Must-see attractions in Tehran

The glories and excesses of the Qajar rulers are played out across this complex of grand buildings decorated with beautifully painted tiles and set around…

Sprawling across the foothills of Darband, this estate was a summer home to royals since the Qajar dynasty, although it was the Pahlavis who expanded it…

The maze of bustling alleys and the bazaris (shopkeepers) that fill them make this a fascinating, if somewhat daunting, place to explore. Despite being…

Owned by the Central Bank and accessed through its front doors, the cavernous vault that houses what is commonly known as the ‘Jewels Museum’ is not to be…

In the Alborz foothills is the palace where Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family spent most of the last 10 years of royal rule. It’s set in 5…

This epic-scale museum, on a landscaped site of 21 hectares, is dedicated to the Iran–Iraq War, a bloody eight-year conflict that claimed a million lives…

The inverted-Y-shaped Azadi Tower, built in 1971 to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the first Persian empire, is one of Tehran's visual icons…

Next door to the National Museum, and part of the same complex, this museum offers a stunning collection of arts and antiquities from throughout the…

It's easy to see why this multilevel, sculptural pedestrian bridge, designed by Iranian architect Leila Araghian, has won awards and been a huge hit with…

This imaginative sculpture park and museum occupies two former prisons, one for criminals and one for political prisoners, and the grounds surrounding…

A hub for the contemporary and traditional arts in Tehran, this complex has several gallery spaces over two levels exhibiting works in all media on a…

Built in the 1930s, and one of the highlights of the Sa’d Abad Museum Complex, most of what you see in this 5000-sq-metre, 54-room palace dates from…

Built between 1958 and 1968 this remarkable palace contrasts clean-lined functionality on the outside with opulent, European-royal-style furniture and…

This modest museum is no Louvre, but it is chock-full of Iran’s rich history. The collection includes ceramics, pottery, stone figures and carvings,…

The mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, easily reached via metro, is one the grandest architectural endeavours of the Islamic Republic. Built on an…

In a striking concrete modernist building on the western side of Park-e Laleh, this museum's impressive collection boasts works by Picasso, Matisse, Van…

Dominating the skyline of Tehran’s western suburbs, Milad Tower is 435m high, including 120m of antenna, making it, in 2017, the world’s sixth-tallest…

The former US embassy was the focal point of the 1979 revolution, when it was stormed by students who then held 52 diplomats hostage for 444 days. Today…

Named after one of the great artists of the Safavid period, this museum showcases Iranian art from ancient times and the Safavid-era paintings of Abbasi…

A hike up the northwest end of the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex, the classical-looking Green Palace was built at the end of the Qajar era when it was known as…