Takestan (or تاكستان in Persian) is a rural city in the Iranian province Qazvin. Most of its 75,000 or so people are Tats and make their livings through agricultural activities, including the production of many different grapes, peaches, nectarines, hay, wheat and cucumbers. During the reign of reform-oriented Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, the city's name, then Syadehen, was changed to Takestan, which means as much as "a place of vine-yards".
Understand
Get in
The city is about 40 km from Qazvin, the province capital, and the easiest way in (both with private transport and public transport) is through there. The nearest international airport is the Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) of Tehran, from where you can rent a car or hire a direct private taxi. You should be able to get a taxi all the way to Takestan for under US$40. If you're travelling by public transport, the train connection between Tehran and Tabriz has a stop at Takestan.
Get around
See
- Pir-i Takestan Mausoleum. An 11th-century, Seljuk style mausoleum.
- Alvand Hill. Around this archeological site, marble tombstones and ceramics from the Safavid era have been discovered.
- Dokhtar (Qiz) Castle. Thought to originate in the time of Sassanide or Al Booyeh, this brick building is located in the hills near the Abakloo village, outside of the city.
Do
- Avaj Thermal Spring. People travel to this spring for its alleged therapeutic effects. The temperature of the water is said to be higher since the 1990 earthquake in this area.