosque & Madraseh
Arguably the finest Islamic complex in Kashan and one of the best of the mid-19th century, Agha Bozorg Mosque & Madraseh is famous for its precise architecture, including four storeys beginning in a large sunken courtyard, an austere dome and unusual lofty badgirs above the entrance. It also has a fine portal and mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) at the back. The imposing dome is flanked by two minarets adorned with coloured tiles in geometric designs. Quranic inscriptions and mosaics stand out against the mud-brick used for much of the construction. The wooden front door is said to have as many studs as there are verses in the Quran.
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Iwans
Iwans are rectangular halls opening onto a courtyard. The Jameh Mosque's south iwan is the most elaborate, with Mongol-era stalactite mouldings, some splendid 15th-century mosaics on the side walls, and two minarets. The north iwan has a wonderful monumental porch with the Seljuk's customary Kufic inscriptions and austere brick pillars in the sanctuary.
The west iwan was originally built by the Seljuks but later decorated by the Safavids. It has mosaics that are more geometric than those of the southern hall. The courtyard is topped by a maazeneh, a small raised platform with a conical roof from where the faithful used to be called to prayer.
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Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze
The Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze stands as the tomb of Emir Ali, a nephew of Shah Cheragh who also died here while en route to Khorasan to help Imam Reza. The existing shrine was built in the 19th century after earthquakes destroyed previous incarnations. It has an eye-catching bulbous Shirazi dome, dazzling mirror work, stained-glass windows and an intricate, ancient wooden door. The tombstones around the courtyard, for which families of the deceased paid a small fortune, are also interesting. Unlike some other shrines, the caretakers here are very welcoming of foreigners; women are happily handed a chador , and in you go!
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