Roein

Iran


Backed by a rocky crag, Roein's old section is a stepped village of high, porch-fronted traditional homes, looking rather like a less verdant version of Masuleh, though several parts of town have been marred by thoughtless modern construction. There's a nascent cottage handicrafts industry and a particular local cuisine; the villagers speak an Old Persian dialect called Tat. Ali, the lovable owner of Vesal Homestay, organises hiking on request (but he speaks minimal English).

Roein's mosque is a forgettable modern affair but outside it's given gravitas by the 800-year-old chinar (plane) tree outside. Opposite the century-old hammam (bathhouse) is another chinar tree whose now-bricked-up hollow once held a butchers' stall.

From a dry knoll above the village there's a 360-degree view of Roein's townscape set amid walnut and plane trees, with a series of crags rising starkly behind.

The village is 8km off the Esfarayen–Bojnurd road; the turning is 44km south of Bojnurd.


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