Think you know Iran? Think again — these five jaw-dropping and eerie spots (a desert of salt traps, a cave that’s swallowed explorers, a garden of ‘stone fruit’) will flip your travel expectations
The Five Wonders of Iran are no less astonishing than the Seven Wonders of the World! If you're an adventurer and you love travel with a dash of excitement, we have five unusual — sometimes even eerie — destinations right here in Iran that will raise your adrenaline. Magical, astonishing, and occasionally poetic places. So pack your rucksack, fasten your boots, fill your canteen, grab some provisions, and don't forget your camera — we're going to tour Iran.
The first marvel among Iran’s Five Wonders is “Rig-e Jenn.” Rig-e Jenn is the most astonishing, mysterious, and frightening area in Iran. It is a desert region of sand dunes south of Semnan. Because Rig-e Jenn is so little known, many folk legends have sprung up around it. Due to the absence of springs or wells, this fearsome desert was never on caravan routes in the past and as a result remained largely unknown until today.One of the most terrifying features of this desert is the presence of salt marshes that have claimed the lives of many creatures and inspired numerous local myths and tales. The fame of Rig-e Jenn has crossed borders and adventure-seeking foreign tourists come to Iran to see it.Today it is possible to penetrate parts of this desert, but only with the help of highly experienced guides and special equipment. The best access route to Rig-e Jenn is the northeastern section of Kavir National Park, via the Malekabad paved road. This area lies south of Semnan, east of the Salt Lake, north of Anarak, and west of Jandaq. If you dream of seeing the desert sky and traveling into Rig-e Jenn, do not under any circumstances go there without a guide!
The second wonder among Iran’s Five Wonders is located in Kermanshah Province. About 12 kilometers northeast of Kermanshah near the village of Chalabeh, at an elevation of 3,050 meters on the southern plateau of Mount Parav, a shaft-like mouth can be seen — in fact the entrance to one of the world’s most terrifying caves, plunging to a depth of some 750 meters. A deep cave filled with silence that is occasionally broken by the wingbeats of bats. Yes — just like in the movies and cartoons!The cave’s opening resembles a well and the air inside is extremely cold, between about 1 and 3 degrees Celsius. This low temperature is one reason cave exploration is difficult there. The cold stems from water fed by the melting of underground glaciers.Beyond the cold, the cave’s narrow passages and crab-crawl squeezes, the danger of collapse in some sections, and deep shafts make Parav one of the world’s most forbidding caves.Entering this cave for ordinary tourists — and even for non-professional cavers — amounts to suicide, and to date five Iranian cavers have lost their lives here. If you are not a professional speleologist, please forget about seeing this place at all — Parav does not joke even with seasoned experts!
The third place among Iran’s Five Wonders is a garden near Sirjan. A garden whose trees, in a manner of speaking, have been draped in stone. Its image is somewhat hallucinatory, as if a scene from a horror film, but its story is simpler than that.Forty years ago the private garden of a man named Darvish Khan Esfandiyarpour was affected by land reform. In protest at losing his land, Darvish Khan stopped farming and the garden fell into ruin. He gradually gathered stones from the surrounding hills and, instead of fruit, hung stones on the dead trees. Bit by bit he planted more dry trees and hung more stone fruits until, in the end, he created a 1,000-square-meter garden with 180 dead trees bearing stone fruit. Darvish Khan passed away on 18 Farvardin 1386 (early 2007) at the age of 83 and was buried in the Stone Garden.This poetic garden is in the Belvard rural district, about 40 kilometers southeast of Sirjan in Kerman Province, and many tourists travel to Sirjan to see it.
Tashkooh is one of Iran’s Five Wonders and is located in Khuzestan Province. Along the Ramhormoz–Abu al-Faras road there are hills from which fire flames up from the ground, and by night the view is striking and mesmerizing. On the surface of the earth there are fissures through which flames burn day and night.Tashkooh is registered on the national heritage list. Geologists attribute the persistent burning to sulfur and natural gas that seep from the earth. The gas filters through the various geological layers and escapes through fissures, where it ignites.The beautiful nocturnal scene of Tashkooh attracts nature-lovers and tourists, and in recent times visitors have begun to come in greater numbers.This fiery mountain lies on the Ramhormoz road toward Rud Zard, along the route through Khijeh and Mamatein after the village of Gonbad Laran. If you are unfamiliar with the region, you should seek help from local residents to reach it.
The final wonder of Iran’s five is in Mazandaran Province. Deep in the dense forest in the Malakala area of Noshahr, there is a lake known as the Lagoon of Souls. A lake reminiscent of scenes from Indiana Jones and Hollywood horror films!The name comes from the ancient trees standing dead in the middle of the lake; even the region’s abundant rain has not prevented the trees’ decay.Mamraz Lake is about 700 meters long and 300 meters wide and is located roughly 5 kilometers north of the village of Chelendar in Noshahr. If you do not know the area, it is best to travel with local guides. Use a capable 4x4 vehicle to reach it.
