Tehran is a modern metropolis with a traditional side known for welcoming different cultures, ethnicities and nationalities into its loving arms.The city, which bustling with life during the day and peacefully calm at night, is the center of cultural, educational, economic, political and social activities and a place home to countless historical mosques, churches, synagogues and Zoroastrian fire temples. Tehrān is surrounded by mountains, making it a popular destination for skiers in the Middle East who flock to the six marvelous ski resorts (Shemshak, Dizin, Darband-Sar, Tochal, Ab-Ali, and Khor) in and around the city to enjoy the fresh, untouched powder. The dry, light snow of these resorts has become an addiction for many skiers. Tehrān may be the city of high-rise buildings, chic restaurants, gardens, graffiti art and lights that shine bright in the dark of the night but it’s the warmth and hospitality of its inhabitants and the diversity of its
Top Attractions
What to DO?
Walking on Tehran Streets
Walking
In Tehran, some districts consisting of tall trees, wide sidewalks and stone paved are proper for whose like walking, especially in the evening and night.
Enghelab Street is known for the number of books on sale. Literature, science, religion, travel, art, photography, languages, etc will be available, at the best prices. Antique and manuscript books are also for sale in specialty shops Tehran University is also located in this street.
Vali-e Asr Street
Vali-e Asr street (Pahlavi street) is the longest tree-lined street in Tehran and in the Middle-East with 17.9 km of length beginning from Railway square (Rah Ahan Square) in the middle southern to Tajrish square in Shemiranat district(northern). This street possesses side walk, a wide ditch and about 11000 Plane trees in the two side. The street is traditional center of shopping and two large parks of Mellat and Saei placed in Tehran.
Si Tir Street:
Culture, Religion, and Food
Si Tir is one of t oldest streets which was called Ghavam al-Saltaneh in the past. The street is home to valuable ancient works and has been known as Adyan street since the location of Saint Peters Church, Haim Synagogue and Adrian Fire Temple.
Si Tir street is also center of street food diversity and 24 hours’ dynamic life. Street food divided in to 20 fixed food stalls and 5 to 10 food trucks.
Tehran Nighlife
NightLife
Tehran Nighlife
Many Places attracts more at night in comparison to the day including: Cafes and Restaurants, hipster cafes like Café Nazdik, Sam Café, Lamiz Café, Café Cinema, Bam-e Tehran, Tabiat Bridge, Laleh Park, Darband, Si-Tir Street, Darband, Chitgar Lake, etc.
Chitgar Lake
Chitgar artificial lake is one of the natural attraction of Tehran as well as the greatest artificial lake in Iran. The recreational complex allocated 130 hectares to the lake from the total area of 250 hectares. The most attractive and modern sections around the lake is wave construction located in the southern side of the lake. Boating, biking, hiking and fishing are recreational activities in this area.
Bam-e-Tehran
Bam-e-Tehran (Roof of Tehran) enjoys a magnificent landscape and the best walking hill in north of Tehran, which is one of the passages to the Tochal peak. The walking road has a mild slope which makes it suitable for walking at any age. Bam enjoys an eye-catching landscape especially when the lights are off at night. Bam complex consists of entertanments such as Escaperoom, 5-D cinema, VR, Sledges and Chairlift.
Darband
Darband is proper for getting fresh air, walking beside the river and catching the spirit of Tehran nights. This region is the main path to climb the Central Alborz mountains with 1700 m distance from the sea level and is the most significant point are Darband, Sarband square and 3 m height mountaineer statue which has been as one of Tehran symbols. Other attractions of this district include Imamzadeh Ebrahim, Tehran Sled, Abshar Dogholu, and Shirpala shelter.
Tabiat Bridge
Tabiat Bridge is a three-story bridge in Tehran, planned by the young Iranian architect, Leila Araghian, won the Aga Khan Architecture Award in 2016, which is the largest non-automobile bridge in Iran and the Middle East. It visualizes a vivid perspective, connecting two beautiful parks. Provide hiking opportunities for lovers.
Entertainments in Tehran
Entertainment
Entertainments divide in two categories of cultural activities and entertainment centers, which brings the most desirable times for the visitors.
Iranshahr Theatre
Teatr-e Shahr
Vahdat Hall
Tehran Cinemas
Milad Tower
Azadi Sport Complex
Tehran Sourtmeh
Eram Park
Birds Garden
Jurassic Park
Milad Tower
Milad Tower is the 6th tallest tower in the world and the tallest building in Tehran, which is a multipurpose building, became a new symbol of Tehran. In addition to its eyecatching landscape, some business activities and entertainment events held in Tehran.
