Iran Doostan Tours Co. has the honor of being a pioneer in operating cultural tours in Iran. We were one of the first few travel agencies that started operating incoming tours to Iran. Through 30 years of experience, we managed to expand our service to cover more diverse package tours to Iran. Today, we offer nearly all sorts of Incoming tours to Iran, any type of tour our dear clients request ranging from cultural to adventure, MICE, medical and tailor-made tours.
No matter you are looking for tours to Iran from India, tours to Iran from USA, Cheap Iran tour or luxury tour,
Iran 7-day tour or 14-day tour, we are ready to offer you the best travel experience you could ever have in the ancient land of Persia. Iran’s land tour and escort tour are also among our experiences you can count on.
All sorts of tours at any price and quality range, from any country, would be managed by our professional experts at Iran Doostan. Having handled a variety of situations and operating a diversity of tours to Iran, our staff are quite reliable for consultation and operating incoming tours to Iran.
Covering all travel services tourists might need including itineraries, visas, tour guides, transportation, accommodation would be provided by Iran Doostan tours Co.
If you have any concerns regarding Iran visa, it should be noted that the procedure is quite fast and convenient and the tourists can apply for a visa online. Iran e-visa has been launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make it easier to apply for an Iran tourist visa online. However, If you still happen to have any problem with the process, our professional colleagues are ready to help you.
Have you made up your mind for a holiday in Iran? Get in touch with us via info@idt.ir. We will be at your service.

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Miniature by Farshchian

Persian miniature: Everything about Iranian miniature

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Persian miniature is a traditional style of painting that is detailed, colorful and small in size, often representing a mythological or religious theme. Due to its long history, Iran has a rich artistic heritage, and miniature is one of them. In your travel to Iran, there are many places you can see and buy this original work of art.

If you are planning to travel to Iran, here is the link to online Iran visa.

The History of Persian Miniature

Iranians’ taste for art dates back to the cave age, about 8 to 10 thousand years ago where the displays of hunting scenes are still evident on “Lorestan”, “Sialk” and other ancient archaeological sites.
It is believed that Iranian prophet, Mani, who was also a famous artist, was a pioneer in miniature in the 3rd century as his book was designed with tiny figures. However, there are limited documents of Iranian miniature related to pre-Islamic era.
After Invasion of the Moghuls, miniature painting in Iran was influenced by East Asia which is quite obvious in the human figures and their faces. Although, Iranians developed their own techniques and themes. Miniature started to become an outstanding genre from 13th century and reached its zenith in 15th and 16th centuries. And soon, Persian miniature was prevalent among other Islamic miniatures particularly the Ottoman miniature in Turkey, and the Mughal miniature in the Indian sub-continent.
During Islamic period when Persian miniature was significantly flourished, various independent schools came into existence, each representing unique features. Among the most known ones were Tabriz school, Baghdad school, Shiraz school, and Mozaffarian School. Many ancient Iranian stories and poems of Ferdowsi, Saadi, Nezami and Hafez were illustrated in fine miniature by great artists of this period.
The evolution of Iranian miniature stopped by the end of Safavid period in Iran, since the Safavid kings were attracted to the western styles and this art entered a new era.

Iranian miniature by Behzad

Miniature art by Behzad

Iranian Miniature Features

“Miniature” is a French term meaning “tiny replica of nature”, however Iranian miniature has fundamental differences with what is called miniature in the eastern Asia and Europe. Actually, the only similarity between Persian miniature and those of China, Japan and Europe is being small in scale. There are also other unique features about Persian miniature; the first one is its rich delicate details in spite of being small in size, no slight detail has been missed by the artist which catches every viewer’s eyes, some paintings are so delicate that you need a magnifier to see its detailed beauties.
The second feature is that, no perspective technique has been used in Iranian miniature, elements are just overlaid on each other on a flat surface which looks somehow amateurish to those who have got used to Western styles of painting.
Added to these, miniature in Iran is not only about a separate work of art but also refers to some illustrations for Iranian manuscripts, as on the margin of the poetry books, for instance. This kind of art became popular since the beginning of the 14th century, handwritten books were adorned with the scenes from hunting, battle fields and feasts.

Iranian miniature

Famous Iranian miniature

Where to see fine Iranian Miniature?

