The abandoned village of Kharanaq is located about 65 km from the city of Yazd, in central Iran.
Built in the shadow of a scenic mountain, the site is occupied for at least 4,000 years while some of the mud brick houses still standing today are up to 1,000 years old.
Once it was a prosperous farming citadel for over 4,000 years, but the water supplies ceased and so the inhabitants left. Now all that remains are crumbling old mud walls and collapsing rooftops. Recently a nice new village has been built less than two kilometres away and many people moved.
Still there are some (mainly elderly), who choose to stay in the old houses that have been in their families for generations and they simply live amongst the ruins. That's why only a few people live in Kharanaq today. Some of the old buildings are in bad condition and need restoration works. Some are even falling down. The visitors have to be careful where to step, some tourists have already fallen through roofs and hurt themselves.

The historic Kharanaq citadel which goes back to the Sassanid era (224-651) and the whole ancient village are made of mud-bricks dried in the sun. There are many interesting sights in there: an old dilapidated hammam, a tiny mosque, a shaking minaret and a fascinating labyrinth of little streets, tunnels, corridors, passageways, rooms and hidden windows.

There is also a restored 18/19th-century Shahzadeh (princess) caravanserai built under the orders of Mohammad Vali Mriza, the offspring of Fath Ali Shah. Now it's being used as a hotel.