Tehran is filmed almost entirely in Athens, Greece.
The show is set in Iran's capital, but production took place thousands of miles away. And the crew did a surprisingly convincing job.
In this article, we'll cover every major filming location, explain why Athens was chosen, and show you exactly how the city was transformed into Tehran.
Whether a fan curious about the behind-the-scenes magic or planning a visit to the real locations, we've got you covered.
We've done the research so you don't have to.
Athens, Greece as the Main Filming Location
Athens is where almost every scene in Tehran was shot.
When you watch a chase through a Tehran alley or a tense scene inside a government building, you're almost certainly looking at Athens.
The Greek capital served as the primary backdrop for the entire series, across all three seasons.
Why Was Tehran Filmed in Athens Instead of Iran?
The simple reason is access. Filming a spy thriller in Iran, especially one that portrays Israeli intelligence operations, was never a realistic option.
The production needed a city that could pass for Tehran without the legal, political, and logistical barriers of filming in Iran itself.
Athens fit that need perfectly.
Challenges of Filming in Iran
Iran has strict rules around foreign film productions. A show like Tehran, which is produced partly by Israeli companies and centers on a Mossad agent operating inside Iran, would never receive permission to film there.
Beyond politics, there are safety concerns for cast and crew. Locations that depict sensitive government buildings, military zones, or covert operations would be completely off-limits. Filming in Iran was simply not on the table.
Why Athens Was Chosen
Athens offered something rare: a city with a similar visual texture to Tehran. The density of buildings, the mix of older and newer architecture, the street markets, and the general urban feel all made Athens a strong candidate.
Greece also has a well-established film industry and experienced local crews. Production costs are lower than in Western Europe. And the Greek government has been actively encouraging international productions to film there, offering incentives and support.
Similarities Between Athens and Tehran
Both cities share a similar climate, which affects how light falls on buildings and streets. The architecture in older Athens neighborhoods resembles parts of Tehran, with flat-roofed buildings, narrow alleys, and dense residential blocks.
Street markets in Athens can look remarkably similar to bazaars in Iran. With the right signage and set dressing, the transformation becomes convincing on screen.
Main Tehran Filming Locations in Greece
The show used dozens of real locations across Athens.
Athens City Center
Much of the urban action takes place in and around central Athens. The city's mix of commercial streets, government-style buildings, and busy public squares gave the production team a lot to work with.
Streets in neighborhoods like Exarcheia, Pangrati, and Kolonaki were used extensively. These areas have the kind of dense, lived-in feel that mirrors parts of Tehran.
Athens International Airport
Several arrival and departure scenes were filmed at Athens International Airport. The modern terminal was dressed with Persian signage and props to pass as Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Airport sequences are some of the most tense in the show, and the production team used the real layout of the Athens terminal to create authentic-feeling spaces.
Pedion tou Areos Park
This large public park in Athens appeared in multiple scenes across the series.
It offered open green space that could be dressed to look like Tehran's public parks, and its tree-lined paths worked well for outdoor surveillance and meeting scenes.
Residential Neighborhoods Used in the Series
The production team scouted residential areas of Athens that had older housing stock, narrow streets, and a sense of ordinary urban life. These neighborhoods were used for scenes set in Tehran homes and apartment blocks.
Areas with older architecture and flat-roofed buildings were especially useful because they matched the look of residential Tehran most closely.
Streets and Public Squares Featured on Screen
Several Athens squares and public streets appear throughout the series. The production team would close sections of road, add Persian signage, and dress storefronts to create the illusion of Tehran street life.
The result is convincing enough that most viewers never question it.
How Athens Was Changed Into Tehran
This is where the real craft of the production comes through.
Persian Signage and Storefronts
The most visible change was signage. Production designers replaced Greek text on storefronts, street signs, and public notices with Farsi script.
Even small details, like shop window displays and advertising posters, were swapped out to reflect Iranian culture and aesthetics.
This level of detail matters. A single Greek sign in the background would break the illusion. The team was meticulous about replacing every visible piece of text in each shot.
Set Design and Production Techniques
Beyond signage, set designers brought in Iranian cultural props. Rugs, food, household items, and clothing were sourced or created to reflect life in Tehran.
Interiors were dressed to look like Iranian homes, offices, and government buildings.
Some locations were partially rebuilt or modified. Doorways, facades, and interior details were altered to remove anything distinctly Greek and add anything distinctly Iranian.
Visual Effects and Post-Production Enhancements
The production also used VFX to replace backgrounds, add Tehran landmarks, and remove anything that couldn't be changed on set.
Shots of the Tehran skyline, for example, were created digitally and composited into the footage.
This combination of on-the-ground set dressing and post-production work is what makes the illusion hold up throughout the series.
Famous Scenes Filmed in Athens
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Some of the most memorable moments in the show were shot at recognizable Athens locations.
Airport and Arrival Sequences
The opening sequences of the show, where Tamar arrives in Tehran, were filmed at Athens International Airport.
The tension of those early scenes was built entirely within a Greek terminal dressed to look Iranian.
Intelligence and Surveillance Scenes
Many of the tense surveillance sequences, where characters track each other through the city, were filmed on Athens streets.
The narrow alleyways and dense neighborhoods gave directors plenty of visual depth to work with.
Market and Street Chase Scenes
Busy street and market scenes were filmed in commercial areas of Athens.
The production team would temporarily change a section of a Athens street market into what appeared to be a Tehran bazaar, complete with Farsi signage and Iranian goods.
Was Any Part of Tehran Filmed in Iran?
img src=”https://grahmsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dip-6NCtoto2GY3O.jpg” alt=”Production crew filming a scene for Tehran in Athens, Greece, where the series recreated locations from Iran.”>
The short answer is no. But some footage of the real Tehran does appear in the show.