Persian miniature started by devoting itself to adoring books and papers; however, it later found its way to design the walls of glorious building. During Ashkani and Sassanid empire in pre-Islamic era the walls of kings’ palaces were embellished with miniature art, but unfortunately nothing has been left of these constructions. During Islamic period when miniature art flourished, Safavid kings paid a special attention to miniature art, and that is why many historical buildings of this period has been beautified with colorful astonishing Iranian paintings you can visit while traveling to Iran.

Chehel sotoun - Isfahan

Chehel sotoun – Isfahan

Since Isfahan was the capital of Iran during Safavid, the city is the best place to see Iranian miniature. Chehel Sotoun, Ali Qapu, Hasht Behesht palace, Qeisarie Bazaar in Isfahan; Boroojerdi house in Kashan and Chehel Sotoun in Qazvin represent the finest examples of Iranian miniature in Iran. Isfahan is famous for its Islamic architectural masterpieces and it is included in all tours to Iran.

boroojerdi-house

Miniatures in Boroujerdi house – Kashan

If you are interested in art and especially Iranian miniature, we strongly suggest you visit National Museum of Iran in Tehran where there are various ancient artworks such as pottery, textiles and adobe calligraphy, from Iran’s post-Islamic era.

Can I buy Iranian miniature as a souvenir from Iran?

Iranian miniature has gone a long way to be painted on pictures made of thin layer of bones. There are still artists following miniature schools and create fine arts that deserve to be appreciated. The price is different depending on the artist’s skill, the quality of the work, the size and also theme of the miniature. Most tourists are excited by seeing Iranian artworks in the shops, they carefully gaze at the works of Iranian artists in their workshops to select and buy the best Iran souvenirs. You can buy Iranian miniature works not only as a wall picture but also on different objects such as decorative containers which makes it even more valuable.

Iranian miniature

Miniature painting

There are different traditional and modern bazaars in different cities that are famous for fine handicrafts and artworks. You can ask your tour guide about these bazaars, however they are usually quite close to the visiting places in your tour itinerary.

Inlaid work from Iran

Miniature on inlaid box

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Customer Loyalty Workshop at Iran Doostan

Customer Loyalty Workshop at Iran Doostan

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Customer Loyalty Workshop at Iran Doostan

Iran Doostan Tours Co. Pjs. (IDT) held a new workshop in Tehran Grand Hotel to train its employees, increase their knowledge, and to enhance their attitude toward Customer Loyalty Strategies.

Customer Loyalty Workshop

customer-loyalty-workshop-at-iran-doostan

As a pioneer of tourism industry in Iran, IDT believes that improving employees’ skills would result in providing satisfactory customer services as well as developing customer loyalty for the organization. As a matter of fact, a company who would like to increase its customer loyalty, has to go beyond customers’ expectations and should find out how to deal with various levels of needs among customers.
The workshop covered basic concepts and practical skills which are essential to create and maintain Customer Loyalty. In this session, the importance of loyalty and how to create emotional connections and exceptional experiences to differentiate in tourism market and also how to drive revenues and growth were discussed.

Customer Loyalty Workshop at Iran Doostan
Reviewing the conceptual frameworks, the participants cooperated in different teams, based on different sectors of IDT (Cultural, adventure, MICE, operation, Matin Abad, marketing) to practice these lessons. Each team started writing its own goals and objectives and then segmented the customers according to their various levels of needs into three groups and finally they tried developing action plan to build loyalty. Customer segmentation is the most challenging part of customer loyalty programs, since it will be a guide to the following steps; it would specifically contribute to campaign planning and balancing marketing costs with customer lifespan value.
Discussing four regular customer club models, evaluating customer lifespan values (CLV) and applying reward programs to various classes of customers were also the main subjects of this workshop.
At the end of the event, all employees were surprised by receiving a flower for the occasion of national tourism week in Iran.

Customer Loyalty Workshop at Iran Doostan

Top 10 Historical Garden Museums in Tehran

Top 10 Garden Museums in Tehran (Photos, Timing)

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Tehran is known as “the city of museums” among people. This bustling metropolis embraces picturesque historical garden museums as well. These amazing attractions combine history narrations with artistic creations to exhibit glorious history as well as man-made artifacts. Though the heavy traffic and crowded streets are sometimes annoying, garden museums in Tehran can provide you a peaceful relaxing atmosphere to escape the city chaos. Let’s explore the top 10 historical garden museums in Tehran you shouldn’t miss for an enjoyable visit and a memorable experience.

Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace Complex is the only UNESCO Heritage Site in the heart of Tehran. It sits in a region initially called Tehran Arg which was the city’s gateway in the Qajar period. The palace was established during the Safavid era. Zand dynasty renovated it. Then, the founder of the Qajar dynasty, Agha Mohammad Khan, selected the palace as the official residence of the Qajar dynasty (1794-1925). Moreover, it became the center of artistic creations. The palace complex is composed of seventeen palaces and halls of different ages surrounding a picturesque garden. Each building is a treasure of architecture, art, and decorative craftsmanship. Golestan Palace has witnessed some significant moments in Iran’s history such as the coronation of the Qajar and Pahlavi kings. Shams-ol Emareh, or the Sun Building, the first recreational tower of Tehran, is one of the valuable features of this palace complex. It enjoys a good view of the Tehran landscape from its rooftop. Takht-e Marmar Terrace (Marble Throne), Talar-e Ayeneh (Mirror Hall), Khalvat-e Karim Khani (Karim Khan Nook), and Emarat-e Badgir (the Wind Catcher) are among the prominent halls that should not be missed.

Opening hours:

Spring and summer: Every day from 9:30 a.m. to 18:30 p.m. except for public mourning holidays

Fall and winter: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. except for public mourning holidays

Location: Click Here

Golestan Palace, Iran

Golestan Palace, the only UNESCO Heritage Site in Tehran

Saadabad Palace

Saadabad Palace is a cultural and historical complex located in Shemiran, at the northernmost part of Tehran. Its lavish garden, covering an area of 110 hectares, embraces 18 palaces and galleries dating back to Qajar (19th century) and Pahlavi periods.  The area was used as a summer palace for the Qajar royal family at first and later, as the summer residence of Pahlavi dynasty. It turned into the museum after the revolution in 1972. The Green Palace- the first palace built during Pahlavi period, the White Palace or Mellat Museum that is the largest mansion, the Black Palace (or Fine Arts Museum), the Military Museum, and the Dafine Museum (or Museum of Treasure) are just some of the remarkable palaces and museums for tours to Tehran. There is much more to see in the complex! After your visit, you can make your way to Tajrish Bazaar for shopping or to Darband for relaxing, drinking tea or eating traditional food in the cafes or restaurants settled along the river.

Opening hours: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 18:45 p.m. except public mourning holidays (Last entry: 17:00)

Location: Click Here

Niavaran Palace

Niavaran Palace is a historical complex located in a landscaped garden in the north of Tehran. The complex traces its origin to the Qajar dynasty. It was used as the summer residence by the Qajar monarchs. The pavilions were added to the complex during the reign of different Qajar kings. Today, Niavaran Palace consists of five museums including Niavaran Palace (the primary residence of the last royal family), the private library containing about 23000 books, Ahmad Shahi Pavilion (built during the late Qajar era), Sahebqaraniyeh Palace, and Jahan Nama Museum. Some copies of inscriptions from ancient times of Persia are exhibited in the garden as well.

Opening hours:

Spring and summer: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. except public mourning holidays

Fall and winter: Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. except public mourning holidays

Location: Click Here

Top 10 Historical Garden Museums in Tehran

Ahmad Shahi Pavilion in Niavaran Palace in Tehran

Moghadam Museum

Moghadam Museum is one of the most precious museums in Tehran. The house dates back to the Qajar period. Mohsen Moghadam- one of the Iranian pioneers of archeology who inherited the house from his father- and his French wife dedicated life to collecting valuable historical objects from around the world. They bequeathed the family house with all its treasure to Tehran University.

Opening hours: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 17 p.m. except Saturdays and public mourning holidays

Location: Click Here

Moghadam-museum-Tehran

Moghadam museum, a priceless house in Tehran

Ferdows Garden

Baq-e Ferdows (literally the paradise) is a historical complex, covering 20 thousand square meters, in Tajrish in the north part of Tehran. It was called Ferdows since the beauty of its garden, pools, and fountains, as well as the splendid decorations of the mansion,  replicated the beauty of heaven on earth.  The complex was founded during the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar (1808-1848). It was also used to be called Mohammadieh at that time. After the king’s death, the complex underwent alterations over the years. The two-floor mansion (the oldest part was completely destroyed) in the middle of the complex is applied as the Cinema Museum of Iran from 2002. It is decorated with patterned pillars and moldings. The museum exhibits photos, posters, and equipment of Iran’s movie industry. In fact, it presents and safeguards Iran’s cinema heritage. It is usually the host of different cultural events such as theater shows. The garden embraces two movie theaters, two cafeterias, and gift shops. Ferdows garden is close to the museums of Time and Music, as well as Imamzadeh Saleh.

