Kashan

By plane

By train

By bus

Franco Pecchio

• Agha Bozorg MosqueThis historical mosque was built in the late 18th century by master-mimar Ustad Haj Sa'ban-ali. The mosque is not in use any more, the theological school in its basement is, however, active. It was here where Ustad Ali Maryam as a pupil started his career as a brilliant architect.

• Fin GardenOne of the most beautiful historical gardens of the middle-east and the world. It contains Kashan's Fin Bath, where Amir-Kabir a famous vizier of Qajarid was murdered by the King Nasereddin Shah. The garden covers 2.3 hectares with a main yard surrounded by ramparts with four circular towers. In keeping with many of the Persian gardens of this era, the Fin Garden employs a great many water features. It's one of nine world heritage Persian Gardens.

• Kashan BazaarWith its fantastic mudbrick architecture, it is one of the jewels of the city. Pay a small amount to one of the touts hanging around the bazaar and you will be led to the roof of the bazaar, where you can get an idea of the technical marvel of building such large structures from mudbricks and have a wonderful view over the old city.

• Timcheh Amin-o-dowlehActually forming a part of the bazaar, this large structure was a caravanserai and has been renovated. Have a tea from the stand, take a break and look at the Iranian way of doing business here

• Historical bathhouseOld hammam beautifully transformed into a tradional coffee shop where you can take a rest, drink tea or smoke a shisha.

• Sultan Amir BathBeautifully restored bathhouse, with lighting installed to make the impression even more memorable. Don't forget to ask for the stairs to the roof.

• Boroujerdi ha ResidenceThe house of Boroujerdi, belonging to a trading family who migrated to Kashan, was built over a hundred years ago. The construction date can still be seen on the covered inscription of the building, completion of which took 18 years of work by tens of laborers, architects and master painters. Since exceptional attention has been paid to all minute architectural details demanded by the geographical and climatic conditions of the area, the house has attracted considerable attention of architects and recognition from Iranian and foreign scientific and technical teams.

• Tabatabaie ResidenceA large house with several courtyards, which once belonged to a wealthy merchant. Experience how well the wind towers work. It consists of delightful wall paintings with elegant stained glass windows and includes other classic signatures of Traditional Persian residential architecture such as biruni and andaruni.

• Sultan Amir Shrine

• Ameri-Ha (Amerian) HouseTraditional house built in the mid-19th century during the Qajar era, the house is one of several large spectacular old houses in the central district. Like the other houses around it, it was re-built after Kashan was ravaged by a series of massive earthquakes in the 18th century. The house is now a boutique hotel.

• Sialk ZigguratClaimed to be the world's oldest ziggurat, dating to the 3rd millennium BC.

• Abbasian HouseA large traditional historical house built during the late 18th century, the house is a beautiful example of Kashani residential architecture. It is said to have been the property of a famous cleric. It has six courtyards that would fit the needs of different families. One of the chambers has a ceiling designed with mirror pieces so as to give the impression of a starry sky under the nocturnal glitter of candlelight. The house is now a public museum.

• Al-e-Yaseen House

• 40 Dokhtaran Fortress

• Abu-Lu'lu'ah ShrineShrine of Abu-Lu'lu'ah (the assassin of Islam's second Caliph) was constructed in an eleventh century distinctive Persian-Khwarezmian dynastic architectural style, consisted of a courtyard, porch and conical dome decorated with turquoise coloured tiles, and painted ceilings.

• Puppet and toy museum

  phone: +98(31)-5522-5134
  address: No 43 Allameh Alley
  If you are tired of historical houses, consider this cute museum showing some Iranian puppets and toys. Workshop included.

• Ghal'eh jalaliWalled fortress with grass field inside.

• , a famous, historic Iranian village is in Natanz County, near Kashan. With a unique reddish hue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran, attracting numerous native and foreign tourists year-round, especially during traditional feasts and ceremonies. The village has been called an entrance to Iranian history. The local clothing, for example, is in a style of great antiquity. An Abyunaki woman typically wears a white long scarf (covering the shoulders and upper trunk) which has a colourful pattern and an under-knee skirt. Even the most immediate villages' women have different dress style so that one could tell if she is from Abyaneh or not. Climb up a hill just outside the village to enjoy a fantastic view on Abyaneh. The village can be accessed on a day trip from Kashan, or you can hire a driver to take you to Abyaneh, Natanz (100,000 rial entrance), and drop you in Isfahan (US$50 per car including toll and gas).
• In the small town of , you can visit the fire temple dating back to Sassanian times, a man-made cave, a Qajar palace, a waterfall, a bathhouse from the Safavid era, a water mill, and the village itself, of course. While none of the attractions is overwhelming by itself, it is a leisurely half-day trip.
• In spring, the little town of is worth visiting. It is the biggest center in the Middle East for producing rose water.

