DESTINATION IRAN

Facts at a Glance

Full country name: The Islamic Republic of Iran
Area: 1,648,000 sq km (642,720 sq mi)
Population: 70 million
Capital city: Tehran (pop 10.5 million)
People: Persian (Farsis) (65%), Azari (25%), Arab (4%), Lors (2%), Turkmen (2%), Kurdish, Armenian, Jewish
Language: Persian
Religion: Muslim
Government: Islamic Republic
Spiritual leader: Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei
President: Hojjat-ol-Eslam Seyed Mohammed Khatami

Massive, unrestrained urban and industrial development and the Iran-Iraq War have caused irreparable environmental damage, particularly on the southern slopes of the Alborz range, along the Caspian Sea and around the Persian Gulf. To its credit, the Iranian government has created a few national parks, but the warm glow dissipates once you realise the parks have no fenced areas or rangers. The northern slopes of the Alborz are densely covered with deciduous trees, forming the largest area of vegetation in Iran. There are some lovely pockets of forest around Khalkhal, south of Ardabil, and at Nahar Khoran, just south of Gorgan. Mammals such as the wolf, jackal, wild boar, hyena, black bear and lynx are common in the unexplored depths of the forests of Mazandaran province. In the deserts and mountains you're more likely to come across the more sedate Persian squirrel and mongoose, galloping Persian gazelle, porcupine, badger and endemic Iranian wild ass. Two of the more fascinating creatures are the huge Alborz red sheep, with its black beard and spiralling horns, and the Oreal ram, with a white beard and enormous horns.

Because of its size, variety of topography and altitude, Iran experiences great extremes of climate. Winters (December to February) can be unpleasantly cold in most parts of the country, while in summer (June to August) temperatures as high as 40°C (104°F) are nothing out of the ordinary. Regular rainfall is more or less restricted to the far north and west - generally also the coldest parts of Iran.

In the 4th century BC Alexander the Great invaded Persia after conquering most of Greece, Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. Despite three conciliatory offers from Darius III for a negotiated peace, Alexander entered Shush. From there, he took some time to cross the mountains to the east, but eventually entered Persepolis. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, the empire was divided into three squabbling dynasties, with Persia controlled by the Macedonian Seleucids. But the Seleucids had problems controlling the numerous feisty ethnic minorities, in particular the nomadic Parthians who came to control most of Persia until the 3rd century AD. The Sassanians came from the central regions of Persia not under direct control of the Parthians. They were an industrious Zoroastrian gang who promoted urban development and encouraged trade, but who eventually set to squabbling and were overrun by the Arabs in 637.

The Arabs ruled until 1050, converting most of the population to Islam and introducing the Persian language and culture. They were brought down by a Turkish dynasty, which captured Esfahan in 1051. Despite numerous rebellions, the Turks hung onto power until they were swept clean away by Genghis Khan's rampaging Mongols in the early 13th century. When the Mongols ran out of leaders in the late 14th century, the Timurid Dynasty filled the breach, but was then pressured by Turkmen tribes, Ottoman Turks and European colonialists such as Portugal.

The ensuing Safavid Dynasty (1502-1722) was one of the great Persian empires. The brilliant Shah Abbas I and his successors enshrined Shi'ism and rebuilt Esfahan, but the dynasty's decline was hastened by Afghan invasions in the early 18th century. The Afghans couldn't hold power and Iran was ruled by a succession of variously mad, bad and benevolent rulers until the bitter and twisted eunuch, Agha Muhammed Khan, united the Turkish Ghajars in 1779 and went on to establish a capital in Tehran. The Ghajar kings ruled a relatively peaceful Iran until 1921, managing to remain neutral during WWI, but were not able to prevent a partial occupation by British forces keen to ensure a constant supply of oil.

