As delightful as Persian architecture and natural wonders can be, Iran is also a perfect place for horror fans. There are some places in Iran that may not be scary once they were created, but when time passed, some weird, creepy, and spooky energy entered every stone of these places. Haunted houses or empty buildings that you see in movies are child’s play compared to the real chill that the scariest places in Iran can give you.
If you plan to visit Iran and want to see this gorgeous country from another perspective than a typical tourist, you should put some of these places on your bucket list and visit them during your trip. Then, you can feel the chilling energy touching your body and get goosebumps by being in those locations for less than a minute.
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1. Cannibal Castle in Ardabil
When we talk about the scariest places in Iran, Cannibal Castle stands out. If you talk to old locals in Ardabil, a city in north-western Iran, they tell you a weird story that happened many years ago. Their story starts with a group of people who came to a village near this city and never came back. There is a high stone-made castle in Ardabil, which has lost its shape over these many years, but you can still see the walls’ width, which is more than five meters.
Old stories say that the people who entered this giant building were trapped into the castle, and a paranormal power, as the locals refer to it, imprisons people and draws them into the stones. So, no one ever found a small trace of the lost ones inside or outside the castle.
2. Stony Garden in Kerman
Stony Garden is not scary nor horrifying but, the moment you enter this garden, you feel heavy, sorrowful energy on your heart like a heavy burden. The whole atmosphere is so dreadful that it makes it very spooky. If you ask people the reason behind this feeling, they will tell you about the owner, called Darvish Khan. This man owned many lands in Kerman, and he was a wealthy guy, but he was deaf-mute. Due to the land reform process, he lost almost all of his lands, so he lost his mind and got insane because he could not stand for his right and speak for himself. One day he decided to do something to prevent people from taking his lost garden.
Locals said he stopped watering his garden and let the trees die. Then, he gathered stones and put them on the branches as if they were fruits. Although Darvish Khan is dead now, by doing so, he made his garden eternal and owned it for the rest of his life.
3. Screaming Forest in Mashhad
When we think about a horror movie, one of the first locations that come to mind is a dark, dense forest at night. If you travel to Iran, visit Mashhad and want to go to the screaming forest, you can be sure that you will see yourself inside a horror movie, with all sound effects and professional lighting.
The screaming forest in Mashhad is not very different from the forbidden forest in Harry Potter! There are a few people who were actually brave enough to visit this forest at night, and all of them agree that they have heard a non-stop screaming sound there. It is like witnessing a hunting scene in which you cannot see the evil paranormal creature. That is why this place is one of the scariest places in Iran.
4. Ghost Lagoon in Mazandaran
Just in the middle of gorgeous forests in Mazandaran and its exceptional landscape, there is a hidden lake. If you find the Ghost Lagoon and see it with your own eyes, you will be certain that you have found one of the scariest places in Iran. The Ghost Lagoon shares obvious similarities with the opening scene of the Evil Dead movie.
To find Ghost Lagoon, you need to walk through the forest and pass beautiful old trees. However, when you get near the lake, you see how the appearance of the forest changes. All the trees look dead, and you feel a powerful source sucking your happiness. There is heavy fog all around the area that makes you feel a weird sense inside your stomach that shows how spooky the Lake is.
5. The Valley of Stars in Qeshm
One of the most glorious and, of course, scariest places in Iran is the Valley of Stars in Qeshm Island. Locals refer to this place as the Valley of Ghosts, too, and they will warn you about visiting it at night, especially if you are alone. Many local people and even tourists believe that by traveling to the Valley of Stars after sunset, you will hear the sound of sad or scared people. But, you can never find them, no matter how much you search for them.
Besides, some other people believe that Jinns and ghosts wake up at night and visit this valley to relax, so if humans try to bother them with their presence, they will make them pay for it.
Although something spooky goes on in the Valley of Stars for sure, those people who have visited it and survived can tell you how mesmerizing the valley gets at night.
6. Iran’s Bermuda Triangle
You have definitely heard of Bermuda Triangle, a doomed place where no one could trespass and survive. As one of the scariest places in Iran, Dareh Jenny in Semnan is hot enough to make you have illusions and spooky enough to bring fear in your heart. Deserts can be scary on their own but imagine Iran’s Bermuda Triangle with salt swamps that swallow every living creature that goes near this place. Also, some locals believe that this place is Jinns and fairies’ home, so human beings have to keep their distance from them if they want to survive.
7. Shahriri Cemetery
If you are interested in history, aliens and spooky places, Shahriri cemetery in Ardabil is perfect for you. By walking around the area, you may not notice something weird at first, but if you look at tombstones, you will see some scary shapes that make you believe that they are not from the earth.
The creatures on tombstones might be similar to human beings, but by paying more attention, you can see that some features are different. Some of the engraved shapes show creatures with no mouth! There are many conspiracy theories about this cemetery, and one of them says that people who made this place had come from somewhere besides earth.
Exploring these places can be scary, exciting and extraordinary. So, if you want to experience something new on your trips, you should consider traveling to this country and visiting the scariest places in Iran.
Shahab Shabani 
Ali Habibi 
Amin Mahmoudi