Chal Nakhjir Cave
غار چال نخجیرA limestone cave of crystal and stalactite near Delijan
Chal Nakhjir is a cave in the hills near Delijan, in the east of Markazi province, found by chance in 1989 when workers from the local water organisation were searching for water. Behind a small, unremarkable entrance they found a long system of chambers and passages decorated with some of the finest calcite formations known in Iran.
Inside, water seeping through the limestone over many thousands of years has built stalactites and stalagmites, curtains of flowstone, columns where the two meet, and delicate crystal clusters that glitter when the lamps pass over them. Colours range from pure white to cream, amber and rust, depending on the minerals carried in the water.
The cave was registered as a national monument in 2001, and parts of it have been opened to visitors on guided routes, with walkways and lighting laid out to protect the formations. Visitors are asked not to touch the stone, since the oil of a single hand can stop a formation growing.
Above ground, the setting is plain desert hill country on the edge of the central plateau, a reminder of how much of Iran’s natural heritage lies hidden underground. A visit to Chal Nakhjir pairs easily with nearby Delijan and the old town of Naraq.
Chal Nakhjir Cave through time
Iranian historyThe Pahlavi century and afterدوران پهلوی و پس از آن
Two Pahlavi shahs built railways, universities and a centralised state, while poets, novelists and film-makers created a new Persian culture. The era ended with the revolution of 1979.
- Cave discovered during a search for water
- Registered as a national monument
More in Markaziمرکزی
Khorheh
Two lone stone columns with Greek-style capitals near Mahallat
Jameh Mosque of Saveh
A congregational mosque with a Seljuk minaret and a Safavid dome
Mighan Wetland
A seasonal salt lake beside Arak where thousands of cranes gather
Stories from the regionداستانها
Ismailis
A Shia community that follows a living Imam, with roots in Fatimid Cairo, the castles of Alamut and the high valleys of the Pamirs.
Armenian, Assyrian, Turkmen and other languages of Iran
Iran’s languages include ancient tongues of Christian and Jewish communities, Turkic languages of the north and south, and small languages found nowhere else, from the Armenian of New Julfa to the Kumzari of the Strait of Hormuz.