Kharanaq | an Abandoned city in a historical village in Yazd province
Where is Kharanaq?
The city is located in Ardakan, 85 kilometers out of Yazd city in two old and new parts, where people are dwelled in the new part of the city.
Kharanaq is well-known by iron mines, the animal protected area and the famous “Kharanq castle“. The word “Kharanaq” is the perverted word “Hournah“, means: The place where the sun rises.
Attractions of this beautiful village are: Kharanaq Castle, bath, carvansarai, cistern, bridge, mosque and minaret.
Kharanaq Castle
The castle is one of the biggest residential castles, involving 80 houses returns to Sassanid era.
The unique labyrinthine alleys in this castle was always the center of attention. The reason to build the castle with a plan like this, was to come upon the thieves.
Kharanaq Carvansarai
It’s a courtyard building built in one floor in Shah Abbas style. The building involves 4 timchee (means: small carvansarai) and the yard is surrounded by rooms and crescent vaults.
It was built during the Sassanid era, the roof of the Timchee is covered with bricks, and if someone knocks on the ground in the middle, Timchee-shaped dome ceiling will repeat the voice in an interesting way for a few moments.
Kharanq bath
The bath is located near to the carvansarai near the sown field. For easier access to the canat’s (subterranean canal) water it is built in a deep. The bath’s level is lower than the castle but higher than the average level of the village.
Kharanaq Bridge
Documents show that the bridge was built during the Parthians period to transfer water from one side to the other side of “Kal” river and it was never a structure for commuting.
Kharanaq’s Mosque and Husseiniyeh
It is a Shabestani planned mosque connected to the Husseiniyeh. The Shabestan is still in use and also there is a smaller mosque out of the Kharanq castle, right in front of the gate.
The Husseiniyeh is connected to the south east part of the polygonal mosque.
Kharanaq’s Minaret
One out of three vacillatory minarets in Iran is located in the northern side of the mosque. It was a watchtower in the past. The minaret is older than It’s mosque and you can see it moving, vividly.
Mashhadak mausoleum
The mausoleum is located in the cemetery of the city and it is believed it was the place that Ali ibn Musa ar-Reza’s (the eighth Shi’te Imam) has prayed there when he was on his way to Marv city. Because of this story and the reason he is buried in Mashhad city, the mausolem is called Mashhadak.
