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Tehran [M] (also spelled Teheran [S]) (Persian: تهران), is the capital city of Iran. A bustling metropolis of 14 million people, it is situated at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain range.
Tehran [M] is a cosmopolitan city, with great museums, parks, restaurants, warm friendly people. It deserves at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary.
The city can be roughly divided into two different parts - north and south. The northern districts of Tehran [M] are more prosperous, modern, cosmopolitan and expensive while southern parts (also called the 'downtown') is less attractive but cheaper.
At the time of the Zand dynasty, it was a little town that was significant from a strategic point of view. The first of the Qajar kings, Agha Mohammed Khan, named Tehran [M] as the country's capital in 1778, and most of its growth started during the reign of a subsequent Qajar monarch, Fath-Ali Shah. The castle which Agha Mohammed Khan had built was to contain the new majestic buildings.
At the same time, the city's populace was redoubled. Due to the increasing significance of the city, gates, squares and mosques were built and it was at the time of Nassereddin Shah that the city's master sketch was prepared and modern streets were constructed. Later, huge central squares like Toopkhaneh square (now Imam Khomeini) and quite a few military buildings were built. Event though the the Qajar dynasty was in a period of decline, Tehran [M] soon took the shape of a modern city. The structure of large government buildings, new streets, recreation centers, urban service organizations, and academic and methodical centers were started, even as most of the old gates and buildings were destroyed and the city's old architectural fabric replaced by a contemporary one.
Tehran [M] has also earned itself the rather unenviable reputation as a smog-filled, traffic-clogged and featureless sprawl of concrete bursting at the seams with 14 million residents. But you can also find an endless number of nice and cosy places in and around the city - if you know where to look. Tehran is also a city of parks and possesses more than 800 of them, all well-kept. The city is nearly a mile high above sea level and as a result is cooler than other cities in the middle east. Summer temperatures are around 32°C or about 90-95°F. The air tends to be very dry.
A combination of factors make Tehran [M] a pleasant place to visit: The dry climate which is constantly cool (at least in the evenings), the proximity of the mountains, the parks and gardens where flowers blossom all through the year, the alleys of trees in the avenues or even smaller streets, and even the water that runs down from the upper city along deep and wide gutters which look like small rivers during spring. The Alborz range on the north of Tehran [S], which hosts the highest peak in Iran, provides fantastic conditions for ski lovers in the winter. In winter, the mountain hotels and ski-clubs at Shemshak [S], and Dizine are full several days a week. Some specialist skiers consider the snow value in northern Tehran to be one of the most excellent in the world.
There are no direct flights from North America or Australia, but there are flights direct from numerous European, African and Asian cities as well as cities in the Middle East. Iran Air [1], the national carrier of Iran, flies to many destinations such as London (Heathrow), Amsterdam and Tokyo. You can also fly direct from London (Heathrow) with BMI (previously known as British Midland). Alternatively, you can enter via Dubai and then take Emirates [2] or Air Arabia [3] to Tehran
Tehran's Mehrabad airport (IATA: THR ICAO: OIII) [4] is the old pre-revolution airport and has been partially replaced with the new Imam Khomeini International Airport (IATA: IKA ICAO: OIIE) [5]. Recently all International flights are designated to Imam Khomeini and Mehrabad is only used for regional and cargo flights. The old airport is located relatively close to the city center and the abundant taxis available are definitely the best way to get into Tehran [M]. There is a booth organizing taxis for you right outside the arrivals hall. WARNING: you'll not be able to enter Iran if there is an Israeli stamp on your passport, and you'll be in even bigger trouble if you come with an Israeli passport.
Imam Khomeini Airport is a significant improvement over Mehrabad and it is still only in International use. Be warned that it can take up to an hour and a half to get to the airport in bad traffic but if you book your departure early in the morning it can be much faster. Taxis are cheap and plentiful. A taxi to any destination in Tehran [M] costs from 200,000 Rials for Samand or few dollars more for Toyota Camry. Bus services have recently been added from Mehrabad Terminal 5, and Behesh-e-Zahra (Haram-e-Motahhar) Metro Station to Imam Khomeini Airport. You may have to ask a few people about the service as it is relatively new and not well known yet.
