Mysterious Troglodyte Village in Iran

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The village of Meymand (Maymand / Meymand), whose age is from 8 to 12 millennia, is considered one of the oldest human habitats in Iran.

More than 300 "apartments" were carved into the surrounding rocks several millennia ago, and many are still not empty.

The last remake was a mosque combined from several caves and brought to mind. It is the only one that looks bright inside, unlike caves, where for centuries a hearth was bred inside the room and black soot over the years layered on the walls and ceiling.

There are pistachio orchards at the foot of the mountains. Troglodytes are engaged in animal husbandry, agriculture, weaving carpets, and today they are developing tourism.

Getting to Maymand is not difficult. The village is located in the province of Kerman. You need to get to the town of Shahr Babak, take a taxi (taxi drivers already know where tourists need to go) for 20-25 minutes on a good road and you are there. Immediately you agree with this taxi driver that he will come for you at the agreed time.

From the western tourists there was a small group of Germans and myself. There are many local, schoolchildren. But in the evening they left and it was easy to walk and climb from cave to cave.

At first I didn’t plan to stay overnight, but the innkeeper persuaded me. Some of the caves have beds, carpets on the floor, and a refrigerator. quite ascetic. The door is locked with a key. Shower, toilet in a separate, modern building. Dinner can be ordered in the evening. All the Germans and I ate Iranian cuisine in a makeshift restaurant. There were no delights, rice cakes, vegetables, tea, chicken.

Decorating troglodytes. As you can see, there is no need to take a mortgage for furniture and home decoration. Yes, the housing itself…. clearly hollowed out without credit:) Free people.

You can buy herbs from the locals. Of course, medicinal, pistachios, almonds.

The bag where the milk is fermented.

There is a hearth in the yard

Utility rooms are hollowed out right next to it, a room for cattle, poultry, a closet.

Nobody knows who the people were who began to build these dwellings. In those days, the cult of Mithra (the light that appears over the mountains before sunrise) was popular. It was widespread in Iran earlier than Zoroastrianism (fire worship), and for a long time after the appearance of the latter, it was still relevant.

The air temperature in these rock houses differs from the outside temperature by about five degrees.

The inhabitants of the village of Meimand have peculiar traditions, in their dialect and language there are Pahlavi and Middle Persian words. They consume medicinal herbs and special foods. The preservation of these traditions is due to the fact that the inhabitants of Maymand did not communicate with the urban population and did not experience the influence of the urban lifestyle.

The dwelling was carved into the mountain at an altitude of over 2000 meters. Electricity, good road, new building in the form of shower and toilet, does not spoil the look of the uniqueness and authenticity of this place.

Chimneys on the roofs of some dwellings and generally caves without a chimney.

Locals can invite you to have a cup of tea. Not for free. Considering that more and more tourists are starting to carry, the locals are using it, I'm afraid in a year or two, they will be spoiled by tourists.

Museum. the museum is free, included if you took a room and breakfast. Open to groups.

At night ringing silence and … troglodyte snoring:)

In the morning you are greeted by the chirping of sparrows, echoing in the mountains, and by vociferous roosters.

You can climb the surrounding mountains. You can see the road leading to the village.

Hall of the mosque

And this is where I stayed

Cave for the night with breakfast about 16 euros.

Second room

In 2015, Meimand was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.