Travel Tips

I have been to Iran last year in May, 2003. Iran is an ideal country for the tourist with the limited budget and someone like me who is coming from Pakistan it is the most easiest destination, you can reach quite easily by frequent bus service from Quetta, Pakistan to Pak – Iran border aka Taftan. And another thing which is really a problem for Pakistani traveling enthusiasts in the post 9-11 world are the visas of western countries but in case of Iran the visa procedure is quite easy like other Islamic countries for Pakistani nationals, there is no need for any kind of documentation just instead of valid passport and ID card, and you can get it with some fee. In this pic I m sitting next to the Kajo bridge in the second most beautiful Iranian city, Isfahan aka “nisf jahan” or half of the world.

This is a tea café in Isfahan famous sehseh bridge. The river flows in between the city and there are two main bridges, this one was sehseh and there are almost 20 tea cafes inside at the bottom floor very close to the water that one can touch it. Unlike Pakistan, traditionally Iranians do not mix milk in tea aka kehwa.

This is the most important place of entire Iran touristicaly, commercially and politically, in fact it is a (must see place) aka Maidan-i-Imam, (Park of Imam) there are almost 200 shops of Persian handicraft around the Maidan, and iran’s spiritual leader is used to deliver sermon from here, and this blue mosque behind me aka (Masjid-i-Imam or Pearl of Persia) is one of the most beautiful buildings in Iran.

Shisha or pipe smoking is also very popular in iran specially for leisure. Unlike Pakistan, there Shishas are much more ornamented and they do not smoke it with tobacco alone but they put some other stuff like apple or apricot or some other scents in dry form above the tobacco that’s why the smoke tastes so nice. In this pic I m near the beach of Caspian sea at Astra, Iran.

Qundowan is a small ancient town located in the north of Iran about 100 km from the most beautiful Iranian city of Tabriz. I was told that the city came into being about 5000 years ago it is famous for its caves which were digged single handedly by animal bones and stones in form of rooms/houses. There are almost 60 caves still in a very good condition; behind me was one of them. The caves are similar to the ones which found in Capidocia, Turkey.

Markets aka bazaars built in Shah’s period are still being used. There are main Bazaars which are quite similar to each other in every main city, and these are covered as well, and got something very different than anywhere else in the world, and when I was walking in, there was a very exceptional feeling inside, it seemed that may be I am entered in past. This is Bazaar-i-Imam in Mashahd, the holiest city of Iran.

This place is called Aali Kapoo, in Tabriz, north of Iran, and to me Tabriz is the most beautiful city of the country. Behind me in the water is the building known as Aali Kapoo, recently converted in restaurant and everyone can go inside who can afford, but once it was used for the drinking by royals in the time of Shahs. Fact: dirking is not allowed in Iran nowadays.

Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, who brought the Islamic revolution and stepped forward towards the today’s Iran in late 70s, his mausoleum is 25-30 km from Tehran. Fact: 17 young men and women I met in different cities of iran and chatted about different things, but I noted everyone talked quite enthusiastically about Iran’s home affairs and everyone talked about another revolution but this time not for Islam but for freedom. The youth is strongly against this very restricted society and calling it anti-Islamic. I been told that media is silent, but clashes are expanding by the students and youngsters with police in most of the universities and schools.