Sightseeing in Kerman - what to see. Complete travel guide

In the south-eastern part of Iran, tourists can visit Kerman that is the capital of the province with the same name. This city is situated in the middle of a sand valley with mountains on the north and east. Kerman has always been more popular with tourists than many other Iranian cities. Foreigners were visiting this settlement in order to admire centuries-old landmarks that reminded of the past events. Moreover, Kerman is not only a popular tourist destination but also a famous carpet weaving center. Local craftsmen can create true masterpieces.

Historical records tell us the story of Kerman. According to these documents, Ardashir I founded this town in the 3rd century. At that time, the settlement had another name - Veh-Ardashir. Initially, this was a fortress with the main mission of protecting the region from invaders. The Abbasid dynasty established its authority over the region in the 40s of the 7th century. They quickly forced local people to adopt Islam. The Buyid dynasty changed them in the tenth century and remained the rulers of the region until the end of the century. The Buyid control fell when Mahmud of Ghanzi and his army captured the Iranian land. Soon after that, the city’s name was changed to Kerman.

The Safavid dynasty started redeveloping the city that was in bad condition at that time. New buildings started quickly appearing in Kerman, and old buildings were thoroughly restored. The city was also growing in size. Agha Mohammad Khan from the Qajar dynasty attacked Kerman at the end of the 18th century. The results of this attack were really tragic – Kerman was completely plundered, and almost all people were killed. The “barbaric” dynasty maintained its reign in the region until 1921. After that, the revolution under the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi set the indigenous people free. The process of rebuilding Kerman started. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Tourists, who have never visited this city before, usually come to see the Ganjali Khan Complex first. This is an ancient bath complex that dates back to the 15th century. This is when Ganj Ali Khan started building bathhouses in many Iranian cities. Why is this bathhouse so popular? You need to visit this stunning complex and you will see that it is hard to find a more attractive architectural landmark and an art object in Kerman.

Paintings of the hunting scenes decorate the main entrance to the building. Step inside and pay your attention to the ceiling in the main hall. It is covered with ceramic tiles. Inside, the Ganjali Khan Bath has several interlocked rooms with arched separations. There is a big swimming pool with six adjacent rooms in the central part of the building. Different social classes had their own rooms. Nowadays, there is also a wax figure museum in the complex. Opened more than sixty years ago, this museum describes the six social classes of Iran.

The Moshtaghieh Dome is a true gem of Kerman. This is a large architectural complex with a three-domed mosque in the middle. Take a closer look at the dome and you will notice geometrical shapes on its blue surface. There is a beautiful garden with blooming roses in front of the main entrance to the mosque. A small pool nearby is always filled with water. Tall southern pines, which surround the pool, create idyllic scenery.

The tomb of Moshtaq Ali Shah is installed inside the mosque. A distinguished Sufi, Ali Shah was famous as a skillful Quran singer. He played the setar and sang verses from the sacred book. However, some people didn’t like Ali Shah and accused him of heresy. One day, Moshtaq Ali Shah was performing in the main city mosque. His enemies made a disturbance right in the mosque and killed him. Ali Shah died and was buried in the mosque that was later named after him.

There is one more local landmark not far from Kerman – the Stone Garden. Darvish Khan Esfandiarpoor was a deaf and mute man who had a big garden that he was proud of. Unfortunately, his garden dried up and only tree trunks without any leaves remained standing. The farmer wanted to restore the garden so much that he started hanging stones, textiles, and animal horns on the branches instead of leaves. He decorated the treetops with lamps and was always asking people to touch the lifeless wood. The old man was hoping that the warmth of human bodies could “awake” the dead trees.

Kerman has an airport that accommodates flights from Tehran, Isfahan, and many other Iranian cities. There are direct international flights from Dubai and Najaf. It is also possible to reach Kerman by train from Tehran but the ride will be quite long in this case – the journey time is roughly fifteen hours. Buses from Tehran to Kerman are not much faster.