Travel Iran

                      A Trip to Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran, also known as Persia, is located in Western Asia, and is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations. Iran is also the second largest country in the middle east, bordered by Iraq, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. And with about 83 million inhabitants, the 17th most populous country in the world.

Tehran is the capital of the country, with a population of about 15 million in the metropolitan area. And with that, also the country's largest city, as well as its leading economic and cultural center. The Borj-e Azadi, meaning freedom tower, is one of the symbols of Tehran, and marks the west entrance to the city. It was commissioned by Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, to mark 2,500 years of the Persian Empire. I love the symmetry of that thing. In Tehran, the easiest way to get around is taking the Metro. They have a pretty good system here. And, it's just about 10 cents- 10 euro cents. Another must thing in Tehran is the Golestan Palace, which literally means the palace of flowers, because of the beautiful gardens they have inside. And, it is also the former royal Qajar complex. The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal dynasty that followed the Zand dynasty and ruled Persia from 1785- 1925. The Golestan Palace is one of the oldest historic monuments in the city of Tehran, and belongs to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud thatched walls of Tehran's Citadel. It consists of gardens, royal buildings, and collections of Iranian crafts and European presents from the 18th and 19th centuries. For some, it might be surprising how modern Iran, and especially Tehran, is. A good example for that is the sheer amount of coffee shops. You can find here...really hip places. So, I want to show you around a bit and introduce you to my favorite coffee shops in town. And I start this one with- [Omid] Ivan Café. A good spot to go on Fridays is the 30th Tir Street where you can find all these van cafes and food place.

A local recommendation for a restaurant here, which is called Ada Restauran which is close to the Saadi Metro. And we have today, one dish we were looking for, for like a week now, which is called Tahchin. Which is basically rice that is baked. And we get with that, eggplant and chicken. Mmm, really tender. Tender, juicy, ...a really nice dish. I recommend it. Another popular tourist destination you should consider visiting is the 300 hectar Sa'dabad Complex in the north of Tehran, which was built in the 19th century by the Qajar and Pahlavin monarchs. And, basically served as their summer residence. After the revolution, it got turned into a museum. So, nowadays, it encompasses palaces, museums, but also a 180 hectares big natural forest. So, it's a great getaway from the hustling and bustling city center of Tehran. We now took a Snapp to get to the 6th largest tower in the world, called Milad Tower. And I guess, you have the best view of Tehran from up there. So, let's check out the view. The Borj-e Milad, also known as the Tehran Tower, is also the 17th tallest freestanding structure in the world, standing at 435 meters from base to the tip of the antenna. The tower is a part of the complex called International Trade and Convention Center of Tehran. The complex also includes a 5-star hotel, a convention center, a world trade center, and an IT park. Even though Tehran is a quite busy city with more than 15 million inhabitants, you can find green spots like Negarestan Garden throughout the city, which you can use to unwind and relax. So, the tour of hidden gems continues with the Masoudiyeh Palace which happens to be just around the corner from the Negarestan Garden and is one of the most beautiful palaces of the Qajar dynasty. As Tehran is always full of surprises, I stumbled upon this square here- it's called the Mashq Square-on the way to the next spot I want to take you. This square was also built during the Qajar dynasty. And interesting enough, at the time it was built, it was outside of the city limits. It was north of Tehran. Pretty impressive, actually. See? You have this gate here, for example. You have these massive buildings here. And now, this square is right in the city center. And the next hidden gem I'm going to show you is the Moghadam Museum, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful houses here in the center of Tehran. And it is also from the Qajar period. So, if you're wondering about nightlife in Tehran, there are two options here: you don't have nightlife, or you have friends in Tehran, or around Tehran, and they invite you to their home. Like today, we have a little barbecue with friends, and tea, of course. And this is how you get to know the culture in Iran. And this is really recommendable. In the next episode, we will show you one of the largest squares in the world, visit some impressive mosques, and introduce you to even more delicious Persian food. Make sure to subscribe to our blog and keep following.