The Enigma of Alamut

Departure by scheduled flight to the capital of Iran, Tehran, located at the foot of Mount Alborz. Welcome and greetings by SITO TRAVEL’s tour guide at the airport. Transfer to hotel and check-in.

During the reign of the Achaemenids over the Persian Empire a 3000 kilometer road called the Royal Persian Road was built by the order of Darius I connecting various satrapies from present-day Iran to the Mediterranean Sea, passing through present-day Turkey.

The Royal Road was originally part of the major trade route, the Silk Road, stretched from the city of Ecbatana in Hamadan to the port of Izmir (Smyrna) on the Aegean Sea in Turkey. Darius I, during his reign, ensured constant control over the Royal Road so that he could guarantee the security and continuous connection between all the satrapies of the Achaemenid Empire. This road had several stops and it took ordinary passengers three months to go over, while the imperial messengers with fresh horses crossed it within nine days. This road served as the main link between the East and the West with Alexander the Great’s conquests in Asia Minor. In fact, he established the farthest city of the Macedonian Kingdom, Alexandria, along the road and opened a sea route from the Indus River delta to the Persian Gulf.

The routes of the Royal Persian Road, turned into the Silk Road today, have been very divergent according to the historical-economic conditions of the countries crossed: from the Far East, the Silk Road directed travelers toward Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Iran passing through Nishapur and Semnan to reach Tehran, Qazvin and Tabriz and then headed to the Aegean Sea. The origin of Qazvin dates back to the heyday of trade along the Silk Road in Iran. However, with the relocation of the Safavid capital from Tabriz to this city, it also became a political and commercial center. Today, Qazvin offers its fascinating places inherited from the prosperous past of this city.

In the morning, departing for Qazvin to discover its magnificent historical sites:

• We will walk through the elegant Saray-e Sa’d al-Saltaneh, one of the most spectacular places in the traditional bazaar of Qazvin. This brick caravanserai contains several entrance gates, some of which are connected to the surrounding streets and others are connected to different parts of the bazaar. The entrance gates open into a vestibule of beautiful architectural style. There is a Chahar-Sough on the south side with a dome on top. Around this cross-shaped passageway, there are 16 chambers with a height of 1 meter and carved wooden doors.

• Shahzadeh Hossein Shrine, a religious complex that includes a mosque and the mausoleum of the son of the eighth Shiite Imam, buried in Mashhad. The mausoleum is reminiscent of a palace with a walled garden, rows of plants, small iwans, niches, tombstones and precious tile decorations. The facade of the main gate consists of six ornamental minarets. The tomb is covered by a yellow-blue dome. The central part of the building is decorated with numerous mirror mosaics, and the interior of the shrine is decorated with mirrors, crystals and chandeliers, typical elements of places of worship and shrines.

• Chehel Sotoun, the Safavid pavilion, was originally part of the first Safavid palace complex in 1596, the only remaining construction from that period. In this pavilion, the decorative elements of the Safavid and Qajar dynasties are clearly distinguishable: tiles, mainly from the Qajar period, in the outside, and murals from the Safavid structure in the inside. In the development of architecture, the Chehel Sotoun Palace in Qazvin anticipates a particular style during the Safavid reign also in other cities of Iran such as Isfahan and Zanjan.

• We will finish the visits with the Historical Tehran Gate and the Tomb of Hamdullah Mostofi; geographer, poet and famous Iranian writer from the Ilkhanid period of the 13th century. This brick tomb is built in Azerbaijani style under the Ottoman influence. Its turquoise conical dome is considered the unique feature of this building. The tomb has an area of more than 380 square meters, including a courtyard of 350 meters.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Scenic route to the enigmatic Alamut Castle (Hasan Sabbah Castle), located among the mountains at the western edge of the Alborz mountain range, in a valley near Qazvin in the southern Caspian Sea. In the past, part of these mountains formed the Daylam district, where still is remote and wild. This area separates the central plateau of Iran from the Caspian Sea and constitutes a formidable natural barrier. On the northern side, the slopes are densely forested and there are wild animals such as wild boar, bear and some other species such as the Caspian tiger on the verge of extinction.

