Kalmakareh

Kalmakareh Cave

Lorestan, considered the cradle of Iranian civilization, enjoys a mountainous climate in the heart of Zagros Mountains. The discovery of bronze objects, the existence of caves like Mirmelas, Pasangar, Gararjaneh and bridges like Kashkan and Pol Dokhtar affirm its importance.

Kalmakareh Cave is located on Mahleh Hill, at a height of 650 meters above sea level. After passing through the Bagh Darreh village, there is a mountainous path that took us three hours to travel to reach the entrance of the cave. This natural cave has many stalactites and stalagmites that have been badly damaged by human intervention. The existence of huge clay pots, freshwater wells and clay objects (used for funerals) are proof of prehistoric life in the cave. There are four continuous rooms, of which only the first is slightly illuminated by the sunlight from the entrance, the other three are completely dark. The second room is reached by crawling down a hall 80 centimeters long.

Some believe that the cave had a ritual function. The discovered objects (13 wild goats, 8 bulls and 2 eagles) are recognized as the symbol of Mehr and the scene of the lion’s victory over the bull is believed to indicate the ritual of the slaughter of the bull in the Mehr cult. Kalmakareh comes from two words: Kalma, which means the refuge of the goats, and Kareh, which means the wild fig tree, both symbols of Mehr.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, anthropology, historical landscapes and the 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.

Ghiri Kenar

Ghiri Kenar Cave or Behdeh

This cave is located north of the Behdeh village, in the Hormozgan province. It was excavated to transfer the water to the plain. In addition to the cave, there are dams and other channels that lead the water into the cave. The water flows into the Behdeh plain supplying the needs of its inhabitants for years.

Ghiri is a mountainous area southwest of Behdeh, right next to the fifty farm fields. In ancient times, the inhabitants of the area dug a tunnel to carry rainwater to the valley. This system was built with special engineering and they also built a dam. This work of extraordinary beauty is considered today one of the most valuable historical monuments.

The presence of medicinal plants such as thyme, hawthorn, cherry and other plants has contributed to the beauty of the area, while the beautiful mountains and incredible trails attract the attention of mountaineers.

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.

Hotú and Kamarband

Hotú and Kamarband Caves

One of the prehistoric human settlements was found in two caves called Kamarband and Hotú, 8 kilometers from Behshahr. The two caves are only a few tens of meters apart.

A group of archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania, under the supervision of Carlton and Stanley, came to Mazandaran in the 1950s to study and investigate the cave in detail. Their goal was to discover objects inherited from the Stone Age, especially the Paleolithic, when people made necessary stone tools. But what they found in these caves was a truly incredible discovery: three skeletons; a man and two women! In addition to stone tools and skeletons, they also found many pieces of clay. In excavations at Kamarband, dating back to the Neolithic, 174 pieces of clay were discovered. The Neolithic is an important period in the history of human civilization, during which man began to practice agriculture and domesticate animals.

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.

Garmsar

Garmsar Salt Cave

Garmsar Salt Cave, known as Garmsar Naft Darreh Cave, was created as a result of flooding and washing of the rocky cliffs in the area. The cave atmosphere is healthy due to the excessive presence of layers of salt. Its temperature, in the heat of summer, is very mild and maintains a certain constant freshness. One of the beauties of this salt cave is, when the salt was extracted in the heart of the mountain, a magnificent tunnel was created and, with the passage of time, the humid air of the interior and the different colors of the mineral salt have created an incredibly unique scene.

The salt rocks of the cave have a great variety of colors, so that the stones at the entrance to the cave are dark in color, becoming more and more clear as you find out about it. Another striking feature of the cave’s interior is the abundance of salt stalactites that hang like spears from the ceiling. Also, a winding corridor of 5.1 km in length opens before the eyes that is in the middle of the salt mountain and remains a mysterious place.

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.

Ayub Cave

Ayub Cave

The Ayub cave is located 16 kilometers southwest of the city of Dehaj, in Shahr-e Babak, in the province of Kerman, on a mountain of the same name.

Inside the cave there is a source of water flowing out through a network of pipes. In the past, people believed that the prophet Job, who suffered from some kind of skin disease, was cured after bathing in the water of this spring.

The opening of the cave is 80 meters long and 60 meters high. Of all the known caves in Iran, Ayub is the one with the largest mouth and the highest ceiling.

In this cave there is another small mortar-shaped basin called Howz-e Arezú (basin of desires). According to local belief, if a fisherman throws a stone into the basin and it falls into a hole, his wish will be fulfilled.

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

Alisadr Cave

Alisadr Cave

Alisadr is the only aquatic cave in Iran, linked to the Jurassic period (the second geological period). Forming one of the wonders of the country with its seemingly endless labyrinths, it is located in the town of Alisadr, in the province of Hamadan. It is worth mentioning that the Alisadr cave is the largest water cave in the world.

