Shiraz Panoramic night view

this is from @shimaro steemit account: https://steemit.com/creativity/@shimaro/creativity-out-of-the-waste

creative ideas may be very cheap and low cost to implement, or very expensive and luxurious.
in both cases, a creative job, impresses everyone.

the above washing sinks were amazing, in a beautiful restaurant in the heart of the mountains, above the city. there were two lifts taking you high there, with a suspended bridge which I assume loads of money has spent to construct, still the simple idea of sinks, impressed me more.

enjoy the view.

Shiraz city, Iran - Bakooyeh restaurant

Photography in travel

When you are travelling, one of the most incredible experiences can be photography.

but don't forget to:

• not to flash in historical places and museums
• enjoy the moments itself as you capture them
• not to include people's faces
• get permission in special case and places

enjoy your trip :)

Kish island, a state of permanent peace, in Persian Gulf

writing about kish island is not very easy! there are too many informative websites online about it and I just don't wanna be another copy cat in the cloud! but the pearl of Persian Gulf is not easy to avoid to write about too!

Kish coast and sea sides are amazing. soft sand beaches with
almost 330 days of sunshine! photo by Emad Honarparvar

Kish is a 91 sq kilometer resort island in the Persian Gulf. It is in Hormozgān Province of Iran, which its capital is Bandar Abbas. Owing to its free trade zone status it is considered as a consumer's paradise, with numerous malls, shopping centers, environment/sports/eco and business tourist attractions, and resort hotels. More than 1 million people visit the island annually, and high seasons are in March and April, when the Norouz holidays are (Persian Calendar new year).
Almost all the holidays in Iran, people travel to Kish island, for sea sports like Cable Ski, Parasailing, water ski, ski jet, scuba diving etc
there are also almost all around the year, concerts and music festivals with major Iranian singers and music bands. There are also many restaurants with live music performances. 
For business people, there are events like exhibitions and conferences, which need to enjoy a state of relaxation and coziness, comparing large cities like Tehran.

How to get there?

Greek ship in south coast. photo by Emad Honarparvar

you can travel to Kish Island by car or on airplane. to get there by car, you need to drive to Charak Port in Hormozgan province (Bandar Charak - 26°43′50″N 54°16′29″E) and from there, you can ship your car on the vessel to Kish island. No caravans are allowed on the vessel, the cost of a car is around 80 USD and every passenger around 9 USD (so a car with two passengers is about 100 bucks)

you can stay in the island with your car about 5-10 days (depends on the dates) and this period is renewable.Google maps and Google Traffic services work inside the island so you don't worry to find your way anywhere in the small beautiful island.

The Kish airport has flights to all major cities and airports in Iran, plus some international flights to Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, India and Philippine.

Need a Visa?
No entry visa is required for Kish island. Foreign nationalities don't need entry visa at the authorized arrival and departure points in Kish Island. At Kish International Airport, the officials may take your photograph, fingerprints, and stamp your passport, allowing you to stay up to 14 days in the Island. If you are western, you may be asked about the purpose of your visit. Make sure you bring all verification paperwork including hotel reservations with phone numbers, etc.
 

Dariush Hotel is one of the most expensive and luxury hotels
in the island. Photo from Wikipedia

Accommodation and Hotels
With many beautiful landscapes, no wonder why Kish Island was ranked among the world’s 10 most beautiful islands by The New York Times in 2010, and is the fourth most visited vacation destination in Southwest Asia. With such facts, no wonder you will find many luxury hotels in the island, beside budget accommodation and cheap hotels as well.
Kish Island has a range of nice villas, hotels, and guest houses for tourists.
Hotel reservations can be made through travel agencies in the mainland or in other countries (but it would be more expensive) or be done on websites like booking.com or hotels.com with applied discounts on rates and costs.

the budget for a hotel can vary from 30 to hundreds of USD per night. Toranj hotel is the most expensive hotel in the island, with up to 900 USD per night for staying Imperial Suite for four persons. the hotel is located in the sea.

