Palace of the Sun, Kakh-e- Kalat, Khorshid Palace

Initially designed as a monumental tomb of Nader Shah, but not finished due to his untimely death, it later became the residence of the royal family. The construction was ordered after the conquest of India in 1739, from which the sovereign imported not only great wealth and precious objects, but also local workers and professionals, including probably the architects who designed the palace. Kah-e Khorshid it was built according to Mongolian or Indian models, recognizable in the imposing central cylindrical tower 20 meters high, surrounded by semi-columns. The four entrances, one on each side, lead to the 12 internal rooms, each decorated with frescoes and stucco. The decorations depict animals and tropical fruit that did not exist in Iran at the time, but which Nader Shah had imported from India.

The site is located about 150 km from the city of Mashhad, near the city of Kalat: it is one of the most characteristic and important places for the history of the region, undoubtedly worth a visit if you are nearby.