Iran’s Stone Garden: A silent protest turned tourist attraction

In the heart of Iran's Kerman desert lies an eerie orchard where trees bear stones instead of fruit.

The Sirjan Stone Garden, created by deaf-mute farmer Darvish Khan Esfandiyarpour as a protest against land reforms in the 1960s, has become one of Iran’s most enigmatic tourist attractions.

Spanning 1,000 square meters, the garden features 180 dead trees hung with hundreds of perforated stones – some weighing over 10kg – suspended by wire.

Iran's Stone Garden: A silent protest turned tourist attraction

Local legend suggests Esfandiyarpour, who lost his lands during the 1961 agrarian reforms, created this surreal landscape as a silent cry against injustice.

“The stones speak louder than words,” said a local guide, noting how the 90-year-old creator (1904-2007) spent four decades carefully selecting and hanging each rock before being buried at the site.

Now listed as a cultural heritage site, the garden draws photographers and travelers to its haunting tableau.

Two award-winning films by Parviz Kimiavi, 1976’s The Stone Garden and 1994’s The Old Man and the Stone Garden, documented the creator’s life.

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