Azadi Sport Complex
Azadi sport complex is the largest sport complex in Iran located in the west side of Tehran. The area is almost 460 hectares of which is allocated about 145 hectares to the forest, 45 hectares to the ornamental grass and 8 hectares to the sport field. The complex consists of facilities including Olympic hotel, dormitory, clinic and fire station.
Tehran Cinemas
The Iranian film industry has greatly evolved in recent years, and Iranian films are now making numerous appearances on the international scene. Some of the Cineplex in Tehran are:
Mellat Gallery and Cineplex
Kourosh Cineplex
Charsou Cineplex
Azadi Cinema Complex
Arg Cineolex
Megamall Cineplex
Iranshahr Theatre
Iranshahr theater is neighbored by the Artists Park, which consists of two halls named Samandarian Hall and Nazer Zadeh Kermani.
City Theater (Teatr-e Shahr)
City theater is the largest amphitheater in Iran, constructed in the year 1967. The complex enjoys a beautiful design and is among the Iran cultural heritage. Primarily, it was constructed in the main hall in the case that it is already consisting of five halls. As well the complex is neighbored by Daneshjoo Park which enjoys a beautiful stone paved.
Vahdat Hall
Vahdat Hall is allocated for music concert, Orchestra group and theater play inspired by construction of Vienna State Opera in the year 1967. The stage consists of 4 various sections. The front section is allocated to the performance and 2 side and backward sections are allocated to the Mise-en-scène with the horizontal circulation potential and changeable height.
ٍٍEram Amusement park
Eram park is located on 4th kilometer of Tehran-Karaj Road, which was constructed in 1971. The features an eight-hectare lake and three playgrounds called Luna Park 1, 2 and 3, along with 70 kinds of amusement equipment and a Zoological Garden. The zoo is home to more than 800 animals from 111 different species, diversity and variety of leisure, educational and cultural facilities.
About Tehran City

Classical Era
Tehrān is situated within the historical region of Media (Mada) in northwestern Iran. By the time of the Median Empire, a part of the territory of present-day Tehrān was a suburb of the prominent Median city of Rhages. Rhages’s modern-day inheritor, Rey, is a city located towards the southern end of Tehrān, which has been absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehrān.
Medieval Period
During the reign of the Sassanian Empire, in 641, Yazdgerd III issued his last appeal to the nation from Rhages, before fleeing to Khorāsān. When the Arabs captured Rhages, they ordered the town to be destroyed and rebuilt a new. In July 1404, Castilian ambassador Ruy González de Clavijo visited Tehrān while on a journey to Samarkand, the capital of Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, who ruled Iran at the time. In his diary, Tehrān was described as an unwalled region.
Modern Era
Italian traveler Pietro della Valle passed through Tehrān overnight in 1618, and in his memoirs, he mentioned the city as Taheran. English traveler Thomas Herbert entered Tehrān in 1627, and mentioned it as Tyroan. Herbert stated that the
city had about 3,000 houses. In the early 18 th century, Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty ordered a palace and a government office to be built in Tehrān, possibly to declare the city his capital; but he later moved his government to Shirāz. Eventually, Qajar king Agha Mohammad Khan chose Tehrān as the capital of Iran in 1776. On June 2, 1907, the parliament passed a law on local governance known as the Baladie (municipal law), providing a detailed outline on issues such as the role of councils within the city, the members’ qualifications, the election process, and the requirements to be entitled to vote.
The then Qajar monarch Mohammad Ali Shah abolished the constitution and bombarded the parliament with the help of the Russiancontrolled Cossack Brigade on June 23, 1908. During World War II, Soviet and British troops entered the city. In 1943, Tehrān was the site of the Tehrān Conference, attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Handicrafts
Stained Glass
Handicrafts
Stained Glass
Is an artistic craft for decorating the windows of buildings. It is completely geometric, and in some cases is used instead of metal rod.
Glass Blowing
Handicrafts
Glass Blowing
Is applied to make kinds of utensils such as pots, by blowing melt glass to obtain the final shape.
Pottery Wares
Handicrafts
Entering the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, you will be lucky to see various types of pottery. Known as the oldest craft throughout the world, all pottery wares are made from various types of clay. Pottery represents the first artistic and industrial creations of mankind created from the excavation of natural resources to satisfy their primary needs. Over the centuries, the basic materials and even their usage has not changed much.
