3rd school shooting victim dies

• Shaylee Chuckulnaskit was 14 years old


• She died Friday at a hospital, a week after she was shot in her school cafeteria


• Two other students died; two cousins of the gunman were wounded


• The shooter took his own life in the cafeteria

(CNN) -- A third teenage girl has died from last week's shooting at a Washington state high school.

Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, died Friday night at Providence Regional Medical Center, the hospital said.

Shaylee Chuckulnaskit was "a radiant light bringing us incredible joy and happiness." her family says.

Shooter invited victims to cafeteria

Expert: Schools need shooting drills

What motivated Wa. school shooting?

She and four other students were shot October 24 in the cafeteria of Marysville Pilchuck High School.

Zoe Galasso, 14, died at the scene while Gia Soriano, 14, died Sunday night.

Two students -- Andrew Fryberg and Nate Hatch -- were wounded by the teen gunman -- who happened to be their cousin.

Shaylee's family issued a statement shortly after her death.

"Our hearts are broken at the passing of our beautiful daughter. Shay means everything to us," the family said.

"In Shay's short life she has been a radiant light bringing us incredible joy and happiness. She has been a loving daughter, a caring sister, a devoted friend and a wonderful part of our community. We can't imagine life without her."

Rampage ended when 'hero' teacher confronted gunman

Tulalip Tribes, a federally recognized Indian tribe, said the Chuckulnaskit family is part of its extended community.

"The Tulalip Tribes continue to offer up our condolences and prayers for the passing of Zoe Galasso and Gia Sariano, our hearts are heavy as we hear of the passing of Shaylee Chuckulnaskit," the Tribes said.

"With the loss of these three young lives there are no words that can truly express our compassion and condolences and the loss we feel."

Authorities say shooter Jaylen Fryberg invited his victims to the same lunch table by texting them.

Many questions remain about why the shootings occurred, but the answers may never be known.

Jaylen also took his own life in the school cafeteria.

CNN's Mayra Cuevas and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

Marine freed from Mexican prison

• NEW: Marine would have won case if it went to judgment, his attorney says


• Sgt. Andrew Paul Tahmooressi and his mother reunite with "big smiles" and long hug


• He was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 31


• Tahmooressi served in Afghanistan and suffered from PTSD, his mother says

(CNN) -- U.S. Marine reservist Sgt. Andrew Paul Tahmooressi is enjoying his first day home Saturday in Miami, freed from a seven-month detention in Mexico in a weapons case that he claimed grew merely from his taking a wrong turn.

His jailing drew widespread attention because he and his mother made an emotional plea for his release, echoed by such public figures as former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and television host Montel Williams, both of whom pressured Mexican officials on Tahmooressi's behalf.

The Marine who served in Afghanistan said he was being wrongly prosecuted and was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I think he's thrilled," family spokesman Jonathan Franks told CNN on Saturday morning.

"It's setting in. They need a little bit of time to reconnect as a family," Franks said.

Mexico court orders U.S. marine's release

Marine held in Mexico back in U.S.

A big, long hug

Tahmooressi boarded a flight from San Diego late Friday, shortly after his release.

"It is with an overwhelming and humbling feeling of relief that we confirm that Andrew was released today after spending 214 days in Mexican jail," his relatives said in a statement.

It was an emotional reunion with "big smiles" and a big, lengthy hug between Tahmooressi and his mother when they saw each other Friday evening.

"Without question, it was one of the most powerful experiences of my life," Franks said, who was present for the mother-son reunion. "Everybody was very excited."

"These are people who guided by deep faith, and they're grateful. I'm not sure how much more eloquently you can put it," Franks said.

Tahmooressi is in good physical condition, Franks said. "Obviously he hasn't spent a lot of time outside. He hasn't had much access to a gym as he had in his prior life, but he looks great," Franks said.

The Marine doesn't bear any "ill will" toward Mexico, Franks added.

Making 'the right choice'

Tahmooressi and his mother weren't making public comments Saturday.

"After a while, he will speak for himself," Franks said. "I think it's going to be several days, some time next week."

Richardson said he was among those who pressed for Tahmooressi's release, and he visited the former Marine at Mexico's El Hongo federal prison last week.

