بررسي غار تاريخي كرفتو از ديدگاه ژئوتوريسم

Geotourism Study of Karaftou Historical Cave

Karaftou as one of important caves of Iran is located in Kurdistan Province. This cave, located within high cliffs at 74 km east of Saghez City. It is important and unique due to various viewpoints of geology, archaeology, and specially geotourism. Karaftou Cave formed naturally and artificially (cliff architecture records) and today possesses four stages. The Cave placed within limy mountains above a deep valley. There are many signs of burrows, crypts and caverns beside its main entrance. With general and partial modifications, this Cave usually was a secure place for human living over time. The massive limy layers, which embraced Karaftou Cave, formed through Oligo-Miocene series and they belong to Qom Formation. The Cave with about 750 meters length has a unique structure, as its entrance is about 25 meters higher than surround hill side which created a difficult path to enter through past times. According to archaeological studies, probably the Cave has been used by man for dwelling from fifth to fourth millenniums B.C. also after Seleucid time, namely during Parthian, Sassanid and Islamic periods. This beautiful and mysterious cave registered between Iranian national heritages by Number 330.