Tehran

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Tehran (also spelled Teheran) (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.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By car 2.4 By bus 3 Get around 3.1 By bus 3.2 By metro 3.3 By taxi 4 See 4.1 Museums 4.2 A1one Graffiti 5 Do 5.1 Ski 5.2 Bazaar 5.3 Malls 6 Learn 7 Money 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 10 Drink 11 Sleep 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid-range 11.3 Splurge 12 Contact 12.1 Telephone 12.2 Internet 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out

[edit] Understand

Tehran is a cosmopolitan city, with great museums, parks, restaurants, warm friendly people and the chance to watch the daily life of Tehranis, it deserves at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary.

Tehran has also earned itself the rather unenviable reputation as a smog-filled, traffic-clogged and featureless sprawl of concrete housing bursting at the seams with 14 million residents. But, guided by the right guides, you can find an endless number of nice and cosy places in and around the city. Tehran is also a city of parks and possesses more than 800 well-kept parks.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

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. Also, Iran Air has recently started a flight from Caracas via Damascus.

Tehran's Mehrabad airport is the old pre-revolution airport and is being replaced with the new Imam Khomeini International Airport, but most western airlines still fly to Mehrabad. The old airport is located relatively close to the city center and the abundant taxis are definitely the best way to get to the city. There is a booth organizing taxis for you right outside the arrivals hall.

[edit] By train

There is a three-day train journey going from Istanbul to Tehran for around 50 Euros. You change trains during the journey, the Iranian trains seemed to be a lot more comfortable, clean and pleasant during the long journey.

[edit] By car

[edit] By bus

Almost every city and far-flung village in Iran has bus services to Tehran, 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:

• The Western bus terminal (Terminal-e-gharb) is the biggest, busiest and best equipped of Tehran's terminals. Most international buses, as well as those heading to the Caspain sea region and destinations west of Tehran originate and terminate here. The terminal is ten minute walk north-west from Azadi Square, and a few minutes walk west from the Tehran (sadaghieh) metro station.
• The Eastern bus terminal (Terminal-e-shargh), seven kilometres north-west of Emam Hossein square, handles buses to / from Khorasan province, as well a small number of services to the north.
• The Southern bus terminal (Terminal-e-jonoob) is well equipped and unsurprisingly handles buses head to and from destinations south of Tehran. It is 2 km east of Tehran's main train station and easily accessible via the dedicated Terminal-e-jonoob metro stop.
• The Central bus terminal (Terminal-e-arzhantin) is located beside Arzhantin Square, around 1.5 km south-west of the Mossallah metro stop. (Frequent shared taxis to/from the metro should be no more than IR 1,000). The station has services to /from most major destinations in Iran including Mashhad, Esfahan, Rasht, Shiraz, Tabriz and Yazd.

[edit] Get around

Getting around traffic-clogged, sprawling Tehran 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.

[edit] By bus

Tehran has an expansive but confusing bus network. Tickets (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 enough at a bus terminal; a local will surely stop to help. Each bus line has a certain and almost invariable path but there are only people, who are regulary familiar with the lines, exactly know where bus stations exist for a certain path. You shouldn't expect a map or a guidance even in Persian showing the bus network or bus stations. Perhaps even asking the bus driver wouldn't help you much to find your way. If you get in a bus and looking for a certain station to alight, ask one to help you. Mostly you will find many people wish to help you to find your way.

[edit] By metro

Tehran's new metro system [1] 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.

There are currently three lines (rather strangely numbered 1, 2 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 are double signed in English, but announcements are in Persian only. Trains run every ten minutes (25 minutes on holidays) from around 6.30 am until 10.00 pm every day.

Tickets (IR 750) are valid for one trip (including interchanges) and can be bought from ticket booths at every station. The Tehran 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.

[edit] By taxi

As with the rest of the country private and shared taxis abound in Tehran, although you may find flagging down a shared taxi more difficult amid the traffic and chaos, and private taxis are more expensive than in the smaller cities. See the Get Around information on Iran for details on flagging a taxi. If getting about by shared taxi, your best bet is to hop from square to square, drivers will be reluctant to pick you up if your shouted destination deviates too much from their route. Currently in each square you would find certain places where the private taxis are lined up in a queue and drivers call for passengers to a destination. It is mostly happening in the time 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, except 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 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM). All these depend upon finding their regular station in the square. You may also ask them to alight sooner than destination wherever you like but you have to pay their total fee up to destination. To get a clue, the cost of such a ride from Azadi square to Vanak Square has recently been 5,000 Rls (500 Tomans) for each person. Most drivers are very poor at English.

Motorcycle taxis are a Tehran 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. Keep in mind motor taxi operators are even more suicidal than the average Tehran driver, agree on a price before you take off and expect to pay slightly less than chartering a private taxi.

