This guide is designed to inspire travel to Iran and give practical travel tips that are hard to find for a country so rarely visited, with the second half outlining the best ways to get to Iran using your points. Make sure to read The Essentials section at the end of this piece.

All of the following images were taken by the author and should not be reproduced without permission.

1. Meet the friendliest people in the world

Word is that Iranians are the amongst the most genuine and approachable people in the world. Is it true?

I had high expectations…and they were met. I would put Iranians in the same category as the Japanese and Americans for hospitality.

Never before in my travels had I ever been stopped on the street so many times (in a non-intrusive way) to be asked:

• Where are you from?
• What did you think of Iran before you came?
• What do you think of it now?

2. Visit the most beautiful city in the world

Big call? Probably. There are many beautiful cities in the world – Kyoto, Sydney, Paris – but Iran’s second-biggest city and main tourist drawcard Isfahan definitely deserves a spot up there.

Built on the River Zayandehrood, even with its dry desert climate it is teeming with green parks, plenty of shade on walks along the river, beautiful bridges, and historic mosques, churches and palaces. If you are going to visit one place in Iran, this is the place to go.

3. Watch the sunset over the dunes in the middle of the desert

Yazd is the gateway desert city of Iran, with day and overnight tours into the desert.

The only sound we heard whilst watching the suns rays descend over the flowing desert dunes was a light breeze carving sand into new dune formations. Truly breathtaking.

4. Eat till your heart’s content

Foodies will love Iran, with primary dishes being lamb, mutton, chicken, eggplant, lentils, cheese, yoghurt, rice, dates and pita bread. Vegetarians will be slightly more limited in choices, but it is not prohibitive.

Having said that, all breakfasts tend to be vegetarian, made up of feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, pita bread, yoghurt and watermelon.

Foodies of all persuasions should be sure to visit the moderately-priced vegetarian restaurant in the Iranian Artists’ Forum in Honarmandan Park (also known as Artists’ Park). The second time we went back the waiter brought us an extra course for free and two university professors at a nearby table joined us for lunch.

5. Visit some of the least tourist-filled mosques in the world

Even during the peak travel month of May, it was hard to encounter many other tourists at the majestic mosques that Iran puts a lot of effort into keeping beautiful.

Of course, be respectful of prayer times, take off your shoes and remember that there are separate areas for men and women. Be sure to check the opening times of mosques on the internet or with your accommodation so as to not be caught out by them being closed.

Mosques in Isfahan are the most expensive to get into (around $8 each), but are also the most beautiful.

6. Visit the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire

Persepolis (literally ‘The Persian City’) brought together the 28 nations of the Persian Empire (at its peak) for ceremonies and was known as the United Nations of the empire.

Located 90 minutes east of Shiraz, choose the more reasonably-priced accommodation options in Shiraz rather than stay near the UNESCO-protected site, but avoid the midday and afternoon heat by catching a private taxi out for the 8am opening. A tour guide is highly recommended and can be organized upon arrival at the site.

7. Transport options are cheap and relatively efficient

Most transport is by road, so if looking to save money, go by bus, but we found it funny/frustrating how many times people were moved around the bus by the bus driver to make sure that women and men were not seated together. This strict policy is more the work of the government rather than the considerably liberally-minded population.

If you have a bit more money, then another option is a private driver, which will be faster and more comfortable, but you will miss out on the local bus experience.

The 10-12 hour overnight Chinese-built train between Tehran and Shiraz is highly recommended at about $25 for a seat which converts into a bed in a four-person single-sex air-conditioned compartment. Bring your own food – disappointing food on the train.

