Kharanaq

Kharanaq (also Romanized as Kharānaq, Kharāneq, and Kharānoq; also known as Khowrāneq, ((means land of sun)) Khurūnaq or Kharanagh) is a village located 70 km north of Yazd in Rabatat Rural District, Kharanaq District, Ardakan County, Yazd Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 433, in 133 families. The town and its minaret have become a minor tourist attraction.
Kharanaq, which was known as a world and historical village, was introduced as the 23rd city of Yazd province on July 6, 2020. This 4500-year-old city is surrounded by mountains on one side and desert from the other.
Many buildings in Kharanaq/ Kharanagh are completely collapsed and ramshackle, but among them, the remaining mosque from the Qajar period, a shaking minaret from 17th and the caravanserai of the city have been reconstructed and can be visited.
The main buildings and sites
Castle of Kharanaq
The castle is the main attraction of the village. it is reminiscent of the Sassanid era and dates back to around 1800 years. Kharanaq Castle is one of the first castles in the world with two- and three-story houses. It contains 80 houses, watchtowers and is surrounded by a tall wall.
It has exhibition rooms made of clay and mud, inside the castle was designed like a maze to create confusion for thieves and attackers, who entering the building.
The bridge of Kharanaq
Among all the villages in Yazd, Kharanaq is the only village that has a bridge. However, many myths and stories surround this bridge as it has never been a passage for animals or livestock.
It is believed that the bridge only exists to transfer water from the seasonal river to the farms, or act as a dam. The bridge is 40 meter long and it was designed to prevent water shortage in the village.
Shaking Minaret
This magnificent building is one of the three moving minarets in Iran and was designed in Seljuk period, it is a part of the nationally registered works of Iran. The minaret is designed and constructed in a special way so it can move. It is built in a way that one can shake it by giving a gentle push on its upper part. The minaret has three floors, which are interconnected through spiral stairs. For climbing or going down the stairs, there are two separate corridors. The width of the spiral staircase is 70 cm at the bottom and gradually narrows to a final width of 40 cm at the top. it is made completely out of clay, which make it to be the only minaret in the world made of this material.
Kharanaq Caravanserai
The caravanserai dates to Sasanian Dynasty. Then it was rebuilt and reconstructed under the command of Muhammad Vali Mirza, the son of Fath-Ali- Shah Qajar. The large number of rooms and arcs in this caravanserai prove that Kharanaq was a busy place where many travelers used to stay. It has a yard in the center and it is surrounded by rooms. Today, tourists can reserve the rooms and spend the nights at Kharanaq Village Caravanserai.
Kharanaq bath
The bathhouse was constructed during the Qajar Dynasty. One of its key features is the principled and skillful design of the water and sewage inlet and outlet system for optimal use of water resources. The bath is built in such a way that the water of the Qanat’s (subterranean canals) are easily directed into it.
Kharanaq’s Mosque and ḥosayniya
It is a Shabestani planned mosque connected to the ḥosayniya. The Shabestan is still in use and also there is a smaller mosque outside Kharanaq castle, right in front of the gate.
History
Kharanaq means 'place of birth of the sun' and has been continuously inhabited for 4,500 years. It divides into two parts; the Old Town, with its collection of mud brick buildings and a caravanserai, and the New Town, where more than 400 people continue to live. Kharanaq was prosperous in farming, but with the water supply drying up, the inhabitants left, leaving the old town in ruin.
References
Populated places in Ardakan County