Memoirs of a Tourist
Tehran is the city in Iran where every Iranian wants to live (except perhaps a few Esfahanis). This is the city where it all happens. This is the city where everything is better. Better jobs, better schools, better hospitals, better restaurants, you name it.
So it may be no surprise to you Tehran is very crowded. Twelve million people live here and after one day in Tehran you think you've seen them all.
But even after one day we began to love this city. There is so much here to see and do, you should stay here at least a week to explore all the museums, parks, shops and all the other things Tehran has to offer.
We were here only 3 days, 2 at the beginning and 1 at the end of our tour through Iran.
The Banay-é Azadi (Freedom Monument) is probably the first thing you see when you arrive in Tehran. It's not only close to the airport, it's also very remarkable. The monument was built in 1971 to celebrate the 2500 anniversary of the Iranian Empire. It should be able to enter the building for a view over Tehran and a visit of the Azadi museum, but when we were here everything was closed.
Traffic in Tehran is a lot of fun, as long as you don't have to drive yourself. There are enough taxi's, although there seem to be different kinds, of which some drive on specific routes or in specific neighbourhoods.
We tried to figure it out, but we couldn't find the difference between taxi's coloured orange, white and orange, blue, white and blue or any other colour.
If you think about buying an Iranian carpet, or if you're interested in handicrafts, you can learn about the making of carpets in Iran's Carpet Museum.
The National Archaeological Museum of Iran is a definite must for everyone who is at least a bit interested in the history of Iran. If you plan to go to Persepolis, see this museum first.
To celebrate our first day in Iran, we went to a traditional Iranian restaurant. The setting was superb, the food was great, but what we liked the most was the traditional Iranian music played live by this band.
This staircase can be seen in the Glassware and Ceramics Museum. The items on display here are very beautiful, but what makes this museum extra special is the way the items are displayed. Western museums can learn a lot from the guys who did this.
The former American Embassy, also known as the US Den of Espionage, is a place where you can see great wall paintings about America, the Iran-Iraq-war and the martyrdom of the Iranian soldiers.
The Throne you see on the left is on display in the National Jewels Museum. Here you can see the richest and most overwhelming collection of jewels in the world.
And finally, a few kilometers south of Tehran you'll find the Shrine of Imam Khomeini. It's very big but not particularly beautiful. A visit to Iran is not complete without tasting the atmosphere in this strange mausoleum. You'll see families picnicking, kids playing soccer and homeless people sleeping.
Tehran is the city in Iran where every Iranian wants to live (except perhaps a few Esfahanis). This is the city where it all happens. This is the city where everything is better. Better jobs, better schools, better hospitals, better restaurants, you name it.
So it may be no surprise to you Tehran is very crowded. Twelve million people live here and after one day in Tehran you think you've seen them all.
But even after one day we began to love this city. There is so much here to see and do, you should stay here at least a week to explore all the museums, parks, shops and all the other things Tehran has to offer.
We were here only 3 days, 2 at the beginning and 1 at the end of our tour through Iran.
The Banay-é Azadi (Freedom Monument) is probably the first thing you see when you arrive in Tehran. It's not only close to the airport, it's also very remarkable. The monument was built in 1971 to celebrate the 2500 anniversary of the Iranian Empire. It should be able to enter the building for a view over Tehran and a visit of the Azadi museum, but when we were here everything was closed.
Traffic in Tehran is a lot of fun, as long as you don't have to drive yourself. There are enough taxi's, although there seem to be different kinds, of which some drive on specific routes or in specific neighbourhoods.
We tried to figure it out, but we couldn't find the difference between taxi's coloured orange, white and orange, blue, white and blue or any other colour.
If you think about buying an Iranian carpet, or if you're interested in handicrafts, you can learn about the making of carpets in Iran's Carpet Museum.
The National Archaeological Museum of Iran is a definite must for everyone who is at least a bit interested in the history of Iran. If you plan to go to Persepolis, see this museum first.
To celebrate our first day in Iran, we went to a traditional Iranian restaurant. The setting was superb, the food was great, but what we liked the most was the traditional Iranian music played live by this band.
This staircase can be seen in the Glassware and Ceramics Museum. The items on display here are very beautiful, but what makes this museum extra special is the way the items are displayed. Western museums can learn a lot from the guys who did this.
The former American Embassy, also known as the US Den of Espionage, is a place where you can see great wall paintings about America, the Iran-Iraq-war and the martyrdom of the Iranian soldiers.
The Throne you see on the left is on display in the National Jewels Museum. Here you can see the richest and most overwhelming collection of jewels in the world.
And finally, a few kilometers south of Tehran you'll find the Shrine of Imam Khomeini. It's very big but not particularly beautiful. A visit to Iran is not complete without tasting the atmosphere in this strange mausoleum. You'll see families picnicking, kids playing soccer and homeless people sleeping.
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