Esfahan

Introduction

Esfahan, Iran

© kavanadb

Esfahan is probably the most popular and one of the most interesting cities in Iran, or even the Middle East. The Meidan Emam, the central square, is world famous and on the Unesco World Heritage List. The city is located in the central southern parts of the country and is easily reached by plane, train or bus from Tehran.

Sights and Activities

Khaju Bridge

The Khaju Bridge is a famous bridge in the town of Esfahan. It was built in the 17th century by Shah Abbas II, who built it on the foundations of an older bridge. The bridge has 23 arches that cross the Zayandeh River linking the Khaju quarter on the north bank with the Zoroastrian quarter on the southbank. Khaju Bridge is one of the bridges that regulate the water flow in the river as there are sluice gates under the archways. When the sluice gates are closed, the water level behind the bridge is raised to facilitate the irrigation along the river. The road of the bridge is 7.5 metres wide, made of bricks and stones with 21 larger and 26 smaller inlet and outlet channels.

Imam mosque, Esfahan

© kavanadb

Getting There

By Plane

Esfahan International Airport (IFN) has flights to Tehran, Bandar Abbas, Dubai, Shiraz, Mashad, Kish, Kuwait and seasonal flights to Jeddah.

Keep Connected

Internet

You'll find internet cafes in most cities and even smaller towns now have access to the world wide web. Like other countries with a very strict censorship, the country has strict rules about using the internet and also has a very restricted domestic version, highly unlikely to be used by travellers. Connections are generally good and it's cheap to use as well.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The international country calling code of Iran is +98. Special numbers include 110 for the Police, 115 for Ambulance, 125 for the Fire Department and 112 for calls from mobile phones. Iran Telecom is the main telecommunication company in the country and provides, together with Irancell, almost all mobile services as well.
You can find a complete list of telephone codes at Farsinet.com.

Post

The I.R. Iran Post Service is the national postal service in Iran. Services are fairly reliable and cheap, but rather slow. It usually takes at least several weeks for your letter or postcard to arrive in European countries, longer for other Western areas. Post officies generally are open from around 7:30am to 3:00pm Saturday to Thursday, so the main offices in big cities tend to have somewhat longer hours. Your best bet is to visit in the morning if you need to use their services. Stamps can usually be bought at small shops and kiosks as well. Sending parcels is more expensive but also quicker and more reliable with international companies like FedEx, DHL, TNT and UPS.