Qom 
Qom is a city near the center of Iran, 147 km south of Tehran. It is a major center for Shia scholars who come to Qom to study in the world-famous Qom Seminary. Qom is among the few cities in Iran that still doesn’t have an airport. But the good news is that Qom International Airport is at the last stages of construction and soon traveling to Qom will be much more convenient. Qom’s geographical centrality allows great access to major cities like Isfahan, Kashan and Hamadan. You can find Qom between Tehran and Kashan on Iran’s map. The holy shrine of Fatima Masumeh or what is more commonly known as Qom’s Haram is the second most visited in Iran after Imam Rida Shrine in Mashhad. As a prime historic monument in Iran, it is also a favorite of foreign tourists. 72 Tan, is one of the major plazas in Qom. It is probably the first spot you will see in Qom, since it is the northern gate of the city. Kashan is the nearest major city to Qom. Due to Qom’s proximity to Tehran, Iran’s capital city, many people commute from Qom to Tehran and vice versac. Qom would be an ideal destination in winter. After having loads of fun in the ski resorts near Tehran such as Shemshak and Dizin, you can visit Qom on your way to Kashan. For that you will need accommodation. Finding hotels and hostels isn’t always easy in Qom. Pilgrimage season is the most crowded period with near a million pilgrims traveling to Qom to pay respect to the holy shrine. We recommend that you book a hotel online before you land in Qom. In the next paragraph we will discuss all types of accommodation in Qom and their great range of facilities.
In spite of its prominence as the beating heart of Shiism, Qom isn’t just a destination for religious people. The city displays an amazing set of historic sites and museums. Qom is also surrounded by beautiful natural sights including its famous Salt Lake. Thousands of travelers from all over the world (nationals of over 80 countries live and study in Qom) settle in a wide array of Qom’s hotels, guesthouses and hostels. The first option of accommodation is of course Qom’s four-star hotels which are some of the most popular in Iran. International Hotel in Qom is specially favored by foreign tourists. The staff of the International Hotels speak fluent English and Arabic and are of great help to their guests. Parsia, Sadeghieh, international and Jamil are some other reputable of Qom’s hotels. The great thing about most of these hotels in Qom, is that they are near the haram. You can sip your hot beverage while enjoying a phenomenal view of the golden dome of Fatima Masumeh’s shrine. Cheap hotels and hostels are another option in Qom for people who aren’t in habit of spending too much for accommodation. Qom’s economy accommodation also includes cozy little guesthouses and lovely self-catering apartments.
Our Iran tours covers most of the top-rated tourist attractions in Iran. Qom tours appear in many of these packages. As with all our tours, Qom tours are managed by our professional team of Iranian tour operators. Knowing the sheer importance of working in one’s hometown to the quality of service, we have selected our team of tour operators from the locals. They speak superb English and know every corner of their ancient city. A journey through the wonders of Qom will be much more enriching with a local tour guide by your side.
Qom might not sound like a place with many interesting sights, but the number of attractions in the city will surprise you. Qom sightseeing tours are the most popular among Qom tours. You will find these packages and their related information under Iran sightseeing tours at the top of our website. Qom Day Tours include visits to the Holy Shrine of Fatima Masumeh and old bazaar of Qom. We will visit the beautiful Eshghali Bathhouse and the historic Jahangir Khan School, both favorites of Qom’s daily tours. If interested, you can also join one of the many Iran Religious Tours in Qom. In the course of these tours you will enjoy the city’s staggering diversity of religious monuments. But a full experience of the region is never complete without visiting the hypnotizing natural sights in the salt deserts around Qom.
Qom is all about location! Given its centrality, you will have practically the whole country within your reach. Tehran with all its excitement stands on the north while Kashan is just a 100 km south of Qom. If you head west, you will find Hamedan and the stunning Ali Sadr Cave. And finally, you have all the glory of the famous Namak (salt) Lake 100 km east of Qom. That is the main destination for Qom desert tours, itself a major category under our Iran Desert Tours. The lake and its surrounding ashen salt lands are remnants of a prehistoric ocean. After relishing in the eternal white of the lake, we will head towards Qom’s Gonbade Namaki desert, one of the largest salt domes in the world. Iran’s massive deserts cover 25 percent of its land area. By booking an Iran desert tour, you will visit lands where you will lose your sense of time and space. A desert tour in Iran may take you to the hottest spot on the face of the earth in Lut desert or show you the highest dunes in the Middle-East in Dasht-e Kavir. After a good deal of hiking and taking amazing pictures in the beautiful desert, you may want to roam about the city of Qom. To help you find your preferred spots, we have listed below the top tourist attractions in Qom.