The essentials

• Safety: apart from the state execution of a prominent Saudi figure triggering protests in Tehran earlier this year, there is a reason that we rarely hear of violence and terrorist attacks in Iran compared to much more dangerous Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Israel and Egypt. I can honestly say that I felt safer and less on-edge in Iran than in some European capitals like London, Paris and Brussels, and petty theft is quite uncommon. Of course, please take into account official government warnings and check that your travel insurance will be valid in Iran.
• Best time to go: as you would expect from a country with climatic extremes, spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are the best times to visit. We went in mid-May and the weather was gloriously sunny and warm-to-hot, without being oppressive.
• Money: take all the cash you may need for the trip…and then some. International cards do not work at Iranian ATMs, so take clean, relatively new US dollars, euros or pounds (not that they are worth much at the moment) to exchange at moneychangers on the street. Be sure to ask your hotel for the going rate before venturing out to change. In May 2016, it was 1 USD = 34,000 rials and 1 EUR = 38-39,000 rials. You can also pay in USD or EUR at most establishments, with change given in rials. Note that most prices are in ‘tomans’, which is one zero less than the price in rial, e.g. 1 USD = 34,000 rials = 3,400 tomans.
• Visas: Australians and New Zealanders are eligible to receive a visa on arrival at the major airports in Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. You must bring along a copy of your travel insurance which states the dates of coverage as well as clearly indicating it covers travel in Iran. You will be required to pay a visa fee of about €145; most EU nationals pay €75, but as Australia and NZ are allies of the US, that’s where the difference comes from. If you have dual citizenship, try to see which passport gives you a cheaper visa fee. You also need to have a confirmed hotel reservation or letter of invitation printed out, and they will call your hotel to make sure it is legitimate. You do not need hotel bookings for your whole trip, just the first night or two. Expect this process at the airport to take 1-2 hours. Most international flights arrive between midnight and 6am, which is highly inconvenient, but just breathe and be patient. As of this year, any traveller eligible for the ESTA visa waiver program for the US that has travelled to Iran in the past five years will need to apply for a tourist visa at their nearest US embassy or consulate when travelling to the US.
• Money and costs: Budget Your Trip estimates that in Iran you will spend about the same as what you would in Thailand or Mexico, half of what you would in Greece, or double what you would in India. Tehran is surprisingly pricey, especially for accommodation, but the real gems of Iran are outside the capital, so you shouldn’t be spending too much time there anyway. For basic private accommodation for two with breakfast included (always), intercity bus or train transport, mid-range restaurant meals and an attraction or two a day, we spent an average of $60 AUD/NZD per person per day over ten days.
• Drinking water: Water is surprisingly perfectly safe to drink from the tap and Iran has the widest network of public drinking fountains in streets, parks, bus stations, etc that I have seen anywhere in the world.

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In its 9th year, the Festival received great response from filmmakers
internationally having received a record number of 4500 film entries.
The Jagran Film Festival will start from Delhi, travelling through
Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi,
Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gorakhpur, Agra, Ludhiana, Hisar, Meerut,
Raipur and finally culminates in Mumbai. This makes it geographically
the largest film festival perhaps in the world. The festival screens
films across genres from around the globe.

A unique feature of JFF is that the cast and crew of a few select films are invited to a discussion with the audience on various elements of the film to
wherever the Festival travels.

An important aspect of the festival is to generate discussions on the various aspects of Cinema and its impact on society and popular culture.
The Jagran Film Festival starts from 18th July in Delhi and will
travel through Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut,
Dehradun, Hisar, Ludhiana, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Gorakhpur,
Raipur, Indore, and Bhopal, across the 18 cities and finally culminate
on 29th September in Mumbai.
Several awards would be presented to the winners in several sections
including Icon of Indian Cinema, Special Contribution to Cinematic
Art, Rajnigandha Achievers Award, Best Foreign Feature Film, Best
Feature Film, Best Director Winner, Best Debut Director Winner, Best
Male Actor, Best Female Actor, Best Short Film, Best Screenplay, Best
Background Score,  Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Cinema of the
Seller (Gold), Cinema of the Seller(Silver), Cinema of the
Seller(Bronze) , Best Music Director, Best Student Film as well as
Best Documentary.

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“On a trip to Germany, we had discussions about Siemens’ participation in Iran’s railway and power plant projects,” Deputy Minister of Road and Urban Development for International Affairs Asghar Fakhriyeh-Kashan said on Tuesday.

In the rail sector, Iran is going to buy a number of wagons from Siemens for use on a high-speed line between Tehran, Qom and Isfahan, he said. Siemens will also cooperate on providing signaling equipment and installing communication signs.

“Through financing a number of construction projects, Siemens plans to enter into a joint venture with Iran’s MAPNA company both in the power plant and locomotive manufacturing sector in order to boost domestic production,” he said.

Last month, the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) signed a $1.5 billion deal to finance the electrification of a high-speed rail line between the Iranian cities of Tehran and Mashhad.

