Masuleh

Buildings in Masuleh are mostly of two storeys, although there are three-storey and four-storey houses as well. There are four main local communities: Maza-var (beside the Mosque) in the south, Khana-var (beside homes) in the east, Kasha-sar (stretched on top) in the north and Assa-mahala (Assad community) in the west. The market area and the main mosque lie in the centre of the town, and the mosque is said to have been built in 969 AD. In some houses separate families lived in separate apartment units over a long time. Girih tiling occurs in the buildings, and the historical city has been described as a model for sustainable architecture.

The earliest evidence of human presence in the region is a Levallois core from the Middle Paleolithic, likely made by Neanderthals over 40,000 years ago. Archaeological survey of the mountains overlooking Masuleh shows that this mountainous region was probably occupied by ancient herders and nomads at least since the late Bronze Age. Remains of late prehistoric, historic and Islamic times were found on the mountain top above 2500 meters above sea level, and the mountains were used seasonally from the late Neolithic (5000 BC) through the Bronze Age (2000-1500 BC), Iron Age I (1500-1100 BC), Iron Age III (800-500 BC) and the Parthian (247 BC to 224 CE), Buyid (943–1029 CE), Seljuk (1043–1051 CE) and Ilkhanid (1306–1335 CE) eras. Pottery sherds, animal bones and stone tools were found that date back to about 7,000 years ago.