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Zingan Cave

The natural cave of Zingan is located in the middle of an extensive plain near the town of Salehabad, in the province of Ilam. This cave has a very pleasant and quite cold climate, which is why it is also known as “Behesht” cave, which means paradise. Many professional ecotourists believe that this natural phenomenon is not a cave, but a gorge since it is open at the beginning and end and does not look like the common caves that we know.

While the climate in Salehabad and the Mehran district is generally hot and dry, inside the cave the humidity is very high, leading to the growth of plants and vegetables that usually grow in humid and rainy habitats.

Going through this cave is a very adventurous experience. The water flows along the path. In other places, the passage becomes narrow, which hinders the progression and makes it more pleasant. Along the way there are two waterfalls that you also have to cross. To get to this wonderful cave, which is about ten kilometers from Salehabad, you have to travel about 50 kilometers from Ilam to the west.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Yakh Morad Cave

One of the most famous caves in Iran is Yakh Morad, located in Alborz province, along the famous Karaj-Chalus highway. Numerous stalactites and stalagmites of ice and other sediments have created fascinating and unique shapes in the heart of the cave. Its history dates back to the second geological period. Some specialists believe that the Yakh Morad cave was formed about fifty million years ago under the sea.

The holes in the cave walls act as natural fans that facilitate the circulation of air currents and increase the oxygen level in the cave. Cave conditions provide an ideal environment for ice formation. As a result, large masses of ice have formed in different parts of the cave. These masses, considered as stalactites and stalagmites, begin to form towards the end of autumn. This process continues due to the cold season, snowfall in the area, and infiltration of water through the cave walls. Thus, the months of March and April are considered the best time to visit this place, also because at the beginning of the warm season the ice begins to melt and in the months of May-June only the frozen lake remains.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Shapur Cave

Shapur Cave is located near Kazerun, in the surroundings of Bishapur, an ancient Sassanid city. Inside the cave there is an artistic carved statue from the time of the Sassanid Empire making the cave a beautiful natural and archaeological destination. In the lower part of the mountain, where the river flows, the side walls of the Choghan Gorge are covered with bas-reliefs, in such a way that we are first given the opportunity to visit them before visiting the cave.

To get to the cave, you have to go through the Kashkuli village and go to the hill where the road sign that leads to the cave is. After an hour and a half of walking, you will reach the 230 steps near the cave, which will facilitate the way. Shapur Cave is located about 800 meters above sea level.

The entrance to the cave is 30 meters long and 15 meters high. Before entering the cave, there is a crypt on the left, part of which is made by hand. About 10 meters after the entrance to the cave, the 7-meter statue of Sassanid King Shapur appears. After more than 15 centuries, the head of this statue is still intact, but both of its arms have been damaged. Apparently this statue was toppled as a result of an earthquake and later repaired and returned to its original condition.

The locals believe that Shapur I was buried in this cave. While some believe when he failed in battle, he hid in the cave and no one saw him again. Be that as it may, nothing diminishes the value of this masterpiece.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Sang Tarashan Cave

Jahrom’s Sang Shekanan Cave, known to locals as Sang Eshkan, is the largest handcrafted cave in Iran and the Middle East. In fact, it is one of the largest and most beautiful man-made caves in the region. The Sang Eshkan cave consists of several openings and columns that can be seen in the form of transverse porticoes.

The arches are made by extraction of limestone and dolomitic stone. Most of them are tunnel-shaped. Therefore, we can say that there is no cave bigger than Sang Tarashan with the same characteristics: arches, columns and openings.

The stones extracted and transported from the cave were used for decoration works, building facades and portals, barred windows, gravestones, stone statuettes and vases. The portal of the Shah Cheragh shrine, the Atigh Mosque in Shiraz, the Eram garden are some examples of the places where these stones were used.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Sahulan Cave

Sahulan Cave, with its geological structure of water, earth and limestone, is one of the most wonderful and unique natural caves in Iran, situated at 1751 meters above sea level. Sahulán Cave is the second largest aquatic cave in Iran after Alisadr. This cave dates back to the late Cretaceous and is linked to geological activity of about 70 million years ago. It served as a residence and refuge for primitive peoples during the first and second millennium BC.

