Saholan cave is a tourist attraction and one of the most important national natural monuments in Iran. Every year, many visitors from inside and outside of Iran come to the city of Bukan to visit this amazing cave. If you are also curious about this cave, stay with us until the end of this article to know more about it.

saholan Cave is one of the best natural attractions in Iran

The route to this cave

There are different ways to travel to this cave. You can reach there from the southeast side of Mahabad city. Another way passes through Burhan road and a beautiful village called Eisa kand. If you want to reach Saholan cave from the side of Bukan city, you have to drive 25 km.

Introduction of the cave

Saholan means ice in the local language of the people of this region, and the local people call it kone kotar, which means pigeon's nest. The reason for its name is that many bird nests have been built in this cave since the past. Among the water caves in Iran, this cave ranks second and no one knows exactly when it was discovered.

In fact, since ancient times, many people visited this cave to escape the storm or to hunt. For this reason, this cave has always been known to local people. But if we want to check the history of official visits to the cave, we should go back many years, when a French person named Jacques De Morgan visited the cave for the first time.

He built a small wooden boat with the help of other people living in that area, and visited the waterway inside it with a few people. At that time, he made a simple sketch map of the inside of the cave. It is interesting to know that this map is 60% consistent with what experts have drawn today!

Families visit this cave during holidays

Learn more about the structure of the cave

Today, a route of 250 meters from the land and 300 meters from the waterway of this cave has been officially discovered and registered. The main structure of Saholan Cave consists of several beautiful ponds that are connected to each other by a waterway. The depth of the cave ponds varies between 22 and 60 meters. The height of the roof of the cave from its floor has been measured between 50 and 60 meters.

 The inside of the cave is 15 degrees Celsius cooler than the outside, and the temperature is usually between 5 and 10 degrees.The water that flows in this cave is supplied by springs and underground water sources. There are two ways to enter the cave, one of which has 178 steps and the other has 107 steps. The floor of this cave is slippery and visitors may get injured during the visit, so they should travel here with proper sports shoes.

The speleothems  of this cave have attracted the attention of many photographers. These speleothems are made of limeston. The next thing about the sediments in the cave is that many of them have been likened to things like jelly fish or elephant feet and bats. The lighting inside the cave allows you to see these sediments well.

Visiting one of the most beautiful caves in Iran

cave ecosystem

Only bats and pigeons live in this cave. Due to the presence of lighting, bats try to avoid places where tourists. Their voices can be heard at night, but you cannot see them because of the darkness. Pigeons have nested in places where there is more light, and during your visit you can see where they live and their chicks.

 Only microscopic organisms grow in the water of Saholan Cave. It is interesting to know that there are no algae or plants in the cave and the reason for this is the lack of sunlight. Of course, because the humidity in this cave is high and it is about 75%, mosses can be seen on the stones. The water of the cave is also very clear and you can see the rocks under the water in the shallow parts.

Tips for visiting Saholan Cave

This cave is located in a very cold state and you may not be able to visit the cave in autumn and winter due to rainy or snowy weather. We suggest that you choose spring and summer to visit Saholan Cave so that the weather does not hinder your plan.In terms of geology, this cave is a combination of stone and lime, and you should be very careful not to damage its structure during your visit.

According to the research done in this cave, it dates back to two thousand years before Christ. The largest area inside the cave has a width of 42 meters and a height of 58 meters, which has created a good space for taking pictures of the cave walls.you can read more aboute this on lootke website!

Boat ride in the cave

One of the best experiences you can have in your life is boating in this cave. So far, many tourist groups and academic groups have been boating in Saholan Cave. Of course, the path is not very long and after a few minutes you will reach the rock walls and have to go back. On the other hand, if you have specialized diving equipment, you can explore a longer route through waterways by having a permit.

In the last part of the cave there is a rock wall

Conclusion

Saholan Cave is a very beautiful cave near the Bukan city. This cave is very old and people used it since ancient times. The land and water path of this cave has been discovered during the years, makes it the second water cave in Iran. You can visit this cave in spring and summer. Note that it is better to enter the cave with proper equipment. Boat ride inside the cave will be very exciting and you can see the sediments and birds there. Be careful not to damage the natural structure while you are inside the cave. If you want to get more information about the attractions of Iran, visit the lootke.com