1. Badab Soort

Badab Soort, located in Chahardangeh District in Sari County in Mazandaran province, is the second natural heritage of Iran followed by Mount Damavand. Badab Soort is a group of stepped terrace springs with different colored waters that flow out of the ground within a short distance from each other. It includes two springs with completely different waters in terms of color, smell, taste and content. One of the springs is very salty and it has a pool about 15 meters in diameter and a great depth which is mainly used for swimming in the summer; and it is helpful for treating back and leg pain, skin diseases, rheumatism and especially migraine headaches. The second spring which is located upstream and on the Northwest of the spring is sour and the water is in red and orange which brings iron oxide from the bottom of rocks to the ground. “Badab” means carbonated water and “Soort” means intensity of effect. Combination of Badab Soort can be translated as the intensity of carbonated water effect.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Valley of Stars

Valley of Stars which is about two million years old has been formed due to the soil, stone and sand erosion caused by wind, rain and storms. It is located west of Berkeh-ye Khalaf village, 5 km away from the Southern coast of Qeshm Island. The valley has tall columns with various shapes. Inhabitants of the area believe that when the stars fell to the earth, the area soil was raised and then the raised areas were dried in any shape they were and, as a result these long and short columns have been formed. Due to the arrangement and also the special shape of these columns, blowing wind through them creates a spooky sound. The inhabitants believe that it is the sound of Jinn and wandering ghosts that exist in the area. That’s why the indigenous peoples refrain from visiting the valley at night.

 

Must see places in Iran

  1. Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System

Shushtar historical hydraulic System is an interconnected group of bridges, dams, mills, waterfalls, canals and huge water tunnels that work together to increase water use efficiency. The huge system has been labeled as the largest industrial complex before the Industrial Revolution. Some of the main components of this huge system are as follows:

  • Mizan Dam: It divides Karun River into two branches.
  • Gargar Handmade River: It is an artificial branch of Karun River which is separated from the river by Mizan Dam and flows into Shushtar.
  • Group of Waterfalls and Water Mills: Triple tunnels lead the water to the complex. Water is divided into several channels that flow into a pond-like area like a waterfall.
  • Maahi Bazan Dam: It was built to maintain a high water level.
  • Darioon Creek: It was built by Darius I to irrigate Shushtar plains.
  • Sharabdar Dam: It is located on the South of Shushtar on a creek branch.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Uraman 

The word “Uraman” or “Hewraman” as it is called in vernacular language is made up of two parts: “Hura” meaning Ahura and “Man” meaning house, position and land. Thus, Uraman means Ahura land and Ahura Mazda’s position. In Avesta, “Hur” means the sun and Hewraman also means Position of the Sun. Uraman is a village in Uraman District of Sarvabad County in Kordestan Province which is known as “Hezar Masuleh” village due to its stepped architecture.

The houses of the city are generally made of stone which have been built by dry stone technique. Roofs of the houses are the other houses yards. Sirwan and Leileh are two famous rivers of the district which come together near Iraq. The temperate and mountain climate, plenty of springs, vast gardens and lush green pastures has provided the conditions for animal husbandry and agriculture in the area. The climate has also paved the way for the presence of many animal species including the Persian squirrel, as well as trees such as oak, pistacia atlantica, walnut, mulberry, pear, fig, pomegranate and plants like rhubarb.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque is one of the most beautiful places in Shiraz. The monument is considered as one of the architectural masterpieces because the stained glass used to decorate the building sparkles in the sunlight during the day, leading to a kind of light party and a colorful image in the nave of the mosque. Since the red glass dominates other colors, the golden sunbeam combines with the glass redness, making the courtyard of the mosque seems pink. That’s why the mosque is also known as the Pink Mosque. The front entrance has a large false arch, the roof of which has been decorated with seven-color tiles. Its false arch plinth is made of Gandomak stone and Muqarnas decoration has been executed to the entrance false arch. The front entrances of the mosque are two large wooden doors.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Naqsh-e Jahan Square which is located in Isfahan is one of the beautiful and historic squares in Iran. It is in the shape of a rectangle and it has connected four unique historical monuments: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Imam Mosque, Qeysarie Gate, Qeysarie Bazaar and Ali Qapu Palace. Furthermore, the Square is surrounded by two hundred two-story chambers which are generally used for supplying Isfahan handicrafts including wood carving works, vitreous enamel, copper decoration and toreutics. The Square which was built in the Safavid era is 525 meters in length and 159 meters in width. According to the existing travelogues, the Square was considered as a suitable place for performing many ceremonies and rituals including playing polo, fireworks, military parade and patriotic ceremonies.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Masal