[edit] See

• The US Den of Espionage (Taleghani St; Metro: Taleghani) is all that remains of the US embassy in which 66 American citizens were held hostage for over a year; a major embarrassment that is believed to have cost President Carter his reelection. You'll know you've arrived when you ascend the steps from Taleghani metro station and are confronted with the words "Down with the USA" painted on its wall. The compound walls are now decorated with typically anti-US paintings depicting the evils of the "Great Satan" and you can still make out a somewhat battered national crest on the front gate. A bookshop near the metro station sells copies of shredded documents found at the embassy--outlining coup plots, CIA agent covers and other James Bondish details--that were laboriously glued back together by Tehrani students. The building was opened to visitors during March 2005 as the "US Democracy Fair", but appears to have closed again. Keep an eye out in case it re-opens.
• If you want to drool over some truly excessive wealth, take a look at the Treasury of the National Jewels (Ferdosi St, near the corner of Jomhuriyeh Eslami Ave; Metro: Saadi; look for the heavy iron gate and rife wielding guards beside the Central Bank). For the IR 30,000 admission fee you'll get to see a collection of some of the most expensive jewels in the world. Highlights include the world's largest uncut ruby, the world's largest pink diamond (the Sea of Light) and a free standing golden globe made from 34 kilograms of gold and an astounding 51,366 precious stones. An informative IR 6,000 information book is available at the ticket counter.
• The National Museum of Iran [2] has ceramics, stone figures and carvings dating all the way back to around the 5th millenium BC.
• The gigantic Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini (Metro: Haram-e-Motahar) is on the southern edge of the city. The sheer size of the shrine / shopping center is enough to make the trip worth it. Entrance to the actual mausoleum is free.

[edit] Museums

• Golestan Palace, [3], the oldest of the historic monuments in Tehran.
• Niavaran Palace, [4]
• Kolahstudio-an Art Basement, [5]
• Sa'd Abad Gallery of Fine Arts, [6]
• Glassware Museum of Tehran, [7]
• Iran's National Rug Gallery, [8]
• Reza Abbasi Museum, [9]
• Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, [10]
• Tehran Theater of the Performing Arts (Te'atr e Shahr)
• Talar Vahdat Theater
• National Museum of Iran, [11]
• Darabad Museum of Natural History
• Saadabad Palace, [12](Persian site).
• Time Museum, Evolution of time-measurement instruments. Located in Farmaniye district, north of Tehran
• Money Museum, Coins and banknotes from different historic periods. Located in Mirdamad street.
• National Arts Museum, Located in Baharestan district.

[edit] A1one Graffiti

A1one (aka Alonewriter, tanha)graffitis and street art works are a sort of intresting stuff in tehran's Urban Space. A famous local graffiti artist at the center of controversy about whether his work is art or vandalism. You can see his early works on the Tehran-Karaj Expressway, on the southern side walls UP in Ekbatan and Apadana districts, and a more recent stencil is located on the entrance of the Saba Art Institute.

[edit] Do

[edit] Ski

• Take a ride up the Tochal gondola lift (تله‌کابین توچال) on the northern outskirts of the city. Tickets range from IR 10,000 to IR 50,000 depending on how far up the mountain you want the telecabin to whisk you. If you're poor and energetic, you can simply hike all the way up, or just start walking and hop on the telecabin at the next station when you get tired. If you're going to the top, you may want to bring a jacket, even in summer, at over 4,000 metres the summit is chilly. To Tochal, take the Metro line 1 to Mirdamad, then bus line 33 for 25 minutes to Tajrish Square (ask the driver to let you off at Meidan Tajrish). If you visit on a holiday when Tehranis flock to the mountain, you should be able to jump in a shared taxi to the telecabin entry gate for IR 4,000 otherwise charter one privately. From the entry gate a minibus service (IR 1,500) will take you to the base station.
• The Darband chair lift is an alternative to the one at Tochal. Taxis to Darband go from Tajrish Square.
• For Skiers a ride to the Dizin Ski Resort is a must do! Iran's best ski area, Dizin, is located in the Alborz mountains north of Tehran. Driving time is about 2.5 hours from the capital city. The road to Dizin is of a good quality but four wheel drive or chains are required for the last 10 or 12 km ( 6 or 7 miles) when there's snow - which is frequently the case. Dizin ski amenities includes two hotels, 19 cottages and 5 restaurants, The ski activity in Dizin complex is not confined to winter season.[13]

[edit] Bazaar

• Wander around Tehran's massive bazaar (بازار) in the city's south (Metro: Panzdah-e-khordad). The main entrance on 15 Khordad Ave leads to a labyrinth of stalls and shops that were once the engine room of Iran's commodity markets and one of Imam Khomeini's greatest sources of conservative, pro-Revolution support. As usual shops are clustered according to the products they sell. If you're planning on heading out into remote areas, the bazaar is an ideal and cheap place to stock up on almost anything you need.