"I think the Mexican judge made the right choice ... because of PTSD, on humanitarian grounds, (that) he should be released," Richardson told CNN on Saturday morning.

"He's a good young man," Richardson said. "He served two tours in Afghanistan. He's suffered enough."

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said many U.S. officials and some Congress members worked through the Mexican legal process on behalf of Tahmooressi.

"We are pleased Mexican judicial authorities ordered Sgt. Tahmooressi released on October 31," Psaki said.

Mexican Embassy: Respecting the law

Mexican officials said "the legal process was carried out in strict accordance with the applicable legal framework and with full respect for the rights and guarantees of the U.S. citizen," the Mexican Embassy said in a statement.

"During the time of his detention, he received medical care and (accommodations) were made for him to receive personal visits," the embassy said. "The Government of Mexico reiterates its commitment to fully respect the rule of law as well as the human rights of all those within its jurisdiction. That includes the right of foreign citizens to consular notification and access, as well as guarantees of due process."

Tahmooressi was held on weapons charges after his arrest March 31 at a checkpoint in Tijuana, Mexico.

At the time, Mexican customs agents found three firearms in his truck, including a .45-caliber pistol, a pump shotgun and an AR-15 rifle. Mexico has strict federal laws on bringing weapons into the country.

Since his arrest, Tahmooressi has maintained that he took a wrong turn on the California side of the border and accidentally crossed into Tijuana.

The Mexican court said it found no cause to prosecute him on charges of carrying two firearms used exclusively by the military, possessing cartridges used exclusively by the military and carrying a firearm without a license

It also recommended he be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some Mexicans' criticism

Some Mexican nationals, however, criticized Tahmooressi and said it was no accident he was caught with guns in Mexico.

Fernando Benitez, an attorney for Tahmooressi, acknowledged how "in any country there will be some very specific sectors of society that will be a little extreme in their views."

"Mexico's not an exception," Benitez told CNN. "However, most people that really got to know the workings of the case agreed that this young man has to come back home."

If the case went to trial, Benitez felt Tahmooressi would have won, the attorney said.

"You know, it was a complicated case, but it wasn't -- never felt we couldn't win it," Benitez said.

On Monday, Benitez will try to reclaim the Marine's truck and weapons, said the lawyer who's based in Tijuana, Mexico.

Mother pleaded for release

In May, his mother said he served with the Marines in Afghanistan, and had moved to the San Ysidro, California, area to get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"He has unresolved, or untreated PTSD, and he cannot get the cognitive therapy behavior that veterans of America receive ... in a Mexico jail, where there is no such thing," Jill Tahmooressi said earlier this year.

Paul Tahmooressi has described a suicide attempt by his son with a shattered light bulb after being punched, slapped, cursed at, deprived of water and food, and shackled to a bed with a four-point restraint.

Conditions improved after media coverage of his plight, he said.

Mexican prison authorities have denied the abuse allegations.

CNN's Joe Sutton and Fidel Gutierrez contributed to this report.

Mudslide hits SoCal homes

• 11 homes have been evacuated


• A wildfire last year may have played a role in the mudslide

(CNN) -- A California mudslide prompted the evacuation of 11 homes in Ventura County, about an hour north of Los Angeles.

Heavy rain saturated the area Friday night about three hours before the mudslide occurred.

One man was trapped inside a house that was surrounded by mud, but he was later found safe.

Authorities said the evacuations of other homes was necessary.

"We are taking this precaution because it is dark and we cannot see the side of the mountain where the slide took place," Capt. Mike Lindbery of Ventura County Fire Department said early Saturday morning.

There have been no reports of anyone else trapped.

The area of the mudslide also suffered from a May 2013 wildfire that scorched 24,000 acres. The fire could have played a role in the blaze, since there was not enough vegetation to soak up the rainfall.

Which city's cuisine tops them all?

Chom Chom in Hong Kong didn't garner any stars in this year's Michelin guide, but it's still an incredible value for gourmet meals. Click on for more examples from around the world. Chef: Peter Cuong Franklin.Cuisine: Modern Vietnamese street food, with French techniques and presentation applied to classics like charcoal-grilled squid and bun cha pork. This casual eatery is inspired by Hanoi's bia hoi culture of sipping draft beer on street corners.

