Yakhgan Cave

Yakhgan Cave in Gandomabad, one of Iran's rare natural phenomena, lies at the far southeastern edge of Khalkhal County, on the western slope of Mount "Buzkhana Dagh". Thanks to its distinctive glacial character, the cave is listed among Iran's National Natural Monuments. It takes its name ("Yakhgan" comes from the Persian word for ice) from the ice found in part of the cave's interior, which forms through the flow of cold air and moisture and creates an environment very different from the outside world.

The cave's entrance is only half a metre wide, but once inside, the passage leads to a spacious chamber 36.5 metres long, 15 metres wide and nearly 12 metres high. The cave's natural structure, with its interlocking rock formations and stone openings, allows air to circulate to a depth of 8 metres underground, where it turns moisture into ice on contact with the rock surfaces. The air inside the cave escapes through a natural chimney, so despite its depth and enclosed setting, enough oxygen circulates through all parts of the cave.

The main chamber is connected by winding passages to smaller chambers on the western side. One of the cave's most striking features is its sharp contrast in temperature and climate with the outside. Even when it is hot outside, the interior stays cool, with frozen moisture, and this marked difference makes it one of the rare examples of natural glacial phenomena in Iran.