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Iran |
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| Iran does have
a vast amount to offer travelers. For culture seekers,
Iran has magnificent ruins of ancient cities, plus glorious
mosques and mausoleums, and museums so interesting they're
bound to leave your feet sore. The more adventurous can
enjoy trekking, budget-priced skiing, or shocking Iranian
picnickers by swooping off cliffs strapped to a hang-glider
cannily concealed in a backpack. Area: 1,648,000 sq km
(642,720 sq mi) Population: 66 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: Shi'ite Muslim (89%),
Sunni Muslim (10%), Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian. Government:
Islamic Republic Spiritual leader: Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei. President: Hojjat-ol-Eslam Seyed Mohammed Khatami
GDP: US$340 billion GDP per head: US$5000 Annual growth:
4.2% Inflation: 19% Major industries: Oil, gas, agriculture,
carpets, armaments Major trading partners: Japan, Germany,
France, Italy, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Belgium
Facts for the Traveler Visas: Everyone needs a visa to
visit Iran. Unless you're from Slovenia, Macedonia, Turkey
or Japan, this is going to be a hassle. The best advice
is to apply for a visa before you leave home. However,
once you're in you're in - getting an extension inside
Iran is often easy. Health risks: Diarrhea, malaria, cholera,
schistosomiasis, altitude sickness, sunburn Time: GMT/UTC
plus 3.5 hours (The time in Iran changes by one hour every
six months; on March 21 it is advanced one hour and on
Sept. 21 it is pulled back one hour, hence the actual
prayer call which is supposed to be 12:00 noon on March
20th will be changed to 1:00 p.m. on March 21st. Then
it will be at 12:00 noon again on Sept. 21st. Electricity:
220V, 50Hz Weights & measures: Metric. When to Go: Generally
the best times to visit Iran are mid-April to early June
(this is when the air is less polluted in Tehran and large
cities), and late September to early November - these
times avoid the long, cold northern winter, the Iranian
New Year (late March) and the summer, which can be unpleasantly
hot in much of the country. Many people prefer not to
visit Iran during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting,
but apart from most restaurants closing between dawn and
dusk, Ramadan is not that bad for traveling. On the other
hand, it is virtually possible to travel without making
any advance bookings on transportation (railway, bus,
flights etc..) and motels during Ramadan. |
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| Events Just
about everything that can close will close on major sad
religious holidays, so it's important to know when they
fall. Iran's religious holidays follow the Muslim lunar
calendar, so the dates according to the western calendar
vary each year. There are two types of holidays, sad and
happy. Major events include Ramadan, the month of dawn
to dusk fasting; Eid-矆etr, the one day festival of feasting
that marks the end of Ramadan; Ghadir-矋hom, which commemorates
the day that the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) appointed Emam
Ali his successor; and the birthday of Mohammed. National
holidays follow the Persian solar calendar, and generally
fall on the same day each year according to the western
calendar. The big bangers include the Magnificent Victory
of the Islamic Revolution of Iran on 11 February, which
is the anniversary of (Imam) Khomeini's coming to power
in 1979; the enthusiastically celebrated No Ruz or Iranian
New Year (21 to 24 March); and the tear-jerking
Heart-Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic
Republic of Iran on 4 June, which commemorates the death
of (Imam) Khomeini in 1989. Money & Costs Currency (according
to data collected in April 2001): Iranian rial Relative
Costs: Meals Budget: US$1-2 Mid-range: US$2-10 Top-end:
US$10 and upwards Lodging Budget: US$2-10 Mid-range: US$10-40
Top-end: 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 first-class bus
and shared taxi, and visits to all the important tourist
attractions. |
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| Accommodation
prices: The more expensive hotels, often charge foreigners
in US dollars. Tickets for tourist attractions and flights
must also be paid for in US dollars. There are 2 ways
to change money (preferably US dollars in cash): at the
exchange rate at a bank (10:45 through 13:20 Saturday
thru Wednesday); at the 'street rate' or the black market
(strictly not recommended). Don't bother taking travelers
cheques of any denomination or currency unless you absolutely
must: you can only exchange them (certainly not American
cheques) 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 friendly Iranians
usually will be glad to offer their assistance. As for
bargaining, in the bazaar virtually all prices are negotiable;
in shops, it's a complete waste of time. It is advisable
to shop at major department stores and supermarkets (namely,
Refah, Shaharvand, Sepah, Ghods, etc.) where goods carry
a price tag and the prices are fixed. Fares in private
taxis are always negotiable (usually only 500 rials for
the first 350 meters), 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. |
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Tehran |
| Attractions:
The hotels are good, the variety of restaurants is impressive,
the facilities are far ahead of those anywhere in the
provinces, and the Tehranis are friendly. The major attraction
for visitors is the city's excellent museums. 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
modernized on a grid system, and this period marked the
start of phenomenal population growth and uncontrolled
urban development that continues to this day. The subway
system is very young. The air pollution in Tehran is awful. |
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