Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea (Persian: درياي مازندران) is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18,761 cu mi). It is an endorheic basin (it has no outflows), and is bounded by southern Russia, western Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, northern Iran, and eastern Azerbaijan. It has a maximum depth of about 1025 meters (3,363 ft). The coast of the Caspian sea in the north of Iran has a humid and usually temperate weather.

Dsht-E-Kavir

Dsht-E-Kavir (Persian: دشت كوير) is a plain, located in the east and center of Iran Birjand and Kashan. There has a torrid weather as well as a dry land.

Dasht-E-Loot

Dasht-E-Loot (Persian: دشت لوت) is a plain, located in the east of Iran near Zahedan.There has a torrid weather as well as a dry land.

Iran map

Mashhad

Mashhad (Persian: مشهد, literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia world. It is located 850 kilometers (500 miles) east of Tehran, at the center of the Rzavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its population was 2,427,316 at the 2006 population census.

Now Mashhad is notably known as the resting place of the Imam Reza (Ali ibn Musa al-Rida). A shrine was later built there to commemorate the Imam, which in turn gave rise to increasing demographic development.

Azadi Tower

The Azadi Tower (Persian: برج آزادی, Borj-e Azadi meaning in English: Freedom Tower) (previously known as the Shahyad Aryamehr Persian: شهیاد آریامهر, English: King Memorial Tower) is the symbol of Tehran, Iran, and marks the entrance to the city.

Built in 1971 in commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, this "Gateway into Iran" was named the Shahyad Tower (meaning "Remembrance of the Shehs (Kings)") but dubbed Azadi (Freedom) after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It is the symbol of the country's revival, and intended to remind coming generations of the achievements of modern Iran under the Pahlavi Dynsty. It is 50 metres (148 feet) tall and is completely clad in cut marble.

The architect, Hossein Amanat, won a competition to design the monument. Ironically, he practices a religion — the Bahai Faith — that is persecuted by the current government. Azadi Tower combines Sassanid and Islamic architecture styles. Amanat also integrated a degree of Baha'i symbology in the design, such as having exactly nine stripes on each side, and exactly nine windows either of the long sides of the building. It is part of the Azadi cultural complex, located in Tehran's Azadi square in an area of some 50,000 m². There is a museum and several fountains underneath the tower.

On February 11, 2007, during the celebration of the 28th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution, an Iranian man named Amir Moussavi, 32, fell to his death in front of tens of thousands celebrating while free climbing the tower. He was only three meters from the top when exhaustion set in and he was unable to climb anymore.

Saadi tomb

Abu Muslih din Abdallah Shirazi (1184 – 1283/1291?), better known by his pen-name as Saadi (Persian: سعدی), was one of the major Persian poets of the medieval period. He is recognized not only for the quality of his writing, but also for the depth of his social thoughts.

Hafez tomb

Khwaja Shamsu d-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi, known by his pen name Hafez (born 1315 Shiraz-died 1390 Shiraz) was the most celebrated Persian lyric poet and is often described as poet's poet. His Divan is to be found at the home of most Iranians who recite his poems by heart and use as proverb and saying to this day. His life and poems have been the subject of so much analysis, commentary, and interpretation and had influenced the course of post-fourteenth century Persian lyrics more than anyone else has. The major theme of his ghazals are love, the celebration of wine and intoxication, and exposing the hypocrisy of those who have set themselves up as guardians, judges, and examples of moral rectitude. His presence in the lives of Iranians can be felt through Hafez-reading (Persian: فال حافظ), frequent use of his poems in Persian traditional music, visual art and Persian His presence in the lives of Iranians can be felt through Hafez-reading (Persian: فال حافظ), frequent use of his poems in Persian traditional music, visual art and Persian calligraphy. His tomb is a masterpiece of Iranian architecture and visited often. Adaptations and translations of Hafez poems exist in major languages.

Parsepils

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid architecture dynasty. Persepolis is situated 70 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid (Throne of Jamshid) and Parseh. The earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BC. To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Parsa, which means "The City of Persians". The UNESCO declared the citadel of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979. Persepolis is also one of the 80 treasures featured on Around the world in 80 Treasures presented by Dan Cruickshank.