The Clove Club, London.Chef: Isaac McHale, former development chef of two-Michelin-starred The Ledbur. Cuisine: Inventive British food, with buttermilk fried chicken with pine and mains built around meats sided with local ingredients such as spinach, anchovy and mint.

Bistrot Bruno Loubet in London.Chef: Bruno Loubet, former head chef of Raymond Blanc's two-starred Four Season. Cuisine: Modern French food from a chef of the old school, with starters such as snails and meatballs alongside venison carpaccio and beetroot ravioli. Mains include roasted poussin and rabbit ragout.

&Made in Singapore.Chef: Bruno Menard, former head chef of Michelin triple-starred L'Osier in Tokyo.Cuisine: Every type of burger imaginable. Sides include truffle fries, posh salads and lychee milkshakes.

22 Ships in Hong Kong.Chef: Jason Atherton, former head chef of Gordon Ramsay's Maze (one Michelin star) and owner of Pollen Street Social (one Michelin star). Pictured: head chef Matt Bishop.Cuisine: Massive menu of modern Spanish tapas with classic seafood and meat dishes, as well as salmon ceviche and watermelon, or pineapple carrot sorbet with coconut tapioca.

Gustu in La Paz, Bolivia.Chef: Claus Meyer, co-founder and co-owner of Noma, Danish celebrity chef. Cuisine: Indigenous Bolivian cuisine re-imagined. Mains include local beetroot prepared with hibiscus, and rabbit slow-cooked in a corn base creamed by lemon juice. Gustu is part of Meyer's nonprofit foundation aimed at stimulating the Bolivian economy by investing in local resources.

Boco in Paris.Chef: Executive chefs include Gilles Goujon and Anne-Sophie Pic, of three-Michelin-starred restaurants L'Auberge du Vieux Puits and Pic in Valence. Cuisine: Ferniot calls it "fast fine food." Veal tenderloin is pre-cooked sous-vide for 12 hours; poached eggs are cooked by steaming in their shells for three minutes.

Bone Daddies in London.Chef: Ross Shonhan, former head chef of Nobu London, a one-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant.Cuisine: Ramen bar with four soups to choose from -- soya, miso, spicy sesame with pork mince and the signature, a piggy tonkotsu broth. Snacks include soft shell crab and yellowtail sashimi with ponzu, while the liquor menu includes sakes, shochus and Japanese beers and whiskeys.

Corner Room in London.Chef: Nuno Mendes, owner and chef patron of one-Michelin-starred Viajante.Cuisine: Creative Portuguese food served informally yet reminiscent of its Michelin-starred big brother, Viajante, with starters such as aged pumpkin with port and stracciatella, or Iberico pork with sides of bitter leaves and "winter" relish.

Luksus in New York.Chef: Daniel Burns, former pastry chef at two-Michelin-starred Noma. Cuisine: Scandi-American food using local and seasonal ingredients as taught at Noma. The 26-seat restaurant is accessed through a door at the back of Tørst, a craft beer bar also founded by Burns, so there are plenty of unique brews.

The Hind's Head in Bray, UK.Chef: Heston Blumenthal, chef proprietor of triple-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck and one-starred Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.Cuisine: The original gastro-pub serving up retooled British classics, like a gently oozy Scotch egg and foamy pea and ham soup, with mains including Cornish cod in a mussel broth and a bubble-and-squeak cake with quail egg and leek sauce.

Amass in Copenhagen.Chef: Matt Orlando, former head chef of two-Michelin-starred Noma in Copenhagen and two-Michelin starred Per Se in New York.Cuisine: Modern and fresh, prepared from seasonal, local produce grown in a garden at the front of the restaurant.

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• The 2015 Michelin guide to Hong Kong and Macau awards stars to 64 restaurants in Hong Kong and 11 in Macau


• Hong Kong and Macau are among the most affordable gourmet cities in the world, says Michelin


• Tim Ho Wan's dim sum and Yat Lok's roasted goose are some of the Michelin-starred cheap eats

(CNN) -- Tokyoites may brag about having the most Michelin stars in the world, but Hong Kongers can actually eat in theirs without breaking the bank.

