Iran

Best places to visit in Iran

Iran's Unmissable Landmarks

Iran’s architectural and natural heritage spans millennia, from the Achaemenid ruins of Persepolis and the rock-cut royal tombs of Naqsh-e Rustam to the 17th-century Safavid splendor of Isfahan’s Ali Qapu Palace. This collection features the Bisotun Inscription, a trilingual relief crucial to deciphering cuneiform, and the remote Sasanian site of Takht-e Soleyman. Natural landmarks include the wind-sculpted kalouts of the Lut Desert and the extensive plant collections of the National Botanical Garden in Tehran.

Iran's Unmissable Landmarks — Map

ahura_ / CC BY 3.0

A

Persepolis

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros…

B

Ali Qapu Palace

A six-story Safavid palace on the western side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square. It features a grand elevated terrace with wooden columns and a top-floor music hall decorated with deep circular niches designed to enhance acoustics.

C

Qeysarie Gate

The 17th-century entrance to Isfahan’s Grand Bazaar, located at the northern end of Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The structure is decorated with intricate tilework and frescoes depicting Safavid-era military campaigns and hunting scenes.

Nasser-sadeghi / CC BY 3.0

D

Naqsh-e Rustam

Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient archeological site and necropolis located about 13 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars Province, Iran.

myself / CC-BY-SA-3.0

E

Takht-e Soleyman

Takht-e Soleymān or Adur Gushnasp, is an archaeological site in West Azerbaijan, Iran dating back to Sasanian Empire.

THORSTEN / CC BY-SA 4.0

F

kalout

The Lut Desert, widely referred to as Dasht-e Lut, is a large salt desert located in the provinces of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan,…

KendallKDown / CC BY-SA 3.0

G

Bisotun inscription

The Behistun Inscription is a multilingual Achaemenid royal inscription and large rock relief on a cliff at Mount Behistun in the…

Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 4.0

H

Ganjali Khan Bazaar

A 17th-century Safavid-era marketplace in Kerman. The brick-vaulted interior showcases traditional Persian bazaar architecture and connects various historical structures, including a caravansarai, a bathhouse, and a water cistern.

Pentocelo / CC-BY-SA-3.0

I

The Gate of All Nations

The Gate of All Nations, also known as the Gate of Xerxes, is located in the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis, Iran.

Farshid7 / CC BY-SA 3.0

J

Masjed-e Jāmé of Kerman

Jameh Mosque of Kerman is a mosque located in Kerman, Iran. The mosque was built at the time of Mubariz al-Din Muhammad, Muzaffarids, in the…

Averater / CC BY 4.0

K

National Botanical Garden of Iran

National Botanical Garden of Iran is a Botanical Garden in Tehran, Iran.

Erich Schmidt / Public domain

L

Tomb of Darius I

The tomb of Darius the Great is one of the four tombs for Achaemenid kings at the historical site of Naqsh-e Rostam, located about 12…

Other Lists

Historic Mosques and Tombs Ancient Persian Sites Iran's Natural Wonders Cultural Landmarks