Internet and mobile operators
you can enjoy internet on your sim card, if you have a roaming service from most of the operators worldwide; though it may be a bit pricy.
you can also buy an Iranian pay as you go sim card from: MCI, MTN-Irancell or Taliya
cost of sim card around 8 USD and data less than 10 USD per month for a 8Mbps 4G+ or LTE subscription

Masouleh in Gilan Province, Iran

An incredible choice! MASOULEH is one the most visited places in Iran by Iranian and Foreigners. It is about history, Eco-tourism, sports, relaxation and  Culture. I will expand these issues about Masouleh in this post in abstract. but first, where it is and how to get there?

the panoramic view of the beautiful Masouleh, Iran

Where is Masouleh?
Masouleh is a small city (I prefer to say a village) in Fouman (Fuman) county in Gilan Province of Iran. less than 1000 people are living in Masouleh. the city has at least 2000 years of history.
60 km south west of Rasht city

The local old Bazar of Masouleh. Handicrafts and local food

The altitude, the elevation:
The city's altitude is 1000 meter, in the mounts of Alborz. but the significant thing is the city enjoys a 100 meter elevation in itself! this gives Masouleh spectacular view and sight.

The river and the waterfall
Masouheh River is the river passing through the village, with a waterfall located in the north of the village. It's cut-off by snow during the winter months. Fog is the predominant weather feature of Masuleh and creates even more beautiful views.

How to get there?
first travel to Tehran Imam Khomeini airport, near Tehran. from Tehran you can get to Rasht city by Autobus (around 10 USD per person) or by airplane (around 45 USD per person) or by car (5 hours driving from Tehran)

from Rasht there are buses or cars which takes people to Masouleh. (1 hour)

also from almost all the cities in Iran, you can find Tours to Masouleh.

Accommodation:
There are some hotels and motels near the city, but I strongly recommend you to take local houses for accommodation. the city is very safe, don't worry about robbery or other crimes, but it is still wise not to take so much money with yourself. the cost o
f a room with air condition in the upper areas of the city is around 40 USD per night (2 persons)

Trust me this spices up your trip more than a hotel! Local houses of Masouleh

The Attractions of Masouleh:

My roof is your yard!

Masouleh is a historical village, which still has all the aspects of its old life. it seems the time has stopped in this city in many aspects. also there is Ghaleh Roudkhan tower one hour driving from the city which worth a visit.
There are many Eco Tourism attractions close to the city. Famous forests of Gilan, Alborz mountain, the water fall and the river.
Sport activities related to mounts and the river are also very popular.
The Architecture and the local Bazar are the cultural attractions of Masouleh.
The spectacular architecture of Masouleh is popularly known as "The yard of the building above is the roof of the building below"

time to visit Iran?

Iran is a great country in many aspects:

it is one of the largest countries in the world (17th in the world)
it has one the largest varieties of tribes
many Sport attractions in mountains, deserts, rivers etc
you can have sea, mountains, deserts, forests and rivers in one country
one of the most ancient civilizations with historical sights
distinguished location in world business and economic map

33 Arcs (sio-se pol), Isfahan, Iran

there are even more:
Iran has a great attraction for cosmetics surgery and medical tourism
Iran has a vast agriculture attraction for investors
Iran is a logistic hub for transportation and freight network
.....

and what's new about this country?
the propaganda for this country is over! Iran is now safer than before for European and western traveler.

if you wish to visit Iran and you just wonder which cities can be better options, take a look at our blog history.

off road tour and camping in Iran, Taar and Havir lakes

30 kilometers away from Damavand city, if you drive in to the heart of the Alborz mountains, there would be Taar and Havir lakes, like two sisters close to each other! sleeping beauty in peace.
The road to Taar and Havir lakes is completely a dirt road, going through rivers and mountains, so it can be a supper attractive destination for off road camping as well.

