Tehran is the capital city of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the province of the same name. With a population of around 8.7 million in the city and 15 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia. It has the second-largest metro area in the Middle East, after Cairo). It is ranked 24th in the world by metropolitan area population. It is also known for its sprawling development and futuristic architecture, epitomized by the Milad Tower and the Fereshteh Pasargad Hotel, designed by Zaha Hadid.

Isfahan, Iran’s most important city, is in the Greater Isfahan Region. It was initially called Aspadana and then Spahan in Middle Persian. It is 406 km (252 miles) from Tehran and the capital of Isfahan province. Isfahan is home to approximately 1.9 million people, making it Iran’s third largest city after Mashhad, Tehran, and the second largest metropolitan area.

Shiraz, Iran’s fifth most populous city, is Fars Province’s capital. It is also known by the names Pars (Persia) and Persis(Persia). The city’s population was 1,565,572 at the 2016 census. Nearly 1,800,000. inhabitants lived in the built-up area that included Sadra. Shiraz is located in the southwest part of Iran along the “Rudkhaneye Koshk” (The Dry River). It enjoys a moderate climate and has been a regional trading center for over a thousand years. Shiraz is one of the oldest cities in ancient Persia.

Mashhad, also spelled Mashad is the second-most-populous city in Iran and the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province. It is located in the northeast of the country. It has a population of 3,001,184 (2016 census), which includes the areas of Mashhad Taman and Torqabeh. It was a central oasis along the ancient Silk Road connecting with Merv to the east.

The city is named after the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam. The Imam was buried in a village in Khorasan, which afterward gained the name Mashhad, meaning the place of martyrdom. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Imam Reza shrine. The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid is also buried within the same shrine.

Tabriz, a city located in northern Iran, is the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is Iran’s fifth most populous city.

Tabriz is located in Iran’s historical Azerbaijan region, in the Quru River Valley. It lies between long ridges made of volcanic cones from the Sahand and Eynali mountain ranges. The elevation ranges from 1,350 to 1,600 meters (4.430 and 5.250 ft) above sea level. The valley slopes gently down to the eastern shores, or Lake Urmia 60 km (37 miles) west. Tabriz is a popular summer destination with its mild winters and warm summers. The World Crafts Council named it World Carpet Weaving City in October 2015. It was also designated Exemplary Tourist City of 2018 and World Carpet Weaving City of 2015 by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.