Day 200: Zanjan – Tabriz (تبریز)

Oct 20 - Drive west through low hills and hazy sun. After about an hour we enter a geologically interesting terrain, with horizontal to tilted sedimentary beds alternating between marine and terrestrial. They probably represent deposition during Mesozoic and Cenozoic, when a shallow marine basin occurred here (Tethys Sea). The beds are banded red and white, a bit like what we saw in Davit Gareja in Georgia (Day 176). They also resemble the Badlands of South Dakota, exhibiting strong erosion that precludes much agricultural development in the region.

Coming down the hills into Tabriz, it becomes cloudy with dust storms. The land and vegetation are a grim shade of light brown. We go along the southern edge of town and up a valley toward Sahand Mountain, a dormant volcano that is also the highest point in the province. No historical eruptions are known, but evidence exists of activity about 11,000 years ago. Road cuts going up the valley show thick conglomeratic sequences, eventually changing to tuffaceous rocks (material that is ejected from explosive eruptions, such as ash, mud, and small rocks).

Up this road is the village of Kandovan. It is set in a narrow, steep valley with walnut and a few other crop trees around it. The entire town is now a tourist attraction, as a fee is charged just for driving into it. It is a very popular destination with residents of Tabriz, because of the homes carved into the rock.

There is no conclusive evidence as to the earlies habitation here, so the founding defaults to early Islamic times, when confirmed records exist of people living in the cliffs here. It is possible that a group initially moved here to escape some political issues in the plains below. The environment is a bit harsh, becoming bitterly cold in the winter. The elevation here is about 2,200 meters. Today, however, there is a nice cool breeze and some of the trees are just now changing color.