Despite the warnings in some travel guides, there is no "exit fee" for foreign travelers, neither in Mehrabad nor in Imam Khomeini Airport. The "exit fee" applies to foreign travelers only when leaving Iran on land or by sea.
Tehran [M] has rail connections to other cities in Iran and neighbouring countries. If travelling within Iran, train tickets should be bought outside the station, in travel agencies or through internet from Raja passenger train company [6] that is the passenger daughter company of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) [7].
Traffic is very congested but has improved with the completion of several new tunnels and highways (referred to as autobahns by the locals) across the city. You can drive in from Turkey fairly easily as well as from the Southern parts of Iran. Driving is often dangerous and seat belts should be worn at all times.
Almost every city and far-flung village in Iran has bus services to Tehran [M], as evidenced by the hundreds of buses that pour in and out of the capital each day. Most buses arrive to, or depart from one of four major bus terminals:
Getting around traffic-clogged, sprawling Tehran [M] is a true test of patience. While taxis are your best bet, they are pricier here than the rest of the country. A large local bus network will also take you almost anywhere you need to go, as long you can make sense of the routes and Persian line numbers. The true star of Tehran's transport system however, is the brand new metro.
Tehran [M] has an expansive but confusing bus network. Tickets [S] (IR 200) can be bought from booths beside the bus stops. Since bus numbers, route descriptions and other information is in Persian, your best bet is to look confused at a bus terminal; a local will surely stop to help. Each bus line has a certain and almost invariable path but only people know exactly which bus stations exist for a certain road. You shouldn't expect a map or guides even in Persian showing the bus network or bus stations. Even asking the bus driver wouldn't be a great help for you to find your way either. If you get in a bus and looking for a certain station to alight, ask one to help you - you will find many people wish to help you to find your way, most of the time!
The BRT buses are colored in red. BRTs has special lines and travels very quickly from Azadi square (west of Tehran [M]) directly to the East (Terminal-e-Shargh) and Imam Khomeini square (South of Tehran) directly to the North (Tajrish square) . Tickets [S] (IR 200) can be bought from booths beside the bus stops. In high-traffic hours (7AM to 9AM & 4PM to 8PM) it is the best to travel West-East-West part of your way. BRT has too many stations near main streets. Although you may not find an empty seat on the bus because of the crowds, people give their place to you if they know you are a tourist! The women and men sits and queues are separate.
Tehran's new metro system [S] [8] is comprised of three lines that will whisk you quickly from one end of the city to the other without having to deal with the noise, pollution and chaos of Tehrani traffic. However, many residents decided to leave their cars and commute by metro, so expect huge crowds during rush ours.
There are four lines (numbered strangely 1, 2, 4 and 5) but the two most useful are lines 1 (north to south) and 2 (east to west) which connect at the central Imam Khomeini station. All stations have signs in both Farsi and English. Trains run every 10 minutes or less on rush hours (15 minutes on Fridays and holidays) from around 5:30AM until 11PM every day.
Tickets [S] are valid for 1, 2 or 10 trips (including change of lines) and cost 2500, 4500 and 14000 IRR respectively. There are ticket booths at every station. You can also buy a contactless fare card which is the best option if you are going to use metro a lot. The Tehran [M] metro is segregated, with two women-only carriages at one end of the train. Despite this, some women choose to travel in the men's part of the train, usually accompanied by a man.
As with the rest of the country private and shared taxis are abound in Tehran [M], although you may find flagging down a shared taxi more difficult amid the traffic and chaos, while private taxis are more expensive than in the smaller cities. See the Get Around information on Iran for details on flagging a taxi. If you want to get around by shared taxi, your best bet is to hop from square to square, as drivers will be reluctant to pick you up if your shouted destination deviates too far from their route. In each square you will find certain places where the private taxis are lined up in a queue and drivers call for passengers to a destination. (mostly happening during the times when the number of waiting taxis exceeds the number of passengers). In this case, they would wait until the car gets full of passengers (mostly one people at front and 3 people at back, excluding the driver). Otherwise the people have to line up in a queue waiting for the taxis to come. This is the case during rush hours (approximately 7AM to 8AM and 5PM to 8PM). All these depend upon finding their regular station in the square. You can also ask them to alight sooner than your destination wherever you like but you have to pay their total fee up to destination. The cost of such a ride from Azadi square to Vanak Square is around 5,000 Rls (500 Tomans) for each person. Most drivers are very poor at English though.
