Kurdestan Karaftu cave

Karaftu Cave is one of the rock architectural works of Iran, which is located in Divandarreh city in Kurdistan province. Kurdistan Cave is one of the most attractive monuments of the ancient Iranians, parts of which have been created by hand.

In general, the cave is a type of limestone and natural caves and was probably created in the third geological period. This cave has been inhabited by humans over time and in different periods, and this has caused changes in the cave. During these settlements, people have created spaces in the cave in the form of corridors, nested rooms, propylaeum, and so on. Karaftu Cave is famous among the hand-dug caves of Iran due to its complete architecture.

Features of Karaftu cave

Karaftu Cave is located in the heart of the mountain and on four architectural floors. The height of the entrance of the cave was about 20 to 25 meters and in the past it had a difficult and impassable path. The construction structure of the cave is unique. On one of the rooms on the third floor there is an inscription with the following content: "This is where Heracles or Hercule live, where no filth can be found." The discovery of this inscription, which is in Greek script, led to the cave being called the Temple of Heracles or Hercules. In some parts of the cave there is water that you have to use a boat to watch them. The pictures and motifs used in the cave have made it one of the most special .

Karaftu castle1

Attractions of Kurdistan province

Researchers consider the four residential periods of the cave to be prehistoric, Parthian, Sassanid and Islamic periods. Some have suggested the Seleucid period of the cave among other periods, citing the existence of a Greek inscription. By studying the pottery obtained from the cave and its surroundings and according to the available evidence, it is likely that the cave was a religious center in pre-Islamic times and was used for worship. And after Islam, with the changes they made, they used it as a place of residence or even as a place of defense. The locals still refer to it as the castle.

Tags: Attractions, cave, Kordestan Province, Kurdestan Karaftu cave

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