The cave was made up of large basins that are connected by 300-meter-long water channels. This cave has two main entrances and it is possible to enter the cave through one of them and exit through the other.

The height of the ceiling of the cave with respect to the surface of the lake is about 50 meters and the depth of the water in some places reaches 30 meters. The temperature difference between inside and outside is 10-15 degrees and the humidity of the cave ranges between 70-80%, so the surface of the stones and rocks is covered with moss due to the high level of humidity. The calcareous sediments of various shapes inside the cave and the beautiful ridges create the special landscape of the cave. The roof, covered in pure calcium carbonate, is about 10 meters above the water level in parts.

The view inside the cave is very original and the climate is cool in summer and warm and pleasant in winter.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Rudafshan Cave

At the foot of the Alborz Mountains, in the province of Tehran, in a town called Rudafshan, there is a fascinating cave. Rudafshan Cave is one of the perfect options for hiking and trekking through the nature of the village and its unique route. To access the entrance of the cave you must wear suitable footwear, as the water constantly flows from the ceiling of the cave and makes the floor slippery and wet.

Naturally, the water flows in some areas of the cave and what stands out the most is the high humidity and the beautiful anticlines and synclines. Another unique feature of this cave is its large vestibule and its open mouth. One of the vestibules of Rudafshan Cave is known as the Temple of Anahita, showing that in the past the cave was used as a residence or perhaps even a place to perform religious rituals. However, taking a tour of Rudafshan Cave is not easy and there are difficult trails, but nothing can stop lovers of beautiful places like this.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Quri Qale Cave

This cave is located in the western province of Kermanshah, near the city of Paveh, and was formed about 65 million years ago. Quri Qale is twelve kilometers long and is more than 2000 meters above sea level. The temperature inside the cave is about nine degrees Celsius in all seasons. Archaeological investigations show that the Quri Qale cave was the residence of hunters during the Stone Age.

Some believe that this cave got its name from a teapot-shaped castle located near the cave. While others say that this cave was originally known as “Gora Qale” since in Kurdish, Gora means big and Qale means castle. Of course, there are no proven documents for any of these claims. Near the cave there is a town with the same name.

In another part of this cave, known as the Crystal Room or Beethoven’s Room, a thousand meters deep, there are chandeliers and, when you touch them, a sound similar to that of one of the musical notes is heard. According to experts, this section is one of the most beautiful and spectacular of this natural monument.

In the interior there are lakes and wells 14 meters deep. Some limestone crystals and stalactites have formed in places where there is more humidity and where water flows from small waterfalls. A rare type of bat and the yellow-spotted salamander live in Quri Qale. Also, in this cave historical indications of the end of the Sassanid Empire have been found.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.

Namakdan cave

The longest salt cave in the world, called Namkadan, is located 90 km on the island of Qeshm, 237 meters above sea level. At the bottom of the cave you can see currents of salt water, creating a magnificent sight for visitors.

The humidity of the island and the infiltration of water in the caves cause the saturated salt water to flow over the body of the natural chandeliers, constantly forming them. This flow of water in the heart of Namakdan Mountain is a permanent underground flow that, on the other side of the cave, opens to another outlet.

At the entrance of the cave there is a natural white basin, where the cave water accumulates, and appears as a salt spring on the mountainside. Sometimes the salty water in the cave reflects images like a mirror, creating a beautiful and unique sight. The main bed of this cave is red. The sediments that have formed in this area contain iron oxide compounds, especially hematite. The ceiling of the cave has a beautiful structure and is covered with salt crystal lamps in different shapes.

The importance of the Namakdan cave is due to the medicinal properties of its salt, which contains magnesium and dates back more than 570 million years.

In the past, salts were in the form of layers that formed over time and, due to their buoyancy and because their volumetric weight is less than that of the surrounding rocks, they pushed them sideways and moved upwards.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, historical landscapes and fascinating culture of the Middle East, SITO Travel will help you organize your trip to Iran. Get in touch with us because our experience is born and developed in this field.