Saholan Cave is the second largest water cave in Iran, situated in a village by the same name (which means Frozen in Kurdish) 35km northeast of Mahabad-Bukan route known as Borhan Road. The locals also call it Kooneh Kootar (pigeon’s nest) because of the many pigeon’s nests inside the cave. The height of the cave from the inside water surface to the roof is almost 50m, and the depth of water reaches 30m in some spots. The inside temperature differs from the outside by 10-15 degrees.

Saholan cave lies in an area with mild weather and glorious natural beauty throughout the four seasons. It is among the most unique natural caves in Iran and one of the most amazingly beautiful landscapes in West Azerbaijan province. It has been a familiar place to the locals for ages, and in certain parts has sheltered people even before the birth of Christianity.

The inside of the cave is very cool, damp and dark. Projectors have been artistically installed around the cave to increase the visibility.

The lake water inside the cave is clear and crystalline. It is also very cold, 7-10 degrees in different seasons. The first lake to come to view inside the cave covers an area of about 200m² with an overhead gallery more than 50m high. There are also two narrow galleries at the end, 2m wide each, which lead into the next galleries and lakes.

An assortment of stalactites are hanging from the roof of the cave, captivating the visitors by their interesting shapes. Some resemble living creatures and are thus named by the locals as grape cluster, octopus, turtle, dolphin, strawberry, jellyfish, lion’s head, elephant’s foot, rooster’s crown and so on.

After crossing three large and small lakes, tourists reach the fourth and the largest lake of this mysterious cave, 25m deep and stretching over an area of 500 sqm. A wharf at the point of 250m is actually the last boat stop, leading to a kind of small peninsula to the west of the lake where a number of benches are set up so that the tourists can take a rest and watch the landscape at leisure.

At the end of the boat ride, visitors continue the expedition through tunnels and narrow galleries towards the second mouth of the cave, known as “Kooneh Malan”, which is situated at the end of 170 stone steps of a winding stairway at a height of 50m above the surface of the inside lake, opening into the main entrance area.

Kooneh Malan means the path or the hole in which people used to dwell. At the times when Russian soldiers were killing the people of Mahabad in groups and not even sparing the neighboring villages, people took shelter in the cave and lived there for a long while. This section of the cave is approx. 250m long and has a roof full of magnificent stalactites. Artistic sketches of prehistoric man can be seen along the uneven path and its high galleries and narrow tunnels. The sketches include images of men and animals, most likely the creations of the man of the Hunting Era.

The cave is home to a large number of pigeons. In the sections of the cave where no light reaches the roof, bats are hanging from the roof in clusters. Also, the inside lakes are the habitat of a variety of the mollusk Artemia.

The total area of the cave is roughly figured at 2 hectares. So far, 300m of the water canals and 250m of the land routes have been explored and preserved.