Shamkhal Valley is one of the tourist attractions of Khorasan province, which is located near the city of “Qochan”. Every time the name of Khorasan Razavi province heard, people think that this province has nothing to see, except the royal court of Imam Reza and its surroundings! While this is not the case and Shamkhal Qochan Valley is one of the sights and reserves of natural resources in Khorasan. Stay with us on Hey Persia blog to get interesting information about Shamkhal Valley.
Where is Shamkhal Valley?
A winding valley, 18 km long by 25 km from the border town of Bajgiran, is near the country of Turkmenistan, which is as Shamkhal Valley. This valley consists of various shapes of U and V or a combination of both of them and is one of the famous sights of Quchan. Margune Shamkhal valley has 200 meters high walls and is located 80 km from Qochan.
Short introduction of Shamkhal Guchan Valley
You have noticed so far, the winding and green valley of Shamkhal is near the border town of Bajgiran and the country of Armenia, and it surrounded by huge and high walls on both sides. This valley is a part of “Tandourah National Park and Protected Area” and it borders with Bajgiran city on one side and leads to Darges on the other side. One of the distinctive features of the Margune Valley of Shamkhal is its pleasant weather, especially in the spring and summer seasons.
The presence of various springs on the way, green walnut trees, figs, apricots, plantains, willows, sycamores, raspberries, shallots, anoch (kakoti), neem, hefshan, goon, rikhok, barberry, gezhi (hawthorn) and rice paddies in a nearby village. Shamkhal Qochan cultivated, all of them are to be its distinctive features. Shamkhal has several springs that eventually lead to a river full of water. “Bathroom” is the name of the area in the valley, which is located in the first 10 km and around it there is a very suitable space for camping.
Quchan city
Qochan city is located at a distance of 147 kilometers from Mashhad and it takes about one hour and 10 minutes to reach this city. The reason why this valley is as Shamkhal is the village that is near it and has the same name. Shamkhal is from the Kurdish language Kurmanji and means an old and handmade gun. The choice of this name for the valley on the one hand refers to its difficult and impassable path, and on the other hand, it is from the name of a nearby village.
What is the status of Shamkhal Valley residence?
If you plan to stay on the route of Shamkhal valley, you can choose areas such as water bath and pigeon house. The best way to travel to Shamkhal Valley is a 2-day trip. It is suggested to settle near the water bath on the first day after traveling 10 kilometers. This area has no problem in terms of water resources and on the other hand, it has flat lands for setting up tents and camping. “Pigeon House” is the name of another area in Shamkhal Valley, which is located 11 km from the beginning of the route and is a low water spring that can be used in times of need.
If your travel plan and visit to Shamkhal Valley starts early in the morning, Kobuterkhaneh will be the best option to stay. Because you will have covered 11 kilometers and you will not have that much route for the second day, and the schedule for the second day will be comparatively lighter. The best time to travel to Shamkhal Guchan Valley is late spring and summer. During these days, the area is very green and you will see stunning views.
Shamkhal Valley, Mashhad Route
If you plan to travel to Shamkhal Valley from Mashhad, first go to Quchan. After you reach the city of Qochan, continue 80 km on the Bajgiran road until you finally reach the Shamkhal village sign. Park your car in the village parking lot and walk the rest of the way. The distance from Mashhad to Shamkhal Valley is estimated to be about 220 km, which takes 2.5 hours.
Conclusion
Shamkhal Valley is another pristine and less disturbed area of Razavi province, which is located in the heart of Tandoora National Park. But the more you continue the path, the high rocky walls of the area next to the Margune Shamkhal path will appear in front of your eyes, and gradually its many springs together form a seasonal river. If you have also traveled to this area and have more information about it, you can write them in the comments and suggestions section and share them with us.
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