One of the last Ghajar kings introduced the idea of elections and a legislative assembly (called the Majlis), but it wasn't until the charismatic Persian Reza Khan came along in 1923 that the idea stuck. Reza became prime minister, and commenced the huge task of dragging the country into the 20th century. Iran (the name was officially adopted in 1934) was again neutral during WWII but Britain and Russia established spheres of influence there to shut out Germany. In 1941, Reza was forced into exile in South Africa and his son, Mohammed Reza, succeeded him. After the war, the USA helped persuade the Russians to leave, the young Shah regained absolute power and Iran became firmly aligned with the West.

Over the next 30 years, there was a build up of resistance to the Shah's regime of repression and modernisation. As the economy went from bad to worse under the Shah's post oil-boom mismanagement, the growing opposition made its presence felt with sabotage and massive demonstrations. The Shah's responses became increasingly desperate and brutal, US support wavered, and he finally fled on 16 January 1979. A couple of weeks later, the acknowledged leader of the Shah's opponents, Ayatollah Khomeini, returned from exile to be greeted by adoring millions. The Ayatollah's fiery brand of nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism led to the efficient establishment of a clergy-dominated Islamic Republic, where the USA was styled as the 'Great Satan' and Israel fared not much better.

Not long after the Ayatollah was proclaimed Emam (leader), Iraqi President Saddam Hussein made an opportunistic land grab in Khuzestan province. It was a disastrous move, embroiling the two countries in a hideous war that killed hundreds of thousands before an unsatisfactory ceasefire was negotiated in 1988. The western powers and the USSR supported Iraq, using 'lesser of two evils' logic, and weapons were only sold to Iran at vastly inflated prices.

On 4 June 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini died, leaving an uncertain legacy. Two months later Hojjat-ol-Eslam Rafsanjani was elected president, a post which had previously been largely ceremonial, and Khomeini's position as Supreme Leader was taken by the former president, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A trade embargo was implemented against Iran by the USA, alleging Iranian sponsorship of terrorist groups throughout the region and destabilisation of the peace process in the Middle East. Following the 1997 landslide election of a moderate Iranian president, Hojjat-ol-Eslam Seyed Mohammed Khatami, many hoped that relations with the rest of the world would improve. However, Iran's relations with Germany (and most of Europe) hit rock bottom in 1997 after a German court ruled that the Iranian government had been involved in the assassination of Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Germany several years earlier.

Khatami's election prompted many women voters and young people, to whom the rapture at the coming of the Islamic Revolution was mere hearsay, to hope the Islamic Republic's strictest impositions would be relaxed. As things stand, very little political opposition is tolerated.

Money & Costs

Currency: rial
Relative costs:

• Budget meal: US$1-2
  
• Moderate restaurant meal: US$2-10
  
• Top-end restaurant meal: US$10 and upwards
  

• Budget room: US$2-10
  
• Moderate hotel: US$10-40
  
• Top-end hotel: US$40-110

Iran is inexpensive by international standards. A bare minimum budget for cheap hotels, Iranian food and overland transport is US$10 per day. Unless you thrive on discomfort, however, you should double this to around US$20 per day. This will provide you with decent accommodation, better food, transport by 1st class bus and shared taxi, and visits to all the important tourist attractions. One unfortunate part of travelling to Iran is the dual-pricing for foreigners. This affects international flights and ferries, where all tickets must be paid for in US dollars; tourist attractions, where foreigners pay up to 15 times as much to enter as Iranians do; and the more expensive hotels, which often charge in US dollars.

There are three ways to change money (preferably US dollars in cash): at the official, and unfavourable, exchange rate at a bank; at the favourable 'street rate' at a legal, though uncommon, money-exchange office; and on the black market, anywhere. Don't bother taking travellers cheques of any denomination or currency unless you absolutely must: you can only exchange them at the Bank Melli branches at the international airport in Tehran and in central Tehran. An increasing number of mid-range hotels (and all top-end places) accept Visa or MasterCard - but certainly not American Express. However, if your Visa or MasterCard has been issued in the US, it may be useless because of the US trade embargo. Bottom line: bring plenty of greenbacks.

