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Destination : IRAN

The name of Iran comes from an ancient term "a-eer-ya-nem va-ee-jo" in Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrianism, meaning the land of the Aeers'. This term refers to a certain plateau which the Indo-Iranians, a branch of Aryans selected for their settlement. By passage of time, the term "Aeer" changed to "Er" and later to "Ir". "Er" or "Ir", in the ancient languages of the time, meant NOBLE. The official name of the country in the Sassanid period (400-600 A.D.) was Iranshatr or Iranshahr. "Shatr" or "Shahr" means country. Thus Iranshahr means The Country of The Nobles. The center and east of thec ountry is largely barren undulating desert, punctured by qanats (irrigation canals) and tree oasis, but there are mountainous regions in the west along the Turkish and Iraq borders and in the north where the Elburz Mountains rise steeply from a fertile plain around the Caspian Sea.
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces subsequently crushed westernizing liberal elements. Militant Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over disputed territory. The key current issue is how rapidly the country should open up to the modernizing influences of the outside world.
Iran is located in the Middle East, bounded by Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, Iraq and Turkey. The centre and east of the country is largely barren desert with mountainous regions in the west.

Considering the geographical expanse of Iran (1,648,195 km2 ), the climate which ranges from subtropical to subpolar is unparalleled in the world. Iran is the only country in the world with a high interior basin of 1,500 feet below sea level, one-sixth of the country is over 6,500 feet, falling sharply to 70 feet below sea level along the northern coastal region. You can ski on snow in one place and waterski the same day within a two hour drive in anotherplace.

With regard to the number and variety of its archeological sites and relics, Iran is considered one of the ten most important countries in the world. It is hard to find such a variety of historical architecture, covering so many eras in other civilizations.
Persian (farsi) is the most widely spoken language.Arabic is spoken in the southwest, and Turkish in the northwestaround Tabriz. English, French and ( to a lesser extent ) Germanare spoken by many businessmen and officials.Religion: predominantly Islamic; mostly Shi'ite with aminority of Sunnis. Many Christans, Jews and Zoroastrians alsolive in Iran.

Tehran, the capital, is essentially a modern city, but the best of the old has been preserved. The Shahid Motahari Mosque has eight minarets, from which the city can be viewed. The Bazaar is one of the world's largest. More traditional towns, such as Rey, Varamin, Qazvin and Shemshak are within easy reach of Tehran. The town of Tabriz is known for its restored blue mosque built in 1465. The covered Qaisariyeh Bazaar dates back to the 15th century. The Golden Triangle is the name popularly given to the region enclosed by the ancient cities of Hamadan, Kermanshahan and Khorrambabad. For many centuries the Silk Road passed through the pleasant rolling countryside of the region.

One of the cultural highlights of Iran is the ancient city of Persepolis. It was a massive and magnificent palace complex built from about 512 BC and completed over the next 150 years. Persepolis was burnt to the ground during Alexander the Great's time, in 331 BC, although historians are divided about whether it was accidental or in retaliation for the destruction of Athens by Xerxes. Incredibly the whole site was covered with dust, earth and the sands of time before being rediscovered in the early 1930s.
The Xerxes' Gateway is covered with inscriptions and carvings in Elamite and other ancient languages. The gateway leads to the immense Apadana Palace complex where the kings received visitors and celebrations were held. Plenty of gold and silver was discovered in the palace, but it was predictably looted by Alexander the not-so-Great, and what he left behind is in the National Museum in Tehran. The largest hall in Persepolis was the Palace of 100 Columns, probably one of the biggest buildings constructed during the Achaemenian period, once used as a reception hall for Darius I. Persepolis is 57km (35mi) from Shiraz, just off the Esfahan road, accessible from Shiraz by bus and shared taxi.

A note for individuals planning to visit Iran: The government of Iran practices strict dress and behavioral code on females appearing in public. Also males above 18 years old born to Iranian parents should consider the Iranian government's viewpoint on naturalization law.