An atlas of Earth’s mysterious places — megaliths, pyramids, lost and sunken cities — with the evidence shown plainly: what is verified, what is contested, and what is still unknown.

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Iran

137 places in the atlas, 25 of them inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage.

Kinds found here

Tells79
Ancient cities38
Mounds37
Hydraulic works34
Ancient villages31
Archaeological wonders19
Temple complexes14
Pyramids12
Ziggurats8
Dams7
Qanats6
Caves5

How well established

Verified133
Accepted3
Pseudo1

Top regions

West Azerbaijan Province, Northwestern Iran5
Fars Province3
Khuzestan Province3
Qazvin Plain, North-Central Iran3
Hamadan Province, Western Iran2
Ilam Province, Deh Luran Plain2

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Verification

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Verified133 Widely accepted3 Contested0

Ilam Province, Seimareh valley2

Kermanshah Province, Kangavar Valley2

Qazvin Province, North-Central Iran2

Yazd Province2

Alborz Province, North-Central Iran1

Ardabil Plain, Mughan Steppe, NW Iran (38°N 48°E pseudo claim)1

Hypothetical0

Unverified0

Pseudoarchaeology1

Heritage

UNESCO World Heritage only

Excavation

Excavation ongoing55 Partially excavated46 Excavated35 Not applicable1

133 places · page 2 of 6

Verified

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Tepe Sabz (Deh Luran)

Early Village – Archaic Susiana (6000–5000 BCE) · Deh Luran Early Village

Early Village – Archaic Susiana (6000–5000 BCE) tell of Deh Luran Early Village in Ilam Province, Deh Luran Plain (c.6000 BCE).

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🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Tepe Djowi (Deh Luran-Susiana)

Ubaid – Early Uruk (5000–3500 BCE) · Ubaid–Susa A Susiana

Ubaid – Early Uruk (5000–3500 BCE) tell of Ubaid–Susa A Susiana in Khuzestan Province, Susiana (c.5000 BCE).

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Pisdeli Tepe

Middle Chalcolithic (5000–4000 BCE) · Dalma–Pisdeli Chalcolithic

Middle Chalcolithic (5000–4000 BCE) tell of Dalma–Pisdeli Chalcolithic in West Azerbaijan, Urmia Plain (c.5000 BCE).

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🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Dinkha Tepe

Late Bronze–Iron (1500–800 BCE) · Iron Age Hasanlu LBA

Late Bronze–Iron (1500–800 BCE) tell of Iron Age Hasanlu LBA in West Azerbaijan, Ushnu-Solduz (c.1500 BCE).

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🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Band-e Darreh South Extension Dam (Birjand Darreh South Gravity Dam)

Khwarazmian Late Islamic 1210 CE (Birjand) · Khwarazmian South Khorasan Birjand oasis

South Darreh arch-gravity 42 m × 18.2 m 8 m radius: conjunctive wadi+qanat 28,000 m³ south branch with cistern 8 m.

✓VerifiedUNESCO

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Shushtar Band-e Kaisar — Roman Bridge-Dam Caesar's Dam

Sassanian (Roman capture) · Sassanian Persian, Roman legion engineers

Karun 500-m Roman arch bridge-dam by Valerian's legion 260 CE with Gargar mills, core of UNESCO Shushtar system.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Kordlar Tepe

Iron Age I–III (1500–600 BCE) · Iron Age Urmia

Iron Age I–III (1500–600 BCE) tell of Iron Age Urmia in West Azerbaijan, Lake Urmia SE (c.1300 BCE).

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Chakhmaqlu Tepe

Chalcolithic (4500–3500 BCE) · NE Iran Chalcolithic

Chalcolithic (4500–3500 BCE) tell of NE Iran Chalcolithic in North Khorasan, Jajarm (c.4500 BCE).

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Ancient city

Shahdad (Khabis, Bronze Age Oasis City)

Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze (3300–2000 BCE; urban peak 2700–2200 BCE) · Kerman (Lut) Chalcolithic–Bronze / Proto-Elamite → Jiroft-related

Lut desert Bronze Age copper town with chlorite workshops and 382-grave necklace necropolis.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Temple complex

Taq-e Bostan Rock Reliefs

Sassanian Empire (224–651 CE), late Sassanian zenith · Sassanian Zoroastrian (Ahura Mazda, Anahita, Mithra) court art

Sassanian Zagros spring iwans: Shapur II/III small and Khosrow II great with boar hunt and armored cavalry.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Band-e Amir (Amir Dam) & Kor River Cascade (Marvdasht Plain, Fars)

Sassanid to Buyid (4th c CE to 10th c CE) · Sassanid → Buyid Islamic

Kor River cascade (Sassanid 4th c → Buyid 970 CE) bridge–dam 75 m with 13 arches — Persepolis plain lifeline.

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🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Qanat Baladeh – Ferdows (Ton) Qanat System

Sasanian to Early Islamic · Sasanian / Early Islamic Khorasan

35-km double-branch Sasanian qanat (500–800 CE) — 70-m mother well, 45 L/s to Ferdows oasis.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Chogha Mish

Late Neolithic through Middle Elamite (c.6800–2000 BCE); Archaic Susiana, Middle Susiana, Uruk, Susa II, Elamite · Susiana (Archaic–Middle) → Uruk–Susa II (Proto-Elamite) → Elamite (Susa III)

Susiana proto-literate tell (c.4400–3100 BCE) with early seals and Burnt Building — Delougaz/Kantor type-site for Susa plain (20 ha).

