Tehran is a modern, bustling, overcrowded metropolis with a population of 12 million people . It became the capital of Iran in the 18th century under the Qhajar rulers and despite the traffic and the pollution is well worth a visit. Dominated by the towering Alborz Mountains, it has a wealth of royal palaces and some of the best museums in the Middle East.

Some of the main sights include the famed Crown Jewels, the largest collection of jewels in the world held in the vaults of the Bank Melli; The Golestan Palace built during the Ghajar period 1779-1921; The Palaces of Saad Abadi in northern Teharn, The Niavaran Palace – the last Shah's residence and only open to the public since the 1978 revolution, as well as the Archaeological Museum, the Carpet Museum and the Ali Reza Abbasi Museum of miniatures and calligraphy.