A trip to the largest pomegranate garden in the world

The mild and desert city of Mehriz lies in the south of Yazd province. It includes a centralized. district known as Mehriz and five rural distrcts : Tang Chenar, Khormiz and Miyankuh Bahadoran, and Arnan, t is milder than other cities throughout the province as there are Shirkuh mountains on its west as well as several aquifers. The rain pour amount lowers when you move from north to south and from west to east and you’ll notice the dryness.
Sandstorms do not take place unlike other desert regions and make it a more suitable hub for tourists and sightseers.
The largest garden of pomegranates across the world lies in Mehriz, encompassing an area of 300 hectares. The city boasts several springs and beautiful and mountains which have increased the beauty of the natural resort.
Among its main mountains are Shirkuh, Kuh Lakhse, Kuh Siyah, and Madvar where most seasonal springs originate and make the surrounding nature more beautiful.
It features the large and beautiful abundant spring of Gharbal Biz , near the village of Madvar with a spectacular landscape in a peaceful nature , the spring of Damgahan(Dungahan) in a region which carries the same name, and the recreational resort of Kuh Rig, which are a draw for many sightseers and families.
Also of note is the 1000-year-old cedar , with a height of about 150meters. Don’t miss it.
The seasonal river of Menshad flows between two green mountains in a stepped path , createing picturesque scenery. It is a spot for many nature lovers on holidays.
Another highlight is Adrushak valley with several springs in a wonderful atmosphere and pleasant climate.
It has a natural glacier which is covered in snow in summer and is a draw for tourists.
The great historic garden of Pahlavanpour , dating from the Qajar period, lies in the neighborhood of Mazvir Abad . Two subterranean canals of Hassan Abad run on two different paths through the gardens and feed the evergreen and pleasant garden. It is surrounded by the lush planes , which are worth a visit.
Mehr Padin collection
It lies 30km from the city of Mehriz, on Mostafa Khomeini street in the neighborhood of Mehr Padin.
It contains a porch and a menarate , adorned with tourquise , blue, white and black tiles , with a brick top . Azure and torquiose tiles in a diamond shape with two small torquise Persian crosses adorn the base of the minerate. The beautiful monument belongs to the 8th century.
Feel a sense of fighting
The castle lies 1 km from the Mehr Padin collection. If you are looking for Iran’s monuments which have survived through history and if you’d like to experience walking in a real castle , like what you have seen in history-themed movies, make sure to pay a visit.
The castle which looks like a city includes rooms, houses, streets, and stores, which have preserved their face , would sweep away every visitor. The adobe castle, dating back to the 8th century, contains two fortified walls which resemble the castle of Ebrahim Abad.
It also contains 8 watchtowers, four along each wall. The preserved castle is surrounded by pomegranate gardens and agricultural lands.
The entrance door to the castle has arches through which you can get in. The arched walls made it possible for observing around properly and shooting arrows to faraway places so that the archers and guards of the castle wouldn’t be seen and hurt by the enemy.
You can travel through history , imagining soldiers who shot arrows through the distances between arches and the anxious crowd inside the castle waiting for a victory.
Behind the entrance door , there is a 3-storey building which is most probably a place for sentinels and guards of the gate. After that you’ll get into the main part which resembles a tiny city with organized streets . On the houses inside there are several dug wells which supplied water for residents of the castle.
Local dishes
People residing in desert areas often possess various traditional foods some of which are cooked in special occasions. Ash-e Mash ( a kind of Iranian soup) is cooked in Menshad in winter and is also served for the grief-stricken family in funeral ceremonies.
Ash-e Gandom is a winter dish cooked in Esfand ( the last month of winter in Iran). Its ingredients include pea, bean, lentil, wheat groat, and vinegar.
It’s known as Ash-e Jah Jah in Menshad . In Bahadoran it’s called Shab-e Esfandi.
Among other foods are Ash-e Reshte or Shuli ( a kind of soup which is cooked across the whole province) , Ash-e Anar, Ash-e Parak, Ash-e Jo, Halim ( or porridge )or Ash-e Tanuri, and Eshkane.