ABYANEH
Serenely situated at the foot of Mt Karkas (3899m), the ancient
village of Abyaneh is a warren of steep, twisting lanes and crumbling
red mud-brick houses with lattice windows and fragile wooden
balconies. It’s testament to both the age and isolation of Abyaneh
that the elderly residents speak Middle Persian, an earlier
incarnation of Farsi that largely disappeared some centuries ago.
The village is at least 1500 years old and faces east across a
picturesque valley. It was built this way to maximise the sun it
receives and minimise the effects of howling gales in winter. And if
you come here in winter you’ll understand why – it’s freezing! In
summer, however, it’s refreshingly cool and Abyaneh is most lively,
filled with residents returning from winter in Tehran and tourists
haggling with colourfully clad, toothless old women over the price of
dried apples.
Abyaneh is best appreciated by just wandering, but do look for the
14th-century Imamzadeh-ye Yahya with its conical, blue-tiled roof, and
the Zeyaratgah shrine with its pool and views.
Looming over the village, the modern, multistorey Abyaneh Hotel offers
clean and comfortable rooms, some of which have panoramic views. The
family who runs it are friendly and the huge restaurant serves
excellent food; we recommend both the chelo fesenjun (chicken cooked
in a pomegranate and walnut sauce and served with rice) and the local
trout.
The newly built Viuna Hotel complex off the road to the village isn’t
as comfortable or convenient as the Abyaneh, but it offers relatively
cheap dorm beds, has a restaurant and will even let you pitch a tent
for a small charge. Worth considering if you’re on a tight budget.also
you can have this chance to call09103610254 for free accommodation in
kashan.