How Not to Visit a 7,000-Year-Old City

I arrived in Meybod ignorant and rushed and missed out on the best

Here’s how NOT to visit a 7,000-year-old Iranian city: do your research beforehand, not after getting home.

When I saw Meybod (MAY-boad) from the top of the 2,000-year-old Narin Castle, I was instantly sorry I hadn’t planned a longer stay. As far as the eye can see, there are old neighborhoods filled with narrow adobe walkways, perfect for hours of what I call alley-diving – free-wheeling exploration and photography of old alleys.

The weather was perfect; the sun was shining, and except for a busload of European tourists, the city’s historical section seemed deserted during the afternoon siesta time.

But I arrived here having done zero research about this former capital of Iran, 55 km north of Yazd. I had to get back to Tehran for a meeting the next day. And because I was ignorant about Meybod, we just rushed to whatever was within line of sight.

Besides Narin Castle, we saw the Meybod Yakhchal (an ancient ice house that kept ice all year long behind meters-thick walls!), the local caravanserai and the 300-year-old post house that replaced an ancient postal station dating back 2,500 years.

However, now I realize I missed the most interesting sites of Meybod, like the stunning Pigeon House, after I saw this beautiful clip:

Don’t do what I did. After 7,000 years there’s gonna be a lot to see. Do your research ahead of time and take your time.

More about Maybod here: https://ifpnews.com/exclusive/german-ambassador-inspiring-tourists-to-spend-holidays-with-iranian-nomads/

Here are my pics: