Iran tourism: 30 beautiful surprises waiting to be discovered by adventurous travellers

Meymand, an ancient village in Kerman Province, is thought to date back 12,000 years ago. More than 600 people still live in around 350 hand-dug rock houses

Kandovan is a village in East Azerbaijan Province containing cliff dwellings excavated inside volcanic rocks similar to those in the Turkish region of Cappadocia. These rock houses are still occupied today – at the 2006 census, the village had a population of around 600

Yazd, a city of around a million people and the driest city in Iran, is architecturally unique and an important pilgrimage destination for Zoroastrians

The Amir Chakhmaq Complex is the largest structure in Iran. It is illuminated with orange light in the evenings and provides wonderful views over the city of Yazd

The city of Bam in Kerman Province surrounds an ancient citadel dating back around 2,000 years, to the Parthian Empire (248 BC–224 AD)

Qom, a city of around a million people about 125km south-west of Tehran, is considered holy by Shia Islam and is a popular pilgrimage destination

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