The history of Alamut Castle is radically linked to that of Hassan Sabbah (1034 -1124). Hence, it will be useful to know about his ideology and religious doctrine as he was the leader of the Nizari sect. The power of the Nizari state, also called Hashshashin, whose fame is indebted to their strategy of targeted assassinations against political and military leaders, reached its peak during the Fatimid Caliphate. He was born in Qom in a Shiite Muslim family and received his religious education from an early age. At the age of seventeen, he converted to Ismailism, a sub-sect of Shiite Islam, which considers Imam Ismail as the seventh and last Shiite Imam and not his brother Musa ibn Jafar, whom the Twelver Shia recognizes as the successor of the prophetic lineage. The missionary of Ismailism is a very special person. He received intensive training in Ismaili doctrine and in his travels he sought new adherents to the Ismaili faith. He leaded an exemplary life in order to attract people with his piety. He behaved equally with people regardless of hierarchy and earned his living through different professions.

Hassan Sabbah is an Ismaili missionary or propagandist of this faith who gained so much fame especially in the northwest of Iran. The authorities pursued him and the vizier Nizam al-Mulk, with whom Hasan befriended, ordered to arrest him in other to prevent the proliferation of his revolutionary ideology, but he was killed by a follower of the faith. In 1090, Hassan Sabbah took the castle of Alamut and made it the center of the Ismailism. Despite the invasion of the Seljuk Turks and their small number, the Ismailis did not lose their independence in the castle in the Daylam Mountains for 166 years. Having lived among hostile populations, the Ismailis were often victims of massacres to which they responded with political assassinations and so-called “sacred crimes”, planned in Alamut. The practice of terrorism and the tendency to secrecy and esotericism have favored the development of legends and earned the Ismaili people pejorative epithets such as “hashashins” from which the word “assassin” is derived, misinterpreted as being derived from “hashish”.

The library, razed in the Mongol attack, and astronomical facilities of Alamut were famous. The Seljuks took over some of the Ismaili fortresses, but for seven years Alamut resisted the attacks. The castle consists of two parts: the upper for and the lower fort.With the death of Hassan Sabbah in 1124, the Seljuks took the control of the castle.

Dinner and overnight stay at a traditional house.

We leave to Zanjan. On the way, we will stop in Soltaniyeh. Once we arrive at our destination, we will visit Bazaar complex, Jameh Mosque and Anthropological Museum of Zanjan.

• The Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore: also known under the name of the dome of Florence Cathedral (Duomo), was built in 13th century as the roof of the transept of Florence Cathedral. It is considered the closest structure to the Dome of Soltaniyeh. The construction of the cathedral began in 1296 by the Florentine architect Arnolfo di Cambio, although the realization of the dome remained a problem for over a hundred years. The project was finally entrusted to Filippo Brunelleschi, who erected a double-shell dome with a height of 39 m. The dome, which took 16 years to be built, is one of the most important and impressive architectural achievements of the 15th century. As Piero Sanpaolesi has shown, the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, by applying the double-shell structure, may have been inspired by the one in Soltaniyeh, located about 300 km southeast of Tabriz. For about thirty years, it was the summer residence of the Ilkhanid Mongolian tribes.

The dome of Soltaniyeh, the largest brick dome in the world, about 48.5 meters high, rests on a high octagonal construction, each side of which is nearly 80 meters long. The dome, covered by turquoise tiles, is surrounded by eight minarets. The interior, a perfect octagon, on each side has a large, tall iwan that at the bottom is divided into two superimposed planes: the lower with a downward door or niche and the upper with a loggia to look into. Each floor opens to a different panorama. In order to discover the symbols, floral motifs, geometry, calligraphy and symmetry of Iranian architecture, one must contemplate every corner of this building which, with its chromatic beauty, will leave any visitor speechless.

• Anthropological Museum (Rakhtshooy Khaneh): is a building that dates back to the Qajar period and exhibits typical clothing of the Azeri people of the Zanjan region. Actually, the museum was an old traditional washhouse located in the main historical street of the city. Since Zanjan is surrounded by mountains and is located at 1630m above sea level, its temperature is mostly low. Thus, a washhouse would facilitate the washing of clothes in an enclosed and warm place that housed the women of the neighborhood to wash, dry and mend clothes. The washhouse consists of two parts: the part dedicated to the management and the washing room of rectangular shape equipped with a running water jet. On the upper floor, where the management room used to be, there is an area dedicated to the manufacture of Zanjan handicrafts such as oriental slippers. The word “babouche” derives from the Persian word “Papush” (composed of pa (foot) and push (cover)) and therefore, from the French word couvre-pied or babouche.

