Home of the famous Persian rugs and Persian cats, Iran is a country in Western Asia with a land area of over 1.6 million square kilometers (395 million acres). It is one of the oldest civilizations in the world dating back to 4,000 BC. Its famous rugs started making waves over 2,500 years ago.
The country has a beautiful landscape with varied topography. The climate also ranges from arid to subtropical. The country is surrounded by the Persian Gulf, which holds 60% of the world’s oil reserves. It has numerous fishing grounds, extensive reefs, and an abundance of pearls. Iran comprises mostly of the Iranian plateau, which is also where the Persian cats originated. They have long silky fur to protect them from the harsh cold common in higher altitudes.
The nation is home to over 82 million people with 70% of the population under 30. The country has a unique culture, which that would not be acceptable in most of the Western countries like marrying girls as early as 13 years old, or the lack of marital rape laws since the wife is supposedly owned by the husband.
But whether tourists agree with Iranian culture or not, it is important to note that the country is rich in natural resources. It also has diverse wildlife, which people can experience through Iran’s national parks. Here are the top five unexplored national parks in Iran that will give tourists an unforgettable experience with nature:
1. Bamu National Park
The park was established between the late 1960s or early 1970s. There was a need to protect this park located in the northern part of the Fras and Shiraz provinces, as the area has been reduced due to human encroachment. There was a need to preserve a large part of it because of its significance in the country. The park is home to several mountain ranges. The highest peak is the eponymous mountain, which stands at 2,700 meters.
The park’s most popular animal residents are the gazelles. There are also many ewes and rams. While not abundant, other animals that can be spotted in the park are forest cats, foxes, jackals, hyenas, panthers, and wolves. The park is also a great birding area with over 90 species of birds. The animals thrive in the park because of the lush habitat for them. There are beautiful flowers that grow abundantly in the park-like the common primrose, corn poppy, and tulip. There are also over 300 species of plants that were found to have medicinal properties.
Locals enjoy picnicking in the park. Tourists usually visit the park to hike or trek.
2. Golestan National Park
Tigers are extinct in Iran, but the last tiger was found in this park in the late 1950s. But despite the lack of tiger, this park in the province of Golestan is still known for its animal presence. There is an abundance of Persian leopards in the park. This species has been labeled as endangered because there are only between 870 and 1,290 of them recorded in the world. The population is also considered to be declining. The species also has distinctive colors—the pale and the dark. Both of them are found in Iran. Other animals found in the park are brown bears, goitered gazelles, Indian wolves, jackals, maral and roe deer, urial, wild boars, and wild goats.
Vegetation in the park comprises of grasslands, shrublands, and temperate broadleaf forests. Among the most popular plants that can be spotted in the park are deciduous perennial flowers and irises.
As far as natural landforms are concerned, the park covers some parts of the Alborz Mountains and Kopet Dag range. The former is also where the highest peak in Iran is located: Mount Damavand, which stands at 5,610 meters. Kopet Dag borders Iran and Turkmenistan but most of its peaks are in the Turkmenistan territory.
3. Khabr National Park
This park is located within Baft County in Kerman Province. Baft is one of the highest cities in Iran with an elevation of 2,267 meters. This also makes Khabr one of the highest national parks in the country. The park is known for its rich plant life with over 750 species documented within the park. Some 120 species of them are endemic in this desert place.
The park is also known as the Missing Paradise of the Desert because it is one of the most attractive places in Iran. There are so many different layers of natural beauty in the park: from large plants to watersheds. Of course, the wildlife in the park is also abundant. Among the animals, tourists can spot are deer, ewes, foxes, goats, golden eagles, hawks, leopards, partridges, and rams, among others.
4. Lake Urmia National Park
Lake Urmia is the largest lake in the Middle East. It is situated between East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan Provinces. It is also considered the sixth-largest saltwater lake in the world. Dams on the rivers that flow into the lake have caused the water body to shrink in size. This is why there was a need to protect the park from a further reduction in size, which prompted the establishment of this park.
The park comprises Lake Urmia and over 100 islands surrounding it. The lake itself is not just a wealth of beauty and aquatic resources, but also of archaeological sites dating back to the Neolithic era.
5. Tandooreh National Park
Located in Khorasan Razavi Province, this park is mountainous with rich flora and fauna. The area is mostly covered with grasses and shrubs with a smattering of trees. It enjoys a warm to semi-dry climate. One of the best parts of the park is the Chelmer Valley. It has a stunning vista with huge rock formations.
The park is famed for having the largest panthers in the world. One of the goals is to protect the panther species, especially the large ones that consider Tandooreh their home. Park authorities set up cameras around the area to track the panther population. The park has also been designated as an Important Bird Area.