Steve and Nahdereh (nickname, Nahdi on the right), who stayed with us the entire trip
Iran Full of Lots of Friendly People
Upon arrival, we were greeted at the Tehran airport by our local driver and by our guide, Nahdereh (nickname, Nahdi), who stayed with us the entire trip.
Nahdi helped us plan our daily excursions, translating and explaining—not insisting or dictating—the sights/sites or background of what we wanted to visit.
Our biggest surprise was the spontaneous friendliness of the people and their eagerness to engage in conversations. They had no hesitancy in rushing up to us—on the street, in a restaurant, wherever we were—and asking where we were from.
Young Iranian Women with Pat and our guide Nahdi
Tehran is a huge modern city — as you can see from these photos, we took the first night there.
“Tehran is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With a population of around 9 million in the central city and some 16 million in the wider metropolitan area, Tehran is the largest city and urban area in Iran.
It is also the 2nd-largest city in Western Asia, and the 3rd-largest in the Middle East. It is ranked as one of the top 30 cities in the world by the population.
Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan of the Qajar dynasty in 1796, in order to remain within close reach of Iran’s northern territories and to avoid the vying factions of the previously ruling Iranian dynasties.
The capital has been moved several times throughout the history of the country, and Tehran is actually the 32nd national capital of Iran.”
