Although Russia and China have the most shared borders with other countries, Iran, which is two and a half times the size of Texas, has plenty of neighbors, sharing its borders with seven other countries. These are Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
The longest shared border is with Turkmenistan. It stretches between the two countries for an impressive 713 miles, while the Irani Armenian border is the shortest international border, at just 27 miles long. Iran also borders the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. All these land and sea borders are beneficial when it comes to the trading of goods.
Windmill Wonder
What some consider the earliest windmill design in the world can be found in Nashtifan, Iran. The windmills, made of natural clay, straw and wood, have been turning grain into flour for approximately 1,000 years. The area was originally named Nish Toofan, which means ‘storm’s sting’, an allusion to the strong winds which blow in the area.
The Persians were the first to harness the power of the wind. The vertical axis design then spread slowly throughout the world and was later modified by other countries, most famously by the Dutch.
Old Fashioned Shopping
The official currency in Iran is the Rial, but tourists who want to buy something will often be asked for payment in Tomans. It may be confusing, but there is no need to make another visit to the exchange desk, the Toman is simply what the old Iranian currency was called.
The Toman was replaced by the Rial in 1932 at a rate of 1 to ten, meaning 1 Toman is worth 10 Rials. Therefore, all you have to do if someone asks for a certain number of Tomans is to divide the number by ten and pay with your Rial notes. Explaining the math is easy, explaining why they still refer to the old currency almost 90 years later is less so.
The Flag
The Iranian flag was changed in 1980 into the flag that we all know, which features three equal horizontal bands of green, white and red. The green is considered the color of Islam and stands for growth, the white is a symbol for honesty and peace and the red represents bravery and martyrdom.
In the middle of the flag, on the white background is a stylized depiction of the word “Allah” along with the expression ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ which means “none is worthy of worship but Allah”, shaped like a tulip flower. The inner edges of the green and red bands feature 22 repetitions of the words Allahu Akbar, which translates into “god is great”.
The Sites of UNESCO
Iran is one of the most ancient civilizations in the world and it has many beautiful and important historic sites. The country currently has 24 designated UNESCO World Heritage sites including Persepolis (Takht-e-Jamshid), which was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire.
Travel site The Culture Trip believes that the most impressive places on the list are the stunning palaces, religious sites, traditional bazaars and ancient watering systems. Their top 10 sites are Meidan Emam, Golestan Palace, Bam, Pasargadae, Sheikh Safi al-din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil, Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex, Soltaniyeh, Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, the Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, and Persepolis.