Iran at a glance

Tourism in the Islamic Republic of 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. Luckily, Iran as a historical and religious country, is among those four-season countries which are blessed with bare expanses of deserts, snowcapped high mountains, and beauty of luscious green mountains, valleys in the north, and bare Rocky Mountains with vast area of barren land, sunny beaches, beautiful seas, islands, lakes and rivers, amazing jungles, and mysterious caverns.
Iran has been graced by Almighty Allah with amazing and wonderful beauties of nature and hundreds of interesting and attractive cities with thousands of historical and religious sites. A few of famous cities and their tourist attractions are as following:
Tehran Tehran is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province with a population of around 9 million in the city and 16 million in the wider metropolitan . Tehran is the most populous city of Iran, the 2nd-most populous city in Western Asia and the 3rd-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. It is ranked 29th in the world by the population of its metropolitan area.
Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan of the Qajar dynasty in 1796. The capital of Iran has been changed several times throughout the history, and Tehran is the 32nd one.
The city was the seat of the Qajars and Pahlavis, the two last imperial dynasties of Iran. It is home to many historical collections, such as the royal complexes of Golestan, Sa'dabad, and Niavaran, as well as the country's most important governmental buildings of the modern period.
The most famous landmarks of the city include the Azadi , and the Milad Towers. The latter is the world's 17th tallest freestanding structure, which was built in 2007.
Mashhad Mashhad is the second most populous city in Iran and capital of Razavi Khorasan Province. It is located in the northeast of the country, close to the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. It was a major oasis along the ancient Silk Road connecting with Merv in the East. The city is most famous and revered for housing the tomb of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Imam Reza shrine and pay their tributes to the eighth Imam.
Shiraz Shiraz is the sixth most populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province. Shiraz is one of the oldest cities of ancient Persia. It was the capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1750 until 1800. Two famous poets of Iran, Hafez and Saadi, are from Shiraz, whose tombs are there. Persepolis (The city of the Persians) also known as Takht-e-Jamshid, was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BC), and is situated near Shiraz.
Isfahan Isfahan is an ancient city in the center of Iran located about 340 km south of Tehran. Isfahan is the capital of Isfahan Province and the Persians call it "Nesf-e-Jahan", meaning "Half the World". Isfahan is Iran's third largest city after Tehran and Mashhad. It flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Safavid dynasty, when it became the capital of Persia. Even today, the city retains much of its past glory. Isfahan is considered as a popular tourist destination and a major cultural and economic center of Iran. Imam Square (Naqsh-e Jahan), Imam and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosques, Ali Qapu building, Chehel Sutun, Si-o-se Pol are among dozens of attractive tourist sites in Isfahan.
Tabriz Tabriz is one of the historical capitals of Iran, and the present capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Tabriz is named World's Carpet and Crafts City. It has also been recognized as the exemplary tourism city in 2018 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Tabriz is the biggest economic hub and the biggest metropolitan area in North West of Iran. The city is famous for its handicrafts including hand-woven rugs and jewelry.
Qom Qom is the eighth largest city in Iran. It lies 125 kilometres or 78 miles by road southwest of Tehran. Qom is considered holy by Shi'a Islam, as it is the site of the shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume, sister of Imam Reza (Persian Imam Reza, eighth Imam of Shi'a 789-816 AD). The city is the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world, and is a significant destination of pilgrimage. Qom is famous for a brittle toffee called "Sohan".