Sanandaj Day tour

Sanandaj daytours include Sanandaj city, Nagel village, Marivan town, Zarivar lake, Uramanvillage, Noodashe villag and Takhte Suleiman tours and are as follow:

Sanandaj Day tour

Sanandaj Old Bazar, Iran

Sanandaj is the second largest Kurdish city in the west of Iran. It is the capital of Kurdistan Province and the twenty third largest city in Iran. Sanandaj is situated in the mountainous region of Zagros and has semi-arid weather.  The city of Sanandaj has two major markets, namely, the old Bazaar and the bazaar of Sartopuleh. The Old Bazaar has a rectangular plan and the plan of bazaar of Sartopuleh is also in the form of a big rectangle. The architecture of Old Bazaar is inspired from the bazaar near Naghsh Jahan Square in Isfahan.  In the middle of this bazaar, there are numerous shops which are destroyed due to cross of the streets at the beginning of Pahlavi Dynasty, and as a result of this, the bazaar is divided into north and south.  From four gates of bazaar, today we can see three of them. The bazaar dates back to the time of Suleiman Khan Ardalan.  Its ceiling is built with dome and arches, the stores’ ceilings have also dome and traditional roof. The used constructional materials are mainly adobe and brick. 

old Bazaar, Sanandaj, Iran

Iranian Woven Handicrafts

With skills that are passed down for generations, the art of Iranian crafts has long been a reflection of Iranian people's creativity and ingenuity. The intricate detail and meticulous methods is a display of inventiveness, and the elaborate designs proof of perseverance. Moreover, the abundance of natural materials make it possible for Iranians to produce beautiful and inexpensive handicrafts.

Persian carpet is an art-industry that has long served a name and credit to Iranian culture.  Flooring every home by Iranian carpet is a chance to touch on several years of Iran’s long history. The delicate fibers of Iranian carpet display the epic of its weavers to depict the God's creation in their layout. Apart from the carpet, the woven items of this field reaches up to 50 types and the majority has flooring usage and other with particular applications.

Jajim

Jajim is a woolen cloth identical to Gilim with colorful striped layout used as a mat. Jajim is woven by cotton or wool, and some by colored yarns. Best woolen cloth is woven in the Turkmen and nomadic tribes, especially Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.

 

Jajim

Gabbeh

It is also a woven rug but with lint in addition to wrap and woof. While division, it is not categorized among carpets but as a rug, perhaps because the lint length and   its nodes are much thicker and longer. Gabbeh is the handmade product of tribes and today produced in some workshops. The weaver chooses the layout according to his concepts or perspective of his surrounding animals, people, trees or even woven geometric shapes. The size of Gabbeh is about one and a half to four meters.

 

Gabbeh

Gilim

Gilim is a lint-free mat. While weaving this type of carpet, picks passes through the fibers. There are different types of Gilim products that each has its own beauty. Weaving some is a painstaking task, thus more expensive and some made easier and cheaper in the market.

                                                Gilim

 

There are several different styles of woven handicrafts that are popular in Iran that you can take home as unique souvenirs.

Meet the kurdish nomads of Iran

The culture, the myths and the traditions of the nomads in every corner of Iran are so diverse that you might feel you have traveled to a whole new country by visiting each tribe. The meaningful dance of Qashqai nomads, the beautiful migration of Bakhtiaris through the mountains and canyons or the stunning handicrafts of Shahsevans are all magnificent traditions that will leave you wondered. The Kurdish nomads of Iran, known as one of the biggest nomadic populations in the west of Iran, have their own wonderful culture and customs. 

kurdish nomads

The mysterious Zarivar lake

The beautiful and miraculous Zarivar Lake, located 3 kilometers from Marivan town in Kurdistan province, is one of the most wonderful natural gems in the west of Iran. Known as the biggest lake in the western, Zarivar has fresh water nourished by natural spontaneous fountains. That is why the locals believe that Zarivar is a mysterious lake. They also believe that there is a secret town in this lake!

The ancient and mythical "Pir Shalyar" ritual in Oraman.

The historical village of Oraman.

Passing through the defiles and the roads hidden between the high mountains and madly beautiful landscapes of Kurdistan region in the west of Iran, which is a wild and untouched land, you will reach the ancient village of Oraman with its unique architecture. Being located at 1450 meter altitude with a pleasant and mountainous climate, the whole village is constructed on the sides of a narrow valley with over a 50° slope. Oraman is a very good sample of the villages with organic architecture and showing the connection between human and the nature. The residents of this village are busy with agriculture, animal husbandry and producing handicrafts, like rugs, kilims and a kind of shoe named “Giveh”. Their folklore music, fictions and oral literature have a special place in their society.

Oraman village of Kurdistan in west of Iran.

Oraman village is where the thousand-year-old ritual of “Pir Shalyar” is held every year. This fantastic and ancient ceremony is held twice a year in February and May.

What exactly is the Pir Shalyar ritual?

According to the folk fictions told by the locals, a great man named “Pir Shalyar” lived in this area and was known as the savior of the patients. He helped all the poor people and cured many of the people in this region. One of his biggest marvels was curing “Shah Bahar”, the daughter of Bukhara's king, who was deaf and mute and all the other physicians failed to help her. The King of Bukhara arranged a very big ceremony and announced that “Pir Shalyar” is the one man who can marry his daughter. This spiritual ritual is known to be the anniversary of  Pir Shalyar's wedding.

On the day of Pir Shalyar ceremony, all the residents of Oraman gather in a garden and perform a fabulous Daf  that tickles every visitor’s soul. Daf is a percussion musical instrument that is so popular among the Kurd people. This music is so strong that entices the locals to start a special and symbolic Kurdish dance. They dance, pray and revive the memory of all the goodness and beneficence done by Pir Shalyar.

All the residents take part in preparing the ingredients, cooking and serving Ash (Iranian soup) and a special kind of bread.  Every year, despite the cold weather, rain and snow, many people from all over the world come to Oraman village on February 2 and 3 to be a part of this deep and original ceremony. Join Day tours of Uppersia in the weird land of Kurdistan and enjoy the magnificent Pir Shalyar ritual which is going to be held in about a week.

Kurd people dancing in Pir Shalyar ceremony.

The scenic village of Palangan.

Palangan is a historical village, hiding in a valley of western heights of Iran, between Kermanshah and Kurdistan province. Palangan is very cold in winter with lots of rain and snow but the weather is so cool and fresh during spring and summer and the mountainous nature is just stunning.

The land of heights and Kurdish myths!

Oraman Takht or Huraman Takht is a village in Oraman region in the west of Iran, between Kurdistan and Kermanshah. Oraman Takht is located in a beautiful slope valley with a unique architecture. The yard of one building is the roof of the building below and some call these houses “stairways to heaven!”

Ancient objects from the Paleolithic era like some stone made tools and remains of an oven show that this area has been home to first men since 12000 to 40000 years ago. But the madly beautiful nature and the nice weather is more 

motivating for visiting Oraman Takht.

Kurdish people of "Oraman Takht" playing Daf in "Pir Shalyar" ceremony.