Kerman (Iran)
Kerman is located 1076 km south of Tehran on the western outskirts of the Deshte Lut desert. It is believed that the city was founded at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. e. Ardeshir I – the ancestor of the Sassanid dynasty. Since ancient times, Kerman has been famous for its pistachios, carpets, silk and weapons. Since the 18th century, the city has become a major trading center. Kerman was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1794 and was rebuilt in the 19th century.
According to Recipesinthebox.com, the main attractions of Kerman are located between the two Azadi and Shariati squares . Very beautiful Friday Mosque (Masjid-e Jame) 14th century. It is lined with blue tiles and inside contains high stone columns and interesting altar paintings. At the city’s main market, the 19th century Vakil Bazaar, you will find a huge selection of carpets. Near the bazaar , the Ganj Ali Khan bath complex is interesting. The complex was built under the Safavids in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and consisted of a bazaar, baths, a caravanserai, a mosque, a mint and a catchment area. Today, in the local baths, there is an anthropology museum, where you can see wax figures depicting people soaring. Next to the complex are the operating baths of Ibrahim Khan. Also in Kerman it is worth looking at the huge tower of Gonbad-e Jabalie. It is believed that the tower was built by the Zoroastrians. It consists of three floors, crowned with a dome.
Not far from here is the early 19th century Moshtakie Mausoleum with the tombs of three famous Sufis: Moshtah Alishah, Sheikh Ismail and Kovsar Alishah.
35 km southeast of Kerman is the city of Mahan, where the mausoleum of the famous Iranian poet of the 14th-15th centuries, a dervish and the founder of the Nematulla order, which still exists today, Nematullah Vali Shah, is located. The mausoleum was built in the 15th century by one of the disciples of Nematullah Vali Shah. In Makhan there is also a picturesque garden of Bak-e Tarihi with a palace built by one of the last shahs of the Qajar dynasty in 1879.
On the southwestern edge of the Deshte-Lut desert, 195 km from Kerman located the city of Bam. The beginning of the city was laid by the vast fortress of Arg-e-Bam, which was built in pre-Islamic times on the slopes of a mountain at an altitude of 1000 m. Unfortunately, 90% of the buildings of the citadel were lost as a result of an earthquake in 2003. However, Arg-e-Bam is still considered one of the largest clay structures in the world. Initially, the area of the fortress was about 180,000 square meters. m. It was divided into 4 zones and was surrounded by 38 observation towers. The walls of the fortress reached a height of 7 m, and their length was 1815 m. All the structures of Arg-e-Bam were built of unbaked clay. Until recently, visitors to the fortress could see the remains of the outer rampart and three rows of walls, the residence of the rulers of the city – the “Palace of the Four Seasons”, the Ice Palace, a mosque, a ritual building for prayers and mourning for Imam Hussein, a complex of mystic and astronomer Mirza Naim of the 17th century and his tomb, the caravanserai, living quarters, schools and baths. Today, restoration work is underway in the fortress.
Southwest of Bam is another fortified city – Rayen. The local fortress is smaller than Arg-e-Bam, and covers an area of 20,000 square meters. m. It was built during the reign of the Sassanids. The fortress is divided into two zones: the zone of residence of the common people and the zone of residence of the aristocracy. Inside it you can see the remains of stables, a mosque, aristocratic houses and even a gym.
