Tang-i Azaw, Safed Khara (Dahan-e)
34.176400,63.090300
Location
In the Hazarajat country (note 2) and about 110 km along the road east of Herat, above the right bank of the Azaw Gorge (note 3) and near to the gorge's entrance. The cave itself lies just opposite the cliff face with the very find spot of Persian / Judaic inscriptions (note 4) in Hebrew characters which, according to Prof. W.B. Henning, represent the possibly most ancient monument of the Persian language.
Description
Various descriptions
A fissure cave (note 1) in a honey-combed limestone cliff that suffered a lot from large scale collapse and wrenching that left a huge natural rock bridge high above and piles of huge detached boulders below. Locally, the erosional shaping of the cave bearing landforms appear to be subsequent to phenomena which resulted from tectonical events. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Near the base and sur la droite (on the right-hand side? above the right bank of the river?), terminates an excavation (for: cavity?) with a 6 or 7 m long passage along an ascending rift to a tiny circular chambe –about 0.5 m in diameter– with a high ceiling (an aven? indication vertical cave potential?). CAVE POTENTIAL: - Outlook / Prospects: At the start of this passage one finds a chimney of difficult access, which seems to connect to other cavities and passage systems visible in the upper part of the cliff face. Herbert Daniel Gebauer: LINDBERG (1958: 124) recorded / collected Coleoptera (Tenebrionida), Diptera, Lepidoptera (-Noctuelles-), Arachnida (Opiliones, Solifuga), Acaria. A fissure cave (note 1) in a honey-combed limestone cliff that suffered a lot from large scale collapse and wrenching that left a huge natural rock bridge high above and piles of huge detached boulders below. Locally, the erosional shaping of the cave bearing landforms appear to be subsequent to phenomena which resulted from tectonical events.
Caves nearby
Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
---|---|---|---|
22.9 | Obe (Cave at) | ||
51.8 | Dahan-i- Ghar, Karukh | ||
52.0 | KARUKH DWAR | ||
63.0 | CHESHT-e SHARIF (Cave at) | ||
64.6 | ZOGHAL, Haman (Ma'dan) | ||
75.5 | CHEHEL DOKHTARAN, Qadis 1 (Cave of the) | ||
75.5 | QADIS VIEW CAVES, Mourehzar | ||
75.5 | CHEHEL DOKHTARAN, Qadis, 2nd (Cave of the) | ||
86.1 | ZIARAT KHWAJA ABDUL RAHMAN (Cave at) |