The village of Kandovan is located 60km southwest of Tabriz, in the province of East Azarbaijan, Iran. The place is famous for its unique architecture, where the cave-houses are carved off from huge rocks.
The word “Kandovan” is a plural form for “kando” which means bee nest. It’s said the initial habitants moved to this village due to the Mongol invasion (more than 700 years ago) and decided to hide in the caves and later on turn them into their permanent houses.
People’s main occupations are agriculture and animal husbandry, but tourism seems to be booming there as well, with a resort-hotel located at the centre of the village. Besides the unique structure and scenic views, tourists also flocked to the place for the mineral water which is claimed to use as cure for bladder stone. Photos and info by Eliza Tabishi…