The village of Hoodarj (or Oodarj) is located in Rafsanjan County, Kerman Province. It lies 35 kilometers north of Zarand, along the Rafsanjan–Zarand road.
According to local accounts, the name Oodarj or Hoodarj means “Fortress of the Sun.” Some experts interpret it instead as a combination of the words “fortress” (dezh) and “sun” (khorshid).
In this village, there is a pistachio tree that is said to be around 700 years old, though some claim they can prove it is even older.
However, the village is also home to a remarkable hand-carved (underground) structure, known as a “dastkand”, which has yet to receive proper archaeological attention. Despite this, a national geopark assessment team has visited the site and stated that it could be included in Iran’s list of geoparks.
