Niasar boasts a well-preserved Sassanian-era fire temple. With each of its four sides aligned to the solstice, this pre-Islamic temple is one of the few non-Indian temples still standing and it shows how the practice of building a dome on top of a square influenced mosque design. The Parthian-era cave nearby was built as a Mithraist temple.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.2 MILES
Designed for Shah Abbas I in the 16th century, this delightful garden with its symmetrical proportions, old cedars, spring-fed pools and fountains is…
16.28 MILES
Kashan’s historic bazaar is one of the best in Iran. Busy but not manic, traditional but with a nod at modern goods, large enough to surprise but not to…
15.92 MILES
This 500-year-old hammam is a superb example of an Iranian bathhouse. A recent restoration has stripped away 17 layers of plaster (note the wall inside…
15.96 MILES
Legend has it that when Sayyed Jafar Natanzi, a samovar merchant known as Boroujerdi, met with carpet merchant Sayyed Jafar Tabatabaei to discuss taking…
15.8 MILES
Built around 1880, Seyyed Jafar Tabatabei’s house is renowned for its intricate stone reliefs, including finely carved cypress trees, delicate stucco, and…
15.95 MILES
Hiding behind the town’s high mud-brick walls are hundreds of large traditional houses built by wealthy merchants, monuments to the importance of Kashan…
17.39 MILES
This remarkable complex of tunnels, 8km north of Kashan, originally grew up around a freshwater spring, credited with supplying delicious, crystal-clear…
15.94 MILES
Built by a wealthy glass merchant, this handsome set of six buildings (signposted from the hammam) is spread over several levels. The numerous courtyards,…
Nearby Iran attractions
0.94 MILES
Sprinkled across the hillside 1710m above sea level, Niasar's highlight is a waterfall, the most interesting feature of which is not the plunge of water…
12.2 MILES
Designed for Shah Abbas I in the 16th century, this delightful garden with its symmetrical proportions, old cedars, spring-fed pools and fountains is…
12.22 MILES
The modest Kashani National Museum, which occupies a small pavilion in the grounds of Bagh-e Fin (Fin Garden) showcases some fine examples of Kashani…
12.92 MILES
Built in 1894, this shrine, set in a pretty courtyard of evergreens, boasts a delightful European-style painted dome with vignettes of religious scenes…
13.83 MILES
One of the oldest and richest archaeological sites in central Iran, the Tappeh-ye Seyalk (seyalk means mound), halfway between Kashan and Fin, has yielded…
15.8 MILES
Built around 1880, Seyyed Jafar Tabatabei’s house is renowned for its intricate stone reliefs, including finely carved cypress trees, delicate stucco, and…
15.92 MILES
This 500-year-old hammam is a superb example of an Iranian bathhouse. A recent restoration has stripped away 17 layers of plaster (note the wall inside…
15.94 MILES
Built by a wealthy glass merchant, this handsome set of six buildings (signposted from the hammam) is spread over several levels. The numerous courtyards,…