Motorcycle taxis [S] are a Tehran [M] specialty and offer a way to weave quickly through the city's traffic-clogged streets. You'll see plenty of these drivers standing at the side of the road calling "motor" at all who pass by. Keep in mind motor taxi operators can seem even more suicidal than the average Tehran driver when driving. Agree on a price before you take off and expect to pay slightly less than chartering a private taxi.
A1one (aka Alonewriter, tanha) graffitis and street art works are a sort of interesting stuff in Tehran's Urban Space. A famous local graffiti artist is currently at the center of controversy about whether his work is art or vandalism, and you can see his early works on the Tehran-Karaj Expressway, on the southern side walls UP in Ekbatan and Apadana districts. A more recent work of stencil art is located at the entrance of the Saba Art Institute.
It is easy to find work in Tehran [M], but you must have a university diploma to be applicable for good jobs. Although there is some inflation, many of the people in Tehran have good and well paying jobs. Like every other big developing world city, there's a big difference between poor and rich.
For information on Iranian currency go to the country page [S].
You can exchange your currency in most banks for a small commission after filling out between two and five forms. If you know the exchange rate then it is a better option to visit one of the many exchange offices on Ferdosi St that begins from Imam Khomeini Square. All will give you a good rate but some might give slightly less than the official rate or claim a commission. Just say no and go to the next one.
Do not exchange your money with one of the many individuals offering to exchange along Ferdosi St. It is a lot more risky and illegal.
Those looking to stock up on computer software [S] (copied, but legal thanks to Iran's refusal to sign up to the Bern Convention) can start looking at the computer bazaar [S] on the corner of Jomhuriyeh Eslami Ave and Hafez St., Bazar-e-Reza, or Bazar-e-Iran. Just remember that importing these CDs into any country that is a signatory to the Convention may be a criminal offence.
You can also try "Paytakht Computer Complex" at intersection of Vali-e-Asr and Mirdamad, a 7-story modern complex filled with computer equipments but also latest pirated copies of every software imaginable. The prices at "bazaar [S] reza" (at charrah-e-vali-asr) are usually less. In both these malls you also may find individual hardware parts. You may find some famous hardware brands really cheap but you should be careful not to buy the fake one. It is hard to distinguish the original one. Sometimes even the fake one would work quite well comparing to its cheap price!
To save even more money you can buy one of those software packages . For example you can buy "King of the Programs" with about 70,000 Rls . This is a 5 or 6 CD package of compressed programs which contains almost any well-known software you can imagine .
Jewellery & Gold [S] boutiques located in Geisha, Milade Noor, Karim Khaan St.The most beautiful golds, gems, diamonds you could ever see. To buy a very good set of gold, it costs around 2,000,000 toman minimum which is equivalent to £1400-£2000.
Designers bags and shoes [S] such as Gucci, Versace,Dior, Armani in Golestan shopping centre & Milade noor
Visit the Bazar [S], very appropriate for shopping. It ranges from cheap things to very expensive luxury things. You can find almost anything in Bazar, from clothing to carpets, kitchen accessories, decoratings, jewellery.... When in the Bazar, don't miss out the 'Sharafol-eslam' restaurant located in the Bazar. It is very famous for its kebabs and chickens, excellent food, excellent quality, you'll never have enough. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
There are also numerous shopping malls [S] in the city. Valiasr Street and Tajrish Square (also includes a traditional bazaar [S]) are two of the many locations full of shopping centers in Tehran [M].
Jahan Crystal Co. [S] No.1643_Upper than Park way_Valye asr ave._Tehran [M]_Iran, ☎ 00982122668916-9. Here you can find the best iranian art and quality in crystal items with reasonable prices.Jahan crystal sells crystal items with JCC brand. in this shop you can find prices in Iranian rial and US dollar so do not be worried about currency the timing is 9:00am-9:00pm except Fridays
A new Kabob restaurant called Naveed has opened that offers excellent food comparable to Alborz but at lower prices. The atmosphere is very European looking and feeling but not as high end as Alborz.
