Karaftu Caves
| Karaftu Caves | |
|---|---|
Karaftu Cave | |
Interactive map of Karaftu Caves | |
| Location | Kurdistan province, Iran |
| Coordinates | 36°16′00″N 46°51′00″E / 36.2667°N 46.8500°E |
| Discovery | 1940 (National Monument registration) |
| Features | Greek inscription, rock-cut architecture |
| Registry | UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site (2022) |
The Karaftu Caves (Persian: کرفتو; Kurdish: کەرەفتوو), also known as Karaftu Castle, are a mixture of natural and human-made caverns located on a mountainous terrain between Saqqez and Divandarreh, Kurdistan province, Iran. The limestone caves, situated at an altitude of approximately 2,000 m and stretching over 750 m, were formed naturally, but were modified by inhabitants over the centuries.