Tehran Province

10 TEHRAN'S MOST POPULAR CITIES

Rank	City	Population
1	Tehran	8,693,706
2	Eslamshahr	448,129
3	Shahriar	309,607
4	Qods	309,605
5	Malard	281,027
6	Golestan	239,556
7	Pakdasht	236,319
8	Qarchak	231,075
9	Varamin	225,628
10	Nasimshahr	200,393

Tehran, Iran's Capital City

If you are interested in big cities and tall buildings Tehran is your destination for your vacation. You can find countless museums and palaces and historical landscapes. There are tall buildings and lots of gardens and natural landmarks.

A Brief History

Tehran is the capital city of Iran and the chief city of Tehran province. The capital is placed center of the province and the province is placed north-central of the country also, it is placed at the foot of the Alborz mountains. Tehran has been the capital of the country for 200 years. Agha Mohammad Khan chose Tehran as its capital. Tehran changed from a small city to a metropolis. It is the most populated city in Iran and one of the biggest cities in the world. Tehran Urban has 14 million inhabitants.

Tehran is an international Iran image and the image is strongly affected by the Iranian revolution in the 1970s. After the Islamic revolution, the international image changed heavily changed. Most of the world knows Tehran as a religious, traditional city. A city that is fighting against modernization and Westernization but, the Iranian picture is different. They know Tehran as a modern, big, and, crowded city. The city's body is young, most of the buildings were built after the mid-1960s, and the population’s mean age is about 31 years. Therefore there is a big gap between traditional cultures old people and young ones also, there is a huge social divide between poor and rich characterize city which is caused tension and social movements during the 20^th century.

Climate and weather

Tehran has a hot and arid climate that is similar to most of Iran. Summers are long but the city is four seasons distinct. The city is placed at foot of the Alborz mountains which prevents Caspian Sea humidity to reach the city. The average temperature of the city is 63 °F (17 °C) with an average annual high of 73 °F (23 °C) and annual lows averaging about 53 °F (12 °C). sometimes extreme hot temperatures can reach 109 °F (43 °C) in summer and extremely cold temperatures can reach 5 °F (−15 °C) in the winter. The city has an annual precipitation of about 10 inches (220 mm) and experiences 46 days long winters.

Like other capitals and big cities, Tehran can be polluted in winters especially. Capital is surrounded by desert in the south and mountains in the north so, you can experience climate diversity in a short distance. The city is growing toward mountains that have cooler summers and more trees and gardens. On other hand you can feel hotter summers in the south due to the existence of dessert and fewer trees can be found. In the 20^th century, transportation gets cheaper and easier therefore north part get integrated.

When to Go to Tehran?

Most travelers to Tehran have educational and work purposes. But Tehran has lots of natural, historical, and entertainment places. Travel to Tehran, like other cities in Iran, has its applicant at any time. But unfortunately, the crowds and traffic of Tehran are constant all year round. But whatever your taste, a trip to Tehran can be satisfying for you. This may be a bit far-fetched with the dirty and crowded face of Tehran, but if you love nature, gardens, and parks, if you are a fan of historical places, if you are a cafe and restaurant lover and you want to experience new and tasty food, if you want to experience a variety of fun and excitement, a trip to Tehran will satisfy you. You can travel to Tehran anytime you want. It is a 24/7 city so; you can find any service (like hotels etc.) that you need.

As I said you can find hot and cold weather at the same time in the Capital. North of the city is tall mountains and have cold weather and south of the city is a desert which can be extremely hot so, it is on your call.

We recommend the fall. The climate in falls is moderate and the trees and, streets are so beautiful. If you are a lucky person, you can feel perfect fall weather without pollution. After fall there is a unique week in the Tehran calendar for traveling which is the first week of spring. There is a traditional new year in Iran that is called Norouz. 90 percent of the people travel during these weeks and they try to visit their relatives. As a result, most of the workers and households leave Tehran for a week at least and the city will be private. The weather is perfect and healthy. So we recommend to you travel to Iran's capital in the first week of spring and fall.

The cost of travel is directly related to the volume of incoming passengers. This means that the more incoming passengers to a city, the higher the cost of travel and accommodation and other travel expenses, so the cheapest time to travel to Tehran is when the number of incoming passengers decreases. But there is a little different about Tehran. Tourists always travel to Tehran but the incoming volume of passengers is lower in summers and winters.

You can find anything you need and want in Tehran in traditional and modern bazaars. There isn't a specific seasonal bazaar in Tehran so, there is no time limit for shopping in Tehran.

Where to Go in Tehran?