• Zanjan Old Bazaar: The harsh winter and extreme cold are the main reasons for the construction of public places and bazaars in the western part of Iran. Zanjan Bazaar is an important example whose details are observable in its brick vaults and narrower and lower passages than similar bazaars in warmer areas. The vaults prevents heat exchange between the interior and exterior and the small space of the bazaar creates a comfortable environment for the people inside, so that the heat produced by the activities, lamps and heaters in the stores can lower the winter temperature of the city and make the bazaar passable even in the coldest time of the year. To light and air-condition the passages, the roofs are usually equipped with holes at the tip which, in addition to letting in natural light from the ceiling, create visual harmony. Along the way to the bazaar, there are many stores that make and sell all kinds of knives, especially the typical Zanjan folding knives.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

The region of Iranian Azerbaijan occupies a small territory compared to the total area of Iran. Azerbaijan region was a kind of international agora, which observed all the geopolitical movements of the Safavid and Ottoman empires, as well as the arrival of Christian evangelists for the propagation of Christianity. Tabriz has a fundamental role in the modern history of Iran as the initial phase of one of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution took place in this city.

Today Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan Province, is not only among the metropolises of Iran, but also considered as an important industrial center of tiles, tractors, textiles and carpets. It is also famous for the production of dried fruits. The foundation of this historic city dates back to 1500 BC whose few historic buildings remain standing due to tremendous earthquakes. In 2012, Tabriz was selected as the most beautiful city in Iran and was named the tourism capital of Islamic countries in 2018. Tabriz was the capital of Iran during several dynasties such as Ilkhanid, Qara Qoyunlu and Safavid. In addition, it was the residence of the royal family and the crown prince during the Qajar dynasty. This city credited with the title of “the city of the firsts” contains the historical complex of Tabriz Bazaar, the largest covered bazaar in the world. From a cultural point of view, what highlights the importance of Tabriz is the cultural and religious exchange with the neighboring countries such as Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Visiting Tabriz and its rich history will give us an opportunity to reflect on socio-historical events such as the Tobacco Protest, the Constitutional Revolution and the economic crisis during the Qajar dynasty, and to visit the churches of the first martyrs in Christianity.

After breakfast, visiting the capital of East Azerbaijan:

• Tabriz Archaeological Museum: where a repertoire of historical objects, mainly discovered in excavations in Azerbaijan, is displayed in three main halls. This collection tells us about the passage of Persian art from Iran to the West. One of the most interesting areas will obviously be that of ceramics and terracotta dating from the 12th and 13th centuries AD, when Persian calligraphy had an artistic influence on decoration of objects. In addition to the National Museum of Iran in Tehran, the Museum of Azerbaijan has the largest collection belonging to different periods of Persian history.

• Blue Mosque: built in 1465, by order of the ruler Jahanshah, an art lover and also a poet of the Turkmen dynasty Qara Qoyunlu. It was not only a mosque but a large complex containing a library, a dervish convent, a garden, baths and a mausoleum. Following an earthquake in the 18th century, today only a part of the mosque has remained standing thanks to the collaboration and restoration of archaeologists. The particular style of this mosque, very different from others, is known as the Azebaijani style which is even unusual in the Persian world, especially because it confirms an Ottoman influence in Tabriz. Among the photographers, attracted by this mosque, we could mention Luigi Montabone -Italian photographer- who photographed the mosque in 1862. Here is a description of Ella Maillart- Swiss traveler, writer and photographer- of this fascinating mosque: “This particular feeling when you are in love and you think you have never understood, until then, the splendor of the sky at midnight when stars, not equal no each other, shine with such brightness that they seem to come toward you. This extraordinary mosaic makes you dream of a corner where each star is a colorful flower.”

