In a small valley in the arid mountains of central Iran, a clump of honey-coloured mud-brick buildings rises above a dry streambed, its roofs, domes and alleys crumbling softly into the earth they were made from. Kharanaq is an old village, its oldest parts often said to be more than a thousand years old, largely abandoned by its residents when they moved to newer houses down the slope. Walking through it is like entering a sandcastle on a giant scale, with narrow covered passages, tiny rooms, wooden doors and the sound of wind whistling through holes in the walls.
Several buildings stand out. A slim minaret, famous for gently swaying when pushed or climbed, rises beside the old mosque. A restored caravanserai sits below the village, a reminder that Kharanaq lay on routes that brought travellers across the desert towards Yazd, and an old aqueduct and the remains of water channels show how carefully the inhabitants managed every drop. Restoration work has brought some buildings back to life as guesthouses and cafés, keeping the place from slipping entirely into ruin.
The road to Kharanaq leaves the Yazd plain and climbs into bare, rocky hills, an hour or so north of Yazd itself, passing through Ardakan country and the hard, sunburnt landscape of the central plateau. The tarmac is generally good, with long, empty straights across gravel plains and a few winding sections as the road enters the valley. Wind can be fierce, carrying sand and dust, and in summer the heat is relentless, so April and October are the months to choose, with the low evening light turning the village gold.
Bring fuel from Yazd or Ardakan, where stations are plentiful, and carry plenty of water, as services in the hills are sparse. Yazd itself is a wonderful city of wind towers, Zoroastrian fire temples and mud-brick lanes, and it makes the obvious base. Riding conditions in Iran come with their own rules: regulations for motorcycles, particularly larger ones, can be restrictive, so check the current situation carefully before planning a trip, and be aware that cultural expectations around dress apply to riders too.