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I am in the early stages of preparing for a possible trip to Iran in 2019. I am an independent traveler whose original motivation is an interest in the architecture of the country's mosques (and a European Union passport holder.)

Normally, I would start by reading in the Rough Guides series of guide books, but for perhaps well-understood reasons they apparently do not have a current guide book on Iran.

What are other good sources for independent travelers interested in visiting Iran (politics left aside) in terms of up-to-date (or everlasting) guide books or other printed information?

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As you are interested in the built environment, books on those resources may help:

Iran: Architectural Guide by Thomas Meyer-Wieser

Iran has one of the oldest town cultures in the world. Unlike any other oriental country, Iran shows a unique urban and architectonic development whose defining characteristics merged with other cultures over the course of time, representing an important contribution to world architecture. In this guide, author and architect, Thomas Meyer-Wieser, embarks on a journey into history, showcasing nearly 300 buildings and projects in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz.

Persian Art and Architecture by Henri Stierlin

From monumental architecture to miniature paintings, sumptuous carpets, and ceramics: the decorative profusion of the arts of Persia captured in glorious detail through hundreds of color photographs.... Palaces, mosques, madrasas, and mausoleums display a mesmerizing decorative complexity, with form and ornament combining to create an indivisible whole.

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  • Thanks. Do you know these books from first-hand experience?
    – Drux
    Nov 17, 2018 at 14:24
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    I haven't read either, but I know of the architect/authors, have a massive collection of books on architecture and architectural history, and follow what is published (as one who worked in those fields, and including publishing).
    – Giorgio
    Nov 17, 2018 at 15:30
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There are many books written by non-Iranian authors and travelers like

There are also some net information in this web-page. Also there are some books written by Iranian authors like Iran Travel Guide that is unavailable outside of Iran as far as I know. (Note: This book costs only 2$ USD!)

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  • The two Lonely Planet titles are the same. (I'm not sure why the bits in parentheses are different.)
    – lambshaanxy
    Aug 4, 2020 at 13:34
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    one is about country guide like geography, politics, people, towns, etc. other one is about traveling matters.
    – C.F.G
    Aug 4, 2020 at 13:44
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    @lambshaanxy Don't be confused by the covers using the same image. If you "look inside" on Amazon you can see that they are different books. Although there is a lot of similarity in the first few pages.
    – Peter M
    Aug 4, 2020 at 15:54
  • @PeterM The first is a physical book, the second is a Kindle edition, but they're both "Lonely Planet Iran; 7th Edition (September 1, 2017)".
    – lambshaanxy
    Aug 4, 2020 at 23:52
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    @lambshaanxy: You are right. However that one in amazon preview is wrong. Amazon noted that the second one is a newer edition of the first one. I am confused too.
    – C.F.G
    Aug 5, 2020 at 9:08

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