I do not know how many times I’ve been to Qazvin province. I even traveled to the surrounding villages and nature of the province, once I stopped at my friend’s student Dormitory one night in Qazvin, but I never looked at Qazvin as a tourist destination.

This time it was important from the moment of my arrival to the city. Wide streets that have made it easy to get a positive feel to the traveler. The city was alive and, despite the heavy rains, people were in the streets.

We followed the map to get to the hotel location. A hotel in a traditional home in the city of Qazvin. In our path I saw the old bazaar. The excitement took me all the way, so after chek-in, we immediately went out. The rain was heavy. The Sadosaltaneh Caravanserai was the first place to go. The beauty of restoration and maintenance was beyond my imagination. Cafes were located there and helped experience a good sense of eating and drinking in the old space. We stayed a bit there and then returned to the hotel for a break.

The next day, we left the hotel to visit the bazaar, Chehel Sotun, Aliqapu, Safavi Garden complex, Naderi mansion, Mirza Karim bath, Barajin Tower and …. Every moment that I touched the sights of Qazvin, and every time I looked at people’s life, the question came to me about why I have never visited Qazvin so far? It was not only strange to me, my husband had the same experience. We have been passing over from Qazvin many times and we have never been to this city full of spectacular places.

Has not Qazvin been the capital of the Safavids before Isfahan? Is not that what we have in Isfahan,its primary sample is in Qazvin? Was not the  first modern Iranian street in Qazvin? So why Isfahan is half the world and Qazvin is just a city between the way?

I do not know if the proximity of this city to Tehran has exacerbated its beauty and majesty, or the people there,  themselves are not interested in attracting tourists too much.This unawareness of a beautiful city and close to capital of Iran make me think about how many other places in Iran I have just gone through?

My trip to Qazvin was less than two days. After returning every moment I think about there and look forward to a trip again, this time with planning and for a longer time to this city. Qazvin should not be lost.

The post Qazvin is not a tourist destination for tourism! appeared first on Irandestina.

        why we celebrate Sadeh festival ? Long Time ago, when the last days of summer was passing , people fill their warehouses for the hard, dark and cold winter. Winter was coming to give them frustration, illness and starvation. Therefor  darkness was sign of evil and then light , sun and fire was sign of God’s mercy on people.

In Zoroastrian religion Fire has a significant role. As they protect fires to burn for hundreds of years and different generation take care of an Eternal Fire inside Temples. Fire temple or Atashkadeh is a place of worship . You can visit  the fire temples in Iran  that there is an ever burning fire in them.

Since fire is a symbol of truth and light for Zoroastrians , after passing one hundred days and  nights from summer , they celebrate Sadeh festival.  So It is a celebration to remember  the importance of light, fire and energy . light which comes from God in our heart.

So for this ceremony young teenage boys gather woods a day before festival. in other words it is kind of entering adulthood for them. such a notable ritual step toward manhood we see in all other cultures.

Sade Ceremony is the hope for near spring . still 50 days remains for spring to come and bring joy and prosperity to land.

So people wear all white clothes take their hands around the big fire . then a Zoroastrian priest  fires the bushes and together read some prayer.

After  the ceremony has ended the priest takes some remained fire from this big fire and take it to the fire temple and take cares of it until next year Sadeh celebration. they will use the exact fire to fire up the Next year firing. so this fire was lightening up for thousand of  years. The Eternal Fire!

The post The Eternal Fire ,Jashne Sadeh appeared first on Irandestina.

 I am a Tour Guide. I have led a lot of group tours over the past 7 years. I always believed that a tour guide is a teacher, but a trip teacher. Traveling alongside people with a lot of personalities is interesting for me. People of different ages with different abilities to endure travel difficulties. About 2 years ago, when I realized that I am pregnant,  I had to change my lifestyle, so abandon tour guiding. It is a job that quickly disappears from daily activities.

In the past two years, I’ve traveled less than my previous life. Whether pregnancy or breastfeeding, and afterwards, it is not easy to travel with an infant.

About a month ago, I decided to break this period when my husband suggested traveling to Kharanaq. 10 years ago, my husband and I met each other in Kharanq Caravanserai. He suggested celebrating the 10th anniversary in the same place. It was not easy for me. stepping with a 14-month-old son in this way, I thought it was madness. At first, I did not accept that, but later, with the support of two of my friends (Parastoo and Shamim who work together these days), I accepted. So we planned a 3.5-days trip to Kharandagh, a village in Yazd province.

Coordination began. After each phone-call I took for the trip, I had to feed my son or help him for sleeping or clean him. My friends and husband took some responsibility to help me. When the train ticket was opened on the railroad site, I had to buy it quickly, because it could be all reserved and we could lose the train. We all did it in the space where the child was crying. We must had written 35 names and 35 families and 35 national codes without the slightest error. Eventually, the tickets were purchased.

At nights, I was dreaming the nightmare that I lost the train, and the passengers, with the guidance of my 14-month-old son, started the trip. I provided a list of what to do and checked it many times each day.

