Əshabi-Kəhf

Ashabi Kahf - Ashabi-Kahf Cave - Ashabu Kaf

Useful Information

Location:	Eastern part of Nakhchivan city, near former Hachaparag village. (39.219259, 45.588742)
Open:	no restrictions. [2020]
Fee:	free. [2020]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The Əshabi-Kəhf (Ashabi-Kahf cave) is the most important place of worship in Nakhichevan. Each year ten thousands of people make a pilgrimage to this place. From the parking lot a long series of stone stairs and iron staircases lead uphill. A small grotto on the way is said to be a wishing cave, putting four stones in the cave will grant a wish. Obviously this is known to others too, and there are no stones left in the surroundings, so you should brng the stones from the parking lot. Probably thats the point, it should not be too easy.

When you reach the top of the stairs there is a shallow natural cave which is quite unimpressive. The cave entrance points towards Mecca. Far mor interesting is a small shrine just below housing a large meteorite.

The region is dominated by the Inan Dag (Snake Mountain) which is 2415 m asl.. The area is karstified and has many caves.

Nakhichevan which is also written Naxcivan, is a small country between Turkey and Armenia. During the Sovjet times it was declared a military area and was not accessible. After the collapse of the Sovjet Union it became an independent state, but because of its small size it asked to become a state of Azerbaijan. Today it is a part of Azerbaijan although they are not geographically connected.