Have you ever seen a seven-hundred-year old bee house? The rocky village of Kandovan, these small houses are like cone-shaped sugarcane heads that have come out of the volcanic rocks of Sahand mountain. This village, which is in the list of national monuments of Iran, is very similar to its two foreign examples, “Cappadocia” in Turkey and “Dakota” in America.
With the difference that in the 2 mentioned examples, no one lives in the village, but in Kandovan village, people still live in their houses and are busy with work and life. If you are looking for a trip to the pristine and special regions of Iran, don’t forget to visit Kandovan village. Today in Hey Persia, we are going to talk to you about the rock village of Kandovan, the occupation of the villagers, the characteristics of the houses of the village, the weather of the village and the souvenirs of the rock village of Kandovan. So be with us.
Where is Kandovan village?
This village is located in 20 “Esko” city in East Azerbaijan. If you move from Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, to the rocky village of Kandovan; It takes about 40 minutes to reach this beautiful village.
How old is Kandovan village?
Kandovan is a rock village built in the heart of seven-year-old volcanic rocks. There are different opinions about the age of this village, and here we will mention prominent examples:
Some people believe that the history of Kandovan village goes back to before Islam and the residents of “Hailavar” village, which is located 2 kilometers from this area, took shelter in this area when the Mongols attacked the village and gradually started digging stones in their hearts. have lived But some others believe that this village was a nomad’s summer residence, and during the hot days of the year, the nomads used these stone houses as their summer residence. Gradually, over time, it has remained in this area and bungalows have become permanent residences. Another group pointed to the military situation of this area and believed that initially the fighters used the village of Kandwan as a shelter and gradually they stayed in this area.
Why they called it the rocky village of Kandovan?
There are different opinions about the designation of Kandovan village. Some people believe that Kandovan is of two words “Kand” and “Van” which means village and Van is the suffix of the name of the place. But another group has a different theory and believes that Kandovan is the same as “Kandivan” or “Kandeovan” which is of three words “Kandi” which means self, “Eo” which means house and “En”, the suffix of place. In general, Kandovan means “own house”.
The third group believes that Kandovan is from the word “kendan” and “kendegan” or honey beehive, and due to the pleasant and good climate in this area, beekeeping and honey production is one of the most profitable jobs of the villagers. Since these houses are of stone, in the past this village was “Kandjan” as a place to preserve life. Currently, the word “Kandjani” is in the birth certificates of people born in this region.
Kandovan Borders
Due to the lack of natural rocks, the borders had a very limited and small space to maintain the thickness of the stone walls and prevent them from breaking. Due to this problem, the growth and formation of borders was done horizontally. The number of border layers and their size depends on their volume and shape. But in general, borders are made with two floors.
Of course, there is also a limit of 3 or 4 floors. In these multi-story buildings, the ground floor was a barn, the first floor was a residential building, the second floor was a guest room, and the third floor was a warehouse. The stairs to these floors were also fixed on the body of the border and were not connected from the inside.
Each border consists of the following sections, which are:
entrance door
main space
kitchen
house fund
bed place
Astana
window
reservoir
Some of the borders of Kandwan rock village also have a small balcony, which is in various shapes due to the different shape of the stones. These balconies are decorated with colorful decorative vases.
How is the architecture inside the houses of Kandovan village?
The rock houses of the village were called “Qiya” which means rock or “border” by the villagers. The age of the borders that were built in the central part and around the old mosque of Kandovan rocky village is the oldest because they were built first. Gradually, the village grew towards the western cliffs and then towards the eastern cliffs.
The limits are according to the amount of stones that can be cut and based on the need. There are multiple, paired, single, conical and spindle borders. These rocks are of “lahar” and “Ignumbrite” and their height reaches about 60 meters. Karan means to cut an object or wound. People live inside the stone rocks or the borders that were by the volcanic activity of “Mount Sahand”.
What is the occupation of the people of Kandovan village?
Due to the climate of the rocky village of Kandovan and the pastures around the village, the occupation of the residents of the area is mostly animal husbandry, rainfed agriculture and horticulture.
What is the weather like in Kandovan rock village?
Accordingly, the geographical location of the rocky village of Kandovan, which is located at an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level. This village is located in a mountainous area and has a very pleasant climate in summer and cold and frosty in autumn and winter. In such a way that the people of this region live in freezing conditions for about 180 days.
What are the souvenirs of Kandovan rock village?
According to the geographical location and climate of Kandovan village, the most important souvenirs of this area are:
honey
dairy
dried fruit
Handicrafts
Summer fruits
How to reach the rocky village?
Kandovan village is located at a distance of 65 km from Tabriz. To reach this village, first enter Azerbaijan province and continue on the Esko road and after passing through Esko and Espisfan, you will reach a crossroads. Continue the path on the left until you reach Kandovan village.
Where should we stay?
Don’t worry about your accommodation when traveling to Kandovan rock village. In this area, there is a 5-star hotel called “Laleh Hotel” and several eco-tourism houses that you can rent one of them. In addition, the people of Kandovan rent their houses to tourists. Staying in the rural houses of Kandovan allows you to get to know the mood of the people of this region and the life in the heart of the stone houses of Dastkand.
Conclusion
Finally, In this article, we tried to provide you with everything you need to know about traveling to Kandovan village. If you travel to East Azerbaijan province, be sure to include a visit to Kandovan village in your travel plan. If you are interested in traveling with Hey Persia group, you can join us on the site and use our different tours that are special for middle-aged people of different ages.
