KERMANSHAH Province

Kermanshah Province (Persian: Ostani Kermansah) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran and is regarded as part of Iranian Kurdistan. The province was known from 1969 to 1986 as Kermanshahan and from 1986 to 1995 as Bakhtaran. Majority of people in Kermanshah province are Shia, and there are minority of Sunni and Yarsanism. The province's capital is Kermanshah (34°18'N 47°4'E), located in the middle of the western part of Iran. The population of the city is 946,651. The languages spoken by the Kermanshah’s people are Kurdish, Southern Kurdish, Laki and also Persian. Kernanshah developed in the 4th century AD under the patronage of Sassanian kings, briefly renamed Bakhtaran in the 1980s. Its climate is mild and it has many natural and historical sites in the city and in the towns around. The city is 525 km southwest of Tehran at the foothills of the Zagros mountain range. The city enjoys a temperate climate and regular seasons.

Shafe'ie Mosque

Shafe'ie Jame Mosque is the mosque for Sunni people in Kermanshah and is located on the order of Kermanshah Bazar (Tarikeh Bazar) and was established in 1945. This mosque leads to Javan-shir Square on one side and Tarikeh Bazar on the other side. The mosque was established in a district that was previously a shrine for pilgrims and the place was bought by Sunni benefactors led by late Haj Molla Seyved Hossein Mas'oudi. Today prayers are held only in the new building of the mosque which is near the old building and is built in the style of Turkish mosques. Molla Mohammad Rabe'ei was the Prayer's Imam in this mosque who was killed in serial killings. The nearest tourist attraction to the Mosque is the Bazar.

Taq Bostan Complex

Tag Bostan complex is one of the unprecedented historical monuments in Iran and the world which is the first stone animation in the world with fine reliefs of the Ancient Iranian greatness and glory. Taq Bostan "Taqwa San" in Kermanshah Kurdish, meaning a taq made of stone, is a series of Sassanid petroglyphs and inscriptions that are located in North West of Kermanshah in the west of Iran. According to some, this building was made before Christ and according to some others it was built after Christ and has great historical and artistic value. Several historical scenes such as Khosrow Parviz coronation, Artaxerxes II coronation, Shapour II and III coronations and some inscriptions (epigraphs) have been carved in it in Pahlavi script. The mountains and springs in this area have made it a spiriting promenade that has always been the center of attention, from the old days till now. This complex was recorded in the list of national monuments in 1931 with number 172.

Temple of Anahita

The famous structure known as the Temple of Anahit is locuted in the center of Kangavar city. This monument is built on a natural hill with a maximum 32 m from the surrounding lands. Some historians consider this structure a temple for Goddess Anahita. Anahita meaning clean and free from contamination has been the goddess of water, the guardian of the springs and rain and a symbol of fertility, love and friendship in ancient Iranian belief. This belief existed since before Zoroaster in Iran and has been the center of attention in the next periods. Numerous temples and statues have been built in Iran before Islam in respect for this Iranian Goddess. In addition, Pol-e Dokhtar and Qaleh Dokhtar that have been built throughout Iran have taken the name Dokhtar in memorandum of this Goddess. Different monuments of Anahita (including temples and inscriptions) are remaining in Hamadan, Shoush, Kazeroun, Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Kangavar. The Temple of Anahita in Kangavar is the most famous temple assigned to Anahita in Iran. The ratio of the height of its columns to their diagonals is three to one and this has made it unique and inimitable arnong all the temples in the world. The Temple of Anahita is the second stone building in Iran after Persepolis. The architectural style of this monument is of Arsacid style. The nearest tourist attraction to the temple is Godin Tappeh.

Bisotoun Inscriptions

In Antiquity, Bagastana, which means where the Gods dwell, was the name of a village and a remarkable, isolated rock along the road that connected the capitals of Babylonia and Media, Babylon and Ecbatana (modern Hamadan). Many travelers passed along this place, so it was the logical place for the Persian king Darius I the Great to proclaim his military victories. He essentially copied an older relief at Sar-e Pol-e Zahab. The monumental relief of Darius I, King of Persia, representing the king's victory over the usurper Gaumata and the nine rebels, is surrounded by a great trilingual inscription in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. This inscription is the most important document of the entire ancient Near East and a major key to understanding its languages. It alone made it possible to decipher cuneiform writing and thus to open the door to previously totally unknown ancient civilizations; in that sense it has had a value comparable to that of the Rosetta stone for Egyptology.

Biglar-Beigi Tekyeh

This monument is located in Sarem al-Dowleh Alley in the old district called Feiz-Abad. This tekyeh that was built in Qajar era by Abdollah Khan, known as Biglar Beigi is unique among Kermanshah tekyehs in terms of mirror works. In the western side of the yard, a great mirrored hall is built which is known as Hosseiniyeh. The hall is covered with perfect decorations and numerous inscriptions from Mozaffar al-Din Shah's reign and the great Biglar Beigi Guestroom is located on both sides. Biglar Beigi Tekyeh is visited by public at the moment as the museum of calligraphy and writing. Ancient documents of Biglar-Beigi family are put on a show in this museum. The nearest tourist attraction to Biglar Beigi Tekyeh is Moaven Al-Molk Tekiyeh.

Quri Qala Cave

Quri Qala or Quri Qal'eh cave is the largest water cave in Middle East with a 65 - million-year background, located in Kermanshah province. This cave is located in the 25 km distance of Ravansar town, in the hillside of Shahou Mountion and has an overlooking scene of Ravansar-Paveh road in the neighboring area of a village with the same name. In Ouri Qala cave of Kermanshah, there are 4 waterfalls in the depths of the ground which this feature differentiates this cave with other similar ones. This cave has been a safe and remote place throughout history and detection of relics such as some plates, bowls, and some coins from Yazdegerd III era indicates its age and use in ancient times. This cave is 12 km long and 3140 meters deep. And it is registered as one of Iran's seven natural and national relics.