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<\/p>\nIf you get in a cab anywhere in Iran, chances are when you try to pay, your driver will refuse to take your money. Walk into a shop to buy something, the same happens. Baffled?<\/p>\n
The cultural practice of Taarof is Iran\u2019s own personal brand of etiquette. You\u2019re not really being given a freebie, it\u2019s a form of civility and all you have to do is play along. It\u2019s all about denying your will to please the other person \u2013 and it extends to pretty much every social situation.<\/p>\n
Say you get invited to dinner. The polite response would be to refuse, only to have your host insist so that you can, again, refuse. Granted, it can get a little awkward but don\u2019t worry, three times is usually the charm and the important thing is to end up agreeing.<\/p>\n
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If you do get invited to dinner at an Iranian family\u2019s home, you\u2019re in for a treat \u2013 it\u2019s where you\u2019ll find the best of the nation\u2019s cuisine.<\/p>\n
In order to be the perfect guest, here are a few pointers on Iranian table manners. For one, don\u2019t expect a table. Persians commonly take their meals sitting on the floor, sometimes without utensils. Whether or not these are provided, you should only eat with your right hand.<\/p>\n
You should accept all offers of food and drink (but be sure to decline once or twice first!) and it is polite to try a bit of everything that is served.<\/p>\n
Yes, you\u2019ll be absolutely stuffed by the end of it. Iranians like to serve their guests in abundance and consider it their duty as hosts to provide more food than you can eat. There\u2019s an easy way to settle this though, leave a little on your plate when you\u2019re finished to show that you\u2019ve had enough!<\/p>\n
Though Iran\u2019s official currency is the Rial, you\u2019ll soon notice that every time you fish for your wallet you\u2019re being asked to pay in tomans.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t panic. You won\u2019t need to go running back to the exchange desk.<\/p>\n
The toman was Iran\u2019s old currency, replaced by the rial in 1932 at a rate of 1 = 10. So, when someone quotes a price to you in toman, all you have to do is times it by ten and you can start dishing out your rial bank notes.<\/p>\n
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Believe it or not, Iran has the highest rate of nose surgery in the world per capita.<\/p>\n
The pursuit of the perfect nose certainly has a lot to do with the restrictions of the hijab dress code leading to a larger focus on the face but it\u2019s about more than physical beauty.\u00a0 For Persian women (and some men), it\u2019s also an indicator of wealth and social status.<\/p>\n
In fact, the operation is so coveted that many patients keep their bandage on long after they\u2019ve recovered simply to show they\u2019ve had the procedure done \u2013 and some people even wear fakes!<\/p>\n
With a history dating back tens of thousands of years, Iran is one of the world\u2019s oldest continuous civilizations. Its current population, however, is far from ancient. Around 60% of Iranians are under the age of 30!<\/p>\n
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So what do all these young people do in their free time?<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll probably be surprised to learn that parkour \u2013 the urban obstacle-course training activity \u2013 has been quite the trend in Iran since its practice first took off in 2002.<\/p>\n
Young men train in small clubs and public parks and then put their skills on display in the streets and, though their participation has to be a little more discreet, many girls also participate, donning modern and comfortable hijab sportswear.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/c1.momondo.net\/content\/articles\/66\/663f797b-a57c-3284-b050-344676e44717.jpg\")
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If you think Iran is a country made up entirely of arid desert plains, think again. Not only does it have plenty of mountains (and half a dozen volcanoes), head for the peaks of the Alborz Mountains \u2013 only a few hours from Tehran \u2013 and you\u2019ll discover several ski resorts!<\/p>\n
The two main ski resorts are Dizin and Shemshak. Dizin is the largest and, at 8,700 ft, it\u2019s higher than Europe\u2019s highest resort. Shemshak is slightly lower but the slopes are steeper and more challenging \u2013 perfect for snowboarders and more experienced skiers.<\/p>\n
They might not be quite as modern and extensive as the European standard but they\u2019re certainly not as crowded either!<\/p>\n
![\"Cheetahs](\"https:\/\/c1.momondo.net\/content\/articles\/33\/3351c263-7150-3abb-aeed-cdc48e365322.jpg\")
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There is a lot of sand though. In fact, Iran\u2019s vast desert is the only remaining habitat of the Asiatic cheetah.<\/p>\n
Slightly smaller than its African counterpart, it is a critically endangered species and it is estimated that only around 50 cheetahs still roam the wild.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not all bad news though, their numbers are slowly rising!<\/p>\n
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Iran is the largest exporter of caviar, the most expensive food in the world.<\/p>\n
Not only that, the very rarest and costliest type of caviar comes from Iran too. Almas caviar, from the eggs of 60 to 100-year-old beluga sturgeon, sells for a whopping $31,000 per kilo!<\/p>\n
And if that wasn\u2019t enough, with a tradition dating back over 3,000 years, Iran also produces 90% of the world\u2019s saffron, which, at \u00a340 a gram, can cost more than precious metals \u2013 even gold.<\/p>\n
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