If you were headed to Tehran, you wouldn't miss this panoramic view of North Tehran.
A White House official said today that President Obama does NOT plan to travel to Iran after the nuclear agreement is signed. But that got us thinking: What if the President did want to travel to Iran for a visit along with his family? Where should he go and what Iranian sites should he take in?
Nasrin Etemadi says it would be a great honor if the president called up and asked her for travel advice. She runs Persian Voyages, a travel company based in London that arranges tours to Iran. She said she would ask if the First Lady and the President Obama’s two daughters were also traveling, and then as importantly, “How many days do you have? Because it's a big country.”
So let’s assume the president would only have a few days free to explore Iran. Etemadi’s first advice is to take in the capital, Tehran, “because there you can get the true feeling of what’s happening in the country. Tehran is a very, very lively city.” She says Tehran has lots of interesting museums including the Persian Carpet Museum which hosts an excellent collection of hand woven Persian carpets from all regions of Iran, and the National Jewels Museum that’s home to some of the most dazzling crown jewels in the world including the 182-karat Darya-i-Noor Diamond a rose-colored diamond nicknamed the Sea of Light. ”It’s one of the biggest cut diamonds in the world,” she says.
What if the first family wanted to get out and speak with local Iranians, regular people?
“To have a relaxed time, I suggest there is a mountain to the north of Tehran called Mount Damavand (the highest peak in Iran). At the foot of the mountain, there are lots of restaurants and entertainment in the evening for Tehranis to have fun. There you might have a nice traditional meal at the top of the mountain, typically a meal of rice with lamb or chicken served with pomegranate and walnut sauce. It’s very tasty.”
If the president is willing to travel, she suggests he pay a visit to the city of Esfahan. It’s described as a “turquoise, glitter amidst a green fertile oasis near the vastness of the central Iranian desert,“ and is known for its mosaic domes, minarets, and 16th century bridges. The bridges are described this way:
“The bridges over the Zayandeh River include some of the nicest architecture in Isfahan. The oldest bridge is the “Pol-e Shahrestan” which was probably built in the 12th century during the Seljuk period. Further upstream is the “Pol-e Khaju,” a magnificent structure with two tiers of arches which was built by Shah Abbas II in 1650. It is 123 metres long with 24 arches, and it also serves as a sluice gate. The next bridge is the “Pol-e Jubi.” It was originally built as an aqueduct to supply the palace gardens on the north bank of the river.”
In and around the bridges, Etemadi says there are tea houses where a president could enjoy “some Persian tea or chai, like a black tea in one of these tea houses and walk around the bridges, or maybe try some saffron ice cream and talk to people who came for the evening to have a good time.