The historical treasure of Siraf.

The historical Bandar- e Siraf (Bandar- e Taheri) has been one of the most historical seaports of the ancient world, located by the great Persian Gulf, in Bushehr province. The antiquity of Siraf goes back to Sassanid era and many people with different religious views, including Zoroastrians, Jewish people and Christians and also different nationalities like Chinese, Srilankan and Zanzibarian peacefully lived in this beautiful coastal city. The sailors and merchants of Siraf were busy trading with China, India and Africa. They used to export precious pearls, hand-made textiles and handicrafts and import high-quality wood for constructing stunning and multi-story houses ornamented with delicate stuccos.

The numerous hand dug holes on the foothills of the mountains on the north of Siraf are known to be reservoirs for keeping the rainwater and leading it to the underground reservoirs. Some other believe that these holes were used for burying the dead bodies.

The water reservoirs of Siraf.

Explore Iran on your bike!

Biking on the roads and passing through unknown cities and villages is one of the most adventurous activities you can do in a new destination. Iran is a good destination for a biking tour because of the safety provided for the tourists and the variety of biking routes.
 

You can choose your own kind of biking route in Iran:

Shahroud to Gorgan: Shahroud is located in Semnan province with an almost dry climate. This mountain biking trip starts from a gravel road in “Abr” village. The road goes on the heights and you will be led through a stunning forest named “Abr” (Clouds Forest). Then you will slope toward “Ali Abad” town and the route ends in Gorgan after 150 kilometers biking.

Astara to Gorgan: This long route starts in Astara, a coastal city in North West and gets continued on roads toward the North East. North of Iran is a beautiful area between the Caspian Sea and the Alborz mountain range, covered in forests. Biking in the north of Iran is all about passing through dense forests, biking on the Caspian Sea shores and staying in cozy rural homes. This way ends in Gorgan and it is about 750 kilometers but you can finish your biking tour anytime you liked.

Mountain biking in Iran.

Puppet and Toy Museum of Iran.

In the past, Iranian kids used to play with simple and handmade dolls and toys made of pieces of textiles, wood sticks or small stones found in the house. More advanced toys were made by the potters or carpenters. These simple toys, still found under piles of old clothes in the grandmothers’ closets, show a piece of the Iranian pop culture.

An old Iranian puppet.

The mystries behind Chak Chak inc Yazd.

Chak Chak, referring to the dripping sound of water, is the most sacred Zoroastrian temple with mythical backgrounds. Chak Chak is located near Ardekan town of Yazd province where is home to a big population of Iranian Zoroastrians.

During the Muslim conquest of Iran (started 633 AD), Khosro-Parviz (the Sassanid king) escaped her daughter Nik Banoo to Yazd to save her from the Arab warriors. Nik Banoo went to Yazd and hid in the heart of a mountain around the city until the day she passed away. There is a long-standing Plain tree (called Pir) near this mountain and according to the stories, this is the magical cane that Nik Banoo held during her journey to Yazd and tapped on a rock with, to create a gap so that she can hide in the heart of the mountain. It is also said that the water drops were led to an altar in this shrine for praising Anahita, the Persian goddess of water.

Chak Chak in Yazd.

What transportation means to take to travel between Tehran and Shiraz?

In almost 90 percent of the Iran tour itineraries, the direct trip between Tehran and Shiraz is included. This route is like traveling back in time from Qajar and Pahlavi days to ancient Achaemenid era. As said in previous posts, Tehran is the city of Qajar and Pahlavi palaces, professional museums, contemporary art galleries, theatre and music festivals and modern restaurants. On the other hand, Shiraz with stunning monuments from Zandyieh, like mosques and historical houses with colorful windows and tile works and ancient remains like the glorious Persepolis and the mysterious Necropolis is a fabulous city to visit. Shiraz, stimulated to heaven by great Persian poets, is also known for its pleasant climate and hospitable local people. For commuting between these two touristic cities, you can choose your own kind of transportation from safe planes, to trains, comfortable buses and even sedan cars.

Tehran-Shiraz flights:

Numerous flight services (about 12 to 15 flights) are operated between Mehr Abad Airport in Tehran and Dastgheib International Airport of Shiraz every day and night. These flight services are operated by good Iranian airlines, like Qeshm Air, Mahan Air and Aseman. This flight is about an hour and a half.

How is the train trip between Tehran and Isfahan?

Tehran and Isfahan, both located in the central Iran, are known as important touristic cities of the country. Tehran, which has been the capital of Iran since Qajar dynasty, is visited by many tourists because of its fabulous Qajarid and Pahlavi monuments, like Golestan and Saad-Abad palace, Mashq Square, Iran National Museum or the contemporary city attractions like the Nature Bridge, art galleries and the modern cinematheques. On the other hand, Isfahan hosts thousands of travelers every year because of its Safavid masterpieces like Naqshe- e Jahan Square, which is inscribed by the UNESCO, the historical bridges over Zayandeh-Rud River and the stunning handicrafts produced in the traditional workshops.

Ramsar, the heaven on the earth!

After passing through the amusing roads of northern Iran, when you enter the beautiful city of Ramsar in the west of Mazandaran province, you will face a welcome board which says: “Welcome to the heaven on the earth!”

Ramsar sits between the endless Caspian Sea and the high Alborz Mountains covered in dense and foggy forests. This city offers you possibly the most beautiful landscape with fresh rainy weather and a cool breeze passing over the Caspian Sea. It seems like this city is made for walking and a long avenue of palm trees which connects Ramsar’s Grand Hotel to a wild rocky beach is known as one of the most beautiful spots in Ramsar.

How is the lifestyle of the Bakhtiari nomads?

The big population of Bakhtiari nomads, considered as a precious cultural heritage in Iran, live in a vast area between the west and southwest of the country. It is said that the Bakhtiari nomads, who speak in Luri language, have lived in this area for 40,000 years and a lot of ancient metal objects and murals, related to the Paleolithic era, have been discovered in the caves.

Bakhtiari nomads live in hand-made black tents made of goat hair and twice a year they pack their utensil, carry their babies and ride their horses between the picturesque heights of Zagros with a cool climate and the warm plains in Khuzestan to find pastures for feeding and developing their herd. The immigration of the Bakhtiari nomads is a stunning cultural show.

A piece of hand-made Bakhtiari rug.

Dashtestan, a good winter destination in Bushehr.

Located in Bushehr province in the south of Iran, with hot summers and mild and beautiful winters, Dashtestan remains unseen by many. Yet there are quietly spectacular things to see here. The remains of an ancient castle related to Cyrus and a city named Touz, dating back to Sassanid era and the long Dalaki River, passing through this area, indicate that Dashtestan has been a winter residence in ancient Iran. There are some other historical monuments remaining in this area, including:

 Goor Dokhtar (The girl’s tomb) which is similar to the Pasargad (Cyrus’s glorious tomb) and believed to be the tomb of Cyrus’s sister or daughter.

The achaemenid monument in Dashtestan, named Goor Dokhtar.

The red pomegranates of Arsanjan.

Fars province is in the southwest of Iran and it has a mild climate with a fabulous nature, including mountains, steppe forests and different wildlife refuges. Arsanjan is one of the cities of Fars province with a spectacular nature, surrounded by mountains with springs and different vegetation like baneh (wild pistachio), wild almond, oak and etc. The Green Pearl which is a tree grown on a piece of rock is a natural wonder around Arsanjan.

The Green Pearl in Arsanjan.