A strange village in Iran where the rooftops are the pathways.

The village of Masuleh, founded around 1006 AD, was once located on the Gilan Silk Road. Due to the abundance of iron, zinc, and quartz mines in the surrounding area, it was once a thriving trading center thanks to the ironworking industry. For centuries, people from all over came to the area to trade.

Masuleh village is one of Iran's most picturesque locations, with lush greenery and houses nestled among the mist, stacked upon one another. Every year, Masuleh village welcomes a large number of tourists.

Due to the harsh climate, with extremely hot summers and extremely cold winters, the indigenous Iranians of the past often built their villages on mountain slopes, using the cliffs as shelter from the sun and wind. Because of its geographical location, the climate of Masouleh village differs from most other populated areas in Iran. Warm, humid air from the Caspian Sea is blocked by the Alborz Mountains, creating rain and thick fog.

Fog is also considered one of the village's "specialties." Because they are built on such steep hills, the roofs of the houses serve as walkways to the neighboring ones. Terraced villages like Masuleh are not uncommon in Iran, especially in the Kurdistan and Mashhad regions. However, Masuleh's thousands of years of history is what attracts tourists to this place.

The tiered architectural style gives the village its unique character. Flat roofs are used as pathways, and also as courtyards and gardens. Masuleh's houses are built high to avoid floods, strong winds, and low temperatures. The stacked structure optimizes heat retention. In addition, a bright yellow paint color is chosen for the houses, making them easily visible through the fog.

Masuleh's spectacular architecture is known as "the courtyard of the building above is the roof of the building below." The buildings are mostly two stories (ground floor and first floor) constructed from fired brick, clay, and tree trunks. On the first floor, you typically find a small living room, bedroom, toilet, and balcony. The lower floor houses the kitchen, connected to the upper floor by a series of narrow staircases inside the building. This unique structure, with one courtyard serving as the roof of another, contributes to the area's appeal to visitors.

Furthermore, the staircases are all equipped with ramps, their sole function being to facilitate the use of wheelbarrows for transporting goods. Masuleh is actually the only settlement in Iran that prohibits cars from entering.

Here, visitors can find a number of handcrafted products with eye-catching brocade patterns, produced and sold in the market or used for decoration in buildings. The distinctive traditional gereh-chini woodworking art is also featured on window frames, doors, and other items. Currently, Masuleh village is being considered for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Anh Thi