Maymand

The age of the Maymand settlement was calculated using remains of stone etchings that proved the presence of human settlers. However, the village's distinctive feature, its 300+ underground cave homes, is not nearly as old, dating back barely 3-4,000 years. The cave shelters are assumed to have started out as sacred structures, but as inhabitants stayed longer and longer, they gradually evolved into permanent homes. Locals claim that instead of utilizing standard tools, their forefathers chiseled out the basic cave homes using a sort of hard, sharpened stone found in the area.

Even though the single-room houses are frequently stacked four or five stories high, each of the desolate caves has its own stove area. The complex of caves that make up the town are miraculously still inhabited today for such an ancient and harsh settlement. Some of the houses are supposed to have been occupied continuously since they were built thousands of years ago. The population was 673 in 2006, but it fluctuates according to the seasons. Although the caves have a bleak beauty, they are not exactly luxurious accommodations.

Location: Meymand. Iran