Bird's Eye Views of Iran

Top AirVuz contributor and pilot rezarafizadeh secured his second Drone Video of the Week Finalist spot with this excellent 2020 drone reel from his native Iran.  For viewers who associate this giant Middle Eastern country only with arid desert, this video will come as a big surprise.  The video was filmed in Iran's northern provinces, which run through the mountains ringing the southern Caspian Sea and are seemingly a world apart - these are lands of forested mountains, with near-rainforest climatic conditions.  

Take in these marvelous drone views of northern Iran, compliments of top contributor rezarafizadeh.  This DVOW nominated film was shot over Gilan, one of the northernmost of the 31 provinces of this giant Middle Eastern country.  Belying popular conceptions of what Iran "looks like", Gilan's landscapes couldn't be more different from those of the desert regions to its south.  Hugging the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, the province is largely covered by mountainous rainforest, receiving as much as 190 cm (75 inches) of annual rainfall! 

Contributor and drone pilot Rezerafizadeh created this stunning aerial view of Masal region of Iran.  It's located in the province of Gilan in the northwestern part of the country, very close to the Caspian Sea and not far from the border with Azerbaijan.  Unlike most of the country, the region is heavily forested.  Prepare to be amazed by the views through the clouds of the stunning rolling hills of the area, called by some (for reasons which will be apparent when you watch) the "Green Roof of Iran".  

Contributor Rezarafizadeh used a drone to create this remarkable aerial view of the ancient Iranian city of Masuleh.  It's located in the northwestern corner of the country, in the province of Gilan near the southern shore of the Caspian Sea.  The city was founded during the Antiquity, in the first century AD.  As you'll see in the video, it's literally built into a mountain.  For reasons that will be clear, it's been said in the town that "the yard of the building above is the roof of the building below".

Contributor and drone pilot Pourya.sharifimavic created this aerial drone video of the highest mountain in Iran.  Mount Damavand is a volcanic peak in the northern part of the country, not far from the shoreline of the Caspian Sea.  The stratovolcano's peak is at an elevation of 5.6k meters (about 18.4k ft.), and its prominence makes it one of the most pronounced mountains in the world.  The mountain is currently inactive; its last known eruption is believed to have occurred in about 5300 BC.  

Contributor Rezarafizadeh brings us this beautiful drone video of a castle in northwestern Iran.  Salsal Castle is located in the mountainous area near the town of Lisar in the Gilan province, which occupies the western part of Iran's Caspian Sea coastline.  The video captures the beauty of the castle, which sits in one of the greenest part of the countries - parts of Gilan receive as much as 140 cm (55 inches) of rainfall per year, an unheard-of amount in most of the (generally arid) Middle East.

Check out this drone video of a stunning area of northern Iran, compliments of contributor Rezarafizadeh.  Heyran is located near the northern end of Iran's Caspian Sea coastline, just south of the border with Azerbaijan.  It's in the province of Gilan, which covers the southwestern part of the coastline.   The entire area lies in the Alborz Mountains, a range which runs parallel to the Caspian coastline and which includes Iran's highest mountain (Mount Damavand) near the south end of the sea. 

Contributor s.s.mirrahimi used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this stunning aerial tour of an area of northwestern Iran.  Gilan Province, is one of the 31 which make up this giant Middle Eastern nation.  Gilan occupies roughly the western half of the country's coastline on the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water. Much of the province is covered in forested mountains; with the heaviest rainfall in the country, its climate is considered subtropical. This video was a DVOW nominee in June 2019.

Check out this stunning drone video from one of Iran's national parks, compliments of contributor and pilot rezarafizadeh.  It's called Bojaq National Park, and it's in the northwestern province of Gilan.  It's part of a narrow coastal plain along the Caspian Sea, which distinguishes the area from the mountainous terrain which covers much of the inland parts of the province.  The video captures a herd of wild horses running over the wide-open landscape.  Gilan is one of the country's 31 provinces.

Contributor rezarafizadeh created this beautiful drone video from a mountainous area of northern Iran.  The Talysh Mountains cover portions of the Gilan and Ardabil provinces of northwestern Iran as well as a portion of  southeastern Azerbaijan.  They form part of the Alborz Mountains, a range which runs roughly parallel to the coastline of the Caspian Sea.  The peaks of the Talysh reach elevations of up to about 3k meters (around 10k ft.) above sea level, and (as you'll see) offer some stunning vistas.   

If you are thinking of taking a trip to Iran, you will definitely want to check out this drone video of an antique hotel in the center of the country, compliments of contributor @VanSleepers.  It's called the Malek-o Tojar Antique Hotel, and it's in an ancient mansion in the provincial capital city of Yazd.  The 23 room hotel is in the heart of the old city, which is renowned for its unique Persian architecture and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The city is about 625 km (around 380 mi.) southeast of Tehran.  

Check out this amazing drone video from a well-known forest in northern Iran, compliments of rezarafizadeh.  It's called the Caspian Hyrcanian Mixed Forests, not to be confused with the Hyurcanian Forest of Germany.  The forest is located in the northern part of the country, covering parts of its Caspian Sea coastline as that of neighboring  Azerbaijan.  Recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the forest covers around 55k square km (around 20k sq. mi.) including a portion in neighboring Azerbaijan.

