700 Year Old Hobbit Cave Homes For Rent in Iran

These incredible underground houses carved from natural rock formations in Kandovan, Iran might seem like a new gimmick to attract tourists, but they're actually 700 years old! Technically, the inherently low-energy houses aren't true <a href="//inhabitat.com/2010/05/27/frank-lloyd-wright-fallingwater-underground-eco-cottages/">underground homes </a>since a portion of them sits above ground, but a subterranean adventure awaits those that dare to venture deeper inside.

However, since much of the living space is buried, inhabitants can expect cooler temperatures during the day without having to jack up the air conditioning (and saving a lot of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/energy">energy</a>).

There are modern doors and windows mixed in with more ancient looking <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/03/23/gorgeous-modern-home-is-built-inside-a-cave/">carved out rooms </a>and openings.

A stairway carved out of rock.

A typical room inside one of the cave homes.