Iranian Ancient holidays versus the Muslim holidays Iran has 22 days of official national holidays which are marked in our Shamshi calendar and more unofficial holidays that most domestic travelers use for their holiday time. Some of the occasions date back to Ancient Persia to the Zoroastrian important events such as Persian New Year (Nowrooz) while many of them are related to the religious holidays which are mostly used in Shiite Muslim countries. Some also commemorate contemporary historical events. The ancient Iranian holidays are fixed every year on the Persian calendar because they are considered on the Solar Hijri calendar “Shamsi Calendar” with 365 days. So you could mark it on your calendar “Gregorian calendar” as a fixed date for Iran’s holiday. But the Muslim religious holidays of Iran do not have a fixed date in the Persian Calendar. Because those dates sets on the Lunar calendar which is mostly used in the Islamic Shia countries. The number of days on this calendar is between 354 to 355 days. This makes about a 10-11 days difference to our Persian calendar. So the national religious holidays of Iran move forward between 10-11 days every year and it makes it complicated for those who would like to travel to Iran or for travel agencies, tour operators, and other companies who work with Iran. Below is the list of Iranian Public holidays and some details: Index Event Days Local Name Remarks Type of Calendar 1 Persian New Year 4 Nowruz Celebrating Iranian Ancient New Year Solar 2 Nature Day 1 Sizdah Be-dar Celebrating the rebirth of nature after Nowruz Solar 3 Islamic Revolution Day 1 Dahe-ye Fajr (celebrating Iran’s Islamic revolution for 10 days) contemporary historical events Solar 4 The demise of Imam Khomeini 1 Rehlat-e Eman contemporary historical events Solar 5 15
Iranian Ancient holidays versus the Muslim holidays Iran has 22 days of official national holidays which are marked in our Shamshi calendar and more unofficial holidays that most domestic travelers use for their holiday time. Some of the occasions date back to Ancient Persia to the Zoroastrian important events such as Persian New Year (Nowrooz)
Persian Gardens of Iran The UNESCO Sites One of Iran’s main tourist attractions is Iranian historical gardens, which are situated in different regions of Iran. UNESCO collected 9 gardens under the name of the Persian Gardens and registered them in their heritage sites in 2011. Across time and in various climates, this type of designed garden has taken on a multitude of forms. Chahar Bagh, or the Persian Garden's original principle, adapts in new ways over the centuries. It first matured in the garden of Cyrus the Great's palace complex, in Pasargadae, more than two thousand years ago. Persian Garden exemplifies the ideals of art, philosophy, symbolism, and religion through a combination of natural elements and man-made elements. In a way, the Persian Garden is an Earthly Paradise or Eden. No Name of the Gardens Region Province/ City Geographical Coordinates 1 Ancient Garden of Pasargadae Iran Plateau Fars/Shiraz N: 30˚ 10΄ 0.0΄΄ E: 53˚ 10΄ 0.0΄΄ 2 Bagh-e Eram Iran Plateau Fars/Shiraz N: 29˚ 38΄ 10.03΄΄ E: 52˚ 31΄ 31΄΄ 3 Bagh-e Chehel Sotun Iran Plateau Esfahan/Isfahan N: 32˚ 39΄ 27΄΄ E: 51˚ 40΄ 20΄΄ 4 Bagh-e Fin West of Dasht-e Kavir Desert Esfahan/ Kashan N: 33˚ 22΄ 20.53΄΄ E: 51˚ 22΄ 20.53΄΄ 5 Bagh-e Abas Abad Caspian Sea Mazandaran/ Behshahr N: 36˚ 39΄ 50΄΄ E: 53˚ 35΄ 38΄΄ 6 Bagh-e Shahzadeh South west of Dasht-e Lut Desert Kerman/ Mahan N: 30˚ 01΄ 30΄΄ E: 57˚ 16΄ 59΄΄ 7 Bagh-e Dolat Abad Iran Plateau Yazd/Yazd N: 31˚ 54΄ 12.30΄΄ E: 54˚ 21΄ 6.59΄΄ 8 Bagh-e Pahlavanpur Iran Plateau Yazd/ Mehriz N: 31˚ 33΄ 36.6΄΄ E: 54˚ 26΄ 25.21΄΄ 9 Bagh-e Akbariyeh Desert (North of Dasht-e Lut) Southern Khorasan/ Birjand N: 32˚ D1΄ 10΄΄ E: 59˚ 13΄ 40΄΄ 1. Ancient garden of Pasargadae 2. Bagh-e Eram
Persian Gardens of Iran The UNESCO Sites One of Iran’s main tourist attractions is Iranian historical gardens, which are situated in different regions of Iran. UNESCO collected 9 gardens under the name of the Persian Gardens and registered them in their heritage sites in 2011. Across time and in various climates, this type of designed
Classic Route of Iran for Photography Iran is a very popular destination for photographers and photography fans. One of the most important reasons why Iran was added to the list of special travel destinations in the world was photography in Iran. With the rise of social media and its growing popularity around the world as well as the urgent need for creating unique content on various platforms, the number of influencers who travel to Iran has considerably increased in recent years. Many of them travel through the Classic Route of Iran for photography. They wish to take amazing photos of Iran's best locations. Iran is so vast and diverse in both cultural and natural attractions that it offers the best photography locations for Instagram or other image-based social media in all four seasons. If you are a specialist photographer, Iran offers you great impressive subjects and locations for most photography types. For those who are interested in Landscape and People