Iran

Explore Iran and its 2500-Year-Long Culture

Overview of Iran

History

The region now called Iran was occupied by the Medes and the Persians in the 1500s B.C., until the Persian king Cyrus the Great overthrew the Medes and became ruler of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire, which reached from the Indus to the Nile at its zenith in 525 B.C. Persia fell to Alexander in 331–330 B.C. and a succession of other rulers: the Seleucids (312–302 B.C.), the Greek-speaking Parthians (247 B.C.–A.D. 226), the Sasanians (224–c. 640), and the Arab Muslims (in 641). By the mid-800s Persia had become an international scientific and cultural center. In the 12th century it was invaded by the Mongols. The Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), under whom the dominant religion became Shiite Islam, followed, and was then replaced by the Qajar dynasty (1794–1925).

During the Qajar dynasty, the Russians and the British fought for economic control of the area, and during World War I, Iran's neutrality did not stop it from becoming a battlefield for Russian and British troops. A coup in 1921 brought Reza Kahn to power. In 1925, he became shah and changed his name to Reza Shah Pahlavi. He subsequently did much to modernize the country and abolished all foreign extraterritorial rights.

Geography

Located in southwestern Asia, Iran shares its entire northern border with the Republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan (all parts of the former Soviet Union). Of all the 2,670 kilometer northern borders, 650 kilometers is coastline border with the Caspian Sea. Iran's western borders are shared with Turkey in the north and Iraq in the south. Afghanistan and Pakistan are Iran’s neighbors from the East. To the south, Iran’s border is the long coastline of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.

Persian Gulf is the shallow marginal part of the Indian Ocean. The sea area of 240,000 square kilometers start from the Arvand Rud delta to the Strait of Hormoz, which links it with the Sea of Oman. It is bordered on the north, northeast and east by Iran, on the northwest by Iraq and Kuwait, on the west and southwest by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and on the south and the southeast by the UAE and partly by Oman.

"Iran
Quick-facts "

Chief of State: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei +977 14511001

President: Hassan Rouhani +977 14511001

Land area: 631,659 sq mi (1,635,999 sq km); total area: 636,293 sq mi (1,648,000 sq km)

Population (2014 est.): 80,840,713 (growth rate: 1.22%); birth rate: +977 14511001; infant mortality rate: +977 14511001; life expectancy: 70.89

Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Tehran, 7.304 million

Other large cities: Mashhad 2.713 million; Esfahan 1.781 million; Karaj 1.635 million; Tabriz 1.509 million; Shiraz 1.321 million +977 14511001

Monetary unit: Rial

National name: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

Current government officials

Languages: Persian (official) 53%, Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects 18%, Kurdish 10%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 7%, Luri 6%, Balochi 2%, Arabic 2%, other 2%

Ethnicity/race: Persian 61%, Azeri 16%, Kurd 10%, Arab 2%, Lur 6%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other

Religions: Muslim (official) 99.4% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2011 est.)

National Holiday: Republic Day, April 1

Literacy rate: 85% (2008 est.)

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 28.76 million +977 14511001; mobile cellular: 58.16 million +977 14511001. Broadcast media: state-run broadcast media with no private, independent broadcasters; Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the state-run TV broadcaster, operates 5 nationwide channels, a news channel, about 30 provincial channels, and several international channels; about 20 foreign Persian-language TV stations broadcasting on satellite TV are capable of being seen in Iran; satellite dishes are illegal and, while their use had been tolerated, authorities began confiscating satellite dishes following the unrest stemming from the 2009 presidential election; IRIB operates 8 nationwide radio networks, a number of provincial stations, and an external service; most major international broadcasters transmit to Iran +977 14511001. Internet hosts: 197,804 +977 14511001. Internet users: 8.214 million +977 14511001.

Transportation: Railways: 8,442 km +977 14511001. Roadways: total: 198,866 km; paved: 160,366 km (including 1,948 km of expressways); unpaved: 38,500 km +977 14511001. Waterways: 850 km (on Karun River and Lake Urmia) +977 14511001. Ports and harbors: Assaluyeh, Bushehr. Airports: 319 +977 14511001.

Dress-Code In Iran:
Like many countries across the world, Iran has its own style and fashion. With respect to Islamic rules including “Hijab”, it is expected, tourists pick modest outfits.

Tip 1: Ladies! Please cover your hair wearing a scarf; scarf is the most common covering for head and hair. It is called "Rousari" in Persian. Please make sure to wear something loose to cover the body. Arms should not be bare and legs should be covered down to ankles.

Tip 2: Gentlemen! Please do not wear shorts or extreme short sleeve and tight shirts in public places. Feel free to wear ties or bows and T-shirts depending on your plans and events you are attending.

Tip 3: On Iranian flights, it is usually requested to follow the dress-code upon entering the Iranian airspace. We can recommend you to pick a Manteau (a light coat or a mantle) and a scarf. You later can explore the city and find out about the latest fashion style in Iran and experience shopping like locals do. See it as a new experience and it will be fun. If not sure where to start, google some photos and even on your flight, have a look at flight stewardesses to get an idea of how you have to wear your scarf and manteau.

Tip 4: When visiting holy places, you may be asked to wear a Chador before you enter the holy site. Not to worry! the sites will provide you with a chador upon entrance.

Prohibited Items

Alcoholic beverages, narcotics, guns and ammunition, all horticultural and agricultural goods including seeds and soil; aerial photo cameras, transmitter receiver apparatus, most films, cassettes, CDs and videos and any kind of fashion magazine. Of course, hunters who are visiting Iran on hunting tours can get necessary permits for carrying their guns and ammunition via their Iranian travel agents beforehand.

Times to travel

Iran is a four season country and enjoys a very diverse climate. Up in the North, it can become very hot during summer time and can go several degrees below zero during winter time. Down in the South close to the Persian Gulf region, however, they have a milder winters and much hotter summers. It is recommended you travel to the South in springs and falls.

Visa

While planning your trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran remember to double check your passport or any travel documents to be valid for at least 90 days. For some nationalities a valid Iranian visa is required and depending on your nationality, some can stay as a tourist up to 3 months per entrance. If you need a visa, it is highly recommended to start the visa process at least two months before your visit schedule.

If you are planning to experience the Persian heritage and celebrate Nowruz in Iran, bear in mind Nowruz holidays are hot-seasons in Iran and you have to submit your visa application before 8 March to avoid being stalled in the process. As a part of a tourism development program, Iran waived nationals of about 65 countries.Citizens of those countries are granted a 15-day tourist visa upon arrival (Airport Visa).

To Get More Info: http://evisa.mfa.ir/en/