Hampoeil Cave

Kaboutar Cave (Pigeon Cave), also known as Hampoeil, is located in East Azerbaijan Province, 5 kilometres southeast of Maragheh. The cave lies near the village of Tazeh Kand-e Sofla. At its entrance is a large chamber whose ceiling is home to pigeons. After entering a low tunnel on the right, you come to another chamber containing four shafts, each roughly 10 to 12 metres deep. These shafts lead down to a larger chamber deep underground. The mouth of Kaboutar Cave is 8 metres wide, and the first chamber measures approximately 40 by 60 metres. The cave has 8 spacious halls on 5 levels, as well as strange, unique winding passages and corridors.

Hampoeil Cave is located 15 kilometres southeast of Maragheh, near a river called Mordagh Chay. Archaeologists have discovered traces of a 200,000-year-old civilisation near the cave and consider them not unrelated to it. Experts also estimate the cave's age at around 150 million years. Because of its eerie character and dangerous vertical shafts, Kaboutar Cave is known as one of the strangest and most frightening caves in Iran.

The cave is called Kaboutar (Pigeon) Cave because wild pigeons nest in the ceiling of its entrance hall. The name reflects the cave's connection with the region's nature and wildlife, which goes back to ancient times. The cave's official name, Hampoeil, is an ancient word with roots in Sanskrit. Over time the name has evolved into its present form, reflecting a blend of history and culture in this region.

This cave is regarded as one of Iran's technical caves, and exploring it requires caving equipment and special skills. Without equipment such as a flashlight, air tanks and a headlamp, and without an experienced guide, entering the cave is almost impossible. These features add to its appeal and to the challenges it presents for cavers.