Photography in Iran, there are various destinations like Kurdistan, Turkmen Plain, Baloochistan, Bakhtiari Nomadic Region, Persian Gulf and the islands, as well as the Azari Region of Iran, and Arabic tribes who live in the southwest of Iran in Khuzestan. Depending on your travel time and your interest, you could travel all year round to all the above regions of Iran in the Best Travel Time to Visit. If you are a generalist photographer or just enjoying travel photography and you are interested in exploring the Best of Iran, you should travel through Iran Classic Route. Iran is famous for historical and cultural attractions and the majority of travelers who are exploring Iran prefer to visit the main attractions of the country and pass through the 5 of Iran's main tourist destinations. Moreover, most of the photographers or the
Classic Route of Iran for Photography Iran is a very popular destination for photographers and photography fans. One of the most important reasons why Iran was added to the list of special travel destinations in the world was photography in Iran. With the rise of social media and its growing popularity around the world as
Iran Cooking Tour and Persian Cuisine Iran cooking tours and Persian Cuisine like many other things in Iran is not well known. Iranian delicious foods should be on the menu of many important national restaurants everywhere else like Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food in East Asia, but unfortunately, the lack of marketing and other different issues affected this matter and the majority of travelers have no idea about the Persian Cuisine before their trip to Iran. Even if you know about Iranian cuisine, you should have good local contacts or invitations to the house of locals to taste different traditional Iranian foods. In addition, another important thing that makes Iran very different with other countries is that Iran has varied categories of foods belonging to different ethnic and tribes. If you would like to know deeply about the Persian Cuisine, you have to know that there is wisdom behind their meals, which is deeply related to the regions and climate and weather system of that location. It means the meals of every region is connected to the Persian traditional medicine and it is very important for the health system of the people. For example, the meals of the Caspian Region in Gilan province are different from people who live in the desert regions of Iran like Kerman or those who live in the Iranian Plateau like Meymand (UNESCO) and those who live in southern part of Iran in Bushehr, Baluchistan and Bandar Abbas. Another interesting fact about Persian cuisine is that they had meals for different seasons of the year based on traditional medicine practices, these categorization took the products of the season and the region that the food was made in to consideration. Recently, the numbers people who are interested in Iranian foods are increased and many people
Iran Cooking Tour and Persian Cuisine Iran cooking tours and Persian Cuisine like many other things in Iran is not well known. Iranian delicious foods should be on the menu of many important national restaurants everywhere else like Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food in East Asia, but unfortunately, the lack of marketing and other different
Photography Travel in Iran Iran is an amazing destination for photography and depending on your photography type there is so much to offer for experts in this field. The most important type we could mention are as below: 1- Landscape photography in Iran 2- Iran portrait photography 3- Architecture photography in Iran 4- On the Road Photography 5- Iran’s Tribes and nomads (and their lifestyle) Photography Along with the above main categories, there is also another topic for special interests like bird-watching and wildlife adventure photography in Iran and a much unrelated subject, Persian historical houses. Photography of events or special festivals is also another specific topic that many travelers come to Iran for. Some travelers are interested in these events but for photographers it’s a whole different story. Ashoora and Tasooa are the two main important religious ceremonies which are in the summer this year. On the 7 and 8 of August 2022. But every year those date move 12 days forward so, on 2023 the event would be 20 and 21 of July. In some towns, Ashoora and Tasooa ceremony and their special customs are totally different which is amazing for taking some out of this world shots. Along this ceremony, there are other historical ceremonies in Iran which is amazing for event photography as well. Pireh Shaliar is a traditional dance festival of Kurdish people in Howramanat and it is one of the best locations for traveling for photography. In Adventure Iran, we have done photography in all main categories and we have performed a few photography tours in different regions. Also, another important matter for photography is that you have to visit places when it’s not crowded and you have to have local information or special guides for the destination and the topic of your