Other places of this kind include: -Barbod in Vanak [S] -S.P.U in Darake [S] -AAli Ghaapoo in Gaandi'
For all you coffee-starved travellers through Iran (or the soon to be coffee-starved if Tehran [M] is your first port of call in the country) you'll be glad to find the string of coffee shops [S] on the south side of Jomhuriyeh Eslami Ave, a couple of hundred metres west of Ferdosi St. You can stock up on coffee beans and related paraphernalia, or even sample a cup for IR 4,000. There is also a well-known, but small coffee shop called Hot Chocolate - they stock cigars and a number of European cigarettes as well. This coffee shop is on occasion, a meeting place for some of Iran's sporting elite.
A few doors west of these shops is a delightful coffee shop next to Hotel Naderi [S]. They serve coffee, tea and pastries to a mix of Tehran's intelligentsia and bohemian elite. It's a great place to sit and watch hip young guys eyeing gossiping girls while old men reminisce about the "good ol' days" under the Shah.
Coffee shops (called, in Farsi, "coffeeshop" versus "ghaveh-khane" (literally, coffee house) which means a tea house) have become especially popular in the affluent North, so if need, a visit to the White Tower [S] (Borj-e Sefid) along Pasdaran Ave, or any other mall in the area should suffice. These coffee shops [S] can also be very appealing to tourists interested in watching how young, affluent locals deviously bend the government regulations on contact between the sexes. Definitely worth a visit if in the area- try "White Rose" in the White Tower.
Amir Kabir Street a grubby street filled with car-repair shops near Imam Khomeini square offers accommodation options for the budget-minded. Expect to pay around 50,000 Rials (5,000 tomans) for a tiny single. The area is not nice but it is safe and is central to the metro and buses.
Since few if any foreign phone companies have roaming agreements with the Iranian one, an alternative to mobile phones is needed. One very good one is purchasing a regular telephone card for local calls and then the Pars Net [S] international telephone card. It offers international calls to anywhere in the world at the comparatively cheap price of IR 1,500 a minute and with the regular phone card you can use it from any of the abundant public phones or the phone at your hotel. TMobile UK has roaming in Iran.
Tehran [M] is still relatively one of the safest cities to travel through, particularly considering its size and security. Common sense and the usual precautions against pickpockets in bazaars and crowds should ensure your visit is hassle free.
Never take unmarked taxis.
Even late at the mid-night it is safe in most parts of the city while you will find the city still crowded. It is advisable not to take a private taxi for instance at 2:00 AM.
The fake police [S] that target Esfahan's tourists have also found their way to Tehran [M] in recent years. These are usually uniformed men in unmarked cars flashing phoney IDs are requesting to see you passport or search your luggage. It goes without saying that you should just ignore such requests and head to the nearest police station if you feel unsafe. The trouble is that it can be a little hard for the untrained tourist eye to tell these from the real police.
The traffic in Tehran [M] is very dangerous and should be considered some of the worlds worst. Try to cross the street when the locals do. At first it looks impossible but the drivers do a very good job to avoid pedestrians even though they drive crazy.
Gay and lesbian travellers should be careful when traveling to Tehran [M] due to strict regulations on homosexual activity (though quite rarely enforced). If a tourist is found to be a homosexual the government will technically immediately deport them- however, as mentioned before, this is extremely rare. Exercising caution in public is the key thing to remember.
If you decide to smoke the qalyan (waterpipe), make sure that you are not smoking opium or other kind of drugs if you didn't intend to do it! Although drugs and alcohol are illegal in Iran, it is very easy to obtain it, especially in Tehran [M]. Since the Iranian government decided to ban the qalyan and cigarettes in public places, it is very difficult to find a decent place for smoking. And if you really want to try the qalyan, you can expect to find this in dodgy places.
The traffic in Tehran [M] is horrendous. To get a break from it head to the parks in the north of the city.
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www.flexijourney.com by Philip Ze ^ 2008-2010
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