[edit] Malls

• Shopping in numerous shopping malls almost every where in the city. Valiasr street and Tajrish square (Also includes a traditional bazaar) are just two of the many locations full of shopping centers in Tehran.

[edit] Learn

• Amir Kabir University of Technology, [14]
• K.N.Toosi University of Technology, [15]
• Iran University of Science and Technology[16]
• Shahid Beheshti University
• Sharif University of Technology, [17]
• University of Tehran,[18]

It is easy to find work in Tehran, but you must have a university diploma to be applicable for jobs.Although there is some inflation, most of the people in Tehran have good and well paying jobs.

[edit] Money

Apparently most ATM's in Iran DO NOT accept foreign (non-Iranian cards) except some which accept cards from arab state banks, so bring all the money you might need in cash, preferably in USD although Euros should also work. Once in Iran, changing your money to Rials should not be a problem. You can always check the latest rate beforehand at Xe for instance.

Be aware that prices in Iran are quoted in tomans, a thousand tomans is equivalent to one of those ten thousand Rials bills. You will soon get used to this. Iranians are also sometimes prone to state prices in thousands of tomans, saying "four" when they mean four thousand tomans or forty thousand rials.

[edit] Buy

For those staying in southern Tehran, there is a cluster of private money changing offices offering reasonable rates on Ferdosi St, just south of Jomhuriyeh Eslami St. Most will change US dollars, pounds, euros and yen. Lone moneychangers who stand on street corners whispering "Dollar, dollar" are expert hustlers and not worth risking. Central branches of most banks are also south of these offices.

• Melli Iran Exchange Co. on Ferdosi Street (closer to Khomeini Square) offers a better rate than the ones further up the street.

Those looking to stock up on computer software--copied, but legal thanks to Iran's refusal to sign up to the Bern Convention--can start looking at the computer bazaar on the corner of Jomhuriyeh Eslami Ave and Haafez St. 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 "Computer Capital" at intersection of Vali-e-Asr and Mirdamad, a 7 storey modern complex filled with computer equipments but also latest pirated copies of every software imagineable.The prices at "bazaar reza" (at charrah-e-vali-asr) are usually less . In both these bazars 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 Programming" 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 .

[edit] Eat

[edit] Budget

• Some of the best of Iran's ubiquitous felafels are to be found sizzling away in stalls on 15 Khordad Ave, across the road from the bazaar. The cost greatly depends upon lots of aspects but there you should expect like 3,000-5,000 Rls(300-500 Tomans) for such a budget type meal.
• The Iranian Traditional Restaurant (Agha Bozorg) on 28 Keshavarz Blvd offers great and cheap dizi (2500 tomans). Afterwards there is the option to sit back with a flavored Qalyan water pipe and people-watch the Iranians who gather in this place.
• You can find several food courts around Tehran with a variety of cuisines from Thailand, India, Italy, China and Turkey.
• Note that the Jaam-e-Jam food court at the moment only sports an Italian restaurant, a Boof branch and a coffee shop. You can find western import products in several stores underneath however.
• Maybe the only place to get local vegetarian food (as well as non-vegetarian) is the Firouzeh Hotel, [19]. There they offer you different kinds of very delicious, home-made meals with fresh vegetables and local spices for reasonable prices.
• Boof is a fast food chain serving burgers etc, similar to McDonalds.
• Kabab joints are frequent

[edit] Mid-range

• For a somewhat exhilarating experience, head to Armenian Club on 68 Khark Street, corner France Ave. Almost like walking into another world (or country rather) you will be surprised to see women not wearing their hejab, which they can choose not to as it is a Christian establishment - for non-muslims only however.
• Try Khayam Restaurant just some meters from Khayam Metro Station. It is the one on the street right opposite to the Mosque. A no-limits evening of a chef kabab with rice and drink - and qalyan pipe, tea and sweets for dessert will set you back around 120000 Rials in total. Worth it.

• <eat name="Coffee Shop & Veggie Restaurant of Iranian Artists' Forum" alt="" address="Baghe Honarmandan, Moosavie Str, Taleghani Ave." directions="just behind the Den of Espionage (former US Embassy)inside the Iranian Artists' Forum building" phone="+98 21 88310462" email="" fax="" url="" hours="" price="">Fantastic place to stock up on those much needed vegetables. The menu is pure veg and very, very good. Also, great coffees and desserts at very reasonable prices. Nice outdoor area as well.</eat>

[edit] Splurge

• Many locals regard the upper class Alborz Restaurant, Nikoo Ghadam Alley (North Sohrevardi Avenue), 876 1907 or 876 0629 (fax: +98 21 876 03 48), open everyday (very popular on week end lunchtimes) as the best chelo kababi in Tehran, if not Iran. With delicious and generous meals that will easily put a IR 120,000 dint in your wallet, you'd want it to be. Definitely worth a splurge.

