The administrative center of the Tehran Province, Tehran is the largest and the capital city of Iran. The well developed communication and transportation has transformed her into the home of maximum number of industries in the country. The beautiful archeological structures, religious monuments, art and cultural centers and so forth are the reasons for the influx of numerous tourists every year.

General climate of the city and the best time to visit

Due to the typical geographical conditions, the city has experienced diverse climatic conditions. Winter and the scorching summer are separated by the short spring and autumn seasons. The minimum and maximum temperate the city encounters is in the month of January when it falls to -4oC and July soaring to 37oC. Spring and autumn gives a different experience to the inhabitants by bringing in a pleasant climate. The climatic conditions in Tehran during the winter and summer season is completely opposite. Summer experiences the glowing sun over the head, whereas, winter is snowy and harsh. Rainfall is nominal and depends on the time of the year.

It’s advisable to avoid the chilly winter. The best time to visit Tehran is between March-May and September-November.

Area and location

Tehran lies between 35° 40' N and 51° 26' E and the metropolitan area of the city encompasses almost 7,352 km2. Tehran is situated right at the bottom of the slope of the well known Alborz Mountains. The countries bordering the capital city of Iran are: Afghanistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Turkey and Pakistan.

Tehran delicacies

The cuisines of the country differ largely from one province to the other. Tehran is known for her distinct and well prepared delicacies. Handful of the dishes in Tehran is influenced from the South-Central Asian states, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North India. Chelow kabab, aash, kookoo, khoresht, polow, different varieties of deserts and salads are some of the delectable dishes prevailing in Tehran. The main meal in the capital city comprises of rice with non vegetarian dishes (mean, chicken or fish), other vegetables, plenty of onion and garlic along with herbs and nuts. Herbs and fruits (prunes, plums, raisins, pomegranates, apricots and quince) are a significant ingredient of the dishes. The rice prepared in Tehran is also of different types namely doodi, mowlai, rasmi, sadri, champa and so on.

The people of Tehran generally eat different types of bread, white cheese, butter, cream and varieties of fruit jams in their breakfast. They might intake non vegetarian dish called haleem with a traditional soup, asheh mohshalah as well. Tea is the most popular drink among the residents of Tehran. Though hard drinks are prohibited in the country yet red wine, vodka, beer do prevail. Aragh-e keshmesh is the predominant beverage. Sweet dishes, fruits, pastries, yogurt drink and so forth are generally taken after meals.

Government

Iran was Islamized By middle of the 7th century.there was a constitutional revolution in Iran in 1906 which lead to the establishment of the first parliament in Iran within a constitutional monarchy. After the Iranian Revolution,Iran was transformed from a monarchy to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.The Supreme Leader of Iran is the Commander-in-Chief of their army and is responsible for the appointment of the judicial head, police and military commanders and some members of the Council of Guardians. After the Supreme Leader, the President of Iran holds an important office in the parliament. The present President of Iran is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The legislature of Iran is unicameral house approved by the Council of Guardians. In the local level there are city councils who are elected for 4 years. These councils, together with the parliament, make the decisions for the Iranian government.

The city of Tehran is controlled by the Islamic City Council of Tehran. This body is responsible for the election of the mayor of Tehran and also for preparing the budget of the Municipality of Tehran. The council comprise of 15 members. At present the members of the Islamic City Council belong to the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran

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