Varzaneh- more information in English

Varzaneh is an ancient central Iranian town, located 105km southeast of Isfahan and 240km away from Yazd. This city is the last civilization on the Zayanderud river, and here, you will find plenty of Iran desert traditional houses and guesthouses.

How to get here?

• Please check our راهنما page for many transportation options to get to Varzaneh.

Nature

• Varzaneh Desert– one of the safest deserts of Iran, ideal for stargazing, camping (on Spring and Summer) meditation, sandboarding, paragliding…(15Km away)
• Gavkhouni Wetland and Black Mountain- host of thousands of birds and rich wildlife: geese, storks, flamingos, Iranian zebras and deer and many reptiles. You will see also a black mountain, a remaining black magmas of a old vocano. (25km away)
• Varzaneh Salt Lake- It has more than 15km² and the salt plain stretches to the wetlands. It is glorious to see a blue sky with a purely vast white ground.

To get more information or to go to these places, please check our tours. 

Culture and History

• Jame Mosque – was built in 1100 AD. And renovated three centuries later. Its splendid Mihrab and all the tile designs at the entrance make the mosque a very special one in this region. It is located in the very center of town.
• The Old Bridge– the oldest bridge over the Zayanderud river has 10 arches; 7 of the arches were built about 9 centuries ago. The old bridge connects the old district of town to the new one.
• Yusefi traditional house and ethnology museum- all the house was build and decorated in  a traditional way. The house is now a museum as well, presenting photos, agriculture, cuisine and gadgets from the region.

Folklore and other sort of attractions

• Women’s costume- women typically wear white chadors, rather than black ones.
• Handicrafts- hand-crafted carpet is very famous, with natural threads, including silk and wool of very high quality. Tablecloths are very traditional too.
• 1000-year-old Ghoortan Citadel- located 12km west of Varzaneh. It has survived natural disasters and many wars for 1000 years.
• Dovecote (Pigeon houses)- the droppings were prized by farmers and collected for fertilizing their arid fields. The Pigeon tower in Varzaneh had been the host of 7000 pairs of pigeons. This structure has around 300 years old.
• Camel-mill and ox-well Complex– An old system of grinding wheat has been revived using male camels, and taking water from a well with the work of an ox, that you can see how it used to be. The very astonishing part is that the ox would work only when his owner starts singing.
• Water reservoirs and Wind-towers- is a traditional cistern of keeping drinking water in Persian antiquity. While a wind-catcher is a traditional Persian architectural element to create natural ventilation in buildings.
• Guria Gowd kaluts and man-made caves- 18 km away from Varzaneh, there is a small plain of Kalus, formed by wind and water flow erosion. A pretty noticeable hole will take you to a man-made cave.
• Caravansary–  it was made for facilitate and promote trade and travelling.. this one is about 400 years old.
• Other touristic spots– waterfalls, hot Spring…