Prepare to be enthralled by the sheer wealth of history that oozes from the mud-brick city of Meybod. Rising from the deserts in the very heart of Iran, the town is thought to be nearly two millennia old, meaning it is imbued with layers of both Islamic and pre-Islamic art and architecture.

Crowning the town is the mighty Narin Qal'eh citadel. Half-crumbled and overgrown, it shoulders above the beige-hued buildings with its subterranean chambers, crenulated bulwarks and carved military towers – a testimony to the power of the Medes and the Sassanids that have fortified the place over the centuries. Meybod tour guides can help you explore the historic district that unfolds all around that ancient structure. The narrow lanes there are inhabited by aged caravanserai and elegant mosques. The Meybod Yakhchal is also present, nestled between the adobe walls – it's 400 years old and was once used as an icehouse. Opposite that is the Zeilo Museum, where the exhibits chronicle local craft making and the trading that went on along the Old Silk Road that passes right outside.