KERMANSHAH TRAVEL GUIDE
Things to Do in Kermanshah – Activities & Attractions
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KERMANSHAH
Kermanshah is the most populous and largest Kurdish city of Iran and it is the political- administrative center in the west of the country. Most people of the city speak different dialects of Kurdish language. Since Kermanshah is located in Zagros mountainous region and it had many caves and shelters, it was considered by the people of Stone age. So Kermanshah is a very rich and important city of Iran and western part of Asia in terms of having the remains of places of resistance related to prehistory time. Some of those remains are related to 200 years ago and the first village of Middle East was established in this city during Neolithic era. The city has a moderate and mountainous climate. In Summer it becomes very warm especially in July and August, and in Winter it becomes very cool especially in December and January.
Bisotun’s bas-relief cliff carvings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The carvings were created around 521 BC and their highlight is the bas-relief of Darius I. Darius I is shown in confrontation with the nine rebel kings he suppressed before becoming ruler of the Achaemenid Empire. He appears holding a bow (a symbol of sovereignty) and an angel figure, likely blessing his reign, hovers overhead. Also remarkable about the relief are the trilingual inscriptions that tell the story of the scene in three lost languages: Elamite, Akkadian and Old Persian.
NOTE: The most interesting relief at Bisotun can only be seen from a distance at the present time.
The Temple of Anahita, located in the town of Kangavar, is a shrine to Anahita, the goddess of waters and fertility. Appropriately, the stairway of the temple leads underground to a large, tranquil pool which was the site of prayer for her worshippers. Anahita was worshipped in ancient Persia alongside Ahura-Mazda, the supreme creator goddess in Zoroastrian religious practice. The temple still contains remnants of some fascinating Irano-Roman mosaics.
The Sassanian rock-carvings at Tagh-e-Bostan depict a series of royal hunting scenes and investitures of Sassanian Kings. Some of these rock carvings are sheltered in a grotto. Khosrow II, king from 591-628 AD, has the most dramatic portrait – a gigantic equestrian statue, with the ruler mounted on his favourite charger, Shabdiz.
Moaven al-Molk Tekyeh is one of the elegant and magnificent monuments that has remained from Qajar period in Kermanshah.
The tekyeh came into operation in 1282 solar Hijri year and it was used for holding religious ceremonies and solving ethnic and tribal controversies. This building is divided into three sections of Husseiniyeh, Zeinabiyeh and Abbasiyeh.
The building’s significant and premium point is its tiling. According to experts of cultural heritage in Kermanshah, the embossed and semi-embossed tilings with very beautiful designs and a hundred percent natural colors used in the building are exquisite in the world.
The pictures carved on the tiles include scenes from wars of Mohammad against infidels, Ali’s battles, Karbala events and pictures of ancient Iranian kings such as archemeneid kings and Persepolis are unique in their kind. The architecture of the building was turned over to first to Hossein, the painter from Tehran and Seyyed Abolghasem Mani by Hassan Khan Moaven al-Molk and later on Hossein, the glazed tile maker from Tehran was also invited to Kermanshah to reconstruct the monument.
Ghoori Ghale Cave ( pave ) Ghoori Ghale Cave in Kermanshah province is one of the natural and tourist attractions in Iran which, in addition to some 65 million years old, it holds the title of the largest water cave in Asia and the longest caves of Iran. One of the most important features of Ghoori Ghale Cave is its width that has gained the first place among the other ancient aquatic caves. The beautiful and sophisticated nature of the region where this cave is located has great popularity among tourists. The presence of forests of oak trees, mountain figs and wild almonds along with animals such as foxes, rabbits and wild goats that live around the cave have created a special effect in the area. This ancient cave is 12 kilometers long and more than 3 thousand meters deep. You can also see another rare section known as the Talare Aroos (Bridal Hall) that is located 1500 meters from the cave. In the Bridal Hall, the beautiful crystalline bright shiny and white stones make it the most exciting and most beautiful part of Ghoori Ghale Cave. What more than all the other features of the cave has inspired everyone’s attention is the presence of four cascades at a depth of nearly 3000 meters from the cave. The ponds of this cave are up to 14 meters. Also the temperature in the cave is 7 to 11 degrees and is constant in all the seasons. If you decided traveling Kermanshah, don’t forget to visit one of the most beautiful caves of Iran.
Sarab-e Niloofar About 14 kilometers northwest of Kermanshah city, an astonishing natural attraction is located. Sarab-e Niloofar is how locals call it. The attraction is a beautiful, small lake which until recently, was home to the thousands of water lily flowers during the warmer months of the year. The whole area of the lake is about 1331 hectares. It seems like a large pond covered with beautiful water lilies. In recent years, many of the water lilies have dried due to long-term droughts and excessive groundwater harvesting. But the lake is still among the popular destinations in Kermanshah.
Biglar Beigi Tekyeh It is built in the Qajar era by Abdollah Khan, who was nicknamed Biglar Beigi, is known for its dazzling mirror-tiled central dome room.The building has a big yard with a small pool in the centre. The doors of the building that open to the yard have colourful glasses.Biglar Beigi Tekyeh has long been used during Muharram to hold mourning ceremonies for the martyrdom of Imam Hossein (AS), the third Shia Imam.
It hosts two important museums: one for calligraphy and another for Paleolithic era artifacts.
In the calligraphy museum, ancient documents of Biglar Beigi family are put on a show.
The Paleolithic museum, named Zagros, the only one of such kind in the Middle East, puts on display items from ancient times, including rich collections of stone tools and animal fossil bones.
Kermanshah bazar One of the noticeable and important sites of Kermanshah is its large and ancient market (bazaar), and its primary structure is related to the Qajar period. This bazaar is adorned in a splendor style. The goods available here are: local colored apparel, handicrafts like: giveh (a local foot-ware), shoes, carpet, Kilim, wooden kitchenware, leather and felt and hand-woven articles.