Sanati Contemporary Arts Museum

Occupying a former orphanage, this art museum is a pleasant surprise in a town that can otherwise feel a long way from modern cultural pursuits. In a Qajar-era building set around an attractive courtyard, the museum houses paintings, sculptures and stone inlays by famous local artist Sayyed Ali Akbar Sanati (1916–2006), who spent most of his childhood in the orphanage. It also exhibits works by younger Iranian artists and even a bronze hand by Auguste Rodin. Not surprisingly, it’s a good place to meet open-minded young Kermanis.