Parastoo, Shamim, my husband and I, managed the tour during the trip. A tour of 35 people between 14 months to 70 years old. There were 3 other children on the tour, beside my son.

I didn’t sleep the night before the trip for various reasons. We were in the railway at 4 am before the rest. Everyone got together and the besides started. My child was sleeping in the carriage. One side of my mind was occupied by the guard for the ticket, another place to count all the passengers and at the same time worried about losing the carriage in the crowd.

When we arrived in Yazd, we were in charge of picking up passengers and riding a bus. I still was worried about losing the carriage. When I arrived at the Shah Abbasi Caravanserai, where we were supposed to spend 2 nights. I was responsible for setting the dinner, breakfast, the cold temperature of the rooms, the health of the passengers, along with a crying child who and couldn’t sleep and eat. To the end, I was sure I would not see the morning.

But I saw the morning, and we drove into the desert with travelers who were better than my imagination. The storm of sand in the desert and the destruction of one of the cars, along with the fear of damaging the child’s lungs, changed my mood again. The night we were all around the caravanserai, I felt calm.

The last day of the trip, visiting Meybod and Ardakan and Yazd, made the trip a bit heavy. At all these times costs should be calculated, we set hours to do so, and each time we should count passengers. At 8 o’clock we boarded the train. I felt like I was in a race and now is near the finish line. I counted everyone. I put the baby carriage in front of me and slept with the train shuffles.

In the morning, when we all came to Tehran with smile, I had a dual sense. Whether I have achieved success or went under the risk of stupidity? I still do not know. I don’t even know shall I advise anyone or not. Anyway, my friends, my husband and I did it all together.

The post Tourguide and mother in Kharanaq trip appeared first on Irandestina.

Mount Damavand : 5,610 m height.

I am an active volcano , I am the highest peak in Iran , and surprisingly highest volcano in Asia.  Besides my physical elevation, I have a special elevation in Persian mythology and folklore. Here is how Iranian Poet  Mohammad Taghi Bahar call me :

Oh white giant with feet in chains

Oh dome of the world, Oh Mount Damāvand

If you travel to Iran you can see me on the 10,000 rials Banknote, of course, these days it is not worth a lot, but it’s on my peak talent resume.

There are many ways to reach my summit, I guess 16 paths. Some of the paths need rock climbing .some are easier.

During you climbing you may see my high frozen waterfall which is eventually an ice-fall about 12 m tall on the elevation of 5100m, they say it is highest fall in Iran and the middle east.

If you want to visit me you can contact with IranDestina team, they can help you to catch this awesome experience.

Sabalan : 4811 m height

I am the second highest mountain in Iran. I got a beautiful permanent crater lake at my summit, some visitors found some of the volcanic rock formations which look likes animals, birds and insects. Here what you see? an Eagle maybe!

I have a ski resort called Alvares and Sarein spa .in the region Plenty of mineral water springs attracts tourists, and Nomads live near my hillside.

As Damavand i have my mythical stories as well.  Some say i was the place of Zoroaster meditated for some years. For that, I am a sacred place in Zoroastrianism.

Nomad believes that if my summit snow melt this is the end of world, you can connect such believe to global warming that is happening, that’s why today we are talking about sustainable mountains.

Alam-kuh : 4805 m height.

I got the bronze medal and stood on the 3rd highest peak of Iran. There were two German brothers Bornmuller who stood on my summit after 6 months exploration in the Alborz in 1902.

I got the most difficult mountaineering in Iran. Thus I attract European climbing teams and they got root’s name like, German Flank which is a rocky ridge to the summit. And Polish 48.

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The night of  Yalda is the last day of fall and it is the longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere. In Yalda night there is a special ceremony in Iran. In most parts of Iran, the extended family gather around and enjoy their time together with a lot of foods and snacks. If I could call this night with another name that would surely be the “delicious night”!

There are many varieties of fruits, pastry, and nuts. Everyone is talking about this night weeks before and they are deciding where to gather and what to cook. Pomegranates and watermelons are the special fruits for this time. Although the watermelons are most of the time white because of the season.  parents usually give newlyweds presents on this night. children are happy that they can stay awake until late at night and enjoy their time with the family and sweets!

Wait a minute!

After writing this blog post, I started to share it on social media, and I suddenly remembered I didn’t mention anything
other than food. I obviously forget the cultural part of Yalda night, because I am so foody that I missed the most important part of this special night, reading poems!
At this night we read Hafez, Khayyam, and Ferdousi poems together, we also tell our fortune with reading Hafez poems by chance and dear Hafez speak to us and advice us what to do in the future.
After that, I got a really nice comment on my post which I will bring here.

Yalda is the longest night of the year. Yalda is also a girls name (maybe with thick long black hair).
The family gathers together, mostly at grandparents place, so they fight and survive the “darkness” together. The elderly entertain by telling stories (keep everyone busy so they forget the presence of the darkness) and feed the family with some summer fruits (saved for months in a cool place) reminding their flock of longer days ahead.
We Iranians celebrate by constantly using our profound symbols of life and creation.

