Kandovan, Osku

For other places with the same name, see Kandovan.

Kandovan (Persian: كندوان)^[a] is a village in Sahand Rural District of the Central District in Osku County, East Azerbaijan province, Iran. It is situated in the foothills of Mount Sahand, near the city of Osku.

Kandovan Persian: كندوان
Village
Rock houses in the village of Kandovan
Kandovan
Coordinates: 37°47′43″N 46°14′53″E[1]
Country	Iran
Province	East Azerbaijan
County	Osku
District	Central
Rural District	Sahand
Population  (2016)[2]
• Total	450
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)

The village exemplifies manmade cliff dwellings which are still inhabited. The troglodyte homes, excavated inside volcanic rocks similar to dwellings in the Turkish region of Cappadocia, are locally called Karaan.^[4] Karaans were cut into non-welded ignimbrites, also called "ash-flow tuffs," of Mount Sahand.

The cone form of the houses is the result of the erosion of ignimbrite layers consisting of porous, round and angular pumice together with other volcanic particles that were positioned in a grey, acidic matrix. During the eruption of Sahand, pyroclastic flows formed the rocks of Kandovan. Around the village the thickness of this formation exceeds 100 metres (330 ft) and with time, due to water erosion, the cone-shaped cliffs were formed.^[5]

Origin and stages of development

Mount Sahand is one of the most important mountains, the Silent volcano in Iran for one hundred and forty thousand years ago, After the retreat of Kandovan Lake basin, The stone of Kandovan has appeared. There are several narrations about the causes of the emergence of the village:

• The original inhabitants were nomads who had previously been Condon this place was used as a summer house and houses dug inside the rocks, as a house they used it temporarily to reduce the hassle of moving later have settled there.

• Primary residents of Kandovan village, residents of the ruined and ancient village was "Hilevar". Those times Mongol attack from this village, which is about two kilometers It is far from Kandovan, they had moved and lived in Kandovan .

• In ancient times, some of the warriors from this place passed, due to the better military position of the place, Especially its topographic position that penetrates from above makes the domain impossible, use it as its own refuge they chose and started digging houses inside the rocks.^[6]

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the village's population was 601 in 168 households.^[7] The following census in 2011 counted 586 people in 183 households.^[8] The 2016 census measured the population of the village as 450 people in 151 households.^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Far view of a hotel on the left and the rock houses on the right
• 
  Closer view of the village
• 
  In the village
• 
  In the village
• 
  Interior of a traditional home
• 
  View of the village and surroundings from the rock houses
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See also

Media related to Kandovan at Wikimedia Commons

Iran portal

External links

• "Cones of Kandovan", JadidOnline.com
• "Kandovan: A Rocky Village Life in Iran", Amazingiran.media

Notes

1. Also romanized as Kandavān and Kandovān; also known as Kanvān^[3]