In modern times, pottery is rarely used for the plumbing and industrial purposes originally employed in ancient cities. However, pottery is still a big part of Iranian culture. Jugs, cups, plates and bowls of all shapes and sizes, decorative tiles, and even pots can be seen in both the bazaar and inside local households. One of Iran’s most classic and famous dishes, Dizi, a mixture of meat, broth, beans and veggies, is cooked inside a classic Dizi pot. In general, anything cooked, prepared, or served within pottery will have its own unique taste and feel.
Aside from practical uses, most pottery today is made for decorative purposes. The pottery found commonly in bazaars are usually painted with vibrant colors, attracting the eyes of anyone looking their way. However, turquoise is the most common and popular color used since ancient times. Various shades of turquoise are blended together to create a new and distinctive pattern. There are also variety of themes present on most pieces. One of the most common themes is something called The Lady Sun (khor-shid kha-noom), a round faced, black haired, thick-eyebrowed women representing the energy and warmth of the sun. Other themes include birds, fishes and various natural sceneries. Overall, the size, convenience and price of various pottery pieces make them excellent choices for gifts and souvenirs.
Where to Eat
where to eat?
Where to Eat
Tehran is home to many international-style cuisine and traditional (in decoration, cooking and style) Iranian restaurants. Fine dining and more world-class restaurants and chefs have also found a place in the last decade. Café culture also started developing in the Middle East, from Arabia to Turkey and Persian speaking countries then thrived in Iran, especially in Tehran. Two types of café culture are throughout Tehran including traditional cafés dating back to the 16th century, and modern cafés based on Italian and French styles. Playing backgammon and chess are two favorites of the Middle Eastern café lifestyle.
From Enqelab Square to Valiasr Intersection
Where to Eat
Since the existence of the main university, educational centers, the main book stores, the main amphitheater, three cinemas, etc. Enqelab Square to Valiasr intersection has been significant. In this regard, the region is known as the densest district of Tehran by comprising various restaurants, cafes, fast food restaurants, bakery, confectioneries, etc.
Tehran Food Courts
Where to Eat
Tehran modern shopping centers are equipped with food courts. Lots of cafes and restaurants exist in the floors of shopping centers with variety and diversity of decoration according to each taste.
Tehran food courts is listed in the following:
- Palladium Food Court
- Arg Shopping Center
- Milad Tower Food Court
- Enghelab Food Court
- Negin Zafar Shopping Mall
- Melal Foodland
- Hyper Star Food Court
- Golden Food Court
- Tabi’at Food Court
- Kourosh Food Court
- Charsou Food Court
- Aren Food Court
- Yas Food Court
- Sana Food Court
Eating in Nature
Where to Eat
Iranian traditional and local food could be tried in Darband, Farahzad, Darakeh, Kuhsar and Bame Tehran including natural restaurants. Traditional garden restaurants made these regions as the main place according to the season such as cooked faba beans, boiled beetroots, fruit leather, plums and walnuts.
Where to Stay
Shopping
Traditional Shopping Centers
Modern Shopping Centers
Transportation
Airports
Transportation
Imam Khomeini International Airport
IATA: IKA, ICAO: OIIE, is the main international airport located in 30 kilometers southwest of Tehran enjoying an area of 13,500 hectares. After Mehrabad and Mashhad Airport; it ranked the 3rd place in terms of total passenger traffic. The airport is under supervision of the Iran Airports Company and is one of the home bases for Iran’s international airlines, such as, Iran Air Airline, Mahan Airline, Aseman Airlines, and etc.
Mehrabad International Airport
Tehran Mehrbad International Airport (IATA: THR, ICAO: OIII), is the oldest airports in operation since the late 1930s and it became well known a decade later. The only airport in Tehran is utilized for international and domestic passenger traffic before 2007. Currently, Mehrabad is the main airport for domestic flights and is still the busiest airport in Iran in terms of passenger traffic and aircraft movements, handling nearly 18 million passengers a year.
Taxi
Transportation
Taxi
In Tehran, there are two types of taxi services – route and agency. Everyone could choose route taxis to save money.
Route taxis ride in densely populated areas along major routes. Green and yellow cars with taxi signs pick up passengers along the way. The taxi agency is another convenient way to order a car by phone.
Online Taxi
After the successful presence of systems such as UBER in the world, similar samples began to emerge in Iran, such as Snapp, Tap30, and Carpino. Passengers can also locate their driver’s position and could pay both by credit or cash.
Shuttle Taxi
Most intercity (from one city to another) shared taxi stations are easy to spot. Shared taxi is a common way of getting around Iran. They are typically smaller than buses and usually take people on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, but instead departure, when all seats are filled.
