Kandovan

Kandovan
	Kandovan seen from the opposite slope
	Kandovan
	Kandovan
Basic data
Country:	Iran
Province :	East Azerbaijan
Coordinates :	37 ° 54 ' N , 46 ° 9' E Coordinates: 37 ° 54 ' N , 46 ° 9' E
Residents :	approx. 1,000 ()
Time zone :	UTC +3: 30

Kandovan ( Persian کندوان) is a rock village with about 1000 inhabitants in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan , 55 km south of the provincial capital Tabriz .

The village lies along a river oasis. It is dominated by the ridges of the Kuh-e Sahand catchment area . The rural population lives from the regional products, especially from sheep breeding, fruit growing and arable farming.

Way of living

Kandovan, clearly recognizable the menhir formations

Kandovan is culturally interesting because of its menhir-like houses. The stone formations were created by pyroclastic activities of Kuh-e Sahand ( volcanism ). Erosion, weathering and human involvement are equally decisive for the appearance of the rocks today.

Similar to Cappadocia (e.g. Göreme ) or southern Spain (e.g. Granada ), they are used as cave dwellings. The stones in Kandovan are made of tuff . Doors, windows and path systems with stairs connecting the cones are visible from the outside. The apartments are multi-storey. The entire ensemble lies steeply on the mountain. Public buildings, such as a mosque and a bathhouse, are also integrated into the formation. The buildings are electrified.

Others

The place was already settled in pre-Islamic times and served as a refuge in troubled times. The women here rarely wear the chador, which is widespread in Iran , and instead wear colored cloaks that primarily have geometric patterns or stylized floral ornaments.

The village's spring water is considered medicinal.