Taar Lake, Damavand, Iran

the surface of the lake in the winter may cover by a thin layer of ice. but it hasn't been tested for sport activities like ice skating. the vegetation of Tar and Havir lakes are just like other southern parts of Alborz mountains, the two lakes are guarded and surrounded by higher altitudes, and two notable Dobaraar and Zarrin Kouh mounts.

The Alborz mountains, guarding Taar and Havir lakes

 on the way to Taar and Havir lakes, you will enjoy the scenes and views of Alborz mountains.

Safety issues:
the lakes' coasts are guarded by police all the time, so it will be safe for camping. but the roads, especially in winter time, can have no other passengers, so mind your vehicle's safety, mostly breaks, wheels and spare wheel and the steering system.
the total area has been reported secure and safe, but it is recommended not to go through the roads in the night. so plan your tip to pass the 30 km road trip in the sun light.

the road is unpaved and only one vehicle width

A spring comes out of the mountain's heart

how to get there?
Taar lake geographical dimensions: N354344 E521340
Havir lake geographical dimensions: N354357 E521440

to go there, you can go from Damavand city, Arab Chenaar village, Ma'dan road (mine road), go the dirt road to the end

or

from Tehran to Firouzkouh road, 98kilometer from Tehran, after Delichay village, pass the Li Posht, Moomaj, Dehnar and Havir villages to reach the lake.

What to bring?
camping facilities, like tents, tools, sleeping bags and canned food.
you can light fire to cook. the temperature can be low even in spring and fall. the sun light is very strong though and need sun protection creams, sunglasses and caps.
the night can be very cold even in summer time.
You will find no stores and groceries there (except the villages you pass through with small shops) so buy whatever you may need from Tehran or Damavand.
in the villages you can buy organic eggs, fresh milk or meet.

Full Moon watching, spiritual and fun

For a very long time, watching the full moon was a tradition, a time to celebrate and gathering for people of different nations. among the civilizations, Japanese and Indian are mostly known for cherishing the full moon. Japanese people have a tradition called Tsukimi or Otsokimi. Tsukimi refers to Japanese festivals honoring the autumn moon, a version of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The celebration of the full moon typically takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Japanese solar calendar; the waxing moon is celebrated on the 13th day of the ninth month. These days normally fall in September and October of the modern solar calendar.

Full Moon in Tehran, a partly cloudy night in Shemiran

The tradition dates to the Heian era, and is now so popular in Japan that some people repeat the activities for several evenings following the appearance of the full moon during the eighth lunisolar month.

Tsukimi traditions include displaying decorations made from Japanese pampas grass (susuki) and eating rice dumplings called Tsukimi dango in order to celebrate the beauty of the moon. Seasonal produce are also displayed as offerings to the moon. Sweet potatoes are offered to the full moon, while beans or chestnuts are offered to the waxing moon the following month. The alternate names of the celebrations, Imomeigetsu　(literally "potato harvest moon") and Mamemeigetsu ("bean harvest moon") or Kurimeigetsu ("chestnut harvest moon") are derived from these offerings.

In Iran there is a mixing culture from the ancient Persia with Hindu traditions and even western beliefs on Full Moon event.

I Cherish the moon every night, I believe finding the beauty in every moment of your life is the only way you can claim you had enjoyed your life! but the full moon is indeed inspiring in a very different way. specially if you have the chance to view it in a partly cloudy night, every time the moon shows off, you get surprised how beautiful she is.

Next Full Moon in Tehran: Wednesday * 4th February 2015

for a full moon calendar go to this address: http://www.moongiant.com/Full_Moon_New_Moon_Calendar.php 

Kashanak and Darband Mountains, North of Tehran - IRAN

Tehran is a city at 1400 meter altitude as an average. I live in a part of Tehran which has an altitude of 1750m above free sea levels. and I believe the most beautiful thing about Tehran (along with many ugly facts in my home-town!) is the presence of Alborz mountains which are covered by snow almost 8-9 months a year. this reminds many one thing: Skiing in Tehran would be great! I wrote before on Ski resorts in Tehran like Shemshak, Tochal and Dizin.

