Tehran
The glories and excesses of the Qajar rulers are played out across this complex of grand buildings decorated with beautifully painted tiles and set around…
Must-see attractions in Tehran
Tehran
Sprawling across the foothills of Darband, this estate was a summer home to royals since the Qajar dynasty, although it was the Pahlavis who expanded it…
Tehran
The maze of bustling alleys and the bazaris (shopkeepers) that fill them make this a fascinating, if somewhat daunting, place to explore. Despite being…
Tehran
Owned by the Central Bank and accessed through its front doors, the cavernous vault that houses what is commonly known as the ‘Jewels Museum’ is not to be…
Niyavaran Cultural-Historic Complex
Tehran
In the Alborz foothills is the palace where Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his family spent most of the last 10 years of royal rule. It’s set in 5…
Tehran
This epic-scale museum, on a landscaped site of 21 hectares, is dedicated to the Iran–Iraq War, a bloody eight-year conflict that claimed a million lives…
Tehran
This imaginative sculpture park and museum occupies two former prisons, one for criminals and one for political prisoners, and the grounds surrounding…
Tehran
The inverted-Y-shaped Azadi Tower, built in 1971 to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the first Persian empire, is one of Tehran's visual icons…
Tehran
Next door to the National Museum, and part of the same complex, this museum offers a stunning collection of arts and antiquities from throughout the…
Tehran
It's easy to see why this multilevel, sculptural pedestrian bridge, designed by Iranian architect Leila Araghian, has won awards and been a huge hit with…
Tehran
A hub for the contemporary and traditional arts in Tehran, this complex has several gallery spaces over two levels exhibiting works in all media on a…
Tehran
This modest museum is no Louvre, but it is chock-full of Iran’s rich history. The collection includes ceramics, pottery, stone figures and carvings,…
Tehran
The mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, easily reached via metro, is one the grandest architectural endeavours of the Islamic Republic. Built on an…
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMOCA)
Tehran
In a striking concrete modernist building on the western side of Park-e Laleh, this museum's impressive collection boasts works by Picasso, Matisse, Van…
Tehran
There's nothing subtle about the graphic displays (suitable for adults only) in the one-time prison of the shah’s brutal secret police. A prime example of…
Tehran
Built in the 1930s, and one of the highlights of the Sa’d Abad Museum Complex, most of what you see in this 5000-sq-metre, 54-room palace dates from…
Tehran
Dominating the skyline of Tehran’s western suburbs, Milad Tower is 435m high, including 120m of antenna, making it, in 2017, the world’s sixth-tallest…
Tehran
Closed for renovations until 2018 this Qajar period building in the Niyavaran Cultural Historic Complex was once Nasser-al Din Shah’s harem before later…
Tehran
The former US embassy was the focal point of the 1979 revolution, when it was stormed by students who then held 52 diplomats hostage for 444 days. Today…
Tehran
Named after one of the great artists of the Safavid period, this museum showcases Iranian art from ancient times and the Safavid-era paintings of Abbasi…
Tehran
A hike up the northwest end of the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex, the classical-looking Green Palace was built at the end of the Qajar era when it was known as…
Tehran
Housed in a beautiful Qajar-era mansion surrounded by a pleasant garden, this interesting museum has well-displayed and explained (in English) exhibits of…
Tehran
Built between 1958 and 1968 this remarkable palace contrasts clean-lined functionality on the outside with opulent, European-royal-style furniture and…
Tehran
Housing more than 100 pieces dating from the 17th century to the present day, this is a great place to see the full range of regional patterns and styles…
Tehran
Tehran’s biggest cemetery is interesting primarily because it’s the main resting place for those who died in the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88). Like windows…
Madraseh va Masjed-e Sepahsalar
Tehran
Just south of the Iranian majlis (parliament), this Islamic college is arguably the most noteworthy example of Persian architecture of the Qajar period,…
Tehran
The Glass & Ceramics Museum is, like many of its exhibits, small but perfectly formed. The galleries walk you chronologically through the ages, with…
Tehran
Also known as Stone Garden, Park-e Jamshidiyeh climbs steeply up the lower reaches of the Alborz Mountains and offers a clean, quiet atmosphere in which…
Tehran
This white, twin-spired church, a centre for Christianity in the Islamic Republic, sits at the southern edge of the city's Armenian quarter. Built between…
Tehran
Near the front gate of the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex, this museum exhibits many excellent paintings, including a dazzling full-sized portrait of Fathi-Ali…
Tehran
Immediately west of Niyavaran Palace in the cultural-historic complex, this attractive two-storey mansion dating from the early 20th century was last used…
Tehran
Located at the northern end of the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex and occupying the 1939 vintage Shams Palace, once the Shah's sister's residences, this museum…
Tehran
Also known as the People's House, the country's legislative body occupies a compound that is defined by the modern pyramid-shaped debating chamber where…
Tehran
East of the Niyavaran Palace this impressive two-floor library that was for the exclusive use of Farah Diba proves she had good design taste. Floor-to…
Tehran
Still popularly known as the Shah Mosque, this handsome early-18th-century complex is looking all the better for recent interior restoration. One of the…
Tehran
If you’re staying in southern Tehran and need a break from the traffic, head straight for this pleasant, leafy park where you can take a boat trip on the…
Tehran
Part of the sprawling Niyavaran Cultural-Historic Complex, two rooms here are filled with a small but well-displayed example of the eclectic collection of…
Tehran
Near the centre of Tehran, Park-e Laleh is a well-designed green space that because of its location amid so much traffic becomes an urban oasis. It’s a…
Tehran
Many Tehranis say Park-e Mellat is their favourite in-town getaway, and if you’re here around dusk on any spring or summer afternoon you’ll find plenty of…
Malek National Library & Museum
Tehran
On display at this private museum and library are pieces from the collection of Hadji Hussein Agha Malek, in the 1930s one of the richest men in Iran. The…