Abyaneh, A Time Capsule of Persian Culture

80 kilometers from Kashang

A village with a lot of character

3.7

Introduction

Obiyanai is located in a secluded valley in the Alborz Mountains of Iran, with a history of at least 2000 years. Due to its remote location and harsh natural conditions, the residents have long been isolated from the outside world. The villagers still speak the ancient language of Pahlavi, which is extremely rare in other parts of Iran, making Obiyanai known as a living fossil of Iranian culture. In this village, one immediately notices rows of red brick earthen buildings, as the houses are constructed using locally distinctive red clay. Additionally, the villagers' clothing is quite different from other regions of Iran: most women wear floral headscarves and colorful long skirts, which are quite eye-catching; men wear very loose baggy trousers (even looser than those worn by the Kurds). On the village streets, tourists can see elderly ladies sitting outside their homes, smiling and watching passersby, some even selling small goods. This way of life has been going on for hundreds of years. The valley of Obiyanai is famous for its apples, and since there are no storage facilities, villagers have a tradition of drying apples, resulting in delicious and nutritious dried apples.

Address

80 kilometers from Kashang

Transportation

There is no public transportation available. It costs approximately 1.4-1.6 million rials to hire a car from Kashan.