Kashan, Iran

After a week in Tehran waiting for visas and what-not, our hotel’s manager Mr Mousavi at Firouzeh Hotel suggested we head to Kashan for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. We took his advice and headed on the two-and-a-half hour bus to Kashan, a city located approximately half way between Tehran and Esfahan.

We arrived at the Noghii Traditional House, another recommendation by Mr Mousavi, around nine-o’clock in the evening. We were quite hungry as we hadn’t eaten dinner and decided to try the traditional food of Kashan – a variety of herbs and vegetables (spring onion, coriander, mint), pickles, a dish of meatballs and soup, and the traditional sour milk/yoghurt drink ‘doogh’.

The following morning we had a breakfast of fresh bread, tomato, cucumber and home-made carrot jam with hot tea. We met an older group of travellers who were all Iranian by birth, but had each moved to other countries including France and America. They had returned to Iran to visit friends and site-see.

Kashan is famous for its mansions and traditional houses, so we set off, visiting the four main mansions, a bathhouse and the old city walls. It was pleasant and relaxing walking through the streets of Kashan after Tehran, below are the sites we visited:

Khan-e Borujerdi (Boroujerdi Historical House)

A beautiful mansion, its frescoes painted by famous Iranian painter Kamal ol-Molk (we had seen his paintings in the Golestan Palace in Tehran).  This mansion also has a six-sided domed badger (wind-tower).

A lion trying to take-down a deerThe ceiling domes designed to allow light inOne of the many rooms at Boroujerdi Historic House
The intricate wall art at Boroujerdi Historic HouseMain courtyard of Boroujerdi Historic HouseThe white unrestored stalactite arch at Boroujerdi Historic House
Stalactite arch at Boroujerdi Historic HouseMain courtyard at Boroujerdi Historic HouseWind catchers found at Boroujerdi Historic House

Hammam-e Sultan Mir Ahmad (Soltan Amir Ahmad Historical Bath)

A beautiful hammam (bathhouse) built around four-hundred-and-fifty years ago. We walked into the impressive main area and thought that was it, but then realised there were a number of other bath rooms.  We were allowed on the rooftop which enabled us a view of the domes of the hammam and the channel for water entry into the hammam.

Wall artwork at the Soltan Amir Ahmad Historic BathMosaics at the Soltan Amir Ahmad Historic BathWall artwork at the Soltan Amir Ahmad Historic Bath
Wall artwork at the Soltan Amir Ahmad Historic BathWall artwork at the Soltan Amir Ahmad Historic BathWall artwork at the Soltan Amir Ahmad Historic Bath

Khan-e Yabatabei (Tabatabaei Historical House)

Owned by a carpet merchant this mansion is massive and covers 4,730 square metres which includes four massive courtyards.

Wooden doors at Tabatabaei Historic HouseStained-glass windows at Tabatabaei Historic HouseStained-glass windows at Tabatabaei Historic House
Main courtyard at Tabatabaei Historic HouseMain courtyard at Tabatabaei Historic HouseStained-glass windows at Tabatabaei Historic House

Khan-e Ameriha (Ameriha Historical House)

Built during the late 18th century, this is a spectacular mansion owned by one of Kashan’s governors. This is the biggest of the mansions, we almost got lost looking through it.  We searched a while but managed to find one of the two hammams (bathhouses) within the complex. Some of the complex is still undergoing restoration but what we saw was impressive.

Wooden doors of Ameriha Historic HouseSecond floor balcony at Ameriha Historic HouseMain courtyard of Ameriha Historic House
Sonya looking from the second floorMain courtyard of Ameriha Historic HouseThe stalactite arch of Ameriha Historic House
One of the many internal baths at Ameriha Historic HouseArtwork of a hunter shooting deerThe stalactite dome in the bath at Ameriha Historic House

Khan-e Abbasian (Abbasian Historical House)

My favourite of the mansions, this mansion was designed across a number of levels and contained a number of stunning courtyards, frescoes and rooms.

Main courtyard of Abbasian Historical HouseMain courtyard of Abbasian Historical House, a wind catcher is visibleStained-glass windows at Abbasian Historic House
Abbasian Historic HouseAbbasian Historic HouseOne of the interior domes of Abbasian Historic House

Old City Walls

Two friendly boys from Kashan led us to the Old City Walls (as we were heading in the wrong direction). We climbed the circular walls from the south east and realised that they were using the area within the walls for agriculture.   On our way back we bought some refreshing faloodeh (a cold Persian dessert).

Ice house at Kashan old cityInside the old city walls of KashanPoppies, unknown was that would see a lot more of them

Kashan’s Historical Houses

  1. Khan-e Borujerdi (Boroujerdi Historical House)
  2. Hammam-e Sultan Mir Ahmad (Soltan Amir Ahmad Historical Bath)
  3. Khan-e Yabatabei (Tabatabaei Historical House)
  4. Khan-e Ameriha (Ameriha Historical House)
  5. Khan-e Abbasian (Abbasian Historical House)