Tochal mount is about 4000 m altitude and it features a Hotel at 5th stop (I have heard it's the highest altitude for a hotel in the world but I am not sure) which I resided one night and it was a great experience. Tochal Ski resort may not be the most recommended ski resort (because of its small field) but is very popular among Tehrani young skiers with just minutes from their homes!

in the north of Tehran, you have old villages which are attached to modern Tehran as a part of city and not as suburbs. Darakeh, Darband, Niyavaran, Kashanak and Daar-abad are among them.

This is Tehran's view from Kashanak mountains, 2400m altitude

 going to mountains for people of Tehran is considered as sport, hobby, picnic and even dining! with many beautiful restaurants in Darband and Darakeh districts, you will enjoy a lunch or dinner (even breakfast) in high altitudes with mountain views.

a Panoramic view of Darband vally

Another beautiful fact about all these incredible mounts above Tehran, is you can climb up one and come down from another! for this you have to leave your car at ones footage ofcourse and also you may need to spend a full day climbing and walking (8-12 hours)

here are some possible routes:
climbing up Kolak Chaal and coming down from Darband
climbing up Kolak Chaal and coming down from Tochal
climbing up Kashanak and coming down from Tochal

how to get there:
Darband: from Tajrish square with one taxi route
Kolak Chaal: from Niavaran sreet, Feizieh (Jamshidieh) avenue
Kashanak and Dar Abad: from Niavaran square (Niavaran Palace) with one bus or Taxi route
Darakeh: from Parkway (Chamran) crossing with Vali Asr strees with Taxi

what to wear: in Spring and Fall the weather can be warm, chilling and raining. in Summer it can go extremely hot (40 degrees!) and in winter it can go below zero easily (minus 10 or -20)

Ghalaat (Qalaat) village, ancient beauty in Iran

one of the most pleasant trips you can make in Iran, is heading to lovely city of Shiraz. understanding why Shirazi people are so calm and warm-hearted, lies in the way they live! Shirazi culture is seriously mixed with the philosophy "life is short, enjoy the moment"

Qalaat village - I call this picture: windows to blue sky

for living the moment, Shirazi citizens often go to suburbs and near villages or areas, calling Baagh (garden). and Qalaat (Ghalaat) is one of the most famous and top destination, especially for those who live in North - North West of Shiraz.
The Village is almost 20 miles from Shiraz, toward North-West. Qalaat has a history for over 2600 years, still enjoying beautiful ancient memorials, like a church called Glory of Christ, survived from Ghajar period, surrounding with nice gardens. the village has less than 300 residents in roughly 70 families, mostly serving the tourist come to the village from Shiraz and Jahrom city.

 

for living the moment, Shirazi citizens often go to suburbs and near villages or areas, calling Baagh (garden). and Qalaat (Ghalaat) is one of the most famous and top destination, especially for those who live in North - North West of Shiraz.
The Village is almost 20 miles from Shiraz, toward North-West. Qalaat has a history for over 2600 years, still enjoying beautiful ancient memorials, like a church called Glory of Christ, survived from Ghajar period, surrounding with nice gardens. the village has less than 300 residents in roughly 70 families, mostly serving the tourist come to the village from Shiraz and Jahrom city.

 

In Ghalaat you can find some handicrafts and souvenirs from Persia and Fars province. like Kilims, knitted and woven bags and shoes, wood crafted artworks etc. there are two rivers passing the village called Shab Shotori and Cheshmeh Anjiri with many beautiful springs heading toward them and three amazing waterfalls. best time to see all these is in May and June.

Qalaat Village

I took these pictures in March. so don't worry about the weather, it will be hot in the summer.

Tehran Property prices are EXPENSIVE or not?!

