Nushabad Underground City (Ouyi)
شهر زیرزمینی نوشآباد
An ancient underground refuge city north of Kashan, with three levels of tunnels and rooms crisscrossing below ground, once used to escape wars and extreme heat.
Nushabad Underground City (also known as Ouyi) lies beneath the town of Nushabad, about 10 km north of Kashan. It is said to have been started in the Sasanian period and expanded in the Safavid period. It reaches 4–18 m deep and has three levels. Tunnels connect ventilation shafts, water cisterns and small rooms, where residents once hid from invaders and summer heat. It was accidentally discovered in the 2000s during the construction of drainage pipes. One section is now open, and a visit takes about 30–45 minutes. The passages are narrow and low, so visitors must stoop to walk, and those with claustrophobia should think twice. It can be combined with a trip to the Maranjab Desert from Aran-Bidgol.
Opening hours
About 08:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Kashan Bazaar & Timche-ye Amin od-Dowleh
- Agha Bozorg Mosque
- Abbasi House
- Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse
- Ameri House
- Tabatabaei House
- Borujerdi House
- Tepe Sialk