CHEHELTAN, Bektut (Cave of the)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Ghar-i Cheheltan (note 1), is a relatively small but complex cave in limestone and used as a temple cave and place of pilgrimage sacred to Muslims. SITUATION: At a walking distance of two hours in an unspecified direction from Bektut (note 3) and 17 or 18 km north-west of Kabul city (note 4). The site is reached by leaving the road at a spot about 15 km from Kabul, for a secondary road towards Paghman. ACCESS: The permit to enter the cave must be negotiated with the cave warden, a servant of the local cult spot. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The entrance passage (less than 15 m long) decreases to a narrow and very low crawl. The interior part of the cave is a corridor / hall characterised by a sticky and slippery mud floor (note 5). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend & folklore: This cave is associated with an inspiring back story (note 2) according to which 40 men of pure spirit disappeared into the cave (keyword: exitcave) centuries ago and remain alive to this day, sleeping or praying until judgmet day (LEDGARD 2003). Compare with the Cave of –>Kora Kush (Paghman). This is possibly the cave which Idries SHAH (1986 etc) had in mind when staging the Cave of –>Kora Kush (Paghman). Compare the Cave of –>Ahmed Shah's Treasure Cave. CAVE CLIMATE: 13°C in the interior and 20°C in the entrance (LINDBERG 1958, 1961a). CAVE LIFE: The floor is covered with algae. LINDBERG (1949a) collected on 19th May 1947 about 8 m from the entrance pale, unpigmented woodlice (Isopoda). LINDBERG (1958: 113) says to have collected Oligochaeta, Chilopoda, Collembola, Blattida, Coleoptera (Staphylida). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745) list Oligochaeta: Lumbrichidae: Allobophora rosea SAVIGNY studied by OMODEO (1959, 1962) and Arachnida: Acari terrestria: Rhagidiidae: Poecylophysis wolmsdorfensis WILLMANN.Ghar-i Cheheltan (note 1), is a relatively small but complex cave in limestone and used as a temple cave and place of pilgrimage sacred to Muslims. SITUATION: At a walking distance of two hours in an unspecified direction from Bektut (note 3) and 17 or 18 km north-west of Kabul city (note 4). The site is reached by leaving the road at a spot about 15 km from Kabul, for a secondary road towards Paghman. ACCESS: The permit to enter the cave must be negotiated with the cave warden, a servant of the local cult spot. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The entrance passage (less than 15 m long) decreases to a narrow and very low crawl. The interior part of the cave is a corridor / hall characterised by a sticky and slippery mud floor (note 5). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend & folklore: This cave is associated with an inspiring back story (note 2) according to which 40 men of pure spirit disappeared into the cave (keyword: exitcave) centuries ago and remain alive to this day, sleeping or praying until judgmeGhar-i Cheheltan (note 1), is a relatively small but complex cave in limestone and used as a temple cave and place of pilgrimage sacred to Muslims. SITUATION: At a walking distance of two hours in an unspecified direction from Bektut (note 3) and 17 or 18 km north-west of Kabul city (note 4). The site is reached by leaving the road at a spot about 15 km from Kabul, for a secondary road towards Paghman. ACCESS: The permit to enter the cave must be negotiated with the cave warden, a servant of the local cult spot. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The entrance passage (less than 15 m long) decreases to a narrow and very low crawl. The interior part of the cave is a corridor / hall characterised by a sticky and slippery mud floor (note 5). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend & folklore: This cave is associated with an inspiring back story (note 2) according to which 40 men of pure spirit disappeared into the cave (keyword: exitcave) centuries ago and remain alive to this day, sleeping or praying until judgmet day (LEDGARD 2003). Compare with the Cave of –>Kora Kush (Paghman). This is possibly the cave which Idries SHAH (1986 etc) had in mind when staging the Cave of –>Kora Kush (Paghman). Compare the Cave of –>Ahmed Shah's Treasure Cave. CAVE CLIMATE: 13°C in the interior and 20°C in the entrance (LINDBERG 1958, 1961a). CAVE LIFE: The floor is covered with algae. LINDBERG (1949a) collected on 19th May 1947 about 8 m from the entrance pale, unpigmented woodlice (Isopoda). LINDBERG (1958: 113) says to have collected Oligochaeta, Chilopoda, Collembola, Blattida, Coleoptera (Staphylida). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1745) list Oligochaeta: Lumbrichidae: Allobophora rosea SAVIGNY studied by OMODEO (1959, 1962) and Arachnida: Acari terrestria: Rhagidiidae: Poecylophysis wolmsdorfensis WILLMANN.