Nuts (particularly pistachio, walnuts, almonds and cashews), seeds and dried fruits (especially apricots) are plentiful and a popular snack choice in Iran.

One of Iran's great poets, Khajeh Shams-ed-Din Mohammed, or Hafez, lived during the 14th century and was ultimately buried in his beloved birthplace, Shiraz, when he died in 1389. Here, a devotee pays his respects at the poet's tomb that is inscribed with a verse from one of his works.

Shiraz is a city known for its gardens. And it's in a tranquil garden setting that the tomb of the great poet Sa'di (d. 1291) is found. Visitors to the tomb no doubt reflect on the man whose best known works include Golestan (Rose Garden) and Bustan (Orchard).

Ma'joon, is a delicious mélange of milk, walnuts, banana, honey, nuts, including pistachios, cocoa, and ice cream. Some are topped with ground figs and coconut. While found throughout the country, a tasty version here was served at a small shop around the corner from the famed Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan.

Nearly twenty-five years after a transport planning report was issued, the Tehran Metro opened its first line in 1999. With three lines now in operation, the Metro provides an efficient way for Tehranis to traverse the city. While women are free to travel in any of the carriages, separate women's only cars are also available.

It is said that the Zoroastrian's sacred eternal flame has been burning since approximately the year 470. Priests have stoked the flame since it was brought to this temple in Yazd in 1940. The flame is visible through a glass window in the entry hall.

Fresh from the oven, naan gandi, or sugar bread from the city of Kermanshah, is superb on its own or eaten at the end of a meal accompanied by Persian tea.

The tomb of the Jewish Queen Esther and her cousin and guardian Mordecai is located in the city of Hamadan in western Iran. The wife of Xerxes I (reigned 486 BC465 BC), Queen Esther foiled a plot by one of the King's Ministers, to kill the Jewish people. Her heroic deeds are documented in the Book of Esther and commemorated in the holiday of Purim.

Detail of a griffin at Persepolis, the capital of Achaemenid Kings begun by Darius the Great around 518 BC. Located some 32 miles outside of Shiraz, it is one of the world's great archeological sites.

In the heart of the holy city of Qom is the Hazrat-e Masumeh. It is on this site where Fatemeh, the sister of Imam Reza was interred after her death in the 9th century. Under the Safavid Period (1502-1736) much of the present complex was built, while the main dome was leafed in gold during the reign of Fateh Ali Shah (1797-1834). Today, Hazrat-e Masumeh still remains a popular pilgrimage site.

Pomegranates may be all the rage in America, but they've been part of the culinary landscape in Iran for millennia. Whether bought at the market or from a roadside vendor, pomegranates are enjoyed in Iranian dishes, as an accompaniment to a meal, or as a stand-alone snack any time of the day.

Come to the table hungry in Iran and sample a variety of textures and flavors with a staple of starches like bread and rice plus yoghurt and Kashke Bademjanground eggplant topped with yoghurt (t); Dolmehstuffed peppers (m); Shulisoup made of vegetables, beans, herbs and mint (b).