EXIM’s Vice President Sun Ping said in Tehran that the institution had provided loans for 26 Iranian projects in the electricity, petrochemicals, non-ferrous metals, oil and gas sectors, worth $9 billion.

China Railway Group Limited (CREC) is carrying out the $1.8 billion electrification of the high-speed rail link between Tehran, Qom and Isfahan.

Iran has announced plans to splurge up to $25 billion over the next 10 years on the modernization and expansion of its railway network.

Siemens was one of the first major companies to agree on a deal with Iran after the lifting of sanctions in January 2016, signing a $1.6 billion memorandum of understanding on Iran’s rail infrastructure and a long-term roadmap with MAPNA on the power sector.

The agreement included a license for manufacturing F-class gas turbines in Iran, under which more than 20 gas turbines and associated generators will be delivered over the next four to five years.

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Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development for International Affairs Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan was quoted by Press TV as saying that nine financial institutions from Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Britain, China and Japan had already approached Iran to fund the purchases.

He did not disclose the names of the interested financers.

Nevertheless, he underlined that arrangements to hold a tender to choose the financier for the purchases were underway, adding that tender documents would be sent out to potential bidders within a month.

Last week, he was quoted by THE media as saying that Britain’s key export credit agency — UK Export Finance (UKEF) — had informed Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development that it was ready to provide funding for all of Iran’s purchases from Boeing and Airbus.

He stressed that Iran wanted to have an open hand in choosing the best financiers and that a tender to this effect would be held soon.

“Iran Air is preparing the tender documents so that they would be sent to all credible financiers worldwide,” Fakhrieh Kashan told IRNA.

“We are in conditions that permit us to choose our desired financiers in a competitive atmosphere that a tender creates.”

Also, Iran’s media last October quoted an unidentified government official as saying that Boeing had sealed a deal with an American bank to provide financing for Iran’s purchase of airliners in cooperation with a Japanese bank.

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The photo shows rose farm and workshop in Qamsar near Kashan.

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Black flags flew outside the Grand Mosalla Mosque, while high-ranking officials including Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, First Vice-President Es’haq Jahangiri, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and cabinet ministers and lawmakers joined the emotional funeral procession.

A procession carried the bodies to the capital’s Behesht-e-Zahra Cemetery, where they were laid to rest. Tehran temporary Friday Prayer leader, Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, performed the funeral prayer for the victims.

The 17-story Plasco building, home to a shopping center and hundreds of clothing suppliers, collapsed on Jan. 19 while emergency services were still evacuating people from a huge fire.

It was Tehran’s tallest building when it was completed in 1962.

Despite immediate dispatch of firefighting teams to the premises, the fire raged on for several hours before the structure collapsed, caving in on the firefighters and a number of citizens.

Interior Minister Abdol-Reza Rahmani Fazli said last week that an electrical short circuit was the main cause of the incident.

The bodies of four civilians have also been pulled from the debris, and six more are missing.

The 16 firefighters were buried in the martyrs’ section of the Tehran cemetery.

“We are very thankful for people’s sympathy. We will continue to serve them,” said Mohammad Reza Hamedifar, a firefighter for 22 years.

One tearful onlooker, 27-year-old Tahereh Sheydaei, said: “They gave their lives for us. We see it as our duty to attend.”

On Sunday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei issued a message, eulogizing the firefighters.

The disaster sent a shockwave across Iran, topping the news agenda for a week as rescue teams worked round the clock to recover bodies from the rubble.

The owners and city officials have been criticized for failing to prevent the disaster at the building, which, according to the fire brigade, was known to have breached multiple safety regulations.

Tehran’s Fire Department said on the day of the collapse that the Plasco building’s managers had been warned that it was unsafe, with corridors and staircases blocked by goods and no fire extinguishers.

“I hope people’s support will have a positive impact on their wages, working conditions, equipment and low budget,” said Siavash Khazei, 33, a restaurant manager attending the ceremony with his mother.

The disaster was the deadliest in Tehran since 2005, when a fire at a crowded mosque in the city centre killed 59 people.

Plasco Tower

Plasco tower, the 17-story structure crumbled after fire engulfed the top floors of the building in downtown Tehran on Thursday 19 January 2017 morning  as scores of firefighters battled the blaze.

At the time of its construction in the 1960s it was the tallest building in Iran, and was considered an iconic landmark of the Tehran skyline. The building collapsed on during a fire.
The Plasco building was built in 1962, during a decade of rapid growth in Iran. The building was named after his plastics company.

