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Travelling Iran: What to See in Yazd
Yazd had been my favorite destination in Iran (until I discovered Qeshm island), and I always recommend it to everyone who travels to Iran. Located on the edge of a desert, it impresses travelers with its unique mud-brick architecture, very different from Isfahan, Shiraz or Tehran. I have been to Yazd two times and would love to visit it again because every time I discover more and more (and of course, I don`t mind adding a couple of bowls or other Yazd ceramics to my collection). However, traveling to the city of wind-catchers is not only about visiting Yazd itself – there are plenty of religious, historical and natural sights scattered all…
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10 Instagram Accounts to Follow Before Travelling to Iran in 2020
Nowadays the Internet is overloaded with information about different countries and travelling tips, and social networks are making planning a trip even easier. Many Iranian Instagram accounts I follow give me inspiration to continue exploring Iran, its deserts, villages and islands, as well as rediscover major cities on the tourist trail. If you are planning to visit Iran, these Instagram accounts will be a great help to you to plan your route, whether you prefer a safe plan or are looking for an adventure. And if you are just curious about Iran, they will definitely inspire you on packing your bag and travelling to Iran as soon as possible because…
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Iranian Cinema: An Overview of Fajr Film Festival
Fajr Film Festival may not be a well-known film festival in the world, but it is definitely a significant event inside Iran. Interestingly, not only people from cinema industry, but ordinary people as well (mostly younger generation) try to attend as many film screenings as possible. Read up to the end to find out why. As in Iranian cinemas you can see only Iranian movies (well, with rare exception), and even Iranian TV channels show a very small percent of foreign movies, Iranian cinema industry has to fulfill these needs and produce a huge number of films, animated films and documentaries. I`ve come up with interesting statistics that will help you imagine the scale of…
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Guide to Tehran Palaces: Niavaran Palace
You can`t imagine visiting Tehran without seeing one of Tehran palaces. Tehran has been the capital of Iran for around 200 years and has seen many shahs, each of whom wanted to build a palace more beautiful than previous shahs. Golestan, Sadabad and Niavaran palaces remain the most popular and significant tourist attractions in Tehran. Each of them can offer its visitors several palaces from different historical periods as well as a range of museums. So I`ve decided to write a complete guide for each palace complex to help you decide which palaces and museums to visit. In this article I`ll tell you about Niavaran palace and its museums. Sahebgheraniyeh…
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Ashura in Iran: What to Do on Ashura in Tehran
Moharram is a month during which Iranians and other Shia Muslims commemorate the death of Imam Hossein. The mourning reaches its culmination at Ashura, the tenth day of Moharram. I have already written about Ashura in Iran and mourning ceremonies organized on this occasion here and here. During several years I`ve been living in Iran, I have attended quite a number of ceremonies in different parts of Tehran (there are still areas uncovered though). Some attract hundreds of people, while others are attended only by locals. However, many foreigners hesitate to go out on the day of Ashura which is the culmination of Moharram mourning ceremonies. Maybe, they are afraid of Iranians…
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Best Android Apps Made in Iran
Although Iran seems to be cut off from the outside world by the sanctions and political situation, it remains a dynamically developing country. A huge part of Iranian population is formed by young people who use smartphones on everyday basis. However, due to filtering restrictions and lack of English knowledge, most Iranians just can`t use some popular smartphone apps. That`s why the demand in quality, authentic apps that would satisfy Iranians` needs is rapidly rising. In this article I`m going to introduce best Android apps made in Iran and designed by Iranian developers which I believe, will help you understand Iranian culture and Iranians much better. So, let`s take a…
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Cheat Sheet on Iranian Restaurants and Street Food
For foreign tourists who are new to Iran it might be a bit hard to choose a restaurant as they don`t know what prices, quality and cuisine to expect from them. However, the cheat sheet on Restaurants and Street Food in Iran is there to help you understand what food options you have in Iran and always feel confident while entering a restaurant that the price on the check won`t exceed your budget. Moreover, in this cheat sheet you will find various street food options that are usually available all over Iran. Some can be a life saver for vegetarians or those who are sick and tired of rice with kebabs…
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Top Iranian Movies: The Salesman Film Review
Photo: imdb.com Writing a film review is completely new to me. However, my deep appreciation of Iranian cinema and its growing popularity in other countries have motivated me to give it a try. I`ve decided to start with one of the most recent top Iranian movies – The Salesman. The latest film of world-famous, award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi called The Salesman was a sensation at Cannes Film Festival last year winning two awards (Best Screenplay and Best Actor). The Salesman managed to win several other awards and is now running for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. It is Farhadi`s seventh feature film which tells the…
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Iranian Cinema: An Overview of Fajr Film Festival
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Tehran Events Guide: Christmas Edition
In Tehran Events Guide I`m introducing exhibitions, movies (in English, of course), concerts, festivals and other happenings that might interest you so that you won`t have to check multiple websites to decide where to go at the weekend! Tehran doesn`t have night life, but it doesn`t mean there is nothing to do here! So get ready to go out this weekend! If you are staying in Tehran for Christmas holidays, don`t think that your holidays will be ruined. Although Iranians mostly don`t celebrate Christmas, there are still some places where you can catch Christmas spirit! Just take a look at some of my recommendations in my last year`s post. Moreover,…
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Yalda Night in Iran: 5-Step Guide to Celebrate the Longest Night of the Year
Watermelon, pomegranate and nuts are traditional Yalda night treats Source: hamgardi.com As you might know, December 21st is Winter Solstice which means it`s the longest night in the year. Not many of us would have even noticed! However, for Iranians whose calendar is deeply intertwined with the laws of nature, it`s a big holiday called Yalda Night. Yalda Night awakes nostalgic feelings in most Iranians who had seen a more traditional, thorough and more widely celebrated Yalda night at their grandparents` house with all relatives gathered around korsi (a traditional heating device, if I may call it so) sharing sweet memories of the past, reciting poems of Hafez…
