© Lonely Planet Publications 310 Southeastern Iran ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﺟﻨﻮﺏ ﺷﺮﻗﯽ This is frontier territory. And like the best frontiers it combines harsh landscapes, periodic banditry and warm welcomes to form a unique and exotic travelling experience. There are real dangers, so it’s important to read the boxed text ( p325 ) before heading this way. The region stretches east across ancient Kerman province, through high deserts scarred by brown snowcapped mountain ranges and coloured by occasional oasis towns and seasonal lakes. Kerman is the main city and is, in effect, the cultural border separating the Persians of the central plateau and the more eastern-oriented Baluchis, whose dress and customs feel more Pakistani than Iranian. Following ancient caravan routes southeast across the edge of the forbidding Dasht-e Lut, most travellers will stop in historic Bam and then Zahedan, the capital of Sistan va Baluchestan province (where smugglers criss-cross the deserts and the rule of law is tenuous). For travellers, the region hasn’t been quite so attractive since the Bam earthquake in 2003 flattened the city and wrought havoc upon the monumental adobe Arg-e Bam. Rebuilding work on the Arg is ongoing, and Bam’s soothing date groves and strong tradi- tion of hospitality still reward a visit. But taking in a few other places will round out your trip. Sleeping in the cave hotel in Meymand is a fun way to start, and Kerman itself is interesting, and an ideal base for day- and overnight-trips to the small but historic towns of Rayen and Mahan, excursions to nomad communities and camel-trekking trips. But the highlight is surely the journey to Shahdad and the Kaluts, where enormous ‘sand castles’ stand like broken teeth punctuating the earth for as far as the eye can see and you can sleep in a ‘million star hotel’. HIGHLIGHTS Sleep in a cave in Meymand ( opposite ), the troglodyte village without a million tourists Kaluts Marvel at the gardens and historic Kerman mausoleum in Mahan ( p319 ) Mahan Rayen Meymand Lunch in Kerman’s Hamam-e Vakil Bam Chaykhaneh ( p318 ) Watch sunset over the Kaluts ( p321 ), then bed down under a million stars Wander through the Arg-e Bam ( p322 ), still a highlight even after the earthquake Check out the less-imposing but more-intact ‘new Arg’ at picturesque Rayen ( p321 ) SOUTHEASTERN IRAN 113-southeastern-ira5.indd3-southeastern-ira5.indd 331010 88/04/2008/04/2008 111:14:061:14:06 AAMM Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels SOUTHEASTERN IRAN •• Meymand 311 Southeastern Iran 0 200 km SOUTHEASTERN IRAN 0 120 miles D a s h t - e Yazd Behabad To Birjand Bandan Lake Yazd To Shiraz (96km) Khorasan-e Sistan A F G H A N I S T A N Taft Fahraj A78 (275km) Jonub Bafq L u t River Mehriz Zein-o-din A02 P a y e h S I S T A N Zabol Kuh-e Khajeh Zarand Kaluts Shahr-e Sokhta Safa Lahijan Shahr Shafi Abad Lake Hirmand Rafsanjan Shahdad Hamun Tasuki Suryan Meymand Kerman River (Bavanat) Joopar Sirch Mahan Harat Shahr-e Bardsir ὄM o u n t a i n s Nosrat Abad Rayen Babak A79 Mt Hezar Golbaf A02 To Shiraz (4420m) Sirjan Mt Lalezar Zahedan (90km) A02 P A K I S T A N (4374m) Taftan Bam Railway Baft under Mirjaveh Arg-e Fahraj construction Kerman Mt Taftan Jiroft Jadid B To Quetta Fars Rostam A (4042m) (380km) Abad L A79 ὄ U Khash C Gahkom H Kahnuj Halil E S Sistan va T A Hormozgan N River Baluchestan To Bushehr Rudan Saravan Bampur (375km) River Bandar Abbas Minab Iranshahr Bandar-e Lengeh Qeshm Island Lavan o a it f H M a k r a n M o u n t a i n s Island Kish t r o S r Island m Pishin o Nikshahr z O M A N Nikshahr Jask River Tis Bahu Kalat P E R S I A N Konarak River G U L F U N I T E D A R A B Gulf of Oman Chabahar E M I R A T E S Gavator by her family for generations. Given her ﻣﻴﻤﻨﺪ MEYMAND pop 60 in summer, 130 in winter / elev 2240m mother is 97 and her father 115, she might ‘This mosque is about 180 years old,’ said be onto something. A university project has the guide, ‘it’s the newest building in the built an interesting cave museum and the village.’ Welcome to Meymand, a troglo- village hammam (bathhouse) was being re- dyte village about equidistant from Shiraz, stored when we visited. Yazd and Kerman. Meymand has been continuously occupied for more than 3000 Sleeping & Eating years and is thought to have originally been To get the most from Meymand it’s best inhabited by sun-worshippers. The village to stay overnight, sleeping in a cave house consists of 2560 rooms in 406 cave homes that has barely changed in thousands of dug into the walls of a valley, though most years. On the west side of the valley near are now uninhabited. It’s similar to Cappa- the entrance to town, eight rooms of various docia in Turkey, albeit on a much smaller size have been converted into the Meymand scale…and without the hordes of tourists. Guesthouse (x0913 356 3442 for Mr Hajirahimi, or 0351 Meymand isn’t exactly busy, but it sees 622 5857 in Yazd; www.meymandtour.com; per person full enough day-trippers that the elderly village board first/subsequent nights IR350,000/200,000). With women have taken to selling locally woven namad carpets on the floors, beds carved SOUTHEASTERN IRAN baskets, wild herbs and traditional nomad into the walls and warm lighting, it’s easy to hats (about IR60,000) made of namad (wool be transported to another time. Bathrooms soaked and pressed until it mats together). are shared but clean, with steaming showers. If you have someone to translate for you, Mr Hajirahimi is the manager and speaks the herbs are pretty interesting, too. Den- enough English to answer most questions. tally challenged Salma prescribed us herbs The three meals are prepared by vil- to treat diabetes and headache, and told us lage women and often involve ingredients their medicinal use has been understood grown locally. 113-southeastern-ira5.indd3-southeastern-ira5.indd 331111 88/04/2008/04/2008 111:14:141:14:14 AAMM.