Is Tehran an expensive city to live in? in this post, I check some indexes and share some facts, with a focus on Property prices and costs, since it's swallowing the majority of Iranian household income.

Why house prices rise globally? what was the case in Tehran?
land resources are obviously scarce!
is this the only reason prices rise? The most important reason for this crisis is that we have been drastically restricting the amount of land available in Tehran, for housing since it was chosen as Iran's capital. Furthermore, after the revolution back in 1979, new policies and strategies led to dramatic immigration of people from farms, countries and villages or small towns in to the bigger and larger cities for more opportunities on employment and seeking a better quality of Life.
These are problems of market failure and land markets fail more than most, so they need regulation, which is what planning should do. But regulation needs to be informed by an understanding of how markets work. The problem is that our planning system seems to proceed as if it can entirely suspend the laws of supply and demand.

cost of living in Tehran...?
a couple living in mid-level style in Tehran needs:
350 USD per month rent (it can go as high as 2000+ USD per month for a two bedroom apartment)
200 USD per month for markets
100 USD per month to dine out once in a week (4 times a month)
100 USD per month transportation
50 USD per month utilities

I quit trips, vacations, sports, entertainments, parties, clothing extras etc

so they both need to have roughly 800 USD per month.
now more statistics and facts to know:

minimum wage in Iran is 200 USD per month
a 5 years experienced engineer or BS holder works for 350 USD per month
a 15 year experienced engineer or BS holder works for 500 USD per month

so they have to work hard both to live in a very simple mid-level life style with no extras!

luxury properties in Tehran
the price of an apartment in Tehran can vary from 1000 USD per sqm to 12,000 USD per sqm!

North of Tehran - apartments: 5000 - 7000 USD per sqm
Villas from 5 - 25 Million USD

Kamraniyeh - apartments: 7000 - 10,000 USD per sqm

France, Royan - a 4 bedroom Villa for 400 USD per sqm
400,000 USD for 1000 sqm plot and 240sqm villa

what's next?! where the prices are going to?
Iran and specifically Tehran's real estate market shows up with a boom every 5 or 6 years. this has been always like that in last half decade.
it seems that the market will have a smooth rise fitting the inflation rate only in 2015, till 2016 summer. then the prices have the potential again to racket up again.

Shiraz, a city to love, a culture to live

Shiraz is one of the oldest cities in Iran, also one among most five populous and largest cities in Iran. almost located n the southern part of Iran, close to Persian Gulf and laying in the foothills of Zagros Mountains, roughly 900 km away from the Capital Tehran.

but these are just numbers and stats! Shiraz is a city to love, not to count! Shiraz has been defined by more than 2500 years of history and culture, since the Achaemenid Empire and Dynasty ruled Shiraz or Pars province to be capital of their Empire.

Shahcheragh Mosque

With such history, Shiraz has become synonymous with education, poetry and genuine and noble people. Shiraz was also the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (AD 1747–79), which many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored, like Arg Karimkhan, Vakil Bazzar, Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque and many others.

In modern Iran, almost everybody seems to like Shiraz city and Shirazi people :) holding graves of some of the most important and popular poets like Sa'di and Hafiz, alongside with historical sites like Persepolis and Pasargad, Iranian people are sympathetic about this city. Cyrus the great and Darius' cemetery located in Pars (Fars) province, adds tons of feelings and emotions among those who believe in Persia's Empire supremacy.

