Heyzaj Cave

Heyzaj Ghahavand Cave, known in the local language as "Zagheh Darehsi", lies north of Ghuzi Qeshlaq Mountain, close to the village of Heyzaj, about 6 kilometres from Qaleh Jooq. The cave has a corridor-like, fairly simple structure, with smooth white walls that continue to a depth of 150 metres. Its entrance, lined with stacked stones, leads to a chamber 12 metres long, and beyond this chamber a more spacious area opens up inside the mountain. Inside the cave you can also see huge fallen boulders and a pit about 5 metres deep.

The soft, sometimes muddy soil of the cave floor, together with scattered blocks of stone, points to the particular conditions in which it was formed. Geological evidence suggests that the cave was formed in the very distant past in a water-rich environment saturated with dissolved minerals, and not simply as a result of the flow of groundwater. This process probably took place hundreds of thousands of years ago, and the exact time of its formation still cannot be determined with certainty. In some parts of the cave the ceiling lowers and the space becomes narrower, and in some places limestone formations hang from the ceiling as perfect icicle-like stalactites, giving the cave a distinctive look.

From a human and historical point of view, too, interesting traces have been found in the cave. Remains of hand-built stone walls can be seen in different parts of the cave, most likely used as temporary shelters or refuges in times of crisis. It is possible that in the past the inhabitants of Heyzaj village took refuge in the cave when the village was attacked. Although the cave is not currently put to any particular use, its natural and historical features have made Heyzaj Cave an important and little-known spot in the Ghahavand region.