Apart from world-known attractions in Iran like the Persepolis, and the Islamic mosques of Isfahan, there are many mysterious and adventurous places in Iran that take guts to visit because of their surreal and spooky atmosphere and tales told about them. Here is the list of top 7 mysterious places to visit in Iran:
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Takht-e Soleyman
The wonderful Takht-e Soleyman (Throne of Solomon) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iran located 43 kilometers away from Takaab town of West Azerbaijan Province in the northwest of Iran. Known as one of the most mysterious historical sites of Iran, Takht-e Soleyman is an archaeological 124000-meter square area including the Sassanid Azar Goshasb Fire Temple, the secretive Lake which is more than 75 meters deep and no diver has ever made it to the bottom of the lake because of the thick sediment layer, and the Solomon Prison which is an 80-meter-deep hole on a mound and according to the mythical stories it was used as a place where Solomon the Prophet prisoned evil creatures and monsters. This area was an important spot during the pre-historic Medes Empire, the Achaemenid Empire, and Sassanid Era. Apart from its exotic constructions and the lake, the mythical stories about this place make it even more exotic.
Takht-e Soleyman - Takaab, Iran
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The Towers of Silence
Known as one of the dark tourism attractions in Iran, the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence in Yazd say a lot about the philosophy and beliefs of the Zoroastrians during ancient times. Located outside the residential area of the city of Yazd, the Towers of Silence, which is also known as “Dakhmeh” are two towers where the Zoroastrians placed the dead corpse, which they believe is not clean, in order to prevent the pollution of water, soil, fire, and air, as the four main elements of existence. After placing the corpse on the towers, carnivorous birds attacked the body, and then the left bones were transferred to a well or ossuary. Each tower has different parts including three circles for the body of men, women, and children, an ossuary, a stone door, a road leading to the top of the tower, and inscriptions.
Tower of Silence - Yazd, Iran
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Kal Jeni Valley
Kal Jeni is an ancient valley with mind-blowing and sometimes surreal erosions and rocks with strange forms and this V-shaped natural water canal with very high walls is believed to be a strange place and locals believe that this place is the house of Jinn and unknown creatures because of its special atmosphere and also the mesmerizing sound whenever the wind blows through the valley! Kal Jenni is a silent, spooky and cool valley located in the vast deserts of Tabas city in South Khurasan Province. Unlike other deserts in this area, Kal Jeni is an area with small waterfalls and ponds. Apart from natural water and wind erosions, there are hand-carved tiny rooms and caves dug into the high walls of the valley which are known to be small rooms used by recluses who secluded themselves for forty days for mortification and devotion.
Kal Jeni - Tabas, Iran
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Darvish Khan Stone Garden
Known as the spookiest and exotic garden of Iran, Darvish Khan StoneGarden (Bagh-e Sangi) is located in Sirjan a historical town in Kerman Province. This garden belonged to Mr. Darvish Khan who was a farmer and kept his garden green and lush for many years, but when he lost all his farms because of land reform and drought, he got very depressed and little by little he expressed his feeling by setting dry tree trunks into the ground and hanging small and big rocks on them instead of the missing leaves. The result is a stone garden which amazes visitors with its surreal and unique atmosphere and is one of the most wonderful dark tourism attractions of Iran although it is not very famous.
Darvish Khan Stone Garden - Sirjan, Iran
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Shahdad Desert
Shahdad Desert is located by the Shahdad Town in Kerman Province and is a gate into the vast UNESCO-listed Lut Desert which offers the most scenic desert landscapes and geological phenomena. What makes the Shahdad Desert stand out among the deserts of Iran is its rock formations and yardangs which are called Kalout in Farsi. The wide landscape of desert with numerous Kalouts spread in it, with the background of the vivid sky especially during sunset can be one of the most surreal and mind-blowing sceneries someone may witness in a lifetime. But what makes the Shahdad Desert more mysterious is its deep silence.
Shahdad Desert - Kerman, Iran
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Hoodoo (Jinn Chimneys)
The Jinn Chimneys is located 20 kilometers from Mahneshan Town and 120 kilometers away from Zanjan. This natural phenomenon which is called Hoodoo in geology is a set of rocks that are shaped like a mushroom because of wind erosion. In other words, these rocks look like a long minaret topped with a round rock. Since, in the past people assigned the construction of complicated constructions to the Jinns and fairies, this collection of rock formations is related to Jinns and is called the Jinns Chimneys.
Hoodoo - Zanjan, Iran
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Parau Cave
Parau Cave or Porow Cave is located 12 kilometers away from the city of Kermanshah close to the UNESCO listed Behistoun and Tagh-e Bostan. When this cave was discovered in 1971 it was the deepest cave in the world and that is why it was titled the Everest of the world’s caves, but what makes this cave so special is that it is located 3050 meters above sea level which makes it the highest cave among the vertical caves in the world. This cave is 751 meters deep and 1454 meters long and is one of the most dangerous and adventurous caves of Iran.
Parau Cave - Kermanshah, Iran