Kerman Province

The worth-seeing places of the province are:

· Bazaar of Kerman and Ganjali-Kban caravansary and a public bath that has been changed into a museum

· Dokhtar and Ardeshir castles, of Sassanide monuments

· Jabalieh dome which is a fire-temple from Sassanide time

Kabir Jame' mosque and Sabz (green) dome belong to the 9th century, and are the tombs of the Gharakhatai governors.

In addition two other monuments in this province must be mentioned, which are located in Mahan and Bam. The mausoleum of Shah Nemat-Olah Vali, the famous Iranian Gnostic, in Mahan with a building, dome, and minarets that are highly valuable from artistic and architectural points of view, is the main place of pilgrimage of Sufis from different sects.

The region's architecture has a charming modesty and simplicity that is missing in the magnificent, almost perfect, monuments of Isfahan.

The desert-coloured structures in Kerman are anything but imposing. They emirate unpretentious beauty and generate a good deal of unconditional warmth.

The Climate: Due to its vast area, Kerman has various climates. The northern, north-western and central parts are dry and temperate and the southern and south-eastern areas are fairly humid. The area has little annual rainfall, most of which falls in Jiroft. Generally speaking, Kerman has hot summers, with the temperature rising to around 40 degrees centigrade. In winters, the temperature falls below -15 degrees centigrade. The changes indicate that the climate is semi-arid. The average annual rainfall stands at 185 millimetres.

Spring in Kerman Province means mountains full of tulips and vast plains. The province is filled with the fragrance of the Damascus rose and orange blossoms. Cherry trees flower in the Bardseer and Baft summer resorts and fresh dates are sold in the streets. The province's large area, with its diverse climate, presents ever-changing scenery and various agricultural goods.

Kerman City

Kerman city is located on a high margin of Kavir-e-Lut, is counted as one of the oldest cities and its construction is attributed to Ardashir-e-Babakan in 3rd century A.D. Kerman airport is counted as one of the main airports which has daily & weekly flights to Tehran, Ahvaz, Yazd, Esfahan, Bandar-e-Abbas, Mashhad and Shiraz. Also the Trans Iranian Railway passes through this city. It has a hot and dry climate in the summer and moderately dry in the winter.

Kerman is an ancient city, which was called Botia during the Achaemenids dynasty. It is the centre of trade in the region and is accessible from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea ports. Kerman city has been nominated to receive the 2001 "UNESCO Peace Prize".

Some interesting sites in and around Kerman:

Nematollah Vali Mosque near Kerman: This mosque was built in 1437 A.C. and is located 38 km south of Kerman.

Ebrahim Khan Madreseh Mosque: A young man prays in the garden of the Ebrahim Khan Mosque.

The remains of Bagheh Shazdeh ( Princess garden ): It is 6000 sq. m in area and is located 200 km south of Kerman.

Public Bath: The public bath, (known as the Hammam Gandjali Khan , named after a former governor of the province ) which is not in use any longer, but it has been restored to serve as a museum. It is one of the most interesting sights for the visitors to Kerman.

Bam

Bam is located 193 km to the southeast of Kerman in the plains, between the Jebalbarez and Kabudi Mountains. Bam is 1,050 meters above sea level, has an area of 19,480 sq. km and a population of approximately 182,040.

The oldest signs of civilization are found in the Bidroun hills located 10 km to the west of the city. Archaeological surveys indicate that the history of Bidroun hills dates back to 4th millennium B.C. People have lived in Bam and in its vicinity from 6,000 years ago. In ancient times, people lived in a citadel, which is now known as Arg.

Arg-E-Bam is counted as one of the important military and historical castles located about 200 km of south east of Kerman. Total area of this castle is about 6 km² and is constructed of sun-dried bricks. There is no information about the exact date of the construction but according to Persian history it goes back to 2000 years and has been repaired so many times, and was residential till 150 years ago.