40 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Iran - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Iran

Shah Cheragh

Mirrors and glass shards cover every inch of this arrestingly beautiful mosque.

Fars Province, Iran

The Ruins of Persepolis

The palace of the King of Kings, burned by Alexander the Great.

Badab-e Surt

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.

Roudbar Alamout, Iran

Alamut Castle

This ruined fortress was the stronghold for a persecuted medieval leader and his infamous Assassins.

Yakhchāls

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.

Nushabad Underground City

A 1,500-year-old, 3-story subterranean city where ancient Persians took refuge in times of war.

Zoroastrian Towers of Silence

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.

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Unique
Food & Drink
in Iran

Persian Ice Cream Sandwich

Saffron, rose water, and pistachios combine in a fragrant, sweet-savory treat.

Medlars

The anus-shaped fruit tastes like cinnamon applesauce.

Stinging Nettles

Boil away this plant's poisonous hairs, and you're left with a tasty, spinach-like leaf.

Faloodeh

This crunchy, sweet, and tart noodle sorbet is one of the world's oldest frozen desserts.

See all 11 things to eat in Iran See all 11 things to eat in Iran

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Stories
About Iran

The Neanderthal premolar unearthed in Wezmeh Cave.

An Iranian Cave, a Neanderthal Tooth, And an Ice-Age Murder Mystery

Lions, cave bears, and leopards, oh my!

by Isaac Schultz

August 27, 2019

A worker picks roses as butterflies dance over the fields.

Every Spring, an Idyllic Iranian Town Turns Fields of Roses Into Rose Water

By distilling their harvest of pink roses, locals make a fragrant ingredient.

by Shervin Abdolhamidi

In an image from James Skinner's book on life in India, a surgeon works on the leg of a patient as he takes opium.

Centuries of Persian Manuscripts, Now at Your Fingertips

A deep, cosmopolitan archive appears online for the first time.

by Jonathan Carey

William E. Whitehouse, surrounded by images of pistachios.

America's Pistachio Industry Came From a Single Seed

A "plant explorer" helped establish the crop in California.

February 11, 2019

Two Iranian teenagers drink Pepsi and eat at a fast food restaurant in Tehran.

How Bootleg Fast Food Conquered Iran

Mash Donalds, Sheak Shack, and Pizza Hat are very popular.

by Sarra Sedghi

Watch the Walls Shimmer at Iran's Emerald Mosque

Shah Cheragh is one dazzling funerary monument.

January 30, 2017

The Temple of Apollo, Delphi.

Nine Places To See the Ruins of Ancient Religious Cults

Ancient religion was strange and fierce.

by Edmund Richardson

September 6, 2013