Unveiled last week, the 2015 Michelin guide to Hong Kong and Macau awards 75 restaurants with its coveted stars -- 64 in Hong Kong and 11 in Macau.

Bo Innovation, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Lung King Heen, 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo-Bombana, Sushi Shikon, Robuchon au Dome (Macau) and The Eight (Macau) are once again crowned with three Michelin stars. (All restaurants in this story are located in Hong Kong unless otherwise indicated.)

But what makes Hong Kong special are the prices -- Hong Kong and Macau are among the most affordable Michelin lists in the world -- and variety.

"The selection in the 2015 guide also shows to what extent Hong Kong is increasingly attractive to young foreign chefs, more and more of whom are moving to the city," said Michelin in a statement accompanying the release of the guide. "Hong Kong has become an undisputed leader in the international culinary landscape."

MORE: "Help! A fake version of my restaurant has opened in China."

Starred cheap eats

Hong Kong Michelin guide mainstay Tim Ho Wan (9-11 Fuk Wing St., Sham Shui Po; +852 2788 1226) has long been known as the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world.

The humble establishment has now expanded to three branches and all receive one-star status in the 2015 guide.

A dim sum meal at Tim Ho Wan can easily cost less than $12.

After losing its place in the guide last year, Ho Hung Kee (Shop 1204-05, 12/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay; +852 2577 6060), celebrated for its $8 wonton noodle, returns in the 2015 guide with one star.

Serving roasted goose noodle for about $8, Yat Lok (34-38, Stanley St., Central; +852 2524 3882) advanced from the Bib Gourmand list to a one-star Michelin pick.

READ: The best Hong Kong dim sum

Newbies on the list

There are 15 new entries in the guide.

Some are also new to Hong Kong.

Notable newbs include Seasons (one star), helmed by former executive chef of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon; and Olivier Elzer, open only since June (Shop 308, 3/F, Phase 2, Lee Garden, 2-38 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay; +852 2505 6228).

Another new one-star entry is NUR (3/F, 1 Lyndhurst Tower, Lyndhurst Terrace, Central; +852 2871 9993), which opened in April. Chef Nurdin Topham says the secret to snatching a star so quickly is differentiating itself from competitors.

"We are committed to finding local products from producers in the region and working with the best local farmers, which may be in contrast to other restaurants," says Topham. "(Our) delivery cost is four times higher than normal."

Topham says many ingredients take only 48 hours at the most to go from the farm to NUR's tables.

Local celeb restaurateur Hardy Kam may have lost control of his renowned family restaurant Yung Kee -- after losing a high-profile court case involving the Kam brothers -- but his new eatery, Kam's Roast Goose (G/F, Po Wah Commercial Center, 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai; +852 25201110), was also awarded one star.

The guide also includes 78 Bib Gourmand restaurants, eateries of good value and that cost less than HKD300 ($38).

MORE: Hong Kong's best 'no reservations' restaurants

2015 Michelin guide Hong Kong

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, the first and only Michelin three-star Italian restaurant outside of Italy.

Three-star restaurants

Bo Innovation (Innovative)

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (French contemporary)

Lung King Heen (Cantonese)

8 ½ Otto e Mezzo -- Bombana (Italian)

Sushi Shikon (Sushi)

READ: Otto e Mezzo: Best place to eat white truffles in Hong Kong

Two-star restaurants

Amber (French contemporary)

Caprice (French)

Celebrity Cuisine (Cantonese)

Looking more like an art gallery, Duddell's is a Michelin two-star Cantonese restaurant.