Masal county is one of the most beautiful and untamed areas of Gilan province. The natural and green areas of the region are so vast that the county can be labeled as the untouched paradise of the nature. The city has a lot of tourist attractions and beautiful landscapes such as towering forests, huge trees, natural waterfalls, wildlife and green meadows; existence of seventeen large and small caves and other amazing places in Masal attracts annually many travelers and tourists from all over the country. Below, you can find some of them.

Green Roof of Masal is a beautiful landscape which is located one kilometer away from the county. In addition to the plain of Masal, some parts of Sowme’eh Sara and Bandar-e Anzali Counties and their beautiful landscapes can be seen in the area.

Olasbelangah countryside is considered as one of the most spectacular suburban areas in Masal. It is an entirely green area that has encompassed a vast plain and it extends as far as the eye can see. The area has many pastures and the houses are made of wood which are known as wooden huts.

There are numerous waterfalls in Masal including Khun waterfall that is more than 15 meters in height, Toli Nessa waterfall and Ramineh waterfall that is 10 meters in height.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Dasht-e Kavir

Dasht-e Kavir is the vastest and one of the most beautiful plains in Iran which is located in the South of Alborz mountain range and the Northern center of Iran and encompasses Kerman, Razavi Khorasan, Semnan, Yazd, Tehran and Markazi provinces. The approximate length of the plain is 800 km and its approximate width is 320 km. ​​The plain with an area of more than 77 thousand square kilometers is regarded as one of the thermal poles of the Earth. The temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius in the summer and sometimes the temperature difference between day and night reaches 70 degrees Celsius. Today, the greater part of the plain is covered by swamps and in the Eastern parts it is covered with sand hills and dunes. Its Western parts also have puffy clay soils in which no types of vegetation can be observed. Dasht-e Kavir soil is completely arid and it is not suitable for agriculture. There is no safe drinking water in the area; thus, the environment is completely uninhabited.

Must see places in Iran

  1. Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat

Chogha Zanbil Temple is one of the first Iranian historical monuments which has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It was built during the Elamite period about 1250 BC. Due to the architectural style of the temple, it is called Ziggurat and it is located in Khuzestan province between the ancient cities of Shush and Shushtar. Ziggurat literally means a high and lofty place. Ziggurats were the temples built 2500 to 4200 years ago by West Asian governments as a place of worship. At that time, it was believed that the gods were the guardians of the city. During the Elamites period, Inshushinak was considered as the city protector and the building was built to worship him. The multi-story building was built on the high hills to get close to the gods and they were built of adobe and mud bricks. The special feature of these temples is that each floor is smaller than the previous one. That’s why they are seen like the stairway on each side. Statues of gods were kept and some religious ceremonies were held in the Ziggurats. Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat is a five-story building and Inshushinak’s temple is located on the upper floor. Some waterways can be seen throughout the building, probably for protection of the building against the torrential rains of Khuzestan. Around the building is covered in cobblestone and there are some child’s footprints in some cobblestones. The reason behind it has not yet been revealed. There are three brick buildings which were built in the shape of a circle and the information obtained in this regard suggests that they are something like sundials. Only one of the three buildings has survived to some extent. In some excavations, it is mentioned that the buildings were a basis for the sculptures that existed on all four sides of Chogha Zanbil, but upon careful examination it can be found that they were used to tell the time.

Must see places in Iran