Delightful oasis city of Kashan just may be one of the unexpected highlights of your trip to Iran

 

Up on the roof of the Kashan’s traditional bazaar

Kashan is an old city in the desert of the Isfahan province. The city is world famous for its carpets. But besides the carpets, Kashan also has a name for silk, ceramics, copperware and rosewater.

Kashan and its surrounds have been home to human settlements since at least the 4th millennium BC. However, much of what is known of Kashan’s history is interwoven with legend. What is certain is that Kashan was twice destroyed by invading armies. The city walls were rebuilt, and during the Seljuk period (1051–1220 CE) it became famous for its textiles, pottery and tiles.

 

The Safavid Shah Abbas I was so enamored with this delightful oasis city on the edge of the Dasht-e Kavir that he insisted on being buried here rather than in Isfahan. 

 

Much of Kashan was destroyed by an earthquake in 1779 but the subsequent Qajar period saw building on a lavish scale. The most notable survivors are the fine covered bazaar and several meticulously restored mansions that have become synonymous with the city. The bazaar is deceptively large and has an enchantingly lethargic atmosphere that serves as the perfect counterfoil to the frantic bustle of Tehran and the sightseeing intensity of Isfahan.

 

Accommodation options might be limited, but you’ll still need a very good excuse for skipping Kashan – it just might be one of the unexpected highlights of your trip.

 

Sights in Kashan: 

 

 

The Fin Garden

Designed for Shah Abbas I, the Fin Garden is a classical Persian vision of paradise and is renowned as one of the finest gardens in Iran. 

At the centre of is a two-storey pavilion. At the rear is the Shotorgalu-ye Qajari, built by the Qajars, with ornately painted ceilings and walls. Nearby is a delightful teahouse, which sells cheap tea and kababs.

But it is the bathhouse that is most historically significant as the place where Iranian nationalist hero Amir Kabir was murdered. Mirza Taqi Khan, known as Amir Kabir, served as prime minister under Nasir od-Din Shah from 1848. He was a modernizer who instituted significant change, especially in the fields of education and administration. But his popularity proved unpopular in the royal court and the shah's mother eventually persuaded her son that he had to go. Amir Kabir was imprisoned in Fin Garden and eventually murdered in the bathhouse, though some say he slashed his own wrists.

 

The gardens are in the village of Fin, 9km southwest of central Kashan at the end of Amir Kabir St. You can get here by shuttle taxi, taxi dar baste, or minibus from central Kashan.

 

Traditional mansions

Hiding behind the high mud-brick walls of Kashan are hundreds of once-grand traditional houses. Built during the 19th century, most have long-since been carved up or are literally turning to dust, but several have been restored and, mercifully for the city.

Those that can be visited are monuments to the importance of Kashan as a Qajar-era commercial hub, embellished with fine stucco panels, ostentatious stained glass and lofty badgirs (wind towers), all set around a series of interlinked courtyards.

 

Tabatabei Historical House

Built around 1880 by wealthy carpet merchant Seyyed Ja’far Tabatabei, the Khan-e Tabatabei is renowned for its intricate stone reliefs, fine stucco and wonderful mirror and stained-glass work; photographers will love it. It covers 4730 sq meters, has 40 rooms and more than 200 doors. It consists of three sections: the andaruni (internal area), where family members lived; the biruni (external area), used for entertaining guests; and the khadameh (servants’ quarters). They are set around four courtyards, the largest of which boasts a fountain pool. From mid-afternoon (depending on the month), sunlight and stained glass combine to bathe some rooms in brilliant color.

 

Boroujerdi Historical House

Located on Alavi Street, the house was built in the 19th century at the order of a wealthy merchant, Haj Seyed Hassan Natanzi (who was nicknamed Boroujerdi because of the trade he did with the city of Boroujerd). 

The house took eighteen years to build using 25 workers, painters, and architects, although some accounts place the number of craftsmen as high as 150. It is considered a true masterpiece of Persian traditional residential architecture. It consists of a rectangular beautiful courtyard, delightful plaster and stucco works of fruits and flowers and wall paintings by the royal painter Kamal-ol-Molk and three 40 meter tall wind towers which help cool the house to unusually cool temperatures. The House is famous for its unusual shaped wind towers which are made of stone, brick, sun baked bricks and a composition of clay, straw and mortar.