Duddell's (Cantonese)

Pierre (French contemporary)

Ryu Gin (Japanese)

Shang Palace (Cantonese)

Summer Palace (Cantonese)

Sun Tung Lok (Tsim Sha Tsui branch) (Cantonese)

T'ang Court (Cantonese)

The Principal (Innovative)

Tin Lung Heen (Cantonese)

Wagyu Takumni (Innovative)

Yan Toh Heen (Cantonese)

MORE: Mario Batali: Hello, Hong Kong! China, here we come

One-star restaurants

Ah Yat Harbour View (Cantonese)

Akrame (French contemporary)

New to the list, Italian trattoria CIAK - In the Kitchen was awarded one star

CIAK — In The Kitchen (Italian)

Fook Lam Moon (Wan Chai) (Cantonese)

Forum (Cantonese)

Fu Ho (Tsim Sha Tsui) (Cantonese)

Golden Leaf (Cantonese)

Golden Valley (Chinese)

Guo Fu Lou (Cantonese)

Ho Hung Kee (Noodles and congee)

Jardin de Jade (Shanghainese)

Kam's Roast Goose (Cantonese roast meats)

Kazuo Okada (Japanese)

Lei Garden (IFC) (Cantonese)

Lei Garden (Kowloon Bay) (Cantonese)

Lei Garden (Mong Kok) (Cantonese)

Lei Garden (North Point) (Cantonese)

Lei Garden (Sha Tin) (Cantonese)

Lei Garden (Wan Chai) (Cantonese)

Loaf On (Cantonese)

Man Wah (Cantonese)

Mandarin Grill + Bar (European contemporary)

MIC Kitchen (Innovative)

Ming Court (Cantonese)

NUR (Innovative)

Pang's Kitchen (Cantonese)

Sai Kung Sing Kee (Seafood)

Seasons (French)

Spoon by Alain Ducasse (French)

Sushi Ginza Iwa (Sushi)

Tate (Innovative)

The Boss (Cantonese)

The Square (Cantonese)

The Steak House winebar + grill (Steakhouse)

Tim Ho Wan (North Point) (Dim sum)

Tim Ho Wan (Sham Shui Po) (Dim sum)

Tim Ho Wan (Tai Kwok Tsui) (Dim sum)

Tosca (Italian)

Upper Modern Bistro (French)

Wagyu Kaiseki Den (Japanese)

Yat Lok (Cantonese roast meats)

Ye Shanghai (Tsim Sha Tsui) (Shanghainese)

Yu Lei (Chinese)

Yuè (North Point) (Cantonese)

Zhejiang Heen (Shanghainese)

MORE: Stop killing Hong Kong's wonton noodle restaurants!

2015 Michelin guide Macau

Three-star restaurants

Robuchon au Dome (French contemporary)

The Eight (Chinese)

Two-star restaurants

Golden Flower (Chinese)

Zi Yat Heen (Cantonese)

READ: Macau's kung fu coffee master

One-star restaurants

Jade Dragon (Cantonese)

King (Cantonese)

The Golden Peacock (Indian)

The Kitchen (Steakhouse)

The Tasting Room (French contemporary)

Tim's Kitchen (Cantonese)

Wing Lei (Cantonese)

READ: Macau restaurants: 5 top spots for Macanese and Portuguese cuisine

Lawsuits: Frat fostered 'misogyny'

• Lawsuits allege two women sexually assaulted at Georgia Tech frat house


• Suits say national chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity allowed a culture of "violent misogyny"


• Suits cite leaked email from Georgia Tech chapter on how member could lure "rapebait"


• School's chapter was disbanded for three years in March after sex assault allegations

(CNN) -- Two lawsuits say the national chapter of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity allowed a culture of "violent misogyny" after an internal email from the Georgia Tech chapter leaked last year instructing fraternity members on how to lure "rapebait."

The lawsuits were filed Thursday in an Atlanta court on behalf of two anonymous women -- listed as Jane Doe and June Doe -- alleging they were sexually assaulted in separate incidents in 2012 and 2014 at the Georgia Tech chapter fraternity house based on a fraternity playbook for targeting women.

The Phi Kappa Tau national chapter, the now suspended local chapter and the chapter adviser are named as defendants in both lawsuits.

These aren't lawsuits "against the perpetrator. The student was pursued by the school and expelled. (Phi Kappa Tau) failed to take action and allowed a dangerous environment to fester, allowing the rape of two women," Cari Simon, the attorney representing the two women, told CNN on Friday.

Simon's firm said the same fraternity member was involved in both incidents.

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No criminal charges have been filed, the fraternity said.

