Golestan Palace, or the Palace of Flowers houses some of the capital’s oldest royal buildings and is one of the most prominent historic complexes in Iran. During the Qājār rule, this now UNESCO World Heritage listed site was considered the political capital of the Qājār dynasty and had witnessed coronations of seven Qājār rulers as well as both of the Pahlavi kings. The rumour has it that in order to avoid any social unrest following the king’s death, it was decided to keep Nāser Al-Din Shāh’s murder a secret. The dead body of the king was, thus, placed into the royal coach (kept in the National Car Museum of Iran) and sent to the Golestan Palace. A man impersonating Nāser Al-Din Shāh and wearing white gloves would at times wave at people or touch his moustache in the same way as the dead king used to do. Once in the Golestan Palace, the body of the dead king was buried for a period of one year in the Royal Tekiyeh and later moved to the Abdol Azim shrine.

Similarly, the Iranian New Year is known as “Nowruz”; literally translating to “New Day”. It signifies the first day of spring, the season of creation and the resurrection of nature. Consequently, Nowruz has an evident relationship to the Bundahishn’s text of primal Creation. Nowruz is not an isolated concept. The spirit of Nowruz becomes palpable among the Iranian people in the days leading up to New Year and continues for several days thereafter. Therefore, to fully appreciate the celebrations of this season one needs to have a comprehensive understanding, not only in regard to the ceremonies of Nowruz, but the related feasts and traditions.

The word “Hawraman” consists of “hawra”, referring to Ahura (or Ahura Mazda), and “man”, which carries the meaning of home or land. In other words Hawraman (or Uraman) is the land of Ahura, home of Ahura Mazda. The name Hawraman refers to the distinctly Iranian history that belongs to this region and its people. The Kurdish nation which spreads across vast swaths of land, crossing the international borders of Iran, Turkey and Iraq, all speak the Kurdish language or a variation of its dialects. In point of fact, the language of those living in the Hawraman region is referred to as “kurdi” and is of a dialect known as “Uramani kurdi”. This dialect is one of the oldest forms of parlance within the Kurdish language, and today is only spoken by several thousand people inside the Hawraman locale.

Since 2019 and the Covid-19 outbreak, everyone has been impatiently anticipating borders to be open again and planning their next destination. For those who are tight on budget and time but wish to experience every type of climate and entertainment during their trip, including visiting sunny beaches, magical deserts, lofty mountains, historical sites and buildings, living with nomadic people, or even feeling the rush in crowded cities, traveling to Iran would be a suitable decision.

Iran is a country of breathtaking landscapes, infinite skies, bare deserts, wild mountains, and astonishing wildlife. Since Iran is a country of four seasons; the beauty and attractiveness of each season can be entirely felt, from rainy and green areas covered with forests and waterfalls in the north to the warm and sunny coast in the south, therefore doing outdoor activities in Iran is a must when traveling to this beautiful country.

The Persian carpet is a brilliant and glorious manifestation of the Iranian's rich culture and superior artistic sense. The art of weaving carpets by hand starts with imagination and creativity in designing the pattern and comes alive with knotting threads to create a piece of art.

If you have any doubts about traveling to Iran, you shouldn’t! With great history, beautiful nature, numerous sites to visit, and some of the most hospitable people, Iran is a wonderful destination for all tourists.

Without a doubt, one of the main concerns for every traveler to a new destination is the cost of the travel. Of course, the costs of traveling to Iran depends on different factors such as time of travel, type of accommodation you choose, whether you choose to use public transportation or not, and so many others.

For many international tourists, traveling to Iran can be fun, exciting and full of different types of adventure. Travel to Iran, with a mix of endless deserts, ancient monuments, and rich culture, can be particularly rewarding. The country has something for every taste.

What are the factors that you think about when planning a trip? Which one is more important for you? Do you always go to a place during its best time? Or prefer to enjoy the low season and having the place by yours?

For many solo female travelers, traveling to Iran is a big concern. They would like to travel to Iran to explore the rich and fascinating culture of the country. However, most of the time, they are told not to travel to Iran as a solo female traveler.

Persian architecture has a very long and complex history with the greatest contribution to the world’s culture. While Persian styles have a significant difference from any other Islamic architecture, they have strongly influenced buildings throughout much of the Islamic world. especially in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

What are your biggest challenges of traveling to Iran as an American? Do you know whether Americans, British or Canadian citizens are allowed to travel to Iran? Do you have any idea about the level of safety in Iran for Americans?