Iran

This new, sixth edition of Bradt's Iran continues to provide the most detailed background, history and cultural information available when visiting this 'Jewel of Central Asia'.

Thoroughly reviewed to provide all the latest information, including security and language, this new edition includes expanded information on travel to Western Iran, namely Khorasan Provinces, which remains largely unexplored, with an emphasis on the uniqueness of Iranian cultural heritage combined with stunning landscapes. Also new is a map of the Tehran bazaar. Travel through Iranian Kurdistan is also included, as are hiking in the Alborz and Zagros Mountains and expanded practical information for independent travellers. Food and arts, rugs and handicrafts are all covered, plus details of recommended Iranian movies. For outdoor enthusiasts, there are details of swimming, skiing, and desert and eco-tours.

Expert authors give first-hand descriptions of attractions ranging from the exquisite mosques of Esfahan and the museums and palaces of Tehran to caravanserai, Nishapur, Qaleh Rudkhan and Kurdish villages on the Silk Road Trail. Up-to-date information on all the basics - hotels, restaurants, businesses and shops - help you to uncover the mysteries of ancient Persepolis, to enjoy a soak and scrub in a local hamam, or to pick up a pair of giveh slippers or a Persian rug in Kirman's baazar. This edition has been updated once again by Middle East expert Maria Oleynik, who is fluent in ten languages, including Persian and Arabic, and who is currently undertaking a degree in Middle Eastern Language (Persian) and Society.

About the Author

Both this edition and the previous edition have been updated by Maria Oleynik MLitt, a Middle East expert and freelance translator fluent in ten languages, including Persian and Arabic. Since her first trip to the Middle East in 2003, she has studied in Yemen, Lebanon and Egypt. Since 2013 Iran has become her main professional and academic interest and she has studied Persian at the University of Esfahan, completed a Persian language teacher training course in Saadi Foundation in Tehran, studied Persian in Dekhoda Institute in the University of Tehran and is currently undertaking a degree in Middle Eastern Language (Persian) and Society in the University of Copenhagen. Describing Iran as the love of her life, she endlessly researches and merges into the culture and history of this magnificent land.