Meymand Village: 12,000-Year-Old Cave Village

Meymand is a 12,000-year-old cave village with a population of 105 people in 44 households in Kirman, Iran. The village site has been continuously inhabited for around 3,000 years, making it one of Iran’s oldest villages. Nevertheless, there is evidence of much earlier residence at the site such as almost 10,000-year-old engravings and the nearly 6,000 years old deposits of pottery.

Maymand was a Zoroastrian settlement during the pre-Islamic era. The existence of an Atash-Kadeh, a fire temple, also indicates that the ancient inhabitants also worshipped Mithraism. Therefore, the original inhabitants probably placed their dead in crypts carved into the mountainside. Accordingly, the site contains a 400 square meter complex of 15 circular units where bones and personal belongings have been found, indicating that it was one of these ancient crypts or an ossuary.

There are currently around 2,500 carved rooms in Meymand, and only %20 of them are occupied.

There have been two theories regarding the origin of Meymand village. The first one suggests that a group of Aryan tribes founded the village for religious purposes around 800 BC because mountains were sacred for these worshippers of Mithra. According to the second theory, the village dates back to the 2nd or 3rd century AD. During the Arsacid era, different tribes of southern Kirman migrated in various directions and settled upon finding a suitable area. The existence of a fortress near the village suggests that Meymand was one of these villages. Additionally, the fortress contained over 150 ossuaries from the Sassanid period.

Life in Meymand is highly challenging due to the aridity of the land and harsh weather conditions. The village’s main water source is the two underground qanats that bring water down from the surrounding hills. Local vegetation consists of hardy plants such as pistachios and almond trees. Today, the villagers live off agriculture, animal husbandry, carpet weaving, and tourism. Meymand village has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015.