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🇮🇷 Iran · Tell

Tall-i Bakun (A & B)

Late Chalcolithic Bakun phase (c.4800–4000 BCE); Ubaid-related Bakun painted ware · Bakun (Fars Chalcolithic) with Ubaid–Susiana ties and early Elamite precursor

Bakun painted Chalcolithic capital (c.4800–4000 BCE) with 20-room admin complex and seals — Marvdasht chiefdom precursor (Persepolis 7 km).

✓VerifiedUNESCO

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Qanat-e Gonabad South Gallery (Ghasemabad South Branch Qanat)

Achaemenid to present (520 BCE–ongoing) · Achaemenid Gonabad oasis (Khorasan piedmont)

South Gonabad gallery 4.1 km with 62 shafts 42 m mother well: Achaemenid 520 BCE saruj, 12 L/s to Ghasemabad saffron.

✓VerifiedUNESCO

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Band-e Kaisar (Valerian Bridge-Dam, Shushtar — Pol-e Kaisar)

Sassanid Early (Shapur I, 241–270 CE) built by Roman captives · Sassanid Persian with Roman engineering corps (Legio)

500-m Roman-Sassanid arch bridge/dam (260 CE) raising Karun for Shushtar's 10-km Gargar canal — easternmost Roman dam.

✓VerifiedUNESCO

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Band-e Gar and Dariun Aqueduct Extension (Greater Shushtar)

Sassanian (Shapur I) on Achaemenid · Sassanian Persian with Roman POW labour

Northern Shushtar (65 m, 32°03′N 48°51′E 32.05,48.85) hydraulic extension of UNESCO 1315 Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System (1315): Band-e Gar (Gar Dam) and Dariun Great Weir interconnect canal…

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Band-e Firuzabad (Ardashir Dam) — Firuzabad Plain reservoir dam, Fars

Early Sassanid (Ardashir I–Shapur I, 224–260 CE) · Sassanid Persian (early Sasanian court)

210-m Sassanid reservoir dam (224 CE) retaining Firuzabad circular capital plain — Ardashir's desert hydraulic foundation.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Pyramid

Tepe Giyan Ziggurat Mound (Nahavand)

Early to Middle Bronze Age (Giyan III–IV) · Elamite / Highland Zagros (Giyan culture)

Zagros highland terrace shrine at Tepe Giyan c.2800–1700 BCE — 40 m proto-ziggurat mound linking Elamite terraces to later Median fire temples.

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🇮🇷 Iran · Ancient village

Kul Tepe (Jolfa, near Araxes)

Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze I–II (5000–2800 BCE) · Dalma → Pisdeli → Kura-Araxes (Transcaucasian)

Araxes floodplain tell with Dalma–Kura-Araxes sequence linking Urmia to Transcaucasia.

✓VerifiedUNESCO

🇮🇷 Iran · Temple complex

Bishapur — Sassanid City and Anahita Temple

Sassanian Early (Shapur I–II, 241–379 CE) · Sassanian Persian with Roman–Palmyrene craftsmen (prisoners)

Shapur I 260 CE grid city by Roman POWs after Valerian capture — Anahita water temple, mosaics, Chogan gorge 6 reliefs.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Ancient city

Haft Tepe (Haft Tappeh, ancient Kabnak)

Middle Elamite (1500–1350 BCE; short floruit ~100 years) · Middle Elamite (Kidinuid→Igihalkid)

Middle Elamite tomb-temple city of Tepti-Ahar with vaulted royal tombs and 600-tablet archive.

✓VerifiedUNESCO

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Band-e Mizan Dam – Shushtar Hydraulic Node

Achaemenid to Sasanian · Achaemenid / Sasanian (with Roman prisoners)

390-m Karun diversion weir (5th c BCE /260 CE) — head of Shushtar mills system.

✓Verified

🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works

Qanat-e Zarch North Extension (Yazd Zarch Qanat Northern Arm)

Achaemenid core 500 BCE to Sasanian 450 CE (extension) to present · Yazdi Zarch piedmont oasis (Kavir piedmont)

North Zarch extension 8.2 km with 88 shafts mother 34 m, 6 badgir towers 18 L/s: Sasanian 450 CE graft onto 500 BCE core.

Iran

Kinds found here

How well established

Top regions

Category

Heritage

Excavation

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133 places · page 2 of 6

Tepe Sabz (Deh Luran)

Pisdeli Tepe

Dinkha Tepe

Band-e Darreh South Extension Dam (Birjand Darreh South Gravity Dam)

Shushtar Band-e Kaisar — Roman Bridge-Dam Caesar's Dam

Kordlar Tepe

Chakhmaqlu Tepe

Shahdad (Khabis, Bronze Age Oasis City)

Taq-e Bostan Rock Reliefs

Band-e Amir (Amir Dam) & Kor River Cascade (Marvdasht Plain, Fars)

Qanat Baladeh – Ferdows (Ton) Qanat System

Chogha Mish

Tall-i Bakun (A & B)

Qanat-e Gonabad South Gallery (Ghasemabad South Branch Qanat)

Band-e Kaisar (Valerian Bridge-Dam, Shushtar — Pol-e Kaisar)

Band-e Gar and Dariun Aqueduct Extension (Greater Shushtar)

Band-e Firuzabad (Ardashir Dam) — Firuzabad Plain reservoir dam, Fars

Tepe Giyan Ziggurat Mound (Nahavand)

Kul Tepe (Jolfa, near Araxes)

Bishapur — Sassanid City and Anahita Temple

Haft Tepe (Haft Tappeh, ancient Kabnak)

Band-e Mizan Dam – Shushtar Hydraulic Node

Qanat-e Zarch North Extension (Yazd Zarch Qanat Northern Arm)