Boroujerdi House

Local legend says this house exists because of a wedding. A merchant known as Boroujerdi — he traded goods from the city of Boroujerd — wished to marry the daughter of the Tabatabaei family, and her father agreed on one condition: that she would live in a house as beautiful as the one she grew up in. The result, designed by the same master builder, Ustad Ali Maryam, is one of the finest homes in Iran.

Its signature is the main hall beneath a high dome pierced with small openings, every surface covered in intricate painted stucco. Tall hexagonal windcatchers above it draw air down into the house. Around the long courtyard and pool, the frescoes and carved walls reward slow exploration.