Chapter | Title | Page |
---|---|---|
1. | Acknowledgements | 5 |
2. | Ghar Alisadr and surroundings | 6 |
2.1 | Introduction | 6 |
2.2 | Geological and hydrological settings | 6 |
2.3 | Speleogenetic model | 9 |
2.4 | Ghar Alisadr | 12 |
2.4.1.1 | History of exploration of Ghar Alisadr | 12 |
2.4.1.2 | Speleological investigations 2000/2001 | 13 |
2.4.1.3 | Description of Ghar Alisadr | 14 |
2.4.2 | Tourist–management survey (by Dipl.–Geogr. B. Köppen) | 18 |
2.4.2.1 | Introduction | 18 |
2.4.2.2 | Methodology and general quality of the tourist survey | 18 |
2.4.2.3 | Attractiveness, amount of visitors and organisation | 19 |
2.4.2.4 | Ghar Alisadr as significant regional economic factor and employer | 20 |
2.4.2.5 | Data on the visitors and consumer–behaviour | 21 |
2.4.2.6 | Perception of Ghar Alisadr by the visitors | 23 |
2.4.2.7 | Opinions of cave visitors to increase the show cave quality | 24 |
2.4.3 | Surveying results and position of Ghar Alisadr among comparable caves | 25 |
2.4.4 | Recommendations | 26 |
2.4.5. | History of exploration of Ghar Soobashi | 28 |
2.4.5.2 | Speleological investigation 2001 and description of Ghar Soobashi | 28 |
2.4.6 | Ghar Sarab | 30 |
2.5 | Other Caves of the Hamadan province | 33 |
3. | Ghar Katalehkhor | 35 |
3.1 | Introduction | 35 |
3.2 | History of Exploration of Ghar Katalehkhor | 36 |
3.3 | Geