TehranCapital
Iran · Country profile
Tehran is the enormous, energetic capital of Iran, the sprawling metropolis of the Alborz mountains that spreads its dense districts, its enormous highways, its bazaars and its modern towers across the vast southern plain beneath the snow-lifted, volcano-crowned ridge of the great peaks, one of the largest and the most dynamic cities of the Middle East. The capital of the country since the late eighteenth century, when the Qajar kings chose the village for their seat, it has swelled into the overwhelming urban world of the Iranian power, economy and culture, its grand avenues, its palaces of the old dynasties, its immense bazaar, its museums of the national treasures and its modern parks and malls filling the frame. The palaces of the Golestan and the Niavaran, the bazaar of the city, the museums of the crown and the contemporary art, the towers and the slopes of the north and the ruins of the nearby ancient Ray anchor the essential visits. Vast, complicated and profoundly alive, Tehran is the overwhelming modern heart of the Iranian nation.
About Tehran
Tehran is the capital of Iran. The city's documented population is around 9,300,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Iranian Rial (IRR) and Persian is spoken; the dialling code is +98. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Imam Khomeini International Airport.
The Palaces of the Golestan and the Bazaar of the City
Tehran is a colossal, multi-centred metropolis where the essential circuit moves between the historic palaces and the bazaar of the south, the museums and the cultural institutions of the centre and the green tower districts of the modern north, with the great mountains of the north filling the horizon. The palaces of the Golestan with their mirror halls, the enormous bazaar of the city with its miles of the lanes, and the museums of the crown jewels, the carpets and the contemporary art anchor the classic days, while the towers of the modern north, the cinema and the theatre life and the parks of the city carry the everyday pulse of the republic. The ski slopes and the summits of the great mountain, reachable in an hour, and the archaeological sites of the nearby plain, complete the layered, enormous circuit of the Iranian capital.
The Museums of the National and the Jewels of the Crown
The climate of the city is the sharply continental steppe, with the cold, often snowy winters, the mild, green springs with the famous blossom of the streets, the hot, dry summers and the golden autumns, while the air quality of the basin reflects the vast traffic of the metropolis. The rial is the currency, with the Persian the language of the city and some English among the educated, and the foreign visitor follows the strict dress and behaviour codes of the republic. The palaces, the bazaar and the museums make the core circuit, and the metro of the city binds the enormous metropolis together. Modest, code-respecting clothing and a disciplined plan of the far distances complete the essentials of the vast capital.
The Towers of the North and the Snows of the Mountain
The palace of the Golestan, the magnificent royal complex of the Qajar kings at the edge of the old town, with its mirror tilework, its peacock throne hall and its celebrated crown of the chamber, is the richest surviving monument of the royal Tehran, and the enormous bazaar of the city that runs from its north gate, the mile-long labyrinth of the covered lanes of the carpets, the spices, the gold and the boutiques, carries the commercial soul of the whole of Iran. The national museum of the city, with its uninterrupted sweep of the Persian art from the millennia, and the treasury of the national jewels with its astonishing crown of the diamonds, anchor the cultural and the monetary history of the state, while the modern tower of the Azadi, the great gateway arch of the city that frames the western entrance with its white cladding and its foundation museum, and the slopes of the Alborz with their ski resorts and their views, complete the extraordinary, layered, overwhelming portrait of the capital of the Iranian nation.
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- Country
- Iran
- Population
- 9,300,000
- Coordinates
- 35.4161, 51.1522
- Capital
- Tehran
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Iranian Rial (IRR)
- Languages
- Persian
- Calling code
- +98
- Country code
- IR
Getting to Tehran
Airports we list for Tehran:
Frequently asked questions
Is Tehran the capital of Iran?
Yes — Tehran is the capital of Iran.
What currency do I need in Tehran?
The local currency is the Iranian Rial (IRR). Languages spoken in Iran include Persian.
What is the dialling code for Iran?
The international dialling code for Iran is +98.
Which airport should I fly into for Tehran?
Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) is the airport we list for Tehran.
Flying out of Tehran? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.