Tehran is a lovely metropolis that has tons of parks, gardens, and museums. Here is the list of "Tehran must-see landscapes":

Suburbs villages:

If you want to go somewhere outside of Tehran for fun and entertainment, but you are also wanting to be close to Tehran, you can go to a village around Tehran. These villages are among the best tourist attractions around Tehran and because of the pleasant weather, they can make your day trips the best. It should be noted that access to these areas requires only one to two hours of driving. In the following, we will mention some of the best and most famous villages of Tehran.

Zarin Dasht village

Approximately 40 km south of Firoozkooh and 120 km from Tehran, one of the most pleasant areas around Tehran in the village of Zarrin Dasht. This village is very interesting in terms of tourism and has attracted many tourists. One of the beauties of this village is the Hableh River with its special attractions, and mineral springs such as Khamdeh and Daryabak are other sights. These waters also have very effective healing properties. In spring and summer, colorful fruits can be seen and will delight every tourist. Take a walk away from the worries of the city in its green garden alley and enjoy the clean air of this village.

Abnik village

Another village that you can go to for tourism in one day is Abnik village. This village is one of the green areas and pleasant climate of Shemiranat city, which is one of the attractions of Tehran. To reach this village, you can move 12 km northeast of Fasham and pass through the villages of Zaygan and Lalan to reach this pleasant, beautiful area.

Afjeh village

30 km northeast of Tehran, near the plains of Hoveich and Gerchal and Saka peak, there is a village called Afjeh, which is part of the city of Shemiranat and is one of the attractions of Tehran. The climate of Afjeh village is pleasant in spring and summer and cold in autumn and winter due to its location in the mountainous region of Alborz.

Emameh village

This village is one of the tourist sights which has lots of tourist places like Maziar castle and numerous water springs. This village was one of the old hunting areas in the Qajar era and a well-known summer resort of the kings. If you are interested in hiking and mountain climbing Emameh village is one of your destinations. The village is placed in Shemiranat county.

Klogan Falls

One of the natural and beautiful attractions in Tehran province is Klogan waterfall, which is located in Shemiranat city and is one of the best places to see in Tehran and its suburbs to spend leisure time in spring and summer. The height of the waterfall is about 30 to 40 meters above the ground, which is in the form of a two-floored waterfall. There is a platform in the middle of the waterfall. Also, a small pool has been created at the bottom of the waterfall, which is a great place for swimming.

Darband, the most famous Tehran natural sight

Darband is one of the natural landscapes which is famous in the Iranian community for its great weather. Darband is a hiking way in the shape of steps in Alborz mountains and Shemiranat county. There are beautiful traditional restaurants in this way where you can buy traditional dishes.

National bank museum (Melli bank)

The stone lions in front of the Bank Melli Museum building symbolized the safeguarding of the depositors' assets in the bank, and the thick chains placed in front of the door, between the two stone lions on the platforms, represented the protection of the bank's customers' property.

Behind the stone lions, there is a tall and huge building with which the depressions and ridges of the roof edge remind the viewer of strong castles. Especially since the men ostracized on the facade of the building with bows and spears in their hands have taken over part of the appearance of the building. Stone octopus flowers have penetrated around the edge of the roof and the bottom of the building.

The proposal to establish Bank Melli was first proposed by one of Tehran's merchants. Haj Mohammad Hassan Amin al-Zarb with a bright robe and hat of the Qajar nobles sat in the image of the document in the museum of Bank Melli and the sentences next to his photo inform that he had offered the establishment of the bank to Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar.

Later, with the establishment of constitutionalism, when the government obtained permission from the Islamic Consultative Assembly to borrow abroad, its members called for the establishment of the National Bank to cut off the influence of foreign banks.

In 1311, the National Bank of Iran took over the exclusive printing of banknotes. Almost two years ago, Bank Melli was able to buy the rights to issue banknotes from the Iranian government by paying 200,000 British pounds from the Imperial Bank. Although the Central Bank later became responsible for printing banknotes in the country, the relics of the days when Melli bank printed banknotes are on display windows, and the symbol of Bank Melli Iran is written on the large banknotes of that time.

In this museum, you can find anything related to money and banking such as different types of banknotes, and printing machines.

There are countless museums, parks, restaurants, and historical buildings in Tehran that we can't describe in this article. So, we tried to introduce the most popular among them.

Tamasha Gah Zaman (clock museum)

The whole building is related to the Qajar era. Hossein Khodadad bought the building and add an extra floor 60 years ago. Hossein khodadad loved chank work on the walls so he spent 12 years on this art for his house. a museum that has countless clocks from different eras with different mechanics. Visiting such a museum in spring will fresh you as well as seeing historical clocks are fun.

Tehran museum gardens

One of the attractions of Tehran is that you can go to the museum gardens that exist in this attractive metropolis. In these museum gardens, in addition to cultural tourism, you can also enjoy the beautiful nature gardens. These museums have a different feeling in autumn because most of these museums are located in the old gardens of Tehran, which have old trees, and during this season their land is full of yellow and orange leaves.

