Introduction
Iran also Known as Persia is the second largest country in the Middle east and 18th largest in the world. Comprising the land area of 1,648,195 km2 with 82.8 million in habitats, Iran is the world’s 17th most populous country. Iran is bordered by the North West by Armenia and Azerbaijan; to the north by Caspian Sea, to northeast by Turkmenistan to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan; to the south by the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq. Iran is the only country with both the Caspian Sea and Indian Ocean coastline and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz; make it of great geostrategic importance. Tehran is the country’s capital and largest city, as well as its leading economic and cultural center. Other large cities are Mashhad, Isfahan and Tabriz. Iran has been described as having a variable climate; It can be divided into three major climate areas: Arid, Mediterranean & cold and dry climate.
History
Throughout history, Persia has generally been an empire, one whose fortunes varied enormously. In ancient times, Persia controlled most of what we now call the Middle East. Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 7000 BC. The Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), founded by Cyrus the Great, was the first of the Persian empires to rule from the Balkans to North Africa and also Central Asia, spanning three continents, from their seat of power in Persepolis . It was the largest empire yet seen and the first world empire. The First Persian Empire was the only civilization in all of history to connect over 40% of the global population, accounting for approximately 49.4 million of the world’s 112.4 million people in around 480 BC. Cyrus’s conquests began a new era in the age of empire building, where a vast superstate, comprising many dozens of countries, races, religions, and languages, were ruled under a single administration headed by a central government. Cyrus Cylinder is the first attempt we know about running a society, a state with different nationalities and faiths.
Culture
Culture of Persia is one of the oldest in the world. Owing to its dominant geo-political position and culture in the world, Iran has directly influenced cultures and peoples as faraway as Italy, Macedonia, and Greece to the West, Russia to the North, the Arabian Peninsula to the South, and South and East Asia to the East.
Persian or Farsi, is one of the world’s oldest languages still in use today, and is known to have one of the most powerful literary traditions and potentials. Persian poetry with masterpieces of Saadi, Hafiz, Rumi and Omar Khayyam is well known around the world.
Several languages are spoken in different regions of Iran. The predominant language and national language is Persian, which is spoken across the country. Azerbaijani is spoken primarily and widely in the northwest, Kurdish primarily in the west as well as Luri, Mazandarani and Gilaki at the Caspian Sea coastal regions, Arabic primarily in the Persian Gulf coastal regions, Balochi primarily in the desolate and remote far southeast, and Turkmen primarily in northern border regions.
The official religion of Iran Constitution is Islam. Moreover, Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities, who, within the parameters of the law, are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education.
Another eminent feature of Persian culture is art. In fact culture and art are two closely interwoven concepts forming the soul of human civilizations. Persian exquisite carpets, subtle soulful classic music, outstanding tile work of unique blue mosques, old influential architectural style and countless brilliant literary works are famous in the world. One more art intertwined with Persian culture, worth mentioning, is the art of cooking. Persian foods, accompanied by herbs and spices are product of the creativity, skill and patience of many generations of cooks.
Attractions
Flick through almost any travel magazine these days and you are bound to come across an article hailing Iran as the next big destination. Tourism in Iran is diverse, providing a range of activities from hiking and skiing in the Alborz Mountains, to beach holidays by the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea and many historical and modern sites. Iran’s 20-Year Vision’ document projects investment of over $32 billion in the country’s tourism sector and targets 20 million tourists by 2025. Architecture in Isfahan tops anything you have seen before. Tabriz Bazaar is the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest bazaars in the Middle East. Kashan, lost in the desert it reminds of the all-time childhood favorite Aladdin. Traditional houses of wealthy merchants that have been turned into public museums. Tehran, as one of the main tourist locations in Iran, is a mixture of modernity and tradition.
Five Star Hotels
- Address: Crossroad of Chamran and Valiasr
- Distance to airport: 30 km
- Website: www.esteghlalhotel.ir
- Tel: 22660011-25 internal:511
- Fax: +98 22660031
- Reservation Email: Reservation@EsteghlalHotel.com
- Address: No.13445, South of Main Blvd, Opposite Terminal 1, Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran, Iran
- Distance to airport: 0 minute
- Website: www.novotel.com
- Tel: +98 21 55677900
- Fax: +98 21 55677948
- Reservation Email: HA0H0-GM@accor.com
- Address: No.126, Keshavarz Blvd, Valiasr Sq, Tehran, Iran
- Distance to airport: 45 minutes
- Website: www.persiangulf.espinashotels.com
- Tel: +98 21 83844
- Fax: +98 21 88985093
- Reservation Email: Reservation@EspinasHotels.com
- Address: Abedi St, Behroud Sq, SaadatAbad, Tehran, Iran
- Distance to airport: 45 minutes
- Website: www.palace.espinashotels.com
- Tel: +98 21 75 675
- Fax: +98 21 75 67 53 65
- Reservation Email: reservation.p@espinashotels.com
- Address: Yadegar-e-Emam Intersection, Chamran Highway, Tehran, Iran
- Distance to airport: 45 minutes
- Website: www.azaditehran.pih.ir
- Tel: + 98 21 29112
- Fax: +98 21 22344465
- Reservation Email: Reservation@azadihotel.com
- Address: No.51, Shahid Khodami St, Vali-e-Asr Ave, Tehran, Iran
- Distance to airport: 45 minutes
- Website: www.homahotels.com
- Tel: +98 21 8879 7179
- Fax: +98 21 88791780
- Reservation Email: Tehran@homahotels.com
- Address: No.29, South Sheykh Bahayi St, Molasadra Blvd, Vanak Sq, Tehran, Iran
- Distance to airport: 40 minutes
- Website: www.tajmahalhotel.ir
- Tel: +98 21 88035444
- Reservation Email: Info@tajmahalhotel.ir
- Address: Fatemi St
- Distance to airport: 40 minutes
- Website: www.lalehhotels.com
- Tel: + 98 2188965021- 9
- Fax: +98 21 88965599
- Reservation Email: info@lalehhotel.com