 

It has 3 entrances, and all the classic signatures of traditional Persian residential architecture. The entrance to the building is in the form of an octagonal vestibule with multilateral skylights in the ceiling. 

 

While the House used to be a private home, it is now is open to the public as a museum. The museum is arranged with four sides, for reception, ceremonies, residential halls and rooms.

 

Abbasian Historical House

 

Famous for its ground-breaking design, the Khan-e Abbasian is a bewildering complex of six buildings spread over several levels. Unusually, the numerous courtyards are designed to enhance the sense of space by becoming larger as they step up, culminating in an open courtyard on top. The high porticos and reception halls are decorated as extravagantly as you’d expect, with the usual plaster reliefs, fine mirror work and exceptionally beautiful and detailed stained-glass windows.

 

Magnificent Timche-ye Amin al Dowleh

 

The best way to appreciate the extent of Kashan's bazaar is to climb to its roof. There are tiny staircases throughout and it's fun to ask a bazari (bazaar shopkeeper) to lead you up. 

 

If that doesn't work, head to the magnificent Timche-ye Amin al Dowleh , a high dome with lavish interior moldings completed in 1868. Beneath the dome, in a square dominated by carpet shops, ask the guys at the Chaykhaneh Caravanserai to show you to the roof (they might ask for a payment, but not if you eat there).

 

You can climb all the way to the top of the dome, from where the views over the brown town and bulbous roofscape of the bazaar are inspired. Look for the just-dyed wool drying in the sun.

Agha Bozorg Mosque & Madrasa

 

Arguably the finest Islamic complex in Kashan and one of the best of the mid-19th century, Agha Bozorg Mosque & Madraseh is famous for its precise architecture, including four storeys beginning in a large sunken courtyard, an austere dome and unusual lofty badgirs (wind towers) above the entrance. 

 

It also has a fine portal and mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) at the back. The imposing dome is flanked by two minarets adorned with colored tiles in geometric designs. Quranic inscriptions and mosaics stand out against the mud-brick used for much of the construction. The wooden front door is said to have as many studs as there are verses in the Quran.

 

Tepe Sialk archaeological site

 

One of the oldest and richest archaeological sites in central Iran, the Tepe Sialk has given up a plethora of interesting pottery pieces, metal tools and domestic implements made from stone, clay and bone. They date from as early as the 4th millennium BC. More significant, perhaps, is the structure itself – what is emerging from the dust is clearly a ziggurat (stepped pyramidal temple), and some Iranians are claiming this predates those of the Mesopotamians.

 

Sultan Mir Ahmad Bathhouse

Hammam-e Sultan Mir Ahmad is a superb example of an Iranian bathhouse, built around 450 years ago. A recent restoration has stripped away 17 layers of plaster (look just inside the second room to see them) to reveal the original saroug, a type of plaster made of milk, egg white, soy flour and lime, which is said to be stronger than cement. There is usually an English-speaking guide at the door who can show you around.

 

Traditional bazaar

Kashan’s bazaar is one of the most enjoyable in Iran. Busy but not hectic, traditional but with a wide variety of goods, large enough to surprise but not to get lost in, it is a great place to wander for a couple of hours, especially before lunch and in the late afternoon. The multidomed roof of the bazaar dates from the 19th century, but the site has been the centre of trade in Kashan for much longer.

 

Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim Monument

The delightful Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim shrine was built in 1894 and boasts European-style painted ceilings, colorful tiles, tall minarets and a pretty courtyard. The conical, tiled roof is distinctive to this area and chances are you’ll have seen it on posters long before you arrive. It’s clearly visible from the main road to Fin.

 

Soltaniyeh Mosque

Lost in the midst of Kashan's labyrinthine bazaar is the Seljuk-era Soltaniyeh Mosque. The current structure was built in 1808 by Fath Ali Shah and now houses a madrasa, which is open to men.

 

Old city walls

As one of the few remnants of the ancient city of Kashan, this circular wall and an attractive park to the southeast are worth a quick look if you're visiting the nearby traditional houses. Enter the interior of the circular walls from the southeast and climb the northeastern part of the wall for some city views.

(Source: Lonely Planet)