North-west · foothills of the Alborz
From caravanserais to the fortress of Alamut
Qazvin Province lies at the foot of the Alborz on the historic road from Tehran towards north-western Iran. The city of Qazvin once served as a Safavid capital, leaving palaces, caravanserais, ornamented houses and a distinguished tradition of calligraphy. In the Alamut Mountains, dramatic history meets quiet lakes and sweeping highland views.
North-west · foothills of the Alborz
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Qazvin’s Chehel Sotoun, also known as the Kolah Farangi pavilion, is one of the few royal buildings surviving from the city’s years as Shah Tahmasp’s Safavid capital. Two-storey halls, wooden windows and layered murals reveal several artistic eras; the building now houses a calligraphy museum.
The ruins of Alamut Castle occupy a commanding, hard-to-reach summit in the Alborz. The fortress is closely associated with the medieval Nizari Ismailis and overlooks a sweeping mountain valley.
At the heart of Qazvin, Sa'd al-Saltaneh is a vast Qajar ensemble of courtyards, caravanserai chambers, market lanes and brick domes. Domed skylights and a grand bazaar crossroads recall the movement of merchants, while restored spaces now welcome craftspeople, shops and cafés.
Aminiha House is one of Qazvin’s splendid Qajar residences. Interconnected halls, stained-glass orosi windows, delicate stucco and mirrorwork open towards private courtyards. Light moving across these surfaces turns the home of a prominent urban family into a vivid encounter with the art of Qajar domestic life.
High in Alamut on the slopes of the Alborz, Ovan Lake is fed by underground springs. Calm water, surrounding villages and orchards, and mountains that turn white in winter make it a graceful setting for walking, photography and unhurried time in nature.