Arg Karim Khan

hospitality
all these facts and figures haven't caused Shirazi people to be disrespectful to other citizens and nationalities. if you have once visited places and cities in the heart of Europe with people who are deeply concerned about their race, you will cherish such manner in Shiraz. a city with stuck up nose citizens has a poisoned spirit above the houses and monuments!

how to travel to Shiraz?
for visiting any city in Iran (except for free zones like Kish island) you will need a Visa from Iran's embassy (or consulate) in your country or countries who accredited with your homeland politically. Visa on arrival is available for some nationalities (ask your local travel agency or embassy office)

you can fly to Shiraz int'l airport from Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, London, Kuala Lumpur etc
you can also fly to Tehran or other int'l airports and travel to Shiraz via air from almost all the cities in Iran, or travel by bus or train. price of air ticket from Tehran to Shiraz varies in a range of 50 to 100 USD (one leg) and the flight is roughly one hour.

bus tickets are cheaper, around 15-20 USD and the trips takes 12 hours.

where to stay in Shiraz? accommodation options
Shiraz has many hotels as it is a well known destination for most of tourists coming to Iran from the very beginning. 5 star hotels like Shiraz Hotel, Chamran Hotel, Pars etc and many 4 and 3 star hotels. like all the other cities in Iran, regretfully Shiraz suffers from lack of some tourism infrastructures, but with some study and research before your schedule, you can guarantee your trip out of bad surprises :)

planning a budget trip? back pack lovers read here!

a backpack travel to Shiraz with your partner would be memorable

you can travel to Iran from land borders in south and travel to Shiraz with bus for as low as 7 USD. in Shiraz there are some motels you can stay for below 10 USD per night. also try hospitalityclub.org, which many from Shiraz are offering a coach or bed for single or couple travelers. once again Shirazi people are greatly welcome and kind to tourist which will definitely surprise you!

Eating in Shiraz
Shiraz enjoys good restaurants and meals like many other Iranian cities. Sea food is a must to try in this city! and there should a "must try before you die" in your food bucket list called Kalam Polo!! it is Cabbage, rice and meat baked in steam with herbs and spices. foods can be spicy in Shiraz.

if you are Vegetarian, like all other cities in Iran, you may face difficulty in Shiraz.

where to go?
what a silly question! keep calm and walk away! going every where in Shiraz is pleasant :D many places reminds you of the greatest historical places in Italy or Greece. and some streets are really sleepless! try this link on Lonelyplanet

if you have enjoyed Shiraz before, please send me your travel reviews to be published here :) send them to me by email to honarparvar (at) hotmail (dot) com

Respect the Forest, Respect the Nature...

These days we are witnessing another nature tragedy in Malaga, Spain. A raging forest fire there, leaves one person dead and thousands evacuated as fire-fighters struggle to subdue the blaze. 

The fire, which is now thought to have been started deliberately, is affecting Coin, Monda, Ojen, Alhaurin, Mijas and Marbella.

It's a big drama for humanity and nature, both. Russia, Portugal, Brazil, China, Iran and many other countries have experienced same tragedies recently. The worst point is when we come to the fact, all these phenomena start directly or indirectly with human cause! global warming or simply leaving an open fire in the woods. the result is the same!

Dal-Khani Forest in Iran, a virgin jungle for respectful Tourists

Dalkhani is the name a virgin and untouched area in North of Iran, between Ramsar and Shahsavar (Tonekabon) city. the village had only three family as residents till 2005! but now it's a major tourist attraction in the area of Caspian Sea.

Sarvelat, a paradise in North of Iran

Right in the border of Mazandaran and Gilan provinces in north of Iran, there's a small city called Chaboksar. 

3 km down to the west, up to the mountains of Alborz, you can drive in to one of your joyful moments of life: Sarvelat! the village of Sarvelat is located in the montain, with a view of Caspian Sea and sight of Hachiroud and Ramsar jungles. 

Caspian Sea from Chaboksar

Attractions of Sarvelat: 

1. Traditional Restaurant
   
   in this restaurant which is famous for its traditional meals and dishes, you will just feel like home! the price of the meals are very affordable and the taste is great! I rank it top fifty among MUST TRY before you die bucket list!! 
2. Rental cottages
   
   Have you ever dreamed of waking up in the jungle while you just don't remember what happened last night?!! try these cottages for as low as 20 USD per night (low season) up to 50 USD per night (high season)
3. view of Mountain Alborz and Caspian Sea

for getting there:

you can go from Tehran to Qazvin (highway) and then take the Rasht Highway and then the road to Ramsar.