Bearing in mind the long history of religious development and expansion in Qom, it seems only natural that most of the attractions in the city should hint at religion in one way or another. Qom’s tourist attractions include a variety of historic monuments. Qom’s religious tourism is only second to Mashhad in prosperity and popularity. These cities add a host of marvelous religious monuments to Iran’s unique diversity of tourist attractions. Now let us discuss some of the most visited tourist attractions in Qom.
In the year 814 BC, the caliph of Baghdad, Al-Ma'mun decided to exile Ali ibn Musa Rida, Shiite’s 8th Imam. Khorasan in the far east of Iran, became the home of Imam Rida and the new center of Shiism. Imam Rida was very close to his sister Fatima Masumeh who couldn’t bear the absence of her beloved brother more than a year. Masumeh gathered some of her closest companions and headed towards Iran to join her brother in Khorasan. But the reunion never happened. Anti-Shia militants attacked the caravan and murdered most of Fatima’s companions and intimates right before her eyes. The exact cause of Fatima’s death is a subject of great controversy. But whether she died of natural causes or murdered, we know for sure that she died and was buried in Qom. This tragic event was a turning point in the history of Qom. Shiites built a shrine and Qom found a new status as a pilgrimage site for the growing number of Shiites. Many developments ensued; the most significant, being the establishment of religious schools. These small-scale schools later contributed to the formation of Qom Seminary (Hawza 'Ilmiyya Qom), the biggest center for Shia scholarship in the world. The earliest shrine built in the site of Fatima’s tomb dates back to early Safavid era. The Golden Dome and the minarets appeared later at the time of Safavid and Qajar kings. Six former kings of Safavid and Qajar dynasties together with many prominent politicians and other members of royalty are buried in Fatima’s Haram.
Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini was a major Shia cleric and the leader of Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979. His early followers gave him the title Imam and the revolutionaries fighting the Pahlavi regime, immediately adopted the title. Before living 35 years of his life in exile, Imam Khomeini lived in Qom where he taught the clerics in the Seminary. His house in Qom in Safayieh neighborhood is a National Heritage Site and a place of inspiration for his followers. The building is also historically important as it is a 100 years structure with the signature Qajar architecture of the late 19th century.
Jameh Mosque of Qom is one of the oldest in Iran. The structure of the mosque and its magnificent dome goes back to the 11th century. Jameh Mosque of Qom was renovated in the 18th by the order of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar. Apart from the original site of the mosque built during the past millennium, there are many other structures that were added later. But, the most prominent aspect of Jameh Mosque is its extraordinary grand dome. The artisans who designed and assembled the dome had only primitive construction material such as brick and plaster. Yet they created one of the most stunning domes ever built by mankind with their devotion and love of art.
Nowhere is even comparable to Iran when it comes to grand bazaars. Anywhere you travel in Iran, you will find an instance of these massive and beautiful complexes. The best-known of Iran’s bazaars is Tabriz Grand Bazaar which is the largest covered bazaar in the world. Kashan, Yazd, Qazvin and Isfahan also have bazaars, each unique in their architecture and decorations. Qom boasts one of the finest examples of Iran’s grand bazaars. The most historic section of Qom’s bazaar is called Great Timcheh. Built in 1882 by the famous Qajar architect Master Hosein Qomi, Great Timcheh is a genuine work of art. Its stunning arcade is 15 meters long and is embellished with subtle and colorful plaster-work. Qom’s Great Timcheh strikes one as a museum adorned with abstract patterns. They appear both on the grand arcades above the Great Timcheh and on hand-woven silk rugs spread on the floor for sale.
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