Photography Travel in Iran Iran is an amazing destination for photography and depending on your photography type there is so much to offer for experts in this field. The most important type we could mention are as below: 1- Landscape photography in Iran 2- Iran portrait photography 3- Architecture photography in Iran 4- On the
Happy Nowruz 1401 From our team in Adventure Iran we wish you a very happy Nowruz and also we hope you a joyful and adventurous New Year. Nowruz is one of the oldest and most important traditions in Iranian culture. We keep this holiday in high regard. Chaharshanbe Suri, an Iranian event taking place on the last Tuesday of the year, was just a few days ago, we had many fires to jump from with many fireworks to spare. The streets are full of sound on this night and everybody is celebrating this ancient occasion. During this holiday many Iranians take a long vacation to their nearby cities, so traveling at this time can be a curse and a blessing. Many people plan for this week-long (for some people 2 weeks long) vacation in advance. They usually go visit their relatives in other cities or plan a sightseeing trip for themselves. People have started their journeys and the trains and busses are mostly full. Haft-sin tables are set and everybody is counting down the hours to the New Year. because of the calculations of when the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day, the time of the new year is different every year. This year it is at night around 7 P.M local time. This is a time for families to gather around and spend time with each other, a time for friends to reconcile and a time to put the winter behind us and start a New Year with many blossoms on trees.
Happy Nowruz 1401 From our team in Adventure Iran we wish you a very happy Nowruz and also we hope you a joyful and adventurous New Year. Nowruz is one of the oldest and most important traditions in Iranian culture. We keep this holiday in high regard. Chaharshanbe Suri, an Iranian event taking place on
Nowruz The Persian New Year Nowruz in Iran marks the first day of Farvardin and the Iranian New Year. In the Gregorian calendar, Nowruz mostly occurs on March 20 or 21 and rarely on March 22 if it’s a leap year. This day in Iran and Afghanistan makes the New Year. UNESCO has registered Nowruz on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage as a World Heritage in 2009. The International Day of Nowruz (21th March) became well-know for the world. The United Nations officially accepted the “International Day of Nowruz” in 2010. More than 300 million people around the world, mostly in central Asia and IRAN, celebrate this day as the first day of the year and the New Year. Nowruz is officially a holiday celebrated in many countries such as Tajikistan, Russia, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Iraq, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Albania, and Uzbekistan. Iranians have inherited this ancient celebration from different ethnic groups in the region; a celebration with special colors and fragrances, which has a Persian identity and symbolizes the unity of Iranians. Nowruz is known as the beginning of the revitalization of nature, the timing of its growth, and the emergence of plants. Also, they believe they have to start the first day of the year by being in good spirits and wearing new clothes. The word NOWRUZ (Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz, Norooz, Nowrooz, Nowroz, Noruz, Novrooz, Novroz), means new day; its spelling and pronunciation may vary by country. Nowruz customs and traditions in Iran Chaharshanbe Suri (before Nowruz) Nowruz is a collection of celebrations and events. Nowruz celebrations first begin with Chaharshanbe Suri. On the last Thursday of the year, Iranians visit the graves of their forebearers to spend some time with their deceased loved ones. Khaneh Tekani (Spring cleaning) The other
Nowruz The Persian New Year Nowruz in Iran marks the first day of Farvardin and the Iranian New Year. In the Gregorian calendar, Nowruz mostly occurs on March 20 or 21 and rarely on March 22 if it’s a leap year. This day in Iran and Afghanistan makes the New Year. UNESCO has registered
Chaharshanbe Suri Like other ancient nations, Iranians have their festivals and traditions. One of these festivities is called Chaharshanbe Suri. This impressive festival is one of the most popular celebrations among Iranians. Chaharshanbeh Suri goes back 1700 years BC and is held on the last Wednesday before Nowrouz, (New Year). To be more precise, this festival feasts on the evening of the last Tuesday of the year and is a mixture of great and little traditions. Chaharshanbeh Suri is also the fire dance to welcome spring. "Chaharshanbeh Souri" gets made from two words. ،The first is a day of the week, (Chaharshanbe is Wednesday), and the other, (Suri), means redness. Fire has been respected not only in ancient Iran but also among Indians, Europeans, and other cultures. The ancient Iranians believed in the power of purification by fire. This belief was so strong that to prove a person's innocence of any wrongdoing, the person had to cross a blazing fire. An example of this is Siavash's character in the Shahnameh, (the epic poem), by Ferdowsi, (the Persian poet and author), who passed through fire to prove his innocence. The most important and common rituals related to Chaharshanbe Suri are as follows: Jumping over the fire The main tradition in Chaharshanbe Suri is to make a bonfire, set fire to it in the evening and read the poem "My yellowness for you, your redness for me" (in Persian «زردی من از تو، سرخی تو از من») when jumping over it. This poem has been a prayer that Iranians have long been singing to fire, asking for it to put an end to diseases, boredom, and the worries of the past year to start the New Year afresh with happiness and vitality. Kuzeh Shekani (Breaking the Jug) In many cities,
