Meymand, Iran’s ancient troglodyte village
In addition to the pristine nature, awe-inspiring architecture, and ancient history that Iran has to offer, visitors can’t seem to get enough of its quaint villages. One such place is Meymand in Kerman Province, Iran’s troglodyte village carved deep in the heart of the mountains, 2,240 meters above sea level.
Although artifacts and inscriptions found around the village date back some 12,000 years, and are indicative of life here at that time, the village itself is said to have been continuously inhabited for 2,000-3,000 years
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Culinary delights
While meat is more common these days, locals claim that the ancient inhabitants of the region were raw vegan. And that makes sense considering one of the traditional dishes of Meymand is ghaatogh-e beneh, a raw vegan, cold soup prepared with beneh (wild pistachios).
Religion and language
Prior to the advent of Islam, Meymand was a Zoroastrian settlement, and before that it is believed that the people worshipped the sun. In fact, Teer-e Khorin, a peak that receives the first rays of the sun at dawn, remains an important site for locals today.
While locals speak Persian, you’ll notice that their speech retains elements of Middle Persian, or Pahlavi.
Architecture
Approximately 400 kichehs (alleys) have been dug out to reach enough depth to dig out rooms. Inside each alley, there’s a terrace leading to 1-7 rooms, some with higher ceilings that serve as living quarters and others that serve as stables or storage. Currently, of these 2,500 rooms, about 80% are uninhabited.
Much like Kandovan (another rocky village in the northwest East Azerbaijan Province, which is about 700 years old), the rooms in Meymand have been chiseled by hand out of volcanic rock. Thanks to the open stone fireplaces in the verandas, the smoke from the fires coated the ceilings and walls, creating a thick black soot which not only prevented the rock from crumbling, it also deterred mosquitos and other insects.
In the past, people got their water from qanats, ancient underground aqueducts, but now neighbors share a source of running water just outside their kicheh.
Can you imagine living in a place with only 40 residents? Or even fewer because only about half of that number lives here year-round.
Seasonal migration and
harvesting
Sustainability is important for locals which is why they live alongside nature and migrate three times a year, spending approximately four months in each location. They spend the winter months dwelling in the caves in Meymand, the center of the cultural landscape. In the spring, they migrate to the south in a plain area suited for animal husbandry. This is also where they harvest wild almonds. In the warm summer months and the beginning of autumn, they move once again to the gardens in the north, where they harvest wild pistachios, pears, grapes, walnuts, and wild olives, among other things.
Ancient art
North of Meymand, you can find ancient graffiti, petroglyphs and pictographs, the oldest of which is said to be 4,500 years old. In fact, UNESCO states that this pictograph, the only one of its kind in Iran, appears to be a birth scene.