Okay, now I feel much better, but I will definitely add more things on this blog as soon as I remember or if any of you remind me more traditions for this wonderful night!

Do you want to celebrate Yalda with us?

This year, Irandestina group as a tourism event organizer invites all travelers who are in Tehran to celebrate Yalda night together. This ceremony will be held in Baccara Cafe with one of the most creative team and local food and beverages. We celebrate Yalda in Baccara Cafe for happiness, poetry, live Persian traditional music, Yalda snacks, Siah Bazi performance, etc.

Join us and experience Yalda like a local.

Reserving contact:

info@irandestina.com

Whatsapp
+989194194872

The post Let’s celebrate Yalda in Baccara Cafe appeared first on Irandestina.

I personally like Tajrish and the bazaar because of its atmosphere. The bazaar consists of a vegetable market that has a great vibe and it is colorful. Everyone is looking for something and sometimes you stuck in people traffic. Local people really like this place and people from all over Tehran go there to shop or just enjoy the colorful shops.

Whenever I go there I should buy something, I cannot resist the smell and image. You hear sellers trying to advertise their products and they smile at you. There is almost everything in the Bazaar and you will not come back home without finding what you need.

For tourists and photographers, it is a nice place to shoot photos, especially in the early morning, both because of the light and because it is less crowded.

You can spend at least one day in this area, there is also lots of attractions nearby.

Like:

• Imamzadeh Saleh
• Darband mountains and village
• Saad abad palace
  Niavaran palace
  
  Tajrish bazaar is close to Tajrish metro station and you can reach there easily.

The post Tajrish Bazaar appeared first on Irandestina.

The beautiful Palm trees that make them are around the Arg-e Bam oasis that are on the World Heritage list you can find more information on Unesco, this heritage is called “Bam and its Cultural Landscape.

What are Arg-e Bam special features:

fortified medieval town
built in vernacular technique using mud layers (Chineh)
being in the crossroads of important trade routes( silk road)
known for the production of silk and cotton clothing
underground irrigation canals (called “qanāts”)

Beside archaeological values, you may remember Bam for the devastating earthquake happened in 2003, unfortunately, 26,200 people died in that disaster. Hopefully, Bam has been rebuilt. So it’s IranDestina’s recommendation to visit this medieval town and its green landscape, ring of Palm trees in heart of the desert.

The post Date in Bam appeared first on Irandestina.

I did not become a writer then I studied at the Bachelor of Engineering in Chemistry. For years I worked at the insurance company, cinema, newspapers, and magazines, but I never had the full satisfaction. In 2009, I met a man who marries me three years later. We have a 1-year old son. My husband helped me determine my career path further. He advised me to see the journey professionally.

After that, I became a cultural and natural tour leader. I studied Master of tourism management. Then I met my traveler friends in university who are my colleagues today. In these years I have searched in the tourism industry and see what I like most. I chose sustainable tourism development. I work voluntarily and non-voluntarily in various activities in this field. It is pleasant for me to be active in any field of tourism that boosts local communities’ economic, environmental, peace and friendship and any positive developments in the world. Tourism is a way for me to make my dreams true.

Today I am a traveler mom. We started traveling with my husband since my son was only 50 days old. This way will continue. Irandestina is a way for me to achieve all this journey and experience and peace together.

P.S. My child’s name is “Damavand”. Damavand is the highest peak in Iran.

The post Maryam’s Story appeared first on Irandestina.

Shamim means Scent of a flower. It has been more than a quarter century living in this area called “the earth”. I am happy that I know how to take life easy, so I can go on a trip in less than an hour. In my experience, unplanned trips lead to be the most awesome trip ever in your life. So I grab these kinds of opportunities.

Beside personal attitudes toward the universe, I think traveling is the best way to maintain peace among countries because in our limited perspective provided by media we think we are superior or different from other nations but when we travel we find only similarities, we find love and passion, culture and art. so that is the most sustainable way to travel to different countries, to understand the world deeper.

IranDestina fulfills my thirst to help Travelers (for me they are adventurers) who travel to Iran, one of the most hospitable places on the earth, to visit Persian empire heritages and to meet Iranian Islamic Art, culture and most important meet people and make unforgettable memories. It is my personal invitation, only let me know how can I help to make your visit happen. I will show you around, or only answer your questions….

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Cave in Hormoz Island

I was the last child in my family and because of that all of my siblings took me with them in their trips in Iran and that’s when my desire to travel started. I visited all of provinces is Iran and I learned a lot of things while traveling. Every city and village in Iran has its own culture and that helped me to be more open-minded and grow in my life.

I wanted to know more and I decided to learn English to be able to communicate with the world and learn from other people. That was not enough I could only read about other countries. I decided to study tourism and that was when I started to travel to other countries and meet tourists in Iran. They turn out to be my friends and I am so happy to be in this path. Tourism gives me the opportunity to make new friends from all over the world and learn from them.
I like to be a minimalist in my life so I can spend time on the things that really matter in my life, like people and traveling.

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