• Tabriz Bazaar: an exceptional complex that includes about 35 km of covered walkways, with more than 7000 shops, 24 caravanserais and 28 mosques. The main activity inside the bazaar was the manufacture of carpets, but it is also famous for its jewelry and goldsmiths, the sale of dried fruits, spices and the famous cheese of the region called Lighvan. The bazaar of Tabriz in Iran is a traditional bazaar and was the center of economic life where most of the activities of the inhabitants took place. Architecturally, the bazaar contained several buildings whose shape was adapted to the low winter temperature of Tabriz. The Tabriz bazaar is a shining example because it includes almost every conceivable example of a complex suitable for economic activities: stores, workshops, warehouses, trading houses, caravanserais, passages and intersections. In addition, the second section of the bazaar was devoted to places related to other socio-religious activities: mosques, Koranic schools, spaces dedicated to religious ceremonies, traditional Iranian gymnasium (Varzesh-e Pahlevani), tea houses and taverns. In short, this commercial labyrinth can make us lose hours and hours in its beauty where we will have a unique sensory experience. Just walking and taking a deep breath, you will be intoxicated by the aroma of freshly ground cinnamon, the wool of Saray-e Mozaffari carpets, fresh cheese and Barbari bread, the typical bread of the Azeris of Iran, freshly baked.

Dinner at a restaurant and overnight stay at the hotel.

Tourists often travel to Iran not only in order to visit Persepolis, but also the monuments of Islamic culture, the splendor of mosques of the Islamic period and, in general, something that is somehow related to the rituals of Islam. All this, of course, is understandable, but we should not overlook the presence of religious minorities and especially the places of worship where they practice their faith. To give an example, we should know that in northwestern Iran there are several ancient churches recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. In Iran, the limited population of Catholics is divided into three different rites: Assyrian-Chaldean, Armenian and Latin, and five dioceses. Out of the Iranian population; 98.79% are mainly Shiites (including 5-10% Sunnis), 0.37% Christians and 0.84% others (including Zoroastrians and Jews). The criterion that makes this religious mixture fascinating is the arrival of religions in Iran, the spread of faith and the construction of places of worship, which are found in different areas depending on the presence of the related communities. For example, in the central and southeastern area there are Zoroastrian fire temples, while in the northeast and in Isfahan there are Catholic churches and in the western part of Iran, there is the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, the place of worship par excellence of Judaism.

• We continue the journey to the other amazing place of worship: Saint Stepanos Monastery, an Armenian cathedral dating back to the 9th century AD. The church is located in a mountainous area where the Aras River meanders in the valley of the Iranian border very close to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. In fact, the monastery is located in the middle of the lush nature of the border area and is a synthesis of Iranian and Byzantine architecture which later became known for the peculiar style of typical Armenian architecture. Its octagonal bell tower has a salmon-pink color (orange-pink) due to the rocks of the surrounding mountains. As the monastery has a wooden and metal gate, a fortified enclosure, and a series of towers by which the night watch was carried out, it resembles a fortress from afar. Next to the prayer hall there is a cloister where there are many rooms to accommodate the seminarians who spent part of their lives following the courses of the monastery’s religious school. This area has been a transit route for merchants, armies and devotees.

Arrival in Tabriz. We will take a walk around the garden of Shah Goli, also called El Goli, the largest water reservoir to irrigate the gardens of Tabriz up to the Tehran Gate. During the Safavid period in the 16th century, it underwent some changes and a two-story building was constructed in the middle of the pond under the command of the governor of Tabriz and son of Abbas Mirza, crown prince of Iran. Today, the building, the park and El Goli pond create the most popular and crowded tourist attraction in Tabriz.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Departure to Ardebil. On the way, there is the possibility to meet the nomanic Shahsavan tribe in Namin. The Shahsavan nomads, whose origin is linked to the reign of Shah Abbas in the 11th century, are located in the north of Iran, near the Aras River and the Mogan plain. Etymologically, the word Shahsavan means followers of the shah (in this case referring to the king of the Safavid dynasty who gave them permission to live this area). However, due to the war conflicts first with the Ottomans and then with the Russians, they migrated to the central areas of Iran such as Varamin, Hashtrud, Saveh, Tehran and Qazvin. From an anthropological point of view, the Shahsavans are a nomadic community of Turkish descent of the Oghuz branch, although there are also many Kurds, Georgians and Tajiks among them.

Arrival in Ardebil. We will visit Sheikh Safi al-Din Khaneqah and Shrine Ensemble, mausoleum of the mentor of Islamic Sufi (15th century).

The history of the Safavids is highlighted through the mystical figure of Sheikh Ishaq Safi al-Din, mentor and master of Islamic Sufi brotherhood based in Ardabil, in present-day Azerbaijan, Iran. Sheikh Safi’s reputation is indebted to his religious ideology that later became the official religion of the Safavid dynasty. In fact, Shiite Islam and its development in Iran has its roots in the ideological study and school of thought of this mentor of Ardabil.

