Karaftu, Ancient cave complex in Divandarreh County, Iran
Karaftu is a cave system featuring natural limestone formations alongside artificially carved chambers cut into rock between Saqqez and Divandarreh. The complex spans four stories with rooms, hallways, and corridors that were created entirely by hand.
The complex dates to the 3rd or 4th century BC and served as a Seleucid garrison. It preserves one of Iran's rare surviving Greek inscriptions from that period.
The entrance to a third-story chamber displays a Greek inscription that reads 'Herakles resides here, nothing evil may enter', which led to calling this place Heracles Temple. This text shows how ancient visitors understood and valued this site.
The cave entrance sits 20 to 25 meters above the surrounding hills, requiring some effort to reach. Certain sections require small boats for exploration due to water presence in those areas.
The four-story structure was carved directly into the mountain using only basic hand tools, showing the skill of ancient craftspeople. This construction method stands apart from other known cave complexes in the region.
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