Chehel Khaneh Cave

Chehel Khaneh Cave (Chelleh Khaneh) is one of the most remarkable historical and natural structures in Bushehr Province. It lies 27 kilometers from the city of Borazjan, near the village of Zirab in the Saadabad district. The caves are cut into cliffs 200 meters high on the western bank of the Shapur River, where the river flows through a gorge with sheer walls for more than one kilometer. The ruins of the ancient city of Tavvaj can still be seen in the same area, and it is said that its inhabitants used the Chelleh Khaneh rock fortress for defense and shelter in times of danger.

Chehel Khaneh Cave is carved into rock made of sandstone and compacted clay, and it sits about 50 meters above the riverbed. The rock fortress once had 40 rooms. Over time, erosion caused parts of it to collapse, and 20 rooms remain today. For this reason, its name changed from "Chehel Khaneh" (Forty Rooms) to "Chelleh Khaneh". The complex was built on three levels (storeys), and each level had several entrances, rooms of various sizes, niches, interior columns, and spots for oil lamps.

The rooms on each level were connected by narrow terraces, and people moved between levels by ladder or rope. The front terraces are in fact what remains of rooms whose outer sections have been destroyed. The current floor area of these spaces is about 500 square meters, and it is said that in times of crisis more than 2,000 people could take shelter inside. Although there are three other groups of defensive caves downstream on the Shapur River, none of them comes close to Chelleh Khaneh in size or importance. The site combines historical architecture, an unrivaled natural setting, and the unsolved mysteries of the past, which makes it one of the most valuable tourist and cultural attractions in the region.