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist rezarafizadeh brings us this excellent drone video of Lake Urmia, a saltwater lake in northern Iran.  The lake is located near the northwesternmost corner of the country, with its northern end not far from the border with Turkey and the southern end not far from the Iraqi border.  It was once the sixth largest saltwater lake in the world.  However, due to damming in the area, the lake is a shadow of its former self, having shrunk to about 1/10 of its original size.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist rezarafizadeh brings us this stunning drone video of an ancient village in northern Iran called Kandovan.  It's located in the foothills of the volcanic (but long-dormant) Mt. Sahand in Osku County in East Azerbaijan, a province in the northwestern corner of the country.  Many of the homes of the village are excavated from the volcanic rocks surrounding the mountain, giving it a more than passing similarity to the "fairy tale castle" rock dwellings around Cappadocia in central Turkey.      

Here's a drone video of a well-known lagoon on the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea, compliments of rezarafizadeh.  It's called Anzali Lagoon, and it's near the city of Bandar-e Anzali in the northern province of Gilan.  One of just a handful of wetlands in this vast Middle Eastern country, the lagoon has shrunk considerably in recent decades.  Despite its reduced size, it's still considered one of the top bird-watching spots in the region.  The lagoon is registered under the Ramsar Convention, an international bird protection treaty.  

Contributor Rezarafizadeh is one of the top aerial videographers in Iran.  His drone footage was recently used in a BBC news segment.  Most of his aerial filming takes place in the Gilan province in the northwestern part of the country.  In this video, he puts together highlights of his work in 2017.  Treat yourself to beautiful bird's eye views of this lush green part of a largely arid country, which features mountains, plains, and a beautiful coastline along the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water. 

Rainbow-colored mountains are amongst the world's most unusual natural phenomena. They arise from rare patterns of sedimentary deposition and oxidation.  While the Rainbow Mountains in the Andes of Peru are probably the best-known example, they aren't the only instance.  In this drone video by rezarafizadeh, you'll get some great aerial views of some spectacular multi-colored mountains in Iran.  They are situated near the city of Tabriz in the East Azerbaijan Province, in northwestern Iran.

Tracking birds with a drone is notoriously difficult. That's especially true with fast-flying raptors.  In this drone video by rezarafizadeh, you will see some amazing tracking shots of an eagle flying over a beautiful spot in northern Iran.  It was filmed in the Talesh (Talysh) Mountains, which are a sub-chain of the greater Alborz Mountains.  The Talesh run roughly parallel to the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea, covering parts of Azerbaijan and the two Iranian provinces of Gilan and Ardabil. 

New AirVuz contributor ART 4 FACT used a DJI Mavic Air to create this beautiful aerial video from the vastness of central Iran.  It was filmed in the area known as the Mesr Desert, which is located in the Isfahan Province in the north-central part of this giant Middle Eastern country.  This area is sparsely populated, to say the least - the surrounding (and gigantic) Khur and Biabanak County has only a few thousand families in residence.  It's believed to be the least-populous county in the country.  

Check out this stunning drone video of some spectacular natural scenery in western Iran, compliments of contributor and pilot ART 4 FACT.  The area covered in the video is a river gorge called Razianeh Canyon.  THe canyon lies in the Kabir Kouh mountains in Ilam, one of the westernmost of the 31 provinces which make up modern Iran.  The canyon lies close to Iran's border with Iraq, a heavily Kurdish region.  It's accessible from the city of Ilam, a short distance southeast of the provincial capital.  

When you watch this video, you might well think you're seeing a beautiful winter alpine landscape in Austria or perhaps the USA's Pacific Northwest.  Very few people would guess what country this is.  The answer?  Iran!  Yes, the giant Middle Eastern country.  In fact, the northern part of Iran looks about as different from the central and southern part of the country as one can imagine.  Check out this improbable winter wonderland from above in this fantastic piece by AirVuz contributor and drone pilot rezarafizadeh.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist rezarafizadeh created this beautiful drone video from the Iranian state of Gilan.  Gilan is one of the northernmost of Iran's 31 states.  It curves along the southwestern shoreline of the great Caspian Sea, relatively narrow at its northern end but widening out considerably as one moves south.  Largely covered in mountains, it receives copious amounts of rainfall, and its forests are amongst the greenest landscapes to be found in the entire Middle East region.

When you see this beautiful Fall drone video by rezarafizadeh, you will likely be surprised that this was filmed in the Middle Eastern nation of Iran.   The beautiful fall-colored landscapes shown are in sharp contrast with the desert-like landscapes most closely associated with Iran.  Here, amidst the mountains which run along the country's long Caspian Sea coastline, you'll find areas that more closely resemble areas like the USA's Pacific Northwest than they do Saudi Arabia or Iraq. 

Lake Urmia is a saltwater lake in northern Iran.  It's near the northwesternmost corner of the country, with its northern end not far from the border with Turkey and the southern end not far from the Iraqi border.  It was once the sixth largest saltwater lake in the world.  However, due to damming in the area, the lake is a shadow of its former self, having shrunk to about 1/10 of its original size.  Contributor Zinhaghighi used a drone to create an amazing aerial view of this once-mighty body of water.