Golestan Palace

Golestan palace is probably the most important tourist attractions in Tehran, it is located next to Tehran grand bazaar. It was partially built during Safavid era but was dramatically expanded after Agha Mohammad Khan brought Qajars into power, chose Tehran as his capital and his coronation ceremony was held in this palace. This complex is a UNESCO world heritage site, it has several buildings which you have to buy separate entrance tickets for. The most important building is the main palace which has a museum and beautiful, historically important halls.

Old city of Yazd (Bafte ghadim)

In some sources the old city of Yazd is mentioned as the largest adobe city in the world, even if this is not accurate, this old city is quite large and contains many attractions. Some tourists would say that this is the most important among Yazd attractions. This part is full of old houses with different architectures, water reservoirs and tiny alleys. Walking through this city can potentially last for hours and maybe days since each section contains many attractive sights.

Tower of Silence(Dakhme)

Towers of silence were where Zoroastrians buried their dead, these towers featured round tall walls with a shallow pit in the center. Inside the towers there are large stones which are where the dead would be put so that buzzards would eat them, then the remains were thrown in the pit and acid was poured on them. All this was done by only two quarantined persons who lived next to these towers. Some say this was done to keep the primary elements defined in the Zoroastrian religion clean, but other say this method, which was in use in colder parts of the country where digging was impossible, was popularized since it allowed fast mass burial which was needed during the Muslim invasion. The interesting point about these towers is the heavy silence inside the towers. Other than the tower in Yazd there are two abandoned ones between Ardakan and Yazd which deliver a strong sense of horrifying silence and death to the visitor.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

This mosque is among the most beautiful mosques in Iran and like many other royal buildings in Isfahan it was built by the orders of Shah Abbas. Pictures of its beautiful dome was used in many respectable sources as a symbol of Iranian architecture. Sheikh Lotfollah was a famous clergyman and also Shah Abbas’s father in law, so he named this mosque after him as a sign of respect. This mosque was only used by the royal family and interestingly has no minarets, it has an underground corridor to Ali Qapu.

Shah Mosque - Masjed-e Imam

This probably is the most famous mosque in Iran and pictures of its portal has been featured in many magazines. In a way, this mosque is the climax point of more than a thousand years of experience in mosque designing in Iran. It was built by the order of Shah Abbas Safavid and along the way of its construction many new techniques in architecture and material manufacturing were invented. Before that construction process for such a mosque which such a large number of decorations would have lasted hundreds of years but by utilizing the newly invented techniques most of the mosque was completed before Abbas’ death.

Zoroastrian fire temple (Atashkadeh)

This fire temple is among the most important in the world, its fire has been preserved for about a millennia and a half by devout Zoroastrians, it was moved once every few years, until finally this building was built for it with donations from Indian Zoroastrians in 1934. One of the interesting features of this place is the large Fravahar sign above the entrance, also you can take nice pictures when the pool in the courtyard reflects the image of the building at night. There is small museum next to the building showcasing Zoroastrian traditions and attire.

Persepolis

Persepolis is considered to be the most important tourist attraction in Iran and the primary destination for most cultural tourists. Its construction was started in 518 B.C. by Darius I and was developed and expanded by his successors for around 140 years; but at the end it was destroyed in a fire after Alexander the Great defeated Achaemenids. Over the years, due to closure of its sewerage, most of its lower levels got covered by mud, leading to unintentional preservation. There is a museum in the complex for artifacts found in Persepolis, among them are inscriptions about the salaries and payments which shows that the town was not built using slaves.

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

One of the most beautiful subjects for photography in Iran are the colored glasses in this mosque. If you have ever searched Iran on the internet you have seen amazing photos from this place for sure. This mosque is sometimes considered as one of the 4 most important tourist attractions in Shiraz. Its unique feature is that it is built facing the sun, so in the dawn and sunset, when sun rays pass through the colored glasses, an amazing scenery is created. Use of pink tiles, European paintings and beautiful pillars make this mosque special among other mosques in the world. These is also a mausoleum in the back yard called Zanjiri (chained) in which people used to chain suspected criminals, thinking that divine spirit will free them if they are innocent.

Shah-e-Cheragh Shrine

After Persepolis and Pasargadae, Shah Cheragh might be the most impressive attraction in Shiraz, this is where some of the holy Shiite figures are buried, among them is the brother of the 8th Shiite imam, Reza. The most important feature is the extraordinary mirrorwork; the interior decorations are done using million small pieces of mirror which will amaze you for sure. Furthermore, the entrance gate is made of gold which holds amazing beauty. This shrine also has a museum for valuable artifacts that people have given to the shrine. All foreigners must explore the site accompanied by their guide and also everyone should leave all their belongings in the safe box at the entrance.

Pasargade

Pasargadae complex consists of tomb of Cyrus along with ruins of some of the palaces and remains of a wall said to be part of an unfinished larger palace. The most important item in the complex is the tomb of Cyrus which is the first part of the complex; In addition to its historical value, this tomb holds an emotional significance for Iranians, who consider him the greatest ruler of all times and the founder of Iran. Sometimes you can see people praying or even crying next to the tomb. Since Pasargadae, Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam are usually visited all in one day, we suggest you not to spend much time in this complex after visiting the tomb of Cyrus, since the rest of the buildings might not be as interesting due to deterioration.