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Zigurat of Choga Zanbil

The ziggurat is an ancient temple of the Elamites, based on a four-story square plan with a temple top and an estimated height of more than 50 m, surrounded by numerous buildings, temples and palaces, and protected by three walls. The ziggurat consists of a huge mud brick structure, reinforced by wooden beams with an external coating in fired brick, which also allowed its connection with the outside. Each floor of the ziggurat was used for specific functions: at the top of the building was the temple proper, the “sanctum sanctorum”, with an altar and statues dedicated to the patron deity, to which only the priest-king had access. On the middle floors there used to be schools and along the stairs were the priests’ rooms. In the lower part, there were warehouses to store the goods that would be used in case of need, and archives to keep the clay tablets on which the contracts or the quantities of goods delivered to the temple were recorded.

This sacred place gathered cults and deities from all the provinces of the kingdom. Several palaces were built to the east, next to a monumental entrance gate, also called the royal gate, with a large courtyard. The ashes of the royal family were also found in a palace intended for royal funerary worship. In 1979, Chogha Zanbil became the first Iranian site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage.

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Varzaneh

The hidden gem in the geographic center of Iran. It is a small city located on the edge of the Dasht-e Kavir desert, and it contains architectural elements and the typical landscape of the desert region of Iran. Varzaneh is a curious destination for those who like to explore popular places and rural culture. In this city ancient traditions are preserved that have disappeared in the modern part of the country. It is a good starting point to explore different tourist attractions, such as the ruins of an old caravanserai, volcanic mountains, sand dunes, and a salt lake.

Uraman

It is situated in a valley oriented from east to west, on a steep slope overlooking the northern part of the Takht Mountains, south of Marivan. Most of the houses in this village are stone and stair-shaped like Palangan and Masuleh. The beams cover the ceilings, the uneven stone blocks form the walls, and it could be said that the material used in the construction of the houses is that provided by the surrounding nature. The peculiar style of this village makes the roof of the lower house the courtyard of the upper house.

The climate of this region in spring and summer is mild and pleasant, but very cold in winter. Uraman village is one of the attractive rural areas of Kurdistan which, in addition to its panoramic views, has an invaluable tourist capacity thanks to the annual organization of a wonderful ancient Peer Shahriar ceremony.

Takht-e Soleiman

The archaeological site of Takht-e Soleiman, in northwestern Iran, is situated in a valley in the middle of a region of volcanic mountains. The site includes the main Zoroastrian shrine, partially rebuilt during the Ilkhani period (13th century), and a temple dedicated to Anahita from the Sassanid period (6th and 7th centuries). The architecture of the Temple of Fire, as well as that of the meeting rooms of kings and other palaces, significantly influenced architectural development during the Islamic period, which took place after the dissolution of the Sassanid rule in the 7th century AD. C. Takht-e Soleiman is also associated with beliefs much older than Zoroastrianism, as well as with important biblical figures and legends.

The site consists of an oval platform that rises about 60m above the surrounding valley. It has a small limestone artesian well, which has formed a 120 m deep lake. From there, small streams carry water to the surrounding lands. The Sassanids occupied the site from the 5th century onwards, building the royal sanctuary there. The sanctuary was surrounded by a stone wall 13 meters high, 38 towers and two entrances to the north and south. The main building is the Zoroastrian Fire Temple or Azargoshnasb, which is located on the north shore of the lake. This brick-built temple has a square plan typical of Sassanid fire temples. This architectural criterion of the Sassanids became an exemplary model for the construction of other places of worship in the Islamic period. To the east of the temple, there is another square hall reserved for the “eternal fire.” To the east is the Anahita temple and the royal residences are located to the west of the temples.

Shushtar

One of the cities of the Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran on the banks of the Karun River. As it is surrounded by fertile plains, it has been an agricultural center since ancient times. The name Shushtar means better than Susa, the capital of the Elamites. After the Arab invasion of Susa, the Elamites established this new city, where it had a more pleasant climate and fertile lands. On the other hand, some historians believe that the root of the word Shushtar is six gates, since the city has six entrances, while another group believes that it originally means king’s city. According to them, Shushtar was the first settlement of the first humans and, as some objects found in the Pebdeh cave show, the antiquity of the city dates back to ten thousand years ago.

Shahr-e Sukhteh  (Burnt City)

This place is located 50 km from Zabul city. It is one of the largest urban settlements with more than 5,000 years old and occupies an area of ​​about 150 hectares, located on a hill 12-18 meters high. Excavations in this area have uncovered many ancient objects, such as: ceramics, old metal, wood, stone objects that show the antiquity of the civilization of this area.

Archaeologists divided the city into four parts:

Central area with an area of ​​20 hectares whose objects date back to 2700 years before Christ.

The East Zone, of 18 hectares and with an area of ​​16 hectares, corresponds to the second level of occupation of this city.

The northwest area, where metal and stone objects have been found that indicate industrialization.

The last zone includes a 25-hectare cemetery.

The burned city has unique characteristics that distinguish it from other historical monuments in Iran. This city, despite its advance, lacked a temple or shrine, a wall, a fence, a moat, and even a defense system. The houses were made of clay and lime and were equipped. Archaeologists estimate that this city was inhabited for 1500 years.

Shahdad

One of the most historic cities in Iran, dating back to six thousand years ago. Of the wonders of Shahdad, it is enough to mention the first metal flags in the world, city of the dwarves and their kaluts where an alien landscape stretches before our eyes. The term kalut is composed of the terms Lut (the Lut Desert) and Kal (city). Kalut is also known under the name Yardang which means sand castle. In fact, the Kalutos are formations that have been created by the erosion of the wind, forming sand dunes in a thousand different ways.

Saryazd Castle: Old Sasanian Bank

Saryazd Castle is located near the Yazd-Kerman road and in the village of Saryazd, being one of the largest and most beautiful castles in Mehriz county. The castle dates from the Sassanid period, before the arrival of Islam in Iran. This monument is surrounded by a ditch six meters wide and four meters deep. The trench is considered the first layer of defense of the castle.

The castle has two defensive walls and a fence. The outer fence, six meters high, is made up of three round towers and a square tower, and the inner fence, nine meters high, is made up of six round towers. The inner castle, dating from the Sassanid period, was built under a precise order on three floors, including the residential sector, the service sector, etc.