6 Km lef to Ramsar, Sarvelat's exit is on your right side

or you may go to Chalous from Karaj City and then to Ramsar. after 6 Km the exit is on your left!

and you definitely won't forget to RESPECT the nature while you visit this fabulous and virgin place :) 

Shemshak Ski resort in Iran (Tehran)

Nature inspires everyone, but which scene is really your type of inspiration? Sea, Mountains, Jungle, Desert, River, panoramic landscpaes, rocks, water falls...? mine is definitely Mountains.

Iran has all the above attractions for tourists. Deserts in central areas, sea and Ocean in North and South, mountains and high altitudes in north and south west parts etc.

I've been written about Ski resorts in Tehran before, and this time more about one specific one, Shemshak Ski Resort:



Shemshak Ski Resort

 

Shemshak is a famous ski resort located in the north east of Tehran city in the Alborz mountains. It's the second largest ski area in Iran after Dizin and even according to professional ski fans in Iran, more exciting than Dizin regarding its field shape. It includes two ski lifts, three dish teleskis and two Hammer teleskis. The slopes lie at an altitude of 2550m to 3050m above sea level, high enough to be able to Ski for almost 6 months a year. The resort includes two main slopes each with a chair lift that apex at the top and several lifts. There are also lighting facilities for night skiing.

Accommodation is available in Villas and Hotel

Shemshak has classically catered to more advanced skiers while Dizin has drawn beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers. The slopes are quite steep and many of the runs are mogul runs. the resort is about 1 hour drive from Tehran, 10 km from middle-slope parking of Dizin and 5 km from Darband-Sar ski resort. in the way to the resort from Tehran, there are many restaurants with Persian and European meals which themselves attract many tourists from Tehran.

Shemshak area in Alborz range of Mountains

I'd like to take you to this page to see more photos of the Ski field itself and Skiers. Other Ski Resorts close to Shemshak include: Darbandsar (2 km), Dizin (13 km), Tochal (22 km), Aab Ali (51 km), Pooladkaf Ski Resort (628 km)

Also take a look at this page for weather forecast, map overlay etc. all the pictures in this blog post are taken by Hassan Abbasnejad.

Buying a property in North of Iran, Good Idea or not?

For a long time, coast of Caspian sea (aka Khazar lake), in the north of Iran has been a major destination for capital residents, Tehrani people. Caspian sea or Khazar or Mazandaran lake is the largest lake on the planet by area. beauties of the coast of Caspian in north of Iran is not limited to the sea shore, because of Alborz mountains and forests located in the area, Mazandaran and Gilan province are hosting a very beautiful and various natural sceneries. 

Caspian Sea shore in Iran

in many countries touristic areas are popular places for investors, constructors and holiday makers to build, buy and invest in holiday resorts and tourism facilities. Khazar's sea shore is not an exception. in high season period and during 3-4 days holidays, you can see people rushing from Tehran to Mazandaran and Gilan provinces causing huge traffic jams in Chalous, Haraz, Firouzkouh and Rasht highways. this fact had been shown a strong impact on local people's lives and income.

Villa in Sisangan area, Mazandaran

So Tourism has became a major economy key for this region and side businesses have experienced a significant growth during pas decades. one of these businesses is construction and property. Prices of properties in Khazar area has been grown for more than 1000 times during my lifetime (3 decades). with the property crisis and credit crunch in west, Iranian people who had invested in to overseas properties like Dubai and Europe, again attracted to national investment opportunities since they believed Iran has not any link to int'l economy (which is true) but they ignored the fact national economy doesn't have the potential to grow anymore as well as under recession international economy. So after a while we had a bulb on prices and obviously a crunch after that. and now we are in a 2 year old recession which I believe will last till another fresh air in tourism industry in Iran. some consequences of such recession are listed below:

