IranKnown as the jewel of Central Asia, Iran's cities are packed with gilded mosques and blue-mosaic shrines built in honour of the country's greatest leaders. Its people are generous and its terrain ranges from the sands of the Persian Gulf to the Alburz Mountains in the north. The expert authors give first-hand descriptions of attractions ranging from the exquisite mosques of Isfahan and the museums and palaces of Tehran to remote, spectacular mountain hikes. New maps and up-to-date information on all the basics - hotels, restaurants, businesses and shops - help you to uncover the mysteries of ancient Persepolis, to enjoy a soak and scrub in a local hamam, or to pick up a pair of giveh slippers or a Persian rug in Kirman's bazaar. |
Contents
Background information | 3 |
Practical information | 31 |
The guide | 71 |
Tehran and the Road South | 73 |
West of Tehran Qazvin and Hamadan | 91 |
From Kashan to Esfahan | 109 |
Iran in colour ii | 134 |
The Caspian Region | 139 |
The South Coast | 205 |
En route to Yazd and Kerman | 229 |
To Mashhad and beyond | 251 |
Language | 271 |
Glossary | 273 |
Further information | 276 |
| 280 | |
Tehran metro map | 286 |
Iranian Azerbaijan | 157 |
Shiraz and around | 175 |
Persepolis and the surrounding area | 195 |
Back cover | 288 |
Common terms and phrases
19th-century Achaemenid Ahvaz airport al-Din Arab archaeological architecture Ardabil Ayatollah Azadi Azerbaijan Bagh-e Bandar-e Abbas Bandar-e Anzali bazaar Bradt brick building built caravanserai carpet carved Caspian central centre century chamber complex constructed courtyard decorated dome door east Elamite entrance entry Esfahan excavated famous Farsi Ferdowsi garden Gonbad-e Hamadan historic Hossein Hotel Imam Khomeini Imam Reza Imamzadeh inscription Iran Iranian Islamic Kashan Kerman Khan known located Madrasa main road Mashhad Masjed-e Jame mausoleum Maydan-e mihrab minaret Mohammed mosque mountains Museum Muslim Naqsh-e Nishapur Orumiyeh Pahlavi painted palace Parthian perhaps Persepolis Persian plaster prayer Qajar Qazvin Quran region remains restaurant rials rooms ruler Safavid Sassanid Seljuk Shah Shahid Shiraz shrine Soleyman southeast staircase stay STREET Sufi Tabriz Tappeh taxi Tehran tiles Timurid tomb tower Tourist town traditional village visa visitors walk walls Yazd Zand Zoroastrian