Opening hours:

Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 19:00 p.m. except Fridays and public mourning holidays (Last entry: 18:15)

Location: Click Here

Top 10 Historical Garden Museums in Tehran

Ferdows Garden encompassing Cinema Museum in Tehran

Negarestan Garden

This beautiful garden is located in the central part of Tehran. It was built in 1802 by the order of Fath Ali Shah- the second Qajar king- as a summer residence. The halls are ornamented with mirrors. Since the mansion was decorated by the most prominent painters’ works, it was named Negarestan, literally meaning a place encompassing many pictures. The museum in the garden exhibits the paintings of Kamal-ol Molk (1847-1940) – the leading Iranian artist- and a number of his students. Negarestan garden was turned into the school of fine arts by Kamal-ol Molk in 1911. In 1934, some parts of this historical garden were used by Tehran University to hold educational courses. Today, the garden has been changed into the museum of Tehran University’s history and glory. An open-air café in the garden offers the visitors refreshing drinks and a traditional menu in a pleasant environment. It takes only five minutes to walk from the Baharestan metro station to this beautiful garden. It is also very close to several museums and tourist sites such as the National Jewelry Museum, National Museum of Iran, cafes, and restaurants.

Opening hours:

Museums: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. except Mondays and public mourning holidays

Garden: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. except for public mourning holidays

Restaurant: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. except for public mourning holidays

Location: Click Here

Negarestan-Garden

Negarestan Garden Museum, Tehran

Masoudieh Palace

The five-hectare Masoudieh Palace (Emarat-e Masoudieh) is one of the most beautiful historic houses in the center of Tehran dating back to the Qajar period. Its beautiful Iranian-European architecture made this place a popular attraction for the residents as well as the tourists and travelers who wish to experience the Tehran city tour. The Divankhaneh palace is decorated with stucco, colored glasses, ceramics, gridded doors and windows, symmetrical floral patterns and geometrical motifs, calligraphy, and murals. The palace was built in 1878 by order of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar for his son Masoud Mirza- the governor of Isfahan. Over time, it was used for different cultural, historical, and political purposes: the main gathering center for the Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911), the first official library (1926), the national museum of Iran, and Ministry of Education (1967). There are two mansions, a restaurant, and an entrance hall in the complex. The restaurant, with a traditional design, serves traditional food and drinks in a cozy environment. Some cultural classes and galleries are held in this historical mansion on different occasions throughout the year.

Opening hours: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. except on public holidays

Location: Click Here

Masoudieh Palace- Iranian garden museums

The five-hectare Masoudieh Palace (Emarat-e Masoudieh) is one of the most beautiful historic houses in the center of Tehran

Time Museum

Time Museum was inaugurated in 1999. The two-story mansion, dating back to the Qajar era, is a mixture of architecture, amazing plaster works, and tile works. Outdoors, the visitors can see some models of old sundials, clepsydras, hourglasses, and the like some going back to 5000 years ago. The first floor exhibits the evolution of clocks from the seventeenth century to the present. Different kinds of clocks- pendulum, wall, floor, mantel and tabletop, bracket, cuckoo, chime shut off, musical, atomic, etc. – ornamented with sculpture, enamel, and mosaic have been presented by other countries to Iran. The first Iranian-made clock is kept here too. The second floor displays the prominent political, historical, and scientific characters’ watches, as well as other kinds of clocks such as marine, and military clocks. The evolution of time measurement tools, mechanical clocks and watches, and some fossils from different geological periods are exhibited on this floor as well. The walls of the museum show the documents on the Iranian calendar. There is a café in the garden where you can relax and refresh. Its breakfast is popular among visitors. It is close to a number of attractions such as Saadabad palace, Niavaran palace, Tajrish traditional bazaar, and Cinema museum in Ferdows garden.

