Shahr-e Babak

Shahr-e Babak is a historic town on the western edge of Kerman Province, located at 1,800 m elevation. It is best known for the nearby UNESCO-listed Meymand (Maymand) rock village, one of Iran's oldest continuously inhabited settlements, where people still live in cave homes carved into the mountainside. The town itself is a quiet agricultural centre producing pistachios, almonds, and grapes.

By Bus

Shahr-e Babak's bus terminal has services to Kerman (180 km, 2.5 hr), Rafsanjan (100 km east), and Yazd (200 km north). Buses are infrequent — check the schedule in advance.

By Car

The town lies on Highway 71 between Yazd and Kerman, approximately 180 km west of Kerman and 200 km south of Yazd. The road passes through scenic desert and mountain landscapes.

Shahr-e Babak is small and walkable. To reach Meymand (about 30 km west), you'll need a taxi — expect to pay about 500,000–800,000 IRR for a round trip including waiting time.

• Meymand (Maymand) Rock Village: A Unesco-recognised cultural landscape where troglodyte dwellings have been inhabited for over 3,000 years. The 400+ hand-carved cave homes, some still occupied, are set among terraced fields and ancient junipers.

• Shahr-e Babak Bazaar: A small covered market with local produce and handicrafts.

• Jameh Mosque of Shahr-e Babak: A simple mosque dating to the late Qajar period.

• Tour Meymand village — at least 2 hours to explore the cave dwellings, visit the small ethnographic museum, and walk the terraced hillsides.

• Hike in the Kuh-e Banan range for panoramic desert-mountain views.

Meymand has a small restaurant serving traditional cave-cooked dishes: bread, yogurt, eggs, and herb stews. In Shahr-e Babak town, standard Persian restaurants around Imam Square offer chelo kabab and dizi.

Tea is served in the cave dwellings at Meymand — a unique experience. Doogh and bottled water.

• Budget: Meymand Ecolodge — sleep in a renovated cave dwelling, an unforgettable experience. ~600,000 IRR including breakfast.
• Mid-range: Shahr-e Babak Hotel — simple but clean, double ~1,000,000 IRR.
• Upscale: No upscale options; the best accommodation is the Meymand ecolodge.

Local pistachios, almonds, dried mulberries, handmade kilims, and woven baskets from Meymand.

• Rafsanjan (100 km east, 1.5 hr) — pistachio orchards and salt dome
• Kerman (180 km east, 2.5 hr) — provincial capital with Ganjali Khan Complex
• Yazd (200 km north, 3 hr) — the Zoroastrian desert city with Towers of Silence
• Sirjan (140 km south, 2 hr) — crossroads industrial city