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.
Plenty of Neighbors
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.
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 Asiatic Cheetah
The Asiatic Cheetah, also known as the Iranian or Persian Cheetah, is a subspecies of Cheetah that is critically endangered and can currently be found only in Iran. This incredible animal lives in protected areas in the eastern-central region of Iran because of the arid weather and the sparse human population.
As of December 2017, just 50 of these beautiful cheetahs were believed to remain in the world. Efforts are being made to raise awareness to this animal’s plight, including an attempt by the Iranian football team who featured a drawing of the subspecies on their jerseys while playing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
No Change
If you had a hard time wrapping your head around Tomans and Rials, you won’t believe this other money issue, Iranians barely have small change. There are simply not enough small coins or notes to go around. It is nearly impossible to find a 2000 Rial note, which is worth roughly 50 cents.
So, what happens if you paid for something and need some money back. Don’t worry they have a solution for this – they pay you the difference in candy. Yes, you read that right, they keep some candy bars near the register and add them to your purchase. Since Iranians are known for their sweet tooth, the system seems to be working out for them.