"The complaints highlight an offensive email and disturbing statements made in 2013 by chapter members and attempt to somehow link the alleged sexual assaults in 2012 and 2014 to that conduct," the fraternity said in a statement.

"The Fraternity is disappointed that the plaintiffs' attorney chose to exploit the hypersensitivity of today's college environment towards sexual assault by drafting the complaints in a manner that sensationalizes completely inappropriate statements, while at the same time alleging that a Georgia Tech student committed criminal rapes of two different women."

Simon, the plaintiffs' attorney, said, "I totally agree that the language is salacious, but it's the words of their own members."

She said the suits were seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Opinion: 'Rapebait' email reveals dark side of frat culture

The leaked email contained references to using alcohol as a means of sexual persuasion and attracted the attention of online communities and social media sites.

The fraternity member who wrote the email apologized in Georgia Tech's student newspaper last year.

Identified only as "Matthew," he said that he was his chapter's social chair and that the email was a joke and should never have been written in the first place. Matthew wrote the email but is not the person accused of sexual assault.

"Misogynistic behavior is everywhere online and unfortunately, my attempt to ridicule it in an immature and outrageous satire backfired terribly and in a manner I mistakenly underestimated," he wrote in the Technique, the student newspaper.

The school's chapter was disbanded for three years over accusations of sexual assault in March, Georgia Tech said.

Georgia Tech, which wasn't named as a defendant in the lawsuits, had no comment on the litigation.

5 incredible Iran landmarks

Hidden in the humid green forests of Iran's northern Gilan province is Rudkhan Castle, a medieval military fortress whose origins predate the rise of Islam in Iran.

For an up-close look at the Iran of hundreds of years ago, visitors to Isfahan can stay in Bekhradi Historical House, a 400-year-old inn built in the Safavid era that has been beautifully restored.

A UNESCO World Heritage site in the northwestern province of Zanjan, the mausoleum of Oljaytu at Soltaniyeh is topped by one of the world's largest domes.

About 30 miles outside the northwestern city of Tabriz lies the troglodyte village of Kandovan, where residents live in cone-shaped caves cut out of volcanic rock. Nestled within the 800-year-old village, the Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel gives guests the experience of rock dwelling.

Toghrol Tower is a Seljuk-era monument situated in the city of Rey, on the southern outskirts of Iran's capital city, Tehran.

• Explore Rudkhan Castle in Iran's northern Gilan province


• Stay in a hard-carved rock hotel in the troglodyte village of Kandovan


• See the spectacular Soltaniyeh Dome in the northwestern province of Zanjan

(CNN) -- It might not be on everyone's travel radar, but Iran has a well-worn tourist circuit, encompassing attractions in the ancient cities of Shiraz and Isfahan.

For those wanting to get off the beaten path, the country has a wealth of lesser-known destinations that rival the stunning beauty and historical significance of their more famous counterparts.

Here are five of the best:

Rudkhan Castle

'A hopeful time' in Iran

Bourdain on Iran: Not what I expected

Hidden in the humid green forests of Iran's northern Gilan province is Rudkhan Castle, a medieval military fortress whose origins predate the rise of Islam in Iran.

Few foreign tourists have visited the site, which is a popular attraction among Iranians.

Work started on the castle during the Persian Sassanid era, between A.D. 224 and 651. Followers of the Ismaili sect (the infamous "Assassins" or "Hashashin") are believed to have renovated and completed the fortress during the late 11th to 12th centuries.

The hike up to the castle, which is situated along two peaks of a verdant mountain, takes more than an hour, prompting many locals to call Rudkhan the "Castle of a Thousand Steps."

After you've made the trek back down, it's worth stopping off for food on the drive back on the main highway toward Rasht, the capital of Gilan province. Try a northern Iranian lunch at the exquisite Pich restaurant (Pich Restaurant, Rasht to Anzali Highway, Khomam Beltway; +98 132 422 7554; Pichrestaurant@yahoo.com.) The "Torsh" kabob -- tenderloin marinated in pomegranate paste, walnuts and garlic -- is a particularly appetizing regional specialty.

