Ali Sadr Cave

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Ali Sadr Cave (Persian: غار علی صدر) is a cave located about 100 kilometers north of Hamedan in western Iran .The cave walls can extend up to 40 meters high, and it contains several large, deep lakes. The cave has a river flowing through it and most travel through the cave system is done with a boat. Ali Sadr cave is situated between the large cities in Hamadan, Tehran and Qom making it a popular destination for Iranians.

The cave was originally discovered during the reign of Darius I (521-485 BC) which can be verified by an old inscription at the entrance of the tunnel. However, the knowledge of the existence of the tunnel was lost, and only rediscovered in 1978 when a local shepherd followed the tunnel searching for water or a lost goat.

In the summer of 2001, a German/British expedition surveyed the cave to be 11 kilometers long. The main chamber of the cave is 100 meters by 50 meters and 40 meters high.

A tour of the cave can be seen by pedal boats to a centrally located large atrium.