Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
Click here
and
Click here
)
, where if you can't find what you're looking for, a carpet
salesman will almost certainly find it for you.
Books & Maps
The Book City chain is your best option for English-language books.
Book City Hafez Store
( 8880 5735; 743 Nth Hafez St)
The biggest Book City, with a decent range of fiction
and nonfiction in English, and plenty of pictorials on Iran.
BOOKS
Di Rouz Em Rouz Ancien Livres
( 8888 8844; Khoddami St, off Valiasr Ave; 'by appointment or by chance')
Old
books in English, French, German and Italian and rare works on Iran. Worldly Mr Afshar
is stimulating conversation.
BOOKS
MAPS
Gita Shenasi
( 6670 9335;
www.gitashenasi.com
;
20 Ostad Shahriar St, Valiasr Crossroads,
Enqelab-e Eslami Ave; 8am-6pm Sat-Wed & 8am-1pm Thu; Valiasr)
Sheets in
Farsi and English on cities and regions across Iran.
Carpets
There are carpet stores all over Tehran but nowhere is the experience as memorable, and
the price as negotiable, as in the bazaar. There are more than 4000 merchants to choose
from and there's a good chance at least one will find you soon after you arrive. Go with it,
remembering you are under no obligation to buy. For general info on carpets,
Click here
.
One merchant we can recommend from personal experience is
Hossein Hosseiny
(
0912 388 5994, 5580 1801; 2nd fl, 45-46 Saraye Mahmoudieh, Bazar Abbas Abad)
, a
highly knowledgable and well-travelled young man from a family of carpet
bazaris
. Hos-
sein is straight up and offers fair prices for and excellent explanations about his wide
range of (mainly nomadic) carpets. Ask for directions to Bazar Abbas Abad and Kababi-
hah Alley, or call ahead to be met by Hossein (beware of false Hosseins).
Women's Clothes
Women travellers needing a
manteau
(overcoat) or scarf have plenty of options both in
terms of style and store. If you just want something cheap and it doesn't matter if it's a bit
frumpy, head to Berlan Alley/Mehran Alley (different names from different ends), a ped-