What the Production Team Has Revealed
Producers have confirmed that no cast or crew traveled to Iran to film. All scripted scenes with actors were shot in Greece. The production chose Athens early in development and built the entire visual world of the show around what Athens could offer.
Use of Establishing Shots and Stock Footage
The show does use real footage of Tehran. Aerial shots of the city, wide establishing shots of landmarks like the Azadi Tower, and brief cutaways to real Iranian streets do appear, particularly at the start of episodes.
This footage was either licensed stock footage or shot by a small second unit operating without the main cast. It gives the show a layer of visual authenticity without requiring the full production to enter Iran.
Tehran Filming Locations by Season
The show expanded its use of Athens locations with each season.
Season 1 Filming Locations
The first season established the core locations. Athens city center, the airport, and residential neighborhoods formed the backbone of the visual world. Production designers laid the groundwork for the Tehran illusion that would carry through the whole series.
Season 2 Filming Locations
Season 2 brought more varied locations into play. The production used a wider range of Athens neighborhoods and expanded its set dressing to include more complex locations, including scenes set in wealthier parts of Tehran that required a different visual tone.
Season 3 Filming Locations
By the third season, the team had refined its approach. The same core Athens locations returned, but with even more detailed dressing and more confident use of VFX to fill in any visual gaps. The production had learned exactly what worked and leaned into it.
Behind the Scenes of Tehran's Production
Making Athens look like Tehran was a full-time creative effort.
Creating an Authentic Iranian Atmosphere
The production employed Iranian cultural consultants to ensure the visual details were accurate. From the way homes were decorated to the style of clothing worn by extras, every element was checked for authenticity.
This extended to casting. Many of the extras and supporting cast were chosen to reflect the look of Tehran's population, and costume designers worked from research into contemporary Iranian fashion.
Working with Local Greek Crews
The production worked closely with Greek film crews and local production companies. Greece has a strong film industry, and local professionals brought knowledge of the best locations, how to manage permits, and how to work efficiently across Athens.
Local crew members also helped the production navigate the city, identify overlooked locations, and solve logistical problems quickly.
Challenges of Recreating Tehran
The biggest challenge was consistency. Every scene needed to feel like the same city, even when filmed across dozens of different Athens locations over a period of months.
Production designers maintained detailed records of every location, every sign, and every prop to ensure continuity across episodes and seasons. Any change between shooting days had to be carefully tracked and corrected.
Can You Visit the Tehran Filming Locations?
Yes, and fans have been doing exactly that.
Popular Locations Fans Can See Today
Pedion tou Areos Park is fully open to the public and easy to visit. Athens city center locations, including the streets used for chase and surveillance scenes, are all accessible. The Athens International Airport is a functioning airport that you'll pass through if you fly into the city.
What to Expect When Visiting
When you visit these locations, you won't see Farsi signage or Iranian props. Everything was temporary, removed once filming wrapped. What you'll see is Athens as it normally looks, which is actually a great reminder of just how skilled the production team was at transforming it.
Travel Tips for Exploring the Filming Sites
Start with Pedion tou Areos Park, which is centrally located and easy to reach by metro. From there, the neighborhoods used for residential scenes are walkable. Athens city center is compact enough that most filming locations can be covered in a day or two on foot.
Interesting Facts About Tehran Filming Locations
There's more to the story than just Greece.
Athens Doubled as Multiple Middle Eastern Cities
Athens has been used as a filming stand-in for other Middle Eastern cities in various productions. Its visual versatility makes it a popular choice. Tehran is one of the most high-profile examples, but the city has a long history of doubling for locations across the region.
The Series Helped Showcase Greece as a Filming Destination
Tehran's success brought significant attention to Greece as a filming destination. The show demonstrated that Athens could handle a large international production and deliver a convincing visual result. Several other productions have since looked at Greece as a location, partly inspired by what Tehran achieved.
How Production Designers Recreated Tehran's Look
The production design team spent weeks in pre-production studying photographs, films, and documentary footage of Tehran. They created detailed reference guides for every type of location featured in the script, from government buildings to corner shops, so that every set could be dressed with precision.
Conclusion
Tehran was filmed almost entirely in Athens, Greece. The production used real locations, Persian signage, set dressing, and visual effects to build a convincing version of Iran's capital.
No actors filmed inside Iran. Real Tehran footage appears only in brief establishing shots.
Athens worked because it shares enough visual DNA with Tehran to make the illusion believable. Dense streets, flat-roofed buildings, and similar light all helped seal the deal.
Now you know the full story.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tehran filmed in real life?
Tehran is filmed primarily in Athens, Greece. Almost all scripted scenes were shot there, across a range of neighborhoods, public spaces, and indoor locations that were dressed to resemble Iran's capital city.
Was Tehran filmed in Iran?
No. No cast or crew filmed in Iran. The show uses some stock footage and licensed aerial shots of the real Tehran for establishing shots, but all scenes with actors were shot in Greece.
Why was Athens chosen as the filming location?
Athens was chosen because of its visual similarity to Tehran, its well-developed film industry, experienced local crews, and financial incentives offered by the Greek government. It also avoided the political and safety challenges of filming in Iran.
Can fans visit the filming locations?
Yes. Most of the Athens locations used in the show are publicly accessible. Pedion tou Areos Park, central Athens streets, and the airport are all open to visitors.
Which Athens landmarks appear in Tehran?
Pedion tou Areos Park is the most clearly identifiable landmark. Athens International Airport also appears, as do various streets and squares in neighborhoods including Exarcheia and Pangrati.
