Kandovan is the name of one of the villages of East Azarbaijan province, which is located 60 km southwest of Tabriz. This village is one of the beautiful and unique natural attractions of East Azerbaijan province, which owes most of its fame to the houses that have been dug in the shape of a beehive in the heart of rocky cliffs. Kandovan village is a summer region located in the Sahand Mountains. This region has a very pleasant climate and many nomads migrate there due to the green pastures.
So far, only three rock villages have been identified in the world, including Cappadocia in Turkey, Dakota in the United States, and Kandovan in Iran. Among these villages, only in Kandovan in Iran life go on, and two similar villages are Haunted. Over 117 families live inside the rock houses of Kandovan, and its inhabitants are engaged in rural jobs such as agriculture, animal husbandry and handicraft production.
History of Kandovan
In the history of this region, it is narrated that the inhabitants of a village called Hilehvar, located two kilometers west of Kandovan, were the first group to migrate to the plain in front of the current Kandovan in the 7th century AH to escape the Mongol invasion. They have gradually dug into the rocks to provide shelter for themselves. Of course, some archaeologists attribute the village’s antiquity to pre-Islamic times.
Architecture of Kandovan houses
The architectural method used in the construction of houses in Kandovan village is indigenous and rocky. In rock architecture, building materials such as plaster, lime, clay, etc. are not present and the desired space is created by engraving inside the stone. This village has been registered in the list of national monuments due to its special architecture and texture. Contrary to popular belief, these rock houses, like ordinary residential houses, have different sections such as living room, safe, kitchen and even equipped with water and electricity piping system. The walls of these interesting houses are about 2 meters in diameter, so the space inside the house is naturally warm in winters and cool in summers.
Interestingly, most of these rock masses are about 40 meters high and most of them are composed of two to four floors, but due to the rock structure of these floors are independent of each other and have no connection with each other from within. Hence, to access the upper floors, beautiful stairs are provided from the rock body itself. The ground floor is often used as a stable and the other floors are used for residential purposes. In these holes, hotels have been built in the style of village houses, which are available to domestic and foreign tourists. Annually, more than 300,000 tourists travel to Kandovan village and enjoy the weather and its beauties.
Souvenirs from Kandovan
When visiting the village of Kandovan and seeing the rocks, the first image that comes to mind is the resemblance of these rocks to beehives; This is while honey is one of the most important souvenirs of Kandovan. Dried fruits are another souvenir of Azerbaijan region that due to the suitable climate in most parts of the province, dried fruit products are offered with excellent quality. If you travel to Kandovan in the summer, you can also benefit from the fruits of the fruitful trees of the region, such as apricots, cherries, etc. Handicrafts and all kinds of weavings are mostly made by the women of this land and are offered everywhere in Kandovan village. Kandovan mineral water springs are also one of the attractions and souvenirs of this ancient village and are very useful for treating kidney diseases due to having the lowest percentage of hardness and heaviness.
Time table to visit Kandovan Village
Opening hours: 24 hours a day
English and Farsi address of Choga Zanbil
Kandovan village, Osko City, East Azerbaijan Province
استان آذربایجان شرقی، شهرستان اسکو، روستای کندوان
