Kandovan

■■ Geographical and natural position

Kandovan historical village with specific geographical and natural characteristics is one of the wonderful villages of Iran. It located in 52 Km of south Tabriz, capital city of Eastern Azerbaijan in north west of Iran, and 20 Km of Osku Town.

Kandovan is on the foot of  Soltan Daqy, one of the peaks of Sahand.

■■ Roots of

Kandovan

‘s name

In the historical texts, documents and among local people, the village is called “Kandou Jan” derives from two words, Kand meaning village and Jan meaning existence. In one hand, some people believe that the name is given to the village because people wanted to save their life and properties, on the other hand it is called “Kandu Jan” since has been changed from “Kandu Kan” deriving from two words, Kande and Kan mentioning to digging Krans and making space inside the rocks. By the way, among the name of village is “Kandu Jan” and in formal letters it is called “Kandovan”.

■■ History of Kandovan

The date of Kandovan backs to 13­th century simultaneously with Mongolian Invasion but it should be mentioned that there are different opinions about it. Before that time people lived in Hillevar village located in 2Km of Kandovan, but after the invasion they moved to Kandovan because of its natural position which helped them protecting themselves from invasion. It seems there was settlement before 13 th century but proving this needs more investigations.

■■ Rocky Architecture

The most interesting feature in Kandovan is its rocky architecture. Recognizing the first established rocky architecture is as difficult as recognizing the first man’s houses, but it can be said that the first rocky architecture was founded in the area where the stones were unstable. First man fought against soft stones and then against hard ones.

The remains of rocky architecture can be seen in Italy, Afghanistan, Greek, Peru, Latin America, and China where unlike Kandovan are empty and out of settlement. There is just one region in the world where is as same as Kandovan and it is Gorme Valley in Kapadokie located in 300 km of Ankara, capital city of Turkey. “Kandovan” unlike Gorme Valley is a settlement place for people who live in this village. Kandovan village is the complex of conical rocks that villagers engraved them and settled inside them. The rocks are the remains of volcanic eruption of Sahand which was active in the early Tertiary period and it continued to the early Quaternary period. Therefore, geometrical composition of Kandovan consists of Ignimbrite or Touf. Upon the erosion caised by flowing waters, Touf stones are in conical shapes. Inside the rocks which have engraved is called Kran. Krans have usually two, three or four floors. The first floor is utilized as a stable. The second and third floors are as living room. The fourth floor is used as store. The entrance doors are short and their height is not more than 160 cm. Some Krans are employed for public usage such as mosque and bathroom.

Inside Krans is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Most of them are toward south and their habitants enjoy sun ray through the windows.

 ■■ Specific characteristics of Kandovan

Kandovan has fresh air because of its natural position and it has mineral water flows from Kandovan spring which is useful for some diseases. Some of the unique characteristics of the village are as follows:

1)Having unique rocky architecture 2)having mountainous climate 3)locating in the beautiful Kandovan valley 4)flowing Kandovan river 5)having gardens and mineral water.

This historical village has been registered in Iran National Remains under the number 1857in 1997. Nowadays, Cultural Heritage, Handicraft, and Tourism Organization of Eastern Azerbaijan attempts to conserve historical part of the village and establishes rocky restaurant and accommodation in some of Krans of Kandovan.