We are going to visit the Burnik Cave of Firoozkooh or “Firuzkuh”; A beautiful attraction near the village of Harandeh, which is not far from the capital of Iran.
Burnik is the name of a stone and limestone cave near the city of Firoozkooh and the village of Harandeh, which is located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level and 100 meters above the Burnik plain. The measurements made so far show the length of the cave as 360 meters without any change in its height; The results that have made this cave the title of the longest cave in Tehran province and the fourth longest cave in Iran.
To enter the cave vertically, go down 148 steps. As you begin your journey into the cave, you will be overwhelmed by the natural wonders of the cave, and along with these beauties, you will encounter areas that were once safe havens for cavemen and today have many secrets in their hearts. This cave can be considered as one of the destinations of geo-tourism due to its special geological features.
Historical and archaeological values of the cave along with geological and recreational values have caused its name to be included in the list of national monuments of Iran from October 28, 2002 with the registration number 6337.
To reach this cave, you have to walk from Harandeh village and have a few kilometers of walking in nature, which is very enjoyable. First, we tell you the sights you see along the way and then we enter the cave.
• The beauties of Harandeh village: lush gardens of apples, pears, walnuts, cherries and sour cherries, the historical and registered tomb of Imamzadeh Yahya belonging to the 6th and 7th centuries AH, chrysanthemum gardens and watchtowers related to the 4th and 5th centuries AH are spectacular are considered as spectacular sights in this village.
• Burnik valley and plain: After reaching Harandeh village, you will cross the valley and plain, which is the same name as the cave. You cross the mountains and pass the gardens.
• Flower farms: There are a number of flower farms along the Burnik Cave and you can enjoy seeing them; But there is another path called Aali Malek which goes to the farms and gardens of the village. In this way, you will see chrysanthemums in yellow, white, fawn, etc. that have grown on the ground.
• Nimrud River: On the way to Burnik Cave, you enjoy hearing the sound of Nimrud River. This river is one of the main tributaries of Hablehrood and its water is supplied from the wide basin of the northern slope of Qarahdagh mountain and the slopes of Mishineh Deh mountain. There is also a blue stream in the middle of the road that makes tiredness meaningless for you.
• Barberry bushes: In a part of the route, you will see wild barberry bushes that show off their black and red barberries in the right season.
• View of the Burnik Plain and Valley: After the bushes, a steep path will be in front of you, and as you climb, you will see a beautiful view of the Burnik Valley. The tall trees of Tabriz, the river full of water, and the towering mountains all stand side by side in front of your eyes.
• Colorful stones: There is a resort and a restaurant in the middle of the road and finally two old and big cypress trees announce the approach of the cave. Before entering the cave near the mouth, you will see different colors of nature in the rocks of the right valley slope, which have a special effect.
The mouth of the cave is located behind two ridges of the mountains around the village, and in order not to lose it, you should pay attention to two pine trees and the last turn of the path so that you do not go the wrong way. To enter the cave, you will encounter an almost triangular opening measuring 15 by 10 meters, which is 6 meters high. Due to the lack of sunlight in the cave, it is always cold inside, and the further you go in it, the less the light and heat, and the more the beauties of the cave show themselves.
• Boulders: Large boulders can be seen in the cave, which are covered with a layer of clay and have created a special image. Large boulders are located on the floor of the first and third halls of the cave, some of which are covered with layers of moist clay soil.
• Drips or stalactites: Cylindrical or conical sediments that form over the years in the form of chandeliers on the roof or walls of limestone caves and have their own color depending on what materials they are made of. In Burnik, the drips are pea-colored.
• Abstracts or stalagmites: Sediments below the stalactites that form on the bottom of the cave and are upwards. These effects are caused by droplets containing large amounts of minerals and the precipitation and deposition of calcium carbonate. Abstracts in Burnik Cave are in the colors of white, pink etc. and with their special appearance, they are the difference between Burnik and other caves. It is not bad to know that the abstracts and abstracts were formed during activities called “Cave Stone Building”.
Visiting this cave, you will see 4 halls that have an anticline shape. Anticlines are folds or curved lines that form in the layers or layers of the earth, with both sides facing down. On the roof of each of the cave halls, the initial gap or fault that caused the cave can be seen, which is one of the attractions of Burnik.
When visiting Burnik Cave, you will encounter these halls in order:
• First Hall: The main residence of cavemen, which is also known as the outer hall and its dimensions are 50 by 40 meters and its height is 8 meters. Works such as broken pottery from different historical periods have been found in this hall, which shows that humans used it from the cave period onwards as their main residence. There are two porches in this place, which were built by stoning the sloping floor of the cave, and on the right, there is a stone wall and a gate, behind which there is a vestibule.
• Second Hall: In the left corner of the first hall, there is an opening 8 meters wide and 10 meters high, which is the entrance of the second hall. The dimensions of the second hall are 30 by 60 meters and its height is 15 to 20 meters and it has a steep slope downwards. There is a long corridor 40 meters long at the right end of this hall that leads to a well 5 meters deep and a 6-meter atrium. In this part, milky and pink drips or stalagmites are seen.
• Third Hall: There are two corridors in the second hall that take you to the third hall. The third hall of the cave is an area with a height of 12 meters and dimensions of 20 by 25 meters, which has a steep rocky and slippery slope from the beginning to the end. The deepest part of the cave is located in this hall, which is about 60 meters below the level of the cave mouth.
• Precipices Hall: An atrium with a length of 8 meters at the end of the third hall will take you to the Precipices Hall. This hall is very different from other areas of the cave and is covered with deep precipices, some of which reach a depth of 20 meters. Columnar rocks and cone-shaped abstracts can be seen throughout this space. In the corner of this hall, there is a corridor 20 meters long and 5 meters wide with a flat floor, which is thought to have been a place for the cave dwellers to hide in times of danger.