In most cases, tipping is an optional reward for good service. Although there are many circumstances where a small tip is expected, you are unlikely to have a waiter hovering expectantly near your table after delivering the bill. On the other hand, it's worth remembering that helpful Iranians probably deserve some extra appreciation to supplement their meagre wages. As for bargaining, in the bazaar virtually all prices are negotiable; in shops, it's a complete waste of time. Fares in private taxis are always negotiable, but not in any other form of transport because these prices are set by the government. Hotel rates are open to negotiation except in top-end places.

Human settlement of the region dates from Neolithic times, but the development of Tehran was very slow and its rise to prominence largely accidental. From the mid-16th century, Tehran's attractive natural setting and good hunting brought it into the favour of the Safavid kings. It developed from a moderately prosperous trading village into an elegant, if dusty, city, and European visitors wrote of its many enchanting vineyards and gardens. In 1789, Agha Muhammed Khan declared Tehran his capital, and six years later had himself crowned as Shah of all Persia. The town continued to grow slowly under later Ghajar rulers.

From the early 1920s, the city was extensively modernised on a grid system, and this period marked the start of phenomenal population growth and uncontrolled urban development that continues to this day. Today Tehran is so vast that getting hopelessly lost at least once is a near certainty, no matter what form of transport you take. If you need landmarks, the Alborz mountains, known as the 'North Star' of Tehran, are to the north; and the huge telephone office at Emam Khomeini Square dominates inner southern Tehran.

The National Museum of Iran houses a marvellous collection including ceramics, stone figures and carvings dating from around the 5th millenium BC. Many of the relics are taken from excavations at Persepolis, Shush, Rey and Turang Tappé and will probably mean more to you if you come here after you've visited the archaeological sites. The Glass & Ceramics Museum is one of the most impressive in Tehran, not only for its professionally organised exhibits, but also for the building itself. The Reza Abbasis Museum, another stunner, contains examples of Islamic painting, pottery and jewellery. The National Palace (White) Museum used to be the last Shah's palace and is now a complex of museums.

Tehran's best non-museum sight is the haphazard bazaar, so big it's practically a separate city. Also worth a look are the busy Emam Khomeini Mosque, the drab Armenian Sarkis Cathedral, and the city's parks and gardens.

The famous half-rhyme Esfahan nesf-é jahan (Esfahan is half the world) was coined in the 16th century to express the city's grandeur. There's so much to see that you'll probably have to ration your time and concentrate on must-sees such as the Emam Mosque, a magnificent building completely covered in Esfahan's trademark pale blue tiles; Emam Khomeini Square, one of the largest town squares in the world; the Chehel Sotun Museum & Park, a marvellous 17th century pavilion and a great place for a picnic; and the Vank Cathedral, the historic focal point of the Armenian church in Iran. Taking tea in one of the teahouses under the bridges is also an essential part of the Esfahan experience.

Today Shiraz is a relaxed, cultivated city, with wide tree-lined avenues and enough monuments, gardens and mosques to keep most visitors happy for several days. The university here is one of Iran's finest, and you'll come across lots of students eager to speak English. Highlights include the restful tomb and garden of Hafez, a celebrated poet; the Shah-Cheragh mausoleum, an important Shi'ite place of pilgrimage which attracts hordes of supplicants; the Pars Museum, which contains Zand dynasty relics; and the delightful Eram garden, where the 19th century Ghajar palace lies alongside a pretty pool.

Numerous steep and narrow stairways lead to the pinnacles of the outer clay wall which almost circles the entire city. From the wall you can see the curved ice house, which housed enormous chunks of ice in winter, melting to become drinking water in summer. The inner citadel dominated the town - the extraordinary echo in the garrison is thought to be a deliberate, ancient loudspeaker system.

Bam is in south-eastern Iran. The bus from Tehran, 1260km (780mi) away, takes about 21 hours, so you might consider flying. There are two flights a week between Tehran and Bam, and more frequent flights between Tehran and Kerman, which is about three hours north-west of Bam by bus or shared taxi.

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