iran

A selection of amazing and beautiful pictures of Iran.

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Zanjan is the capital of Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran.
It lies 298 km (186 mi) north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey and approximately 125 km (80 mi) from the Caspian Sea.

Zanjan is famous for its seedless grapes. The province lies 330 km northwest of Tehran, connected to it via a freeway.

Zanjan is known for its beautiful handcrafts such as knives, traditional sandals, called charoogh, and malileh. Malileh is a handcraft made with silver wires. Zanjani artists make many things like various decorative dishes and their special covers as well as silver jewelry. In ancient times, Zanjan was known for its stainless and sharp knives. But this tradition is gradually becoming extinct by introduction of Chinese knives to the market which are far cheaper, more abundant and of course less artistic. Many villagers today are traditional carpet weavers. This is perhaps Zanjan's most popular handcraft.

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Yazd (In Persian: یزد), is the capital of Yazd province in Iran, and a centre of Zoroastrian culture. The city is located some 175 miles southeast of Isfahan. Because of generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings, Yazd is an architecturally unique city. It is also known in Iran for the high quality handicrafts, especially silk weaving, and its sweets shops.

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Tehran also sometimes spelled as Teheran, is also home to the Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels, also called the Imperial Crown Jewels of Persia, its is claimed to be the largest, most dazzling and valuable jewel collection in the world. The collection comprises a set of crowns and thrones, some 30 tiaras, numerous aigrettes, jewel-studded swords and shields, a vast amount of precious loose gems, including the largest collections of emeralds, rubies and diamonds in the world. It also includes other items collected by the Shahs of Iran during the 2,500 year existence of the Iranian Kingdom. The Imperial Crown Jewels are still on display in the Iranian Central Bank in Tehran.

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Jamshid's capital was erroneously believed to be at the site of the ruins of Persepolis, which for centuries (down to 1620 CE) was called Takht-i Jamsheed, the "Throne of Jamshid". However, Persepolis was actually the capital of the Achaemenid kings and was destroyed by Alexander. Similarly, the sculptured tombs of the Achaemenids and Sāsānians near Persepolis were believed to be images of the legendary hero Rostam, and so were called Naqsh-e Rustam.

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