So the useful thing to describe is the countryside that surrounds it: a basin about eighteen hundred metres above sea level, edged by low ridges that turn pink in the evening, and filled with villages of mud-brick houses, poplars along irrigation channels and fields of wheat, barley and sunflowers.
Villages like this have their own rhythm. In late spring the sheep and goats go out to the pasture on the hills, shepherded by men in felt hats, and in summer the farmers cut and thresh the grain, with the dust rising above the fields. Autumn brings the harvest of apples and walnuts from small orchards, and in winter a hard cold settles, with snow that can lie for weeks. The old irrigation system, with underground channels called qanats, still waters some fields, and you may see the line of mounds that mark them across the ground.
The history behind it all is that of Soltaniyeh, which was a royal capital for a short time in the fourteenth century. The Ilkhans, who were Mongols, kept herds on these plains and used them as summer pastures, since the grass here is excellent. In the evenings, when the plain is empty, you can imagine the tents of the court and the horses on the grass, and the dome in the distance catching the last sun. The place feels both remote and well known, because tour buses stop at the mausoleum and then leave.
The roads between villages are narrow, mostly asphalt but patched, with farm vehicles, motorbikes and flocks of sheep sharing the surface. Go slowly, and expect dogs to chase. The main highway has fuel and basic services at intervals, but the practical choices are Abhar to the south-east and Zanjan to the north-west, both thirty to forty kilometres off. Take water and food, and respect local customs, particularly modest dress and polite greetings. Tea is offered readily, and a few words of Persian will be appreciated.