Caves

Archive for the ‘Caves’ Category

Ali Sadr Cave

January 12th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Caves

Ali Sadr or Alisadr Cave is a cave located in 75 km north of Hamedan in Iran. It was formed 130-190 million years ago in the second Jurassic period. The caves walls can extend up to 40 meters high, and it contains several large, deep lakes.

Near the entrance of the cave (Source)

It has a river flowing through it and and so traveling through the cave is mostly done by boats. 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.

Rental boats and tourists (Source)

Ali Sadr cave is situated between the large cities in Hamedan, Tehran and Zanjan making it a popular destination for Iranians and foreign tourists.

Rock wall (Source)

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.

The lion-elephant rock (Source)

Subterranean River, the Navigable Underground River

January 3rd, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Caves, National Park, Rivers

Located in the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan in the Philippines, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 kilometers navigable underground river. This park is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Subterranean River entrance (Source)

The underground river is said to be the world’s longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water’s edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave.

Inside the Subterranean River (Source)

Inside the cave are major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers.

Subterranean River rock formation (Source)

The most spectacular feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences.

Subterranean River exit (Source)

Jeita Grotto

September 16th, 2008 by admin | 1 Comment | Filed in Caves

The Jeita Grotto of Lebanon is a compound of crystallized caves located 20 km north of Beirut, Lebanon in the Valley of Nahr al-Kalb or Dog River. This grotto complex is composed of two caves – the upper galleries and lower cave. The upper galleries was discovered in 1958 by Lebanese speleologists, while the lower cave where an underground 6230-meters-long river runs was discovered in 1863 by Reverend William Thomson. The grotto complex was nominated in the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The cave and galleries is home to one of the biggest stalactites in the world hanging 8,20 meters from the ceiling. Carved from the limestone by water are cathedral-like vaults with various sizes, colors and shapes. The cave is more than 9000 meters in length and 108 meters in height from the ceiling to the water level.