Bus
Transportation
Bus System
Bus system is one of the major public transportation services in Tehran and suburban cities. The bus fare is distinguished in various routes and could be either paid by e-cards or cash. Tehran Bus Company make it accessible by offering various electronic services including routing system, bus travel timetable.
Common buses come in many colors, such as blue, yellow, pink or white.
BRT Buses
BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system is one of the other public transportation services in Tehran with features such as rapid transit, short waiting time, accessibility and proper facilities. The buses enjoy GPS and covers 10 lines of the whole city from the north to south, east to west, which provide services 24 hours a day. Payment is normally made at the entrance of the bus station by a card.
Metro
Transportation
Metro System
Subway system is the largest inter-city public transportation system in service for people which connects many districts in Tehran. Tehran subway system is active by consisting of 7 main lines with 189 kilometers and 107 stations. Already, Tehran freight subway transfers over 3 million passengers in average by enjoying 1,000 wagons. E-ticket or single ticket would be available in ticket offices in all stations or through ticket machines by using credit cards in order to use subway system. Single tickets are used just once in a trip, which is 12,000, 12,000 and 90,000 IRR for inter-city, suburban and Imam Khomeini Airport, respectively. Passengers using credit cards could save over 60% in their trip. Each of the e-tickets is 50,000 or 70,000 IRR and chargeable up to 500,000 IRR. E-tickets could be used by three various groups of passengers including those using inter-city, suburban and Imam Khomeini Airport subway systems.
Whats On?
Tehran International Book Fair
Event
Tehran International Book Fair
Date : 24 Apr-04 May 2019
Venue : Imam Khomeini Musalla
Enjoying a quarter-century experience, Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) is a great cultural event in which publishers from all over the world along with a large number of domestic participants take part to exhibit their new titles in different subject areas. That makes the latest quality collection of books available to the educated and professional communities in the country. In addition to publishers and distributors, librarians with library equipments, governmental and private cultural institutes, experts on Iranian publications suitable for international communities, and cultural sections of international organizations and foreign embassies in Tehran participate in the Fair and introduce their products and the manifestations of their fields of interest.
This cultural event, scheduled in May every year, has been sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the last 31 years. However, in the recent years, publishers’ associations and unions have played a key role in managing the national division of the Fair.
Timings : 09:00 AM-06:00 PM
Website : www.tibf.ir/en
Fajr International Film Festival
Festivals
Fajr International Film Festival
Date :18th - 26th April 2019
Founded in 1982, Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) is Iran’s largest annual film festival held in Tehran. It is an event that celebrates cultural exchange, displays creative achievements of highly acclaimed cineastes and pays tribute to quality local and international films. Since its establishment, Fajr International Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of the Iranian Cinema. Every year, veteran directors and new filmmakers devotedly present their works in the festival.
Over the years, Fajr has been honored by numerous great film figures who have also worked closely with the festival as respectable Jury Members, such as Volker Schlondorff, Krzysztof Zanussi, Robert Chartoff, Semih Kaplanoglu, Bruce Beresford, Percy Adlon, Paul Cox, Shyam Benegal, Bela Tarr, Jan Troell, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Elia Suleiman, Agnieszka Holland, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Rustam Ibragimbekov, just to name a few among other influential figures.
Furthermore, a few of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking films, made by great filmmakers in the prime of their career, that were honored and awarded in different sections of the festival include, MABOROSI NO HIKARI by Hirokazu Kore-eda, LA PROMESSE by Dardenne Borthers, CLOUDS OF MAY by Nuri Bulge Ceylan, 23 by Hans-Christian Schmid, RESSOURCES HUMAINES by Laurent Cantet, NAPOLA by Dennis Gansel, THE RETURN by Andrey Zvyagintsev, LIVES OF THE OTHERS by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck and so forth.
During different editions of Fajr, brilliant auteur filmmakers such as Costa-Gavras, Francesco Rosi, Theo Angelopoulos, Mario Monicellli, Moustapha Akkad, Darius Khondji, etc… have taken part in the festival and have been presented with lifetime achievement awards.
Tehran International Tourism Exhibition
Exhibition
Tehran International Tourism Exhibition
Date: 12-15 Feb 2019
Address: Tehran International Exhibition Center, Tehran, Iran
Exhibition Covered Area : More than 40000 sqm.
Contact Numbers : (+98 21)22397540. - (+98 919)422 72 83 – 84
Timings : 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (General)
Fax : (+98 21)22396984
Email : info@titexgroup.com
Website : www.titexgroup.com