Photo: Tehran’s Plasco tower collapsed after burning+Video

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With 2016 about to take a curtain call, here’s a look at what the year had in store for Iran’s travel industry:

January

The lifting of western-backed economic sanctions on Iran on January 16 set the stage for the country’s emerging tourism sector to begin developing its vastly underdeveloped infrastructure.

Iran Air, the national flag carrier, resumed refueling at airports in Western Europe only three days after the sanctions were removed.

Jamshid Hamzehzadeh, president of the Iranian Hoteliers’ Society, announced that an online hotel booking platform would be launched before the end of January.

February

Tourism officials revealed that Tehran and Paris signed a memorandum of understanding in January when President Hassan Rouhani was visiting the French capital. The purpose of the agreement was to broaden bilateral tourism cooperation.

Training of hotel staff and managers by French experts, increasing bilateral tourism flow and developing Iran’s infrastructure were outlined in the agreement.

Another agreement signed in November between Russia and Iran to simplify visa issuance procedures went into effect on February 6, in what the Russian media called “the first step toward a visa-free regime”.

The Ninth Tehran International Tourism Exhibition, the first tourism expo in the post-sanctions era, was held to a mixed reception. Although international participation had improved compared to the previous year, local exhibitors were clearly aiming for domestic travelers rather than the international market, because they did not expect a huge foreign visitor turnout.

Looking to forge closer ties with Iran, Georgia abolished its visa rules for Iranian nationals.

March

March was a relatively quiet month, but it did have one major event: the Spain-based Melia Hotels International announced plans to open a five-star hotel in Salman-Shahr, Mazandaran Province.

Slated to open in 2017, the 130-meter tower by the Caspian Sea will be Iran’s first foreign-branded seaside hotel in almost 40 years.

French hotel group Accor, which brought its Novotel and Ibis brands to Iran in November 2015, signed an MoU with Iran’s Tourism Holding Company to help the company train hotel staff and upgrade lodgings.

April

Taiwan announced it had eased visa requirements for Iranian citizens by scrapping the need for a letter of guarantee from an individual residing in Taiwan to issue visas to Iranian nationals.

The Global Geoparks Network approved Iran’s dossiers for Qeshm Geopark, bringing it a step closer to regaining its spot in the network.

The Middle East’s only UNESCO-listed geopark, Qeshm Geopark was dropped from the coveted list in 2012 due to problems that have remained unresolved for too long, such as underdeveloped infrastructure and unenforced environmental regulation.

May

The highly anticipated Silk Road Ultramarathon (May 2-9) was held in Kerman Province’s Shahdad Desert, with 100 runners from countries spanning four continents—Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

The United States returned 73 relics to Iran after prolonged discussions between the two countries, according to the Foreign Ministry. The artifacts, which date back to the Sassanid era (224–651), had been smuggled out of Iran.

Six new museums opened on May 18, coinciding with the International Museum Day. The museums are either partially or fully owned by private stakeholders, in line with the government’s policy of promoting private ownership of museums.

The sales of items crafted by Iranian artisans in the 26th Iran Handicrafts Exhibition in Tehran set a new record this year, with sales amounting to 58 billion rials ($1.4 million), up from 28 billion rials ($693,000) a year ago.

Tourism officials reached agreements with Turkish and German firms to build a combined 20 hotels in the next 10 years in Iran.

June

Iran’s ATA Airlines launched flights on Tehran-Baku-Tabriz route, which operate twice a week, while Mahan Air expanded its growing flight network by establishing direct flights between Tehran and the Danish capital Copenhagen.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration agreed to reduce tariffs for the import of hotel equipment to support the country’s hotel industry. Categorized as luxury items, hotel equipment are taxed at the highest possible rate, which analysts say has impacted the industry and contributed to high room rates.

An ambitious $750-million plan to construct a tourist resort on Qeshm Island was unveiled. The resort will cover 46 hectares and include Qeshm’s first-ever five-star hotel, which will include 200 rooms and 150 suites. The multipurpose complex will also be equipped with sports, cultural and commercial facilities, including a multiplex cinema, an amphitheater, tennis and badminton courts, a gym and two football fields.

July

Iran’s ancient Qanat system and Lut Desert were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee, increasing the number of world heritage sites in Iran to 21—more than any other country in the Middle East.

