Tehran, the largest city in western Asia, has a population of around 8.3 million people and more than 12 million people live in the wider metropolitan area. People began settling in Tehran thousands of years ago, and it has been the country’s capital since 1796, ruled by a total of three dynasties prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979. According to Hamshari online, the name “Tehran” was first mentioned in the Greek Theodosius script, which goes back the late century BC. Here it was first referred to as a part of the “Ray” province.
Tourists can visit some of Iran’s most famous and impressive palaces in Tehran, including the Golestan and Niavaran complexes from the Qajar dynasty and the Saadabad Palace, built during the Pahlavi dynasty.
The city is located between the Alborz mountains to the north and Iran’s central desert to the south. Traveling from the north of the city to the south gives visitors a good sense of the class tensions so prevalent in the city. In the north, there are modern skyscrapers and buildings, wider streets and luxury restaurants. But in the southern part of the city, poverty is rife, with homelessness and drug addiction on the rise.
Work on Azadi Tower, designed to be the modern symbol of Iran, began in 1969. It was opened to the public in 1971 and is arguably Tehran’s most famous landmark. For many outside Iran, Azadi Tower and Azadi Square are strong visual reminders of the Green Movement, and the protests that followed the disputed presidential election of 2009. “A visit to Tehran is not complete without seeing the Azadi Tower,” says ben from the Netherlands, who visited Tehran recently and posted his impressions on TripAdvisor. “It’s the perfect location for nice pictures, with the Alborz mountains in the background.”
Another imposing modern landmark in the capital is Milad Tower, one of the tallest telecommunication towers in the world. But more impressively, the restaurant in the tower is, or at least claims to be, the largest revolving restaurant in the world. The Milad restaurant claims to be the largest revolving restaurant in the world, at a height of 276 meters. “The spectacular view of Tehran from the tower makes it different from others, it’s amazing” says Mahsa, a 25-year-old Tehrani.
Tehran is home to several important museums, including the National Jewelry Museum, the National Museum of Iran, the Carpet Museum and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. “This is a beautiful collection,” said recent Tehran visitor Jean from London, writing about the jewelry museum on TripAdvisor. She added that the jewelry was even more impressive than jewelry displays in Buckingham Palace — though she admitted the palace’s presentation was better in London.
Visitors wanting to take a break from the city center can enjoy excursions to the Alborz mountains, good for hiking and experiencing the magic of the traditional cafes and restaurants scattered along the foothills in the capital. The mountains are integral to the city, so people can visit for lunch or dinner and return to the tower blocks or office buildings in the heart of the city in no time. For example, a drive from one of the central areas in Tehran, Tajrish Square, to Darband mountain in the Alborz range takes five or six minutes. To get to Darakeh mountain it takes about 15 minutes, and to Darakeh mountain, it’s about a 20- or 25-minute drive — depending on the famous Tehran traffic, of course.
Silvia, a 27-year-old American-Norwegian who blogs about her travels said she had not expected Tehran to be so beautiful. “I hadn’t realized you can see mountains from Tehran, so when I looked up during my first day there I was very surprised.”
Looking for somewhere to eat? The Reyhoon restaurant is well worth a visit. "The name of this little jewel, "Reyhoun," translates to Basil in English. Why did they name the restaurant after basil you may ask? It's because the food, kebab, all taste exquisitely delicious with a spring of basil," the Huffington Post says. The restaurant is located in a large basement and adorned with traditional Iranian tiles.
Read about the Persian new year, Nowruz, in Tehran. Although most residents leave the city, there is plenty to enjoy in the capital during Iran's most important holiday.
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