TEHRAN – On Sunday, a delegation of experts from Japan International Cooperation Agency paid a visit to Karaftu Caves, which is a mixture of natural and human-made caverns, CHTN reported.

The visit was in line with a comprehensive tourism project that JICA follows to develop over a vast area of lands in northwest of the country.

“In the same vein, all parts of Karaftu Caves were visited by the delegation. Besides, the history and capabilities of the region for [encouraging] investment were described,” a local official Saber Vafaei said.

The project goes through three phases of primary studies, field visits and the development of a comprehensive tourism plan for six provinces including West and East Azarbaijan, Ardebil, Kordestan, Zanjan and Qazvin.

Set in the side of a large cliff, 42km from Takab, the Caves ensemble was used for habitation from early Sassanid times (224–651). The caves were formed naturally, but were modified by inhabitants over the centuries. In ancient times, these caves were important from an economic point of view, as they were situated on the Silk Roads. Today, the caves are also significant for a Greek inscription found in them, as this is one of the few examples of such a script preserved in situ in Iran.

AFM/MQ/MG