• many jobs have been lost
  construction has stopped in large quantities and many are out of job now. including Afghan and Iranian workers and labors, real estate agents, services etc
• a big portion of capital is frozen on half completed construction sights
• people who have invested their capital in properties face credit and cash problems
• banks face problems with those who have borrowed
• customer behavior has changed. for example now investors prefer to buy apartments rather than Villas, which was somehow unusual in Mazandaran and Gilan provinces so far 

still buying property in North of Iran, coast of Caspian sea is known investment method for many Iranian. and I believe the biggest challenge in future for them will be a competition which soon or late will begin with overseas properties. right now countries like UAE, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Turkey and Spain have attracted many Iranian as investors.

property prices in Mazandaran province vary from 200,000 USD up to millions depending on the location and construction quality, and with the same money you can buy a villa in Cyprus or even cheaper in Turkey. at the other hand property mortgages are not available for more than 10% at unbelievable rate of 12% interest!! and even for more portion mortgage like 60-70% you have to obtain it from private banks in Iran which will charge you up to 30% of the money annually. comparing to 4-6% rates in Europe this is completely crazy. another option buying a property in other countries can offer which Caspian region can't offer is residency. countries who offer residency upon buying a property have this advantage comparing to their national rival.

Iranian speak Persian not Arabic!

Achaemenid Standard

I have met many people from around the world and as an Iranian nationality, I have some major problems with the lack of knowledge among people (mostly Americans) about my country, Iran. I can't believe sometime how people can be influenced and mislead by the media propaganda and sometimes how they can get fooled by irrelevant and wrong information. one of these wrong issues is some people think we, Iranian or Persian people speak Arabic!! The language of Iranian people is Persian (also called Parsi or Farsi). We ARE NOT ARABS!!! Persia or Iran is a country with 4500 years of civilization and Arab countries were just colonies of Persian Empire till 1400 years back. And a country called United Arab Emirates or Bahrain or Qatar wasn’t exist 50 years ago!! Though I respect Arab race as human and our neighbors, but it’s very sad that some western people think Iranian people speak Arabic which is only due to their lack of knowledge and education.
I know most of people in US and Europe are aware of Iranian history and facts, but still it's funny to have such beliefs in a minority of people. 

Map of the Achaemenid Empire - 550-330 BCE

if you want to learn more about Ancient Persia, you can take a look at Achaemenid Empire in wikipedia.

Cyrus the great was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. Regarding the most known and trusted encyclopedias including Britanica and Wikipedia, it was under his own rule that the empire embraced all previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia, parts of Europe and Caucasus. From the Mediterranean sea and the Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, to create the largest empire the world had yet seen.

Darius the Great

Just imagine the facet Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered, which is not yet seen in many countries around the world (and I confess including today Iran). It is said that in universal history, the role of the Achaemenid empire founded by Cyrus lies in its very successful model for centralized administration and establishing a government working to the advantage and profit of its subjects. In fact, the administration of the empire through satraps and the vital principle of forming a government at Pasargadae were the work of Cyrus. Aside from his own nation, Persia (modern Iran), Cyrus also left a lasting legacy on Jewish religion (through his Edict of Restoration), human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as on both Eastern and Western civilizations.

I ain't a Racist in no way and I strongly believe in respecting all the nations and races including Turks, Arabs, Indians etc, but I don't know if you ever have experienced being misjudged and mistaken by your root and race facts. It's very unpleasant and today, because of news published over the world and the government we have (with its specific method of communicating with the rest of the world, which I don't agree or disagree) people around the world misjudge Iranian people. You have to consider people of a country independent and separate from their governors, especially in a country like Iran. Professor Patrick Hunt, an American archeologist and history author says: "If you are looking at the greatest personages in History who have affected the World, 'Cyrus the Great' is one of the few who deserves that epithet, the one who deserves to be called 'the Great'. The empire over which Cyrus ruled was the largest the Ancient World had ever seen and may be to this day the largest empire ever."