This incredible cave is located at an altitude of 1980 meters on Mount Zagros. The cave was discovered by a team of Hamadan mountaineers and cavers in 1962 and 1963. The cave area consists of many winding corridors and a large lake, created by several streams, barely observable in cave circuits that take place in pedal boats. The lake water is clean and clear, but not drinkable due to the presence of abundant limestone salt in the water.

The ceiling, which in some parts reaches a height of 10 meters above the water level, is covered with pure calcium carbonate and in some places it is mixed with other elements. Along the way we can see stalactites and stalagmites, rocks and sculptures with strange shapes and similar to animals. The view inside the cave is truly unique and the climate is cool in summer and pleasant in winter.

If you are passionate about caves, mountains, hiking, mountaineering, anthropology, historical landscapes and the 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.

Polo

Polo

The nomads of Central Asia practiced a form of polo that was both sport and combat training, with up to 100 men on each side. In Persia, polo, practiced by the nobility and the military, became a national sport. The game was formalized and spread from the west to Constantinople, from the east to Tibet, China and Japan, and also from the south to India.

Polo is perhaps the oldest team sport, although its exact origin is an enigma. Nomad warriors probably first played this sport more than two thousand years ago, but the earliest known tournament dates back to 600 BC. The name is supposed to come from the Tibetan “pholo”, which means “ball” or · ball game “. Starting from its origins in Persia, the game has often been associated with the rich and noble of society; kings, princes and queens of Persia played this game. Polo has also been linked to the middle and upper classes in the past, mainly because of its origins in Great Britain. The fact that it was played by wealthy people is perhaps due to the fact that, being a game played on horseback, it requires at least two horses per game, an expensive hobby.

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Zurkhaneh

Zurkhaneh

Zurkhaneh is a Persian gym where athletes undergo a series of bodybuilding techniques. The term Zurkhaneh refers to the training place, whose literal meaning is “powerhouse”. The ritual is carried out by a musician who sings poems and is accompanied by the rhythm of the drum and rings bells to determine the beginning of the different sections and actions. Practitioners of this sport undergo a long sequence of exercises directed by the musician, the guide of the room, called “Morshed” in Persian. Zurkhaneh practice encompasses all the factors of good health (muscular capacity, respiratory and cardiac resistance, flexibility, body composition) and of good physical capacity (speed, alertness, strength, speed of action, balance and coordination).

This practice can be considered a historical legacy of the Sassanid era that has survived, more or less, in some parts of Iran. In short, Zurkhaneh was a former physical education school for soldiers and military personnel, comparable to the gymnasiums of the Roman polis.

Iranian soldiers perfected their famous physical strength and approached combat techniques by practicing the complete Zurkhaneh martial system with training exercises aimed at developing the power and agility necessary to fight with sword, bow and arrow, mace and shield. The Zurjane focuses on strength, physique, ability and endurance and continues to live as a legacy of the past and deserves a lot of attention. To know more about the Persian gym, you need to know some technical and jargon terms:

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Popular Games

Juegos populares en Irán

Popular Iranians Games 

Games are often culturally charged and traditional Iranian games, on top of that, enjoy a great variety. Due to the broad climate, ethnicity and tribe in Iran, these games have been designed for specific purposes and have become common among the population. In Iran there are more than 150 types of traditional games that the new generation is no longer familiar with due to the passage of time, new technologies and lifestyle changes. These games are divided into two groups: indoor and outdoor games. These games, in turn, have allowed people to enjoy their leisure time anywhere and some of them are socially and culturally common in most cities in Iran.

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Varzaneh

Varzaneh

The desert closest to the city of Isfahan and the most famous in this province is called the Varzaneh desert. It is located 100 km east of Isfahan, 150 km west of Yazd and is surrounded by the city of Varzaneh and Zayandeh Rud to the north and the Gavkhuni wetland to the east. The entire Varzaneh Desert is covered by longitudinal pyramidal dunes in the shape of a crescent, reaching a height of 100 meters at the highest points.

The Varzaneh Desert is also known as the Khara Desert and takes its name from the vast Khara Desert. But today, in the desert division of this region, the Khara Desert and the Varzaneh Desert are considered two distinct desert areas. Currently, the Khara Desert is located 30 km from the Varzaneh Desert, near the town of Khara.

Varzaneh is one of the most beautiful deserts of Iran in the province of Isfahan and Lake Gavkhuni is one of the most important places near this desert. The existence of the Gavkhuni wetland has led to the appearance of shrubs and animal species in this area. Of course, it must be remembered that this wetland has no water during the hot months of the year.

If you are passionate about mountains, hiking, mountaineering, desert camping, anthropology, historical landscapes and the 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.

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