Abyaneh

Abyaneh is built on a steep slope below the Karkas mountains at about 2,200 metres, and the local clay is high in iron, so the houses are a deep red-ochre, stacked up the hillside with wooden balconies and lattice windows, and roofs that serve as the terraces of the houses above. It has been continuously occupied for a very long time and retains features from before the Islamic period, including a fire temple site and a dialect closer to older Iranian forms than to modern Persian. The village is best known for dress: older women wear a white scarf printed with small flowers and pleated trousers, worn as ordinary clothing rather than costume. The population is small and elderly, with much of the younger generation gone to the cities.

What to look for

• Red-ochre mud-brick houses - iron-rich clay stacked up the slope.
• Wooden balconies and lattice windows - the local building detail.
• The floral white scarf - worn as everyday dress by older women.
• Roofs used as terraces - houses built one on top of another.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the village is at altitude and winters are snowy and cold. Half a day. Weekdays are quieter; Iranian holidays fill the lanes with domestic visitors.

Practical notes

It is a small village with an ageing population that has become a photo stop, and residents are photographed constantly without being asked, which they dislike. Ask before taking pictures of people. Weekend crowds are heavy. There is an entry fee and limited facilities.

Nearby

Kashan and Fin Garden are north; Natanz lies south-east.

Key facts