Bekhradi Historical House

This 400-year-old inn built in Persia's Safavid era features four tastefully decorated multiroomed guest suites and is the oldest house to be restored in Iran.

Its renovation and artistic restoration took local interior designer and restoration specialist Morteza Bekhradi five years to engineer and complete.

Peppered with stained-glass windows and original artwork from the Safavid and subsequent Qajar eras, the house sits between two gardens replete with fruits and wildflowers.

The house's furniture was designed by Bekhradi using wood from the chenar (plane) trees that line the streets and historic gardens of Isfahan.

The designer says he sought to stay true to the setup of the original home, which he says is believed to have belonged to a Safavid-era aristocrat.

Even the traditional heavy Iranian wooden doors lining the entryways of the upstairs suites belonged to the original house and were restored using chenar wood.

Doors throughout the rest of the historical residence, which boasts an intricately decorated traditional "hojreh" room for cooling and relaxation, are chenar-wood replicas of Safavid originals.

To date, most guests have discovered the inn only by word of mouth, and even local Isfahanis are only just beginning to learn about this hidden gem.

Bekhradi Historical House, 56, Sonbolestan Alley, Ebn-e-Sina St, Shohada Sq, Isfahan; +98 31 34482072

Soltaniyeh Dome

A UNESCO World Heritage site in the northwestern province of Zanjan, the mausoleum of Oljaytu at Soltaniyeh is topped by one of the world's largest domes.

Built between 1302 and 1312 in Soltaniyeh, the capital city of the Mongols' Ilkhanid Dynasty, the monument is a mausoleum for Il-khan Oljeitu, the Ilkhanid's eighth ruler.

Though much of the structure's exterior coloring and tiles have faded through the centuries, the intricate brickwork, tilework and vibrant designs inside the mausoleum have remained largely unscathed.

The unique double-shelled structure of the Soltaniyeh Dome is also believed to have influenced the design of India's Taj Mahal mausoleum.

Interesting factoid: Oljeitu was born to a Christian mother and baptized as Nicholas. He later became Buddhist and then converted to Islam.

He intended for the Soltaniyeh Dome to house religious artifacts, but after clerics banned him from doing so, he decided to make the monument his own tomb.

Visits to the dome are worth sidetracking to Zanjan for a lunch of classic Iranian dizi, or lamb and chickpea soup, at Carvansarai Sangi (Zanjan, Iran; +98 241 326 1266), an ancient pit stop that's been converted into a popular local restaurant.

Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel

About 30 miles outside the northwestern city of Tabriz lies the troglodyte village of Kandovan.

People here live in cone-shaped caves cut out of volcanic rock at the foot of Mount Sahand, a dormant volcano.

Nestled within the 800-year-old village, the Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel has been literally hand-carved into the rocky landscape, with each of the luxury hotel's 16 modernized rooms encompassing a cave, or "karaan."

According to local lore, mineral water sourced from Mount Sahand, long valued throughout Iran for its medicinal properties, originated in the biblical Garden of Eden.

Guests of the hotel can take a relaxing soak in this precious liquid. If there's a spa tub in the room, the mineral water gets pumped in directly.

Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel, Kandovan Rd, Kandovan; + 98 412 323 0191

Toghrol Tower

Toghrol Tower is a Seljuk-era monument situated in the city of Rey, on the southern outskirts of Iran's capital city, Tehran.

Often overlooked by visitors who tend to stick to the higher-income northern and central areas of the Iranian capital, Rey is the oldest county in Tehran province and is speckled with historical monuments, including a 500-year-old Safavid-era bazaar.

The tower is said to serve as the mausoleum for Seljuk king Toghrol Beg, who established Rey as a major administrative center of the Seljuk Dynasty until its destruction by Mongol armies in the early 13th century.

From the tower, it's a quick ride into the heart of Tehran's Armenian quarter to round off the trip with a cup of coffee and Armenian pastries at the historic Cafe Naderi (Hotel Naderi and Cafe, Jomhuri Eslami Avenue, Tehran; +98 21 66 701 872), a haunt frequented for decades by Iran's greatest writers and intellectuals.

Roshanak Taghavi is a journalist based between Washington and the Middle East. Follow her on Twitter at @RoshanakT.