Iran banned all tours to Turkey following the failed coup attempt to topple the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The chaos in Turkey left 10,000 Iranian tourists stranded but they managed to return home gradually on planes sent to Turkey for this particular purpose.

August

Iranian and Armenian officials waived the visa regime, opening their borders to allow free travel between the neighboring countries.

The first Asia Cooperation Dialogue Ministerial Meeting on Tourism was held in the northwestern city of Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province. The two-day summit was hosted by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.

Iran lifted its ban on tours to Turkey following discussions between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

September

British Airways resumed direct flights to Iran after a nearly four-year suspension, following the lifting of sanctions on the country.

Describing Tehran as “an important destination” for the airline, BA said it was going operate six return flights per week between London Heathrow and the Iranian capital, which will be increased to a daily service.

A cruise line between Oman’s Khasab Port and Iran’s Bahonar Port in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, was officially launched, opening Iran’s southern coasts up to tourists from the Persian Gulf littoral countries.

As part of plans to develop the country’s health tourism, ICHHTO said it had issued licenses for 14 tour companies to operate in the sector, while authorizing 98 hospitals to launch an international patients department.

October

The International Tourism Investment Conference, touted as the largest confab of its kind in Iran, was held in Tehran to entice foreign investors into financing hotel projects. Representatives from 60 international firms based in Europe, Africa and Asia attended the event.

At the event, officials announced that all tourism activities can enjoy a 100% tax holiday for three to 13 years, depending on the project’s location.

Masoud Soltanifar, the head of ICHHTO, was appointed the new minister of sports and youth affairs, leaving pundits wondering who would replace him at the helm of the country’s tourism authority.

After months of legal tussle, the height of two 24-meter-high silos on the outskirts of the ruins of Persepolis and Naqsh-e-Rostam in Marvdasht, Fars Province, was reduced by 7 meters.

Legally, no structure in the vicinity of Persepolis should be taller than 8.5 meters, which means that the silos are still higher than permitted.

November

In an interview with Financial Tribune, Gholamheydar Ebrahim Bay Salami, the head of Tourism Holding Company and one of the organizers of International Tourism Investment Conference, said his company received offers from renowned international groups, such as Accord and Bouygues Batiment, to build 30 hotels in Iran.

President Hassan Rouhani appointed Zahra Ahmadipour to head ICHHTO, following the appointment of her predecessor, Masoud Soltanifar, as the new minister of sports and youth affairs in late October.

Through a court order, the Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places took back the management rights of the 17th-century Vakil Bazaar in Kerman Province after the private company that had leased the site failed to uphold its end of the contract.

Simon Press, senior director of World Travel Market London, a leading industry exhibition, said he expected Iran to impress again following its showing in the last expo.

According to the director of WTM London, one in three industry executives expect to do more business in Iran next year.

“A number of multinational companies have expressed interest in developing the country’s tourism infrastructure,” he told TTN Worldwide.

December

In its proposed budget bill for the next fiscal year that starts on March 21, 2017, the government earmarked a 12% increase in the tourism authority’s funding.

While marginally better than the current year’s budget, the proposed funding failed to satisfy observers, who point out that the proposed $200-million budget is insufficient to meet the rapidly-growing industry’s needs.

Ali Baqer Nemati Zargaran, director of the Promotion and Marketing Office at ICHHTO, said Iran is in talks with Russia, Azerbaijan, India and China to promote visa-free travel.

Following reports that the owner of Villa Namazee in Tehran’s affluent Niavaran neighborhood was set to demolish the iconic 1960s building to build a 20-floor hotel, activists staged an online campaign to save the building.

Designed by the famed Italian architect Gio Ponti, Villa Namazee forms part of an influential trio of properties by Ponti, along with Villa Planchart and Villa Arreaza, both in Caracas, Venezuela. To help save the building, Matthew Licitra, Ponti’s grandson, said he would travel to Tehran./ Financial Tribune

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Deputy Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Road and Urban Development Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan made the announcement elaborating that “Iran‘s national carrier, Iran Air (Homa) will receive one A330 and two A320 long-range Airbus aircrafts by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (on March 20, 2017).”

Representatives of ATR are slated to visit Tehran on Wednesday, said the official adding “the final round of talks between Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran Air) and a French-Italian aircraft manufacturer will kick off in the coming days and a contract is expected to be inked in the course of talks.”

