After leaving the peaceful mountainside temple at Chak Chak, we drove back along the dusty deserted road that we had driven in on. Hassan was now going to take us to the ancient mud-brick village of Kharanaq.
We arrived at the village and were amazed by the settlement of mud-brick dwellings in varying states of repair. Again we were the only visitors. Hassan led us through the maze of rounded structures until we came to an archway which opened into a small garden with a table covered in a pink check tablecloth! The owner appeared with a tray of chay! Over the low walls, rounded, golden, earth plastered dwellings formed organic shapes. There was complete silence.
Soon, lunch was served - camel and potato stew, mini spinach and potato omelettes and flat breads. And then - ahhh... coffee served with milk. After a few cups of coffee and chats in the sunshine, Hassan brought us through the maze of buildings - some inhabited and many in ruins, with half-crumbled walls revealing the inner structure of the rooms.
Soon we saw a geometrically decorated minaret which Hassan said we could climb to the top of. Once inside the main door, we were faced with a small square opening which you have to climb up into before accessing the stairwell. This inner structure is very narrow and when you take the first few narrow steps and turn the corner, there is complete darkness. I freaked out a bit but Ben said that the steps became illuminated around the next bend!
You then come to a small opening which you have to heave yourself out of and up onto a narrow ledge of about a foot in diameter. Pretty scary stuff as below you is another inner opening with a huge drop below. I was shaking when I got up there but the views were worth it - the village and surrounding mountains lit up by the sun. As I sat clinging on to the ledge, Hussan and Ben disappeared through another tiny hole and up the final steps to the top. Then Hussan told me to hold on as he shook the minaret - I could feel the whole tower swaying. You don't expect buildings to move about like this - too too freaky...
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