Opening hours: Every day from 9:00 to 18:30 from Saturdays to Wednesdays and from 10:00 to 18:30 on Thursdays and Fridays except national holidays

Location: Click Here

Time museum Iran

The two-story mansion known as Time Museum in Tehran, Iran

Iranian Art Museum Garden

Though the Museum Garden of Iranian Arts (or Bagh-e Honar-e Irani) is not a historical site, it contains replicas of twelve Iranian historical buildings and monuments in miniature size. The small models of prominent tourist sites, made by Italian artists in the Pahlavi period, such as Tehran’s Azadi Tower, Zanjan’s Soltaniyeh Dome, Kashan’s Fin Garden, Shiraz’s Naqsh-e Rustam, Urmia’s St. Thaddeus Monastery, and Isfahan’s Chehel Sotoun are scattered in the beautiful garden surrounded by handicraft shops, a bookstore, a restaurant, and a cafe. Here’s a nice spot for walking, shopping, eating, relaxing, and mingling with locals. Moreover, art exhibitions and workshops are sometimes held here. The garden and its mansion were built in 1932 but opened as a museum in 2008. It covers the nearly one-hectare area in Elahieh near Tajrish square in the north part of Tehran.

Opening hours: Every day from 9:00 a.m. to 21:30 p.m. except for public mourning holidays

Location: Click Here

Tehran’s Persian Garden

Persian or Iranian Garden (or Baq-e Irani) is located in an old neighborhood known as Vanak Village (Deh Vanak) in northwest Tehran. Though it is not that much big, you can spend some peaceful moments there in the chaotic city of Tehran. It is also very convenient. This beautiful garden follows the amazing pattern of Persian Gardens’ architecture and design in ancient Persia. The brooks are flowing around and the tiny fountains are scattered along the way in the garden. Due to the beautiful tulips, the garden is scenic, especially in the springs. The building in garden was built in the traditional Persian style. It is decorated with colorful latticed windows.

Location: Click Here

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Iran approves visa-free travel for Chinese tourists

iran visa for chinese: Iran Waives Visa For Chinese Tourists

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Chinese tourists will no longer require a visa to travel to Iran. Iran’s government has approved a visa waiver program for Chinese tourists. According to Vali Teymouri, the deputy head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), the decision was made by President Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet and it will be announced officially after due process.

The authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran have decided to abolish entry visa to Iran unilaterally for Chinese nationals with the purpose of attracting more Chinese tourists to the country.

Iran’s Tourism officials have been trying to take some similar measures to boost the tourism sector to increase revenues under U.S. sanctions. For example, Iran announced earlier that the foreign tourists’ passports will no longer be stamped to skip the U.S. travel ban.

Contrary to all sanctions, ancient Iran witnessed considerable growth in tourist arrivals in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2019) comparing the preceding year.

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World Heritage Day

World Heritage Day

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World Heritage Day

April 18th is celebrated annually around the world to preserve and promote cultural heritage sites. World Heritage Day, or The International Day for Monuments and Sites, is a day for all humans to remember the main role of cultural sites in understanding who they are or where they come from, and how important is to preserve and protect the world’s cultures. It aims to raise global awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of cultural heritage sites, the challenges for their conservation, the demand for international efforts to protect and preserve these invaluable heritages, as well as the benefits these efforts provide for communities.

The International Day for Monument and Sites was established on 18 April 1982 by the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983. Regarding the importance of protecting the invaluable cultural heritage sites and monuments, the organization gathers together different experts in related fields such as architecture, geography, archeology, engineering, etc. each year. Conferences, lectures, seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions, interviews, articles in newspapers and magazines, publications, photo exhibitions, banners, and posters, awarding prizes to the people or organizations who have played an outstanding role in the conservation of cultural heritage,  and visits to heritage sites and monuments are of the activities.

Every year, a theme is proposed by the ICOMOS. For example, the theme was “Heritage for Generations” in 2018. The 2019 theme is “Rural Landscapes”.

Today, the organization has nearly 10000 members in over 150 countries around the globe. They are devoted to ensuring the most important cultural sites are preserved well for future generations. Moreover, they make an attempt to identify new exceptional historical and archeological heritage sites worldwide that should be preserved for future generations. For example, Persian Qanat in Iran was added to the list in 2016.

Many of the heritage sites offer free admission on this day. Then, just do your part to preserve the World Cultural Sites for future generations by paying a visit to the cultural sites near you. Respect the sites and monuments during your visit, and consider submitting the sites to ICOMOS, if they are worth being preserved but have not been yet.

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