He recalled that the two sides had previously agreed in purchase of 20 aircraft though Iran is capable of buying 20 more planes from the European manufacturer which is a subsidiary of Airbus.

On financial resources of the aircraft purchase contracts, Fakhrieh Kashan underlined that Iran Air will undertake 15 per cent of the financing while the remaining 85 per cent will be supplied through foreign financing.

Referring to the foreign companies’ interest in striking deals with Iran, he noted that the country has no problems for funding such agreements.

The contract value for buying 20 ATR planes is less than 500 million dollars and the figure for Airbus stands below 10 billion dollars, he stressed.

Also, Iran Air and the American Corporation of Boeing signed an agreement on selling 80 aircraft to Iran on December 11 though the first batch of those passenger aircrafts are expected to be delivered to Iran in early 2018.

Deputy Iranian roads minister, while stressing that the initial contract with Boeing was worth 16.6 billion dollars, given Iran’s proposal and the freedom to choose plane types, the actual value of the deal to buy 80 Boeing aircraft will be worth about 50 percent of the mentioned amount.

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Many travellers opt to bypass Kashan on their journeys between Tehran, Isfahan and Yazd, but we counsel you not to do the same. In fact, this delightful oasis city on the edge of the Dasht-e Kavir gets our vote as one of the most alluring destinations in Iran, boasting a highly atmospheric covered bazaar, a cluster of architecturally significant 19th-century houses and three excellent accommodation options.

Shah Abbas I agreed with our assessment – he was so enamoured with Kashan that he insisted on being buried here rather than in Esfahan. Other historical figures of note who are associated with the town include Abu Musa al-Ashari, a soldier and companion of the Prophet Mohammed whose army took the town in the 7th century AD. Legend has it that his troops tossed thousands of scorpions from the surrounding desert over the city walls, causing the terrified Kashanis to capitulate.

During the Seljuk period (AD 1051–1220) the town became famous for its textiles, pottery and tiles. Today it is a major centre for the production of textiles, rugs and rose water, and a great place to stock up on quality souvenirs. The most popular time of the year to visit is April, when the fields of rose bushes outside town are in full and fragrant bloom./lonely planet

KASHAN GEOGRAPHY
Kashan is poor in flora and fauna. The most typical plants are bushes and shrubs spreading over the steppes, but the landscape becomes richer with increased elevation. Characteristic trees are pine, cypress, black poplar, elm, and ash. Most of the highland’s small forests are already extinct, as the trees have been burned for charcoal.

KASHAN History
Archeological discoveries in the Sialk Hillocks which lie 4 km west of Kashan reveal that this region was one of the primary centers of civilization in pre-historic ages. Hence Kashan dates back to the Elamite period of Iran. The Sialk ziggurat still stands today in the suburbs of Kashan after 7,000 years.

Kashan brifly
About 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Qom on the secondary road to Isfahan, Is the town of Kashan, once one of the most prosperous oases in Iran. Known since Seljuq times for the quality of its ceramics (the Persian word hashi for glazed tiles is derived from the name of the town),it was also, until the l8th century, an important centre for the manufacture of carpets, silk and other textiles. During the Safavid Dynasty,
Historical Sites
There are many sites and places to see and visit in Kashan of potential interest to tourists in Iran, Many tourists visit kashan and surrounded notable places like Qamsar and Abyane village which attract tourist’s year around. In Kashan city you may visit:The most beautiful houses of Iran,Agha Bozorg mosque,the magnificent Fin Garden, the Sialk Ziggurat and kashan Bazaar.
Kashan Urban Design

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Alie

The city of Kashan, similar to other older Iranian cities, preserved its traditional architectural features and urban design into the early 20th century.This traditional arrangement, which formed during the Saljuq and Safavid periods and continued through the Qajar era, drastically changed in the Pahlavi period and, more specifically, during the latter half of the 20th century .

KASHAN WARE

The town of Kashan, as a city associated with high-quality ceramic production in the medieval period, appears to have been a major site for the manufacture of fine wares between the 1170s and 1220s as well as in the later 13th and early 14th centuries.

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Mohammad Adeli referred to growth in the number of tourists visiting Abyaneh, saying that some 5,518 foreign tourists visited the village in the Iranian month of Aban (October 22- November 20).

