ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The people of Saqqez in Iran’s Kurdistan province celebrated the ancient Mehregan Festival near Karaftoo Cave, one of the region’s most significant historical landmarks, in an effort to draw greater public attention to the site and support its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Cultural activist Dawud Purahmad said, “Karaftoo Cave, as we call it in Kurdish, has long been on the national heritage list but not the international one. This year marks the first real effort to include it globally.”
Karaftoo is situated north of Kurdistan Province, about 72 km to the northwest of Divandarreh, and features two sections, one natural and one carved by humans.
According to UNESCO, the cave is “is situated in a preserved region called Abdurrazagh, which is considered one of the most valuable and richest environmental regions to the West of Iran which is home to more than 120 animal species and various local plants.”
The cave is already registered as a national heritage site in Iran. Efforts are underway to elevate its status to international recognition.
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“Mehregan is a very old holiday, dating back at least 4,000 to 5,000 years,” actor and director Qutbedin Sadiqi told Rudaw. “It has celestial and magical roots, commemorating the birth of Izetmehr - the light at the summit - symbolizing abundance and renewal.”
Fuad Cahanmehr, another cultural activist, praised the initiative, saying, “I am happy that a festival of such cultural importance is being held in Karaftoo Cave, one of Kurdistan’s ancient capitals.”
The cave was added to UNESCO’s temporary list of world heritage sites in November 2022, but a final decision is still pending.
Divandarreh Mayor Nasih Mohammedkhani said that regional cooperation was key to the campaign for international recognition.
“A community of over 20,000 people from Kermanshah, Ilam, Hamadan, and Zanjan provinces supported the proposal,” he said, adding that “25 billion tomans [around $262,500] have been allocated this year to prioritize Karaftoo Cave’s preservation and global registration.”