Sheikh Safi al-Din Shrine is considered as one of the most important ones in Iran. During the Safavid period, many politicians, travelers, writers and merchants came from Germany, France and Britain to Iran to visit the city of Ardabil and wrote about this shrine.  The construction of this shrine started in the early 16th century and completed the late 18th century. It is a Sufi spiritual retreat that uses traditional Iranian architectural forms. The builders made the most of the space to provide several sections that have served multiple functions including library, mosque, school, mausoleum, cistern, hospital, kitchens, bakery and some offices. The site incorporates leading to the shrine in seven segments reflecting the seven phases of Sufi mysticism, separated by eight gates representing the eight attitudes of Sufism. It also includes richly decorated facades and interiors, as well as a remarkable collection of ancient artifacts displayed in the side room next to the tombs of Sheikh Safi and Shah Isma’il, the founder of the Safavid dynasty.

Shah Isma’il had a remarkable talent in the military field. He succeeded in reunifying the existing bringing autonomous states, small monarchs or feudal states in the Iranian territory. Moreover, Shah Isma’il started a new phase of international relations with the Republic of Venice, the Papacy in Rome and France, in order to demonstrate his diplomatic interest in European countries.

On the other hand, the danger of Ottoman attack constantly threatened the Safavids and other Iranian dynasties until the defeat of the Ottomans in war conflicts.

According to Tavernier, the famous French traveler who visited Iran during the reign of Shah Abbas: “although the land around Ardabil was excellent for the cultivation of grapes, there was no developed wine industry in this city. That is, in this city there are very strict rules regarding the prohibition of alcohol consumption. The presence of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili and the respect due to him would have been the main cause of such behavior.”

Adam Olearius wrote that due to the sanctity of Sheikh Safi al-Din, the use of gold or silver was forbidden, therefore, on the days of mourning for Imam Hossein or other occasions, only wooden or ceramic spoons and plates were used.

The Bazaar of Ardebil was a commercial crossroads as it connected the road from Tabriz to the countries bordering the Caspian Sea. The strategic position, the presence of mountains and the vast plains of Ardebil enrich its ancient bazaar with carpet stores, herbalist shops and a remarkable variety of honey.

Dinner at a restaurant and overnight stay at the hotel.

We continue our journey toward the Caspian Sea, passing through the beautiful Gardane Heyran to enter the green region of Gilan. We will get to know a completely different culture from the Azeri one as in Gilan we are in contact with the Caucasian culture. During the trip we will visit the lagoon of Bandar-e Anzali, a port city on the Caspian Sea. This region enjoys pure nature, unspoiled landscapes, history and abundance of natural resources. As for gastronomy, the cuisines of the Caspian region makes this area one of the most outstanding, with an extensive variety compared to the rest of the country. In Gilan, we are going to taste typical dishes of this area that mostly include Iranian rice, fresh fish, goose or stew and marinated veal accompanied by aromatic herbs and tasty pomegranate sauce. Approximately 11 million people inhabit the shores of the Caspian Sea, and the main urban centers are located on the southern and western shores of Iran’s coastal cities.

Geographically, the Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world with a salinity of over 13.7%. Historically, the Caspian Sea was the border between Europe and the Middle East, a barrier that, over the centuries, has contributed to the intercultural exchange between people and inhabitants of its shores. The southern part, the Iranian coast, is formed by fine sand, slit and a series of marine terraces bordered by Mount Alborz. The biological diversity of the Caspian Sea with a high rate of endemism makes it one of the richest ecosystems in the world. It is worth mentioning that the Hyrcanian forests on the southern coast of this sea have been registered on the UNESCO Heritage List.

Finally, we should mention the most important fishery resource for the Caspian Sea economy, the sturgeon. The largest sturgeons measure more than 4 meters, weigh approximately 500 kilos and feed on crustaceans, mollusks and worms. Iranian caviar as well as pistachio and saffron create the most remarkable products of Iran.

Departure to the Masouleh Village, located in the middle of the mountains, very close to Rasht, on rocky slopes. The peculiar architecture style of this village makes the roof of the lower houses the courtyard of the upper houses and the front areas of the houses and roofs are used as sidewalks. The materials used for the construction of the houses are local, mostly stone in irregular shapes with mud and lime. This type of housing represents the knowledge of past generations by adapting the geographical conditions to the building technology. Masouleh Village is one of the most picturesque villages in Iran that, under the constant control of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, has preserved its eco-architectural charm.