Cinema museum

The Cinema museum's building was a school. The museum has been there since 1990. You can find anything related to cinema, series, and, dubbing. The Cinema Museum has these parts:

Pioneers Forum
Middle Hall (Contemporaries)
International Forum
Defae Moghadas (which means holy defense and is related to Iran-Iraq war movies)
Children's exhibition
Theater
The Emperor of the Mansion (Ali Hatami Exhibition)
Exhibition of famous
Exhibition of dubbing and sound
Farhad House
History underpass
Armenian Exhibition

Music museum

The Museum of music is placed near Tajrish square, in Darbandy street. Darbandy street is green and full of tall trees. Music museums are exhibiting anything related to music like instruments, famous people, and, music tracks.

The museum building was a house around 50 years ago. After years the building was repaired and around 20 years ago it became a music museum. The museum has three floors and about 200 instruments of 200 different types. There are different parts in the buildings such as the exhibition hall, audio and video archive, specialized library, and workshop. Also, there are instruments workshops and museum tracks.

The archives of the Music Museum, the first recorded music pages by order of Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar, are available and this archive is one of the richest collections of music in the country. This museum with a very spectacular building and courtyard have a cafe where you can sit for hours and have fun. Some of the instruments have been lent to the Museum of Music, some have been donated to the Museum, and others have been purchased by the Museum. In the instrument hall, there are different types of devices.

What other places of interest can be visited near the Tehran Music Museum?

Garden of the Museum of Iranian Art: 7 minutes walk
Dr. Hesabi Museum House: 7 minutes walk
Museum Time: 20 minute’s walk
Cinema Museum: 15 minutes walk
Saad Abad Palace Historical Complex: 15 minutes drive

Peace museum

It is one of the international branches of the peace museum. The purpose of the peace museum is to show the real face of war and war crimes. Peace museum is placed in Shahr park and its founders are members of the Association for the Protection of Victims of Chemical Weapons.

Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran about 30 years ago. The museum has a special section for Iraq war crimes and uses of chemical weapons against children and women in the Iran-Iraq war.

Other sections of this museum are:

Peace Library
Art Gallery for Peace
workshops
Virtual Museum Section
Oral History Recording Studio

Golestan palace

One of the famous tourist attractions of Tehran is Golestan Palace in Tehran. In this museum, you can enjoy the exterior of the palace, as well as visit the scenic parts inside the museum and have a good day.

Saadat Abad palace

This place is like Golestan palace. There is a royal garden with tall trees and museums. After the revolution Shah royal gardens became museums. Saadat Abad was one of the royal gardens which became a museum. You can see tall trees and some Shah historical buildings and royal stuff.

Niavaran palace

Niavaran Palace is like other palaces. There are old tall trees and historical buildings which will be fun and exciting to visit

Abgineh museum

The building museum is for the Qajar era. Abgineh Museum is a specialized museum of glass and pottery. The word Abgineh means glass in Persian. The building is 110 years old and it was a house for a person called Ahmad Ghavam. It was Egypt embassy for years and after years they try to sell it to the government. Abgineh museum gets repaired by Iranian and Austrian engineers.

The whole building has an Iranian-European architectural character. Windows and doors are related to the Saljoghian era. After the Islamic revolution some mirrors and chank to its ceiling.

Tehran, as one of the largest cities in Iran and the capital of Iran, welcomes every people and nation from all parts of the country, and for this reason, different cultures and traditions have been combined and a lot of diversity has been created. The capital welcomes many tourists every year with open arms, tourists who are all eager to eat the local food of this city.

Famous local Ashes

Ash is Iranian cuisine which looks like soups but there are too different. Ash has lots of local vegetables and different types of beans. There are tons of Ashes in Iran. Tehran has its Ashes too. These are 2 memorable Ashes.

Ash-e-Reshteh

One of the delicious dishes of Tehran is Ash-e-Reshteh which is prepared in most parts of the country and is very popular for cooking a delicious noodle soup of pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils, white beans, noodles, hot onion, hot garlic, hot mint. Eating Ash-e-Reshteh is very pleasant in winters.

Sholeh Ghalamkar

Ghalamkar is also a delicious and popular dish of Tehrani people who use red meat, lentils, wheat, vegetables, pinto beans, onions, mint, and rice to cook it. The method of cooking this Ash is very easy. To cook this Ash, all the beans must be soaked from the night before. Today, most traditional restaurants and tourist areas of Tehran serve this delicious dish.

Dami Boulghor Joo

Another delicious dish of Tehran province is Dami Boulghor Joo, which is one of the oldest and most important dishes in Tehran and was one of the most popular dishes in ancient times and is now served in most traditional restaurants in Tehran.