[edit] Drink

For all you coffee-starved travellers through Iran (or the soon to be coffee-starved if Tehran is your first port of call in the country) you'll be glad to find the string of coffee shops 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.

A few doors west of these shops is a delightful coffee shop next to Hotel Naderi. 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.

• A visit to Sanaee Coffee Shop on Sanaee Street, 13th Street is definitely worth it for their absolutely fabulous chocolate milkshakes.

• Many places you can find fresh sickly-sweet carrot juice - as well as some other juices - for just 500 tomans a cup.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Budget

Amir Kabir Street near Khomeini square offers accommodation options for the budget-minded. Expect to pay around 50 000 Rials (5000 tomans/roughly 5USD) for a tiny single.

• <sleep name="Firouzeh Hotel" alt="" address="Dolat Abadi Alley, Amir Kabir Street" directions="" phone="+98 21 33113508" email="info@firouzehhotel.com" fax="="+98 21 33113508" url="http://www.firouzehhotel.com" checkin="" checkout="" price="Rooms from 100,000 Rial">Good hotel with friendly owner, who is a good source for information, especially regarding embassies and visas. Great place for breakfast, tea and meeting other travelers. Internet available.</sleep>

• <sleep name="Hotel Khazar Sea" alt="" address="12 Ohady Alley, Amir Kabir Street" directions="" phone="+98 21 33113860" email="" fax="" url="" checkin="" checkout="" price="60,000 Rial for a single and 80,000 Rial for a double room | shared bathroom facilities">Very friendly place and relaxed atmosphere around quiet courtyard</sleep>

[edit] Mid-range

[edit] Splurge

• Simorgh Hotel (on Valiasr Street near Saei Park). [20] Cheapest rooms currently USD 139. Nice location on cosmopolitan upmarket section of Valiasr St. Saei Park is almost next door and a beautiful green oasis in a deep valley. Hotel was once the Miami Hotel, and on the top floor is still the Miami Restaurant. Excellent food - try the strogen (sturgeon) fish kebabs, and the chicken cordon bleu. Rooms are comfortable and well equipped. Business centre with (slow) internet. Terrific indoor pool with separate bathing times for men and women.

[edit] Contact

[edit] Telephone

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 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.

[edit] Internet

• Ferdosi Coffee Net (Enghelab Ave, a few doors east of Ferdosi Square) is hard to find (look for the small sign plastered to a building) has two banks of computers for IR 8,000 an hour.
• Pars Net is one of south Tehran's hottest coffee nets, dishing up reasonable speed for IR 9,000 an hour. It is on the eastern side of Ferdosi St, between Jomhuiyeh Eslami Ave and Enghelab Ave, across from the British embassy. They also provide fax and long distance phone services.
• Another place in Tehran's south is the Coffee net Firouzeh which you find in the nice and very friendly Firouzeh Hotel. [21] They charge you IR 8,000 an hour.
• Iranian Trade Center around Valiasr Square offers several internet cafes (coffee nets) lined up.

[edit] Stay safe

Tehran 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.

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 that target Esfahan's tourists have also found their way to Tehran 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 is very dangerous and should be considered some of the worlds worst.

Gay and Lesbian travellers should be extremely careful when travelling to Tehran (if not avoid visiting at all) due to the Death Penalty being imposed on homosexuals (though quite dubious in actual practice). If a tourist is found to be a homosexual the government immediately deports them.

[edit] Cope

The traffic in Tehran is horrendous. To get a break from it head to the parks in the north of the city. Jamshidieh Park which is located in the Niavaran district at the base of the Kolakchal Mountain, is one of the most picturesque and beautiful parks in Tehran. Mellat Park in Valiasr street is one of the largest recreation areas in the Middle-East. Niavaran Park is one of Tehran's famous and most pleasant public city parks. It is located within the Niavaran district and is situated immediately south of the Niavaran Palace Complex.

[edit] Get out

• If the hustle and bustle of Tehran becomes too much, it's possible to go to the Caspian Sea for a day or two. The holiday town of Ramsar is about five hours away, and the drive across the Alborz Mountains is spectacular. A taxi round-trip for a day shouldn't set you back more than IR 500,000 (ask for taxis near Azadi Square).
• Namakabrud villa city and gondola lift in beautiful green coasts of Caspian sea in the northern Iran is about 4.5 hours away.
• Qom is about two hours away from Tehran by bus an One hours by Car [120Km].