Dinner in a restaurant and accommodation in a traditional village house.

Departure to Tehran. On the way, we visit the city of Fuman and the city of Rasht, capital of the Gilan province.

Rasht started its development in the late 14th century when the center of life in Gilan region moved from the mountains to the plains. Until the 17th century, when Rasht was chosen as the capital of Gilan, during the reign of Shah Abbas, Fuman and Lahiyan were the main cities of this province. Rasht, the largest city on the Caspian Sea coast, is situated in the heart of Gilan. John Bell, visiting Rasht in 1717, described it not as a city, but rather as a large village with houses at a distance from each other on a plain surrounded by forests. The Russians left a great influence on the history of Gilan, invading this city in 1722 and clearing the forest to the south near the mountains, but Rasht retained its rural aspect under the reign of Naser al-Din Sah Qajar. At that time, manor houses were clustered on either side of the central square, and wetlands, forests, rice fields, green tea and mulberry plantations, and silkworm nurseries surrounded the town.

Today, Rasht demonstrates its particular charm and urban character where one of the most rustic bazaars in all of Iran is located. Rasht’s rural environment has prevented it from becoming a cosmopolitan city for a long time, only in the 19th century under the Qajar dynasty and the Russians did its cosmopolitanism grow. The architectural style of the Central Square and the main streets of Rasht represent the strong Russian influence that will be recognizable at first glance. On the contrary, the historical pride of Rasht is rather boasted by the resistance of Gilan partisans (1918-20) with Mirza Kuchak Khan, the head of the partisans during the Russian invasion of Iran.

As the sun sets and its rays brighten, the route back to Tehran becomes more noticeable, as if the journey to Iran has just started. It is time to pack the suitcase, which returns loaded with excitement, enthusiasm and a lot of culture. Normally, travelers worry about the cost of overloading their luggage, and as the color of the sky darkens, they are thinking about how to arrange souvenirs and gifts; they like to buy everything from pistachios to fabrics and turquoise stones. There is no doubt that everything will fit, except one thing: the hospitality of the people we met in the markets, historical sites and restaurants. This image is engraved in their hearts and is an unforgettable memory that the traveler will carry with him everywhere. Above all, it will be a good incentive for all those who have enjoyed this trip to return to Iran for the second time.

Arrival in Tehran. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Tehran is the most dynamic and effervescent city of Iran. With a population of over 8 million, this bustling city reflects its complexity in a chaotic atmosphere like any other metropolis. However, Tehran is a cornerstone of modern history as it offers its extraordinary museums to travelers among which are National Jewelry Museum that has the most important collection of precious jewels in the world.

Iran’s concern of artistic developments, recent architectural interventions and the revival of many traditional style cafes has made the city a fascinating labyrinth that holds a surprise for visitors at every corner.

Visiting Tehran:

• National Museum of Iran exhibits history, art and culture through archaeological findings from the sixth millennium BC to the Islamic era, the 7th century AD. There is a wonderful collection of ceramics, pottery and bronze in this museum and, in addition, every six months, a temporary exhibition is organized with the most valuable archaeological objects, borrowed from other museums such as Venice, Berlin, etc.

• Golestan Palace, located near the Grand Bazaar, is a remarkable complex that has its roots in the 16th century, when Tehran slowly transformed from a simple village into a real city. Golestan means “garden of flowers”, a name that honors wonderful Persian Gardens in the place. The contemporary Iranian history is so indebted to this complex where Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was crowned claiming himself the successor to Cyrus the Great. Next, we visit the entrance to Tehran Grand Bazaar where, among its 10 kilometers of galleries, is possible to find any imaginable object.

• National Jewelry Museum (open only from Saturday to Tuesday) is located in a large vault with a 25 cm thick door in the basement of the Central Bank of Iran. The museum houses royal jewels, precious stones, a globe set with gems, a variety of tiaras, the crowns of the Pahlavi and Qajar dynasties, and the world’s largest pink diamond, Darya-e Nour (182 carats). This diamond was brought to Iran as a symbol of Nader Shah’s victorious campaigns in India in 1739.

The Carpet Museum is an alternative to the National Jewelry Museum.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Transfer to Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) departing Tehran to destination country.