Dami-boulghor is one of the local dishes of Lavasan, which is cooked with the local vegetables of Table. Dami-boulghor is made from oatmeal, lentils, rice, onions, pinto beans, mint, and water. We suggest you put this food at the top of your cooking list.

Sar Gonjeshki

Sar Gonjeshki is one of the delicious foods that are specific to Tehran province. Tourists who come to Tehran for fun and visit are trying to experience the most delicious Sar Gonjeshki in the capital and enjoy it. Ingredients used in Sar Gonjeshki include minced meat, paste, onion, and savory.

Dampokhtak

Another delicious food of the province that has many fans in the past and now is Dempakhtak. Delicious ingredients that can be used to make a great Dampokhtak are rice, beans, minced meat, saffron. If you travel to Tehran, be sure to try the Dampokhtak once.

Eshkeneh Esphenaj

One of the delicious foods that have colored and decorated the tables of the capital is Eskeneh Esphenaj, which has an excellent and pleasant taste. If you are looking for a delicious meal in Tehran, do not miss eating this food in one of the traditional restaurants, be sure to try it once.

Ingredients used in this food are eggs, sumac, flour, hot onions, potatoes, and spinach. This food is one of the great meals for cold seasons because it protects the body against germs.

Valak Poloo

Local and mountain vegetables give a special taste to food due to their special aroma. Valak is one of these fragrant herbs that grow in the foothills of the mountains around Tehran in the beautiful spring season.

This plant was used a lot due to its antioxidant properties, and for this reason, this type of Valak Poloo was popular among Tehranian. Valak Poloo is a mixture of Valak, vegetables, and rice, which is mostly served with meat and chicken stew.

Gheimeh

Ghimeh stew has second place in Tehran's tablecloths and has its fans in formal gatherings and parties. Tehrani people use red meat, chickpeas, tomatoes, lemons, and fried potatoes to cook delicious Gheimeh. In the months of Muharram and Safar, the people of Tehran distribute Gheimeh as a free meal for needy people.

Ghormeh Sabzi

Ghormeh Sabzi is popular not only in Tehran but also, all over Iran. This food is for formal parties and celebrations and is one of the most popular dishes among Iranian families. To cook this delicious dish, they use meat, pinto beans, fried vegetables, Amani lemon, and special spices.

Lobia Poloo

Another famous and popular dish of the Tehrani people is Lobia Poloo, which is cooked in the green bean season. Of course, today, due to the freezers, we can cook beans in any season we want. Ingredients used to cook a great and delicious Lobia Poloo are green beans, rice, red meat, onions, turmeric, salt, and oil and paste.

The meat of this food is preferably mutton, and if you want your food to be very tasty, you can add cinnamon to rice, and also angelica and saffron give a wonderful flavor and aroma to your food.

Tahchin Firoz Kooh

Iranians have a special part of food which is called Tahdig and Tahchin. When we are cooking rice we put some extra bread and rice at the bottom of the dish. This bread and rice become crispy which makes it fun to eat.

Like other cities, The capital has its souvenir too. Let's take a look at Tehran souvenirs.

Damavand apple

If you spend your summer in Damavand, it is sad to leave Damavand without buying a few kilos of apples. The apples produced this season are known by the names of Shafiabad, Gulab, Aimeg Almasi, Kohnz, and Ghandak, which we are sure you are hearing for the first time. In autumn, Damavand apples have different varieties that contain Shemirani, Golshahi, Abbasi Mashhad, Daryan, and Akhlamad apples.

Abali Doogh

When you arrive in Abali, you will notice the local doughs that are arranged outside the supermarkets and shops. We suggest that you do not simply skip it at all and be sure to try this delicious dough.

Painted leather

A valuable souvenir that is a relic left from the Qajar period in this city and is one of the famous handicrafts that is specific to the city of Tehran. In general, it can be noted that Tehran is a good city to buy all kinds of handicrafts.

Shahriar raisin

Shahriar is the best region for producing fruits and products such as beets and cereals due to its good climate. But if you travel to Shahriar in the summer or in Tehran, you see the green raisin of Shahriar without delay and without a doubt, buy a few kilos of it and you can be sure that you will not regret it.

Glaj

Firooz Kooh Glaj bread is another souvenir of Tehran province. This delicious bread is popular among the tribes of Firoozkooh and you can prepare its original bread from them. This tasty and healthy bread in the refrigerator lasts up to a month. Glaj bread is very nutritious due to the fresh raw materials.

Darband Lavashak

Darband, in addition to a pleasant atmosphere, excursions, and entertainment, is a good place to buy lavashak, which are among the most delicious souvenirs that you can take with you from your trip to Tehran. Lavashak is a fruit-based snack that has a sour taste and it can be found in different colors.

TEHRAN CITY