Chaharshanbe Suri Like other ancient nations, Iranians have their festivals and traditions. One of these festivities is called Chaharshanbe Suri. This impressive festival is one of the most popular celebrations among Iranians. Chaharshanbeh Suri goes back 1700 years BC and is held on the last Wednesday before Nowrouz, (New Year). To be more precise, this
Top 5 Caravanserais in Iran to Stay at Iran (Persia) was on the main way of the Silk Road and this region was the host of many caravanners (traders, travelers, and writers) who traveled along with the Caravan. The word caravan historically comes from the Persian language meaning "group of desert travelers". But, the first historical caravanserai dates back to more than 2500 years ago during the Achaemenid era. Persian caravanserais got more popular when Shah Abbas ordered to make 999 caravanserais in Iran about 400 years ago. The usages of the caravanserai were like inns between two regions. They were temporary living quarters and also the hub for traders and a safe place to meet people. Nowadays many of those caravanserais are destroyed and the remaining are under renovation for usage in the travel industry. Some of them are renovated as boutique hotels which are a perfect choice for staying as your lodging in Iran. Here is the list of the most famous Iran Caravanserais to stay in: 1-Abbasi Caravanserai, Esfahan- Luxury Boutique Hotel Abbasi Caravanserai was built in 1750 by the order of Sultan Hussain one of the Safavid dynasty Shahs. He gave the Caravanserai as a gift to his mother. As of then the name of it was changed to Madar Caravanserai (Madar is mother in Persian). For some time in the Qajar dynasty, the national sugar company rented the place. They used it as storage and the transportation of cargo made significant damage to the building. But in the year 1958, this Iranian Caravanserai was restored by a private company. Under the watchful eyes of André Godard, it became the Abbasi Caravanserai. Some years later the company bought the near field to expand the business. Abbasi Caravanserai is located in the middle of Esfahan city.
Top 5 Caravanserais in Iran to Stay at Iran (Persia) was on the main way of the Silk Road and this region was the host of many caravanners (traders, travelers, and writers) who traveled along with the Caravan. The word caravan historically comes from the Persian language meaning “group of desert travelers”. But, the first
Haft - Sin Table Nowruz is one of the oldest and most important festivals in Iran. Haft - Sin Table is an important part of this event. It is being celebrated since ancient times with numerous customs. Nowruz is the celebration of the New Year. One of the most famous Iranian Nowruz ceremonies is arranging the Haft-Sin table which is placed on the floor or a table. Family members usually sit around it during the spring equinox. Every year, Nowruz tables are set up nationwide with various colors and designs. Without a doubt, some features of the Nowruz ceremonies have changed over time and among distinct ethnic groups. However, the Nowruz table, now called Haft-sin, is another symbol of the start of the New Year. The philosophy of the Haft-Sin table goes back to the Persian religion, belief, culture and traditions. It is based on the sacred number seven. “Haft'' (هفت in Persian), meaning seven and Sin, (or سین in Persian), and is the 15th letter in the Persian alphabet. Haft-Sin is a collection of seven symbolic items whose names begin with the letter "Sin" which sounds like ‘S’ in English. Each one of these seven objects has their own meaning, we are going to explain each of them below: 1-Senjed (Oleaster or Silverberry in English) Oleaster is a symbol of wisdom and procreation. The presence of oleaster in the Haft-Sin is the symbol of acting wisely. some people consider oleaster as a symbol of love and affection. They believe that when it’s put on the Haft-Sin table, it increases the love and affection between family members. 2-Sib (Apple in English) An apple on the Haft-Sin table is a symbol of health and well-being. It brings health to the members of the family by the end of
Haft – Sin Table Nowruz is one of the oldest and most important festivals in Iran. Haft – Sin Table is an important part of this event. It is being celebrated since ancient times with numerous customs. Nowruz is the celebration of the New Year. One of the most famous Iranian Nowruz ceremonies is
