Iran Highlights

Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is one of the most beautiful public spaces in the world — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest public square on earth (after Tiananmen Square in Beijing). The square is flanked by four extraordinary monuments: the Imam Mosque (one of the greatest examples of Islamic architecture in the world), the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (with its extraordinary tilework and acoustics), the Ali Qapu Palace (with its extraordinary music room), and the Qeysarieh Bazaar (the entrance to the Grand Bazaar of Isfahan). In the evening, the square fills with Iranian families picnicking on the grass — one of the most atmospheric scenes in the Middle East.

Yazd is one of the world's most extraordinary cities — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, built from mud brick in the heart of the Iranian desert. The city is famous for its extraordinary wind towers (badgirs) — the world's first air conditioning system, invented 3,000 years ago — its Zoroastrian fire temples (including the Atash Behram, where a sacred fire has burned continuously for 1,500 years), its extraordinary traditional Persian architecture, and its extraordinary sweets (qottab and baklava). The old city of Yazd — a labyrinth of mud-brick alleyways, caravanserais, and domed houses — is one of the most atmospheric urban environments in the world.