Most foreign tourists came from France with 1,368, Germany with 551, Italy with 410, the Netherlands with 363, Thailand with 282, Belgium with 278 and England with 253 tourists in the Iranian month of Aban, he noted.

Abyaneh is a village in Barzrud Rural District, in the Central District of Natanz township, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 305, in 160 families.

Tourist Review
The red clay village Abyaneh and Kashan

By, Andri Wilberg Orrason: There are many old historical mountain villages in Iran, where the clock seem to tick slower then in the bigger cities. We decided to visit one of them, Abyaneh, often referred to as the Red Village for its red mud brick houses and the surrounding mountain terrain (bearing the same colour due to iron oxides). The houses are arranged like steps up the hillside, so the roofs of some houses are the front yards of the next one up. Abyaneh is at least 1500 years old (dating back to the Sassanid era), originating from the time of the Arab invasion, when many of the Zoroastrian followers fled to the mountains and deserts to escape forced conversion to Islam. Because of their isolation, the villagers speak a dialect of their own, which is though to predate modern Persian or Farsi, with less Arabic influence.

To reach the village we decided to hitch a ride from Esfahan. Without effort we managed to reach the nearmost town, Natanz.

We payed a local in Natanz a few buck to drive us there. It wasn’t our safest moment; along the way the driver rolled down his window and started sniffing a white cloth, which presumably was soaked in glue or petrol. He seemed to be getting more and more drowsy, but at same time driving faster and faster up the mountain road. We finally reached the village, alive.

People of Abyaneh Village The local women wear traditional clothing

Walking the red narrow streets, with hardly any tourists visible, we stumbled upon a local couple, Natasha and Saed, who invited us for some tea. To our surprise, their english was superb. They had lived mostly in the capital Tehran but also in Europe for many years. Despite having lived in the world’s biggest cities with the latest technology, they decided to move to Abyaneh some 15 years ago and raise their two beautiful children in a peaceful environment away from political influence. Like most women in the village, Natasha, wore a traditional headscarf with floral motifs and a bright coloured dress which is scarcely aligned with the Islamic regime requiring women to dress modestly. It was lovely to sit on a small stone chair in their “Flinstone” kitchen, drinking Iranian tea and talking about Iran, their culture, before and now.

People of Abyaneh Village

The warm locals, Natasha and Saed in front of their 1.500 year old house
Kashan

After Abyaneh we headed to Kashan, a city famous for hand woven carpets and historical houses.

One of many historical houses in Kashan

Historical house Kashan

Eating dinner at one of the historical houses

It can take one person up to 6-12 month to weave a 1.5 x 1.0 m carpet depending on how dense you weave it (knots per square inch). If you liked that carpet in the movie Big Lebowski, well know you know, it’s a Kashan design! We came close to buying one at the bazaar but our budget didn’t afford a quick loss of 2000 dollars. You can get them for cheaper, with fewer knots, made from cheap wool instead of silk, coloured with chemicals instead of organic dyes, but we couldn’t get our eyes off the irresistible and shiny silk carpest woven to perfection. So we decided to wait until we visit Iran again sometime, when we’re not on a world tour budget, and bring enough currency for a carpet.

Persian carpet from Kashan, A beautiful wool and silk carpet handmade in Tabriz.

We didn’t spend much time in Kashan as our main interest lied outside the city. For a mere 20 dollars each we rented a private driver (for 7 hours) who drove us into the Maranjab desert to visit the Dasht-e Kavir Salt Lake (Namak Lake), with a quick stop at the underground city (handbuilt 18 meter below surface in the pre-islamic era for defense purposes) and the shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali. We really enjoyed seeing the hexagonal to octagonal shapes of salt, reaching endlessly in all directions, disappearing into the horizon. Our day was perfected with the most beautiful sunset we have seen, in complete remoteness, on top of the highest sand dune of Maranjab desert.

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali,

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali, Wearing the chador in front of the holy shrine

The amazing shrine of Hilal Ibn Alie

View inside the underground city

View inside the underground city

The desert Maranja

Salt lake, Dasht-e Kavir – Iran

Salt lake, Dasht-e Kavir – Iran

Salt lake, Dasht-e Kavir – Iran

Sunset in the Maranjab desert

Sunset in the Maranjab desert

Video About Abyaneh

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