Maranjab desert

Mahdi Kalhor

• Underground City Of Ouyi

  phone: +98 31 5482 5850
  address: Nooshabad city
  Labyrinth of tunnels consisting of three underground floors. It was dug as a shelter to hide from the summer heat, but later was used as a hiding place at times of enemy invasions. Only a couple of hundred meters are accessible for the public, out of the tunnel's total 4 km. A guide fluent in English is likely to give more information. Two different entrances exist. Entrance 1 has the shortest tunnel length. Therefore, entrance 2 is more interesting. These are signposted in the village.

• Maranjab desert sand dunesSeveral square kilometres of sand dunes.

• Namak Salt LakeSalt lake close by to Maranjab desert. The salt lake is not that attractive unless it gets some water after the rain. Cannot be accessed with a normal car. You'll be stopped at the gate and will have to rent a 4x4 with driver.

• Holy Shrine of Helal Ali

  address: Aran va Bidgol town
  Huge mosque with inner square and graves of the marters of the Iran-Irak war outside.

• phone: +98(31)-5521-2617

• phone: +98(31)-5524-5764

Budget

• Noghli House

  phone: +98 31-5523-3324
  address: No 20, Ab anbar-e-Khaan Passage, Paamenar Alley, Molla Habibollah-e-Sharif St.
  Traditional house around a courtyard.

• Sayyah Hotel

  address: Abazar street
  Double room quoted 1,600,000/1,300,000 rials with/without shower in the room, both including breakfast.

• Hostel Green House

  address: Gozar-e Agha Alley, Behind Al-e Yasin (Melal) Historic House, Emam Khomeini St, Emam Khomeini Sq

• Golchehregan Guesthouse

  address: Motahhari Square
  Extremely small rooms with concrete floor.

• Puppet Museum Hostel

  phone: +98 21 88832266
  Kashan’s unique “Puppet Museum Hostel” is a charming accommodation, a unique site of cultural preservation and also an academic passion project. In addition to being a museum, it’s the former house of Qajar-era poet and cleric Jafar Allameh Feizi, who was the descendant of the famous mystic Faiz Kashani. The hostel consists of seven, traditionally-decorated rooms all leading into a lovely courtyard.

Mid-range

• Ehsan House

  phone: +98 31 5544 6833 or +98 31 5546 4600
  address: near Kamal-ol-Molk Square
  It's Kashan's first traditional house that was converted into a hotel, with a beautiful courtyard and free Wifi and breakfast. They have traditional rooms where you sleep on the floor, and rooms with bed. It is highly recommended to get a traditional room. Also ask one of the friendly staff to order traditional Iranian food (100,000-150,000 rial without rice). Be sure to book at least a day in advance as this place is very popular!

• Manouchehri House

  phone: +98 31-5521-2617
  address: No 49, 7th Emarat Alley, Sabet Alley, Mohtasham Street
  Traditional (or boutique) hotel with very nice and atmospheric interior located very close to the Bazaar. The inner courtyard with a water basin invites for relaxation in the afternoon. This house was renovated in a long process, pictures from the works are on display in the corridor. It is owned by an Iranian-Swiss lady who supposedly invested US$2 million into the hotel, and who ensures a European level of quality. It is popular and often booked out, reserve ahead.

• Amir Kabir Hotel

  phone: +98 31 5530 4090

Splurge

• Mahinestan Raheb Traditional Hotel

  phone: +98 31 5545 2417
  Traditional house remodelled to be a premium hotel.

• Iranian House Hotel

  phone: +98 31 55240963
  address: No 8, Fifth Bastan Alley (Kooshk-e-safi), Alavi St., Fazel Naraqi Ave., Kamal-ul-molk Sq.
  Boutique hotel.

• Kashan can be your last stop in Iran before flying home. It is possible to bargain with taxi drivers for a trip to Imam Khomeini airport of Tehran, expect to pay less than 1 million rials (in January 2016). Alternatively, driver-guides can take you to the airport with a stopover in Qom to visit Iran's second holiest place, the Shrine of Fatima-al-Massumeh. If you choose this option, be sure to dress as conservatively as you can.
• Na'in is another desert city, to the south. It's a small and quiet town at the edge of desert. A perfect pattern of a desert town. Everything you like to see in a desert town you can find there. Take the buses to Yazd or Kerman or Zahedan and ask the driver to let you off in Na'in. There is an easier way; be on "Avarezi" check point to get the Tehran-Na'in buses which cross there at 13:00 and 20:00.
• Mashhad Ardehal