Tehran, as the second-largest city in the Middle East, is visited by many travellers who are attracted by an authentic culture with unique cuisine, architecture, and Iranian laws, defining the daily lives of Tehran's residents and visitors. The Iranian capital is located along the Elburs Mountains with the highest point, Damavand Stratovolcano, measuring 5671 metres in height. A modern city with a population of 9.5 million, it is a city with a typical culture oriented towards traditional life linked to the religion and values of Western Asia. The culture in Tehran dictates the attitude to life with the rules of dress and behaviour, which requires women to wear a Muslim hijab and men to wear short-sleeved or long-sleeved outerwear. After the Islamic Revolution, Iranian law prohibited dancing in public and the production and sale of alcoholic beverages. Get to know the urban elements of Tehran and the Persian world with our travel tips.
The founding of the present-day city can be traced back to the 11th century, although the beginning of the settlement of the area can be traced back to archaeological finds dating back to 6000 BC. A small village called Ray was the capital of the Great Seljuk Empire in the Middle Ages from 1043 to 1051. The Greater Seljuk Empire connected Turkish, Persian, Sunni, and Muslim cultures, stretching from Asia Minor to the Hindu Kush Mountains and Central Asia as far as the Persian Gulf. With the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, the city of Tehran became an important city of the Mongol Empire with important markets selling fruit and spices. For centuries, the medieval town with its city walls has been the regional capital, with trading in the city's markets. In 1796 Āghā Mohammad Khān, ruler of the Qajar Empire, first defined the city of Tehran as the capital of the Iranian dynasty.
A metropolis like Tehran, which is divided into a northern and a southern part, promises a glimpse into the cultural diversity of Iran's traditional capital. The northern part, with its modern and cosmopolitan influence, is a rich area with the wealthiest districts of Lavasan, Sahibqaranieh and Elaheh, where modern architecture inspired by the West is present, with Persian traditional elements, while the southern part is poorer and less attractive. Much of the city's modern architecture was created by Austrian-American architect Victor Gruen. The city has more than 800 well-maintained parks and prime locations for socialising, such as Si-e Tir street - a street in the centre of Tehran, Bam tehran - a point overlooking the city, and Darband - a neighbourhood near the traditional Tajrish market. Which cultural sites you can visit and see in the capital Tehran, and what the past says about the origins of the five most distinctive cultural sites:
Golestan Palace is located near Shahr Park in District 12. It was built in the 16th century during the reign of the second Shah of Safavid Persia, Tahmasp I. The royal palace, which includes royal gardens and mansions, was rebuilt in the 19th century to serve as the royal residence of kings during the Iranian dynasty. The Royal Residence houses various mansions, museums and halls, all of which are furnished with mirrors, stucco, tiles and marble and wood objects.
Imamzadeh Saleh Iranian Mosque in Tehran is located in the 1st city district next to Tajrish Square. It is designed in a typical Persian architectural style from the 14th century, which emphasizes the symmetry and rich exterior and interior of the building. Near the mosque is the Nahj al-Balagha Foundation Library, where traditional Islamic scientific research is kept alongside modern science. Imamzadeh Saleh Mosque is one of the largest and most beautiful shrines in Iran and around the world.
Azadi Tower is a monument made of polished marble, which is 45 metres high. It is located on Azadi Square in the 9th district, right next to the Azadi Tower Museum. It was built by the Shah of Iran's last royal dynasty, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to commemorate 2,500 years since the beginning of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The architecture of the monument was designed by the Iranian-Canadian architect Hossein Amanat in the Iranian classical and post-classical architectural style of the 20th century.
The 435-metre-high Milad Tower is the sixth-tallest telecommunications satellite in the world, built in 2007. The architectural design was created in the 1970s as a symbol of the new Iranian government and Tehran. The twelve-storey octagonal telecommunications satellite is located in District 2, near the Tehran Urban Observatory Research Institute. The building's premises offer a shopping centre and other activities, along with a cycle path.
The Tabiat Bridge connects two public parks with a 270-meter-long walking path. It was created in 2014 with architectural plans by the Iranian architect Leila Araghian, who connected Taleghani and Ab-o-Atash Park separated by the Modarres Expressway. The walking bridge is built in District 3 with three separate floors, where there are open restaurants and bars overlooking the highway. Along the path on the bridge, there are numerous gardens with benches, where you can enjoy the view of the city even at night.
The representation of Iranian as well as Tehran's culture in the historical, ideological and artistic fields is presented through more than 50 museums and 100 galleries, which contain both permanent and temporary collections of Iranian history in Tehran. With six museums, see 19th- and 20th-century contemporary production with 3,000 exhibits of Iranian, European and American contemporary art. The past of ancient Iran and the Islamic era through historical artefacts, the Islamic Revolution of the Iran-Iraq War, the national collection of diamond and jewellery, and the collection of Persian carpets from the 16th century to the present day, with a library containing 7000 items of book material. The largest museum in Iran, the National Museum of Iran holds 300,000 museum exhibits and, with a collection of historical and archaeological finds, is considered one of the most prominent national museums in the world. You can see the production of contemporary art and Iranian history in these selected museums:
To visit museums and pass through the city, use public passenger transport metro or regular bus, trolleybus and express bus BRT - Bus Rapid Transportation, which takes you to locations inside and outside the city. There are four passenger terminals from Tehran, Terminal-e-gharb (West Passenger Terminal), Terminal-e-shargh (East Passenger Terminal), Terminal-e-jonoob (South Passenger Terminal) and Terminal-e-beihaghi (North Passenger Terminal), which take you from Tehran to the towns and villages in the outskirts of Tehran. Travel to and from the city sustainably and environmentally friendly.
Tehran's markets are shopping centres where you can buy almost anything you might need. Of all the markets Tehran has to offer, there are two that stand out in every traveller's mind. Grand Bazaar - Big Market and Tajrish Traditional Bazaar - Tajrish Traditional Market are indoor markets with many shops offering food industry products and other useful products for living. The large market stretches along a 10-kilometre-long passageway, with shops on both sides selling a wide variety of goods. Nearby is the chess mosque Emam khomeini, which was built in Nearby is the Emam Khomeini Shah Mosque, built in the early 17th century. The Tajrish Traditional Market is designed after the Grand Market, so the appearance of the two buildings is similar. The market was first opened in the early 19th century, but the beginning of the market dates back to the 18th century. The two marketplaces are reminiscent of the book depicted in the film A Thousand and One Nights, creating a pleasant experience.
Quick access to nearby cities in Iran is provided by a regular bus, allowing you to travel around the country at a low cost and with a low carbon footprint. A sustainable trip to some of Iran's nearby cities-Kashan, Isfahan, and Shiraz as well as the Maranjab Desert and the nearby Damavand-peaked Elburs Mountains is the right decision to discover the Persian landscape's past. Get to know a country with 31 provinces and 1,245 cities with Lonely Planet's book Iran, which will help you understand the country and discover its culture. The 384-page travel book presents everything about cuisine, religion, history, architecture, the environment, and other attractions of the country. Over 50 maps show tourist and less tourist locations in Iran, where you can have a travel experience with Iranian culture. Popular adventures to nearby cities and sightseeing spots become part of your journey through Iran and its capital Tehran, the authentic city of the world.
Of course, the members of the Hostelling International Slovenia are with you on your trip to organise your travels and adventures, making sure that every traveller gets travel advice and all the information they need about tourist destinations in the countries of the world they are travelling to. For a good orientation and interesting stories from our travellers, click on the website of the Hostelling International Slovenia, where you will find the online magazine Globetrotter with many articles about the regions, cities and countries they travelled to. Read how traveller Petra Marinč experienced trekking in Tehran and conquering the highest peak in Iran - Damavand - in the third part of Some of the Best World Treks, where you will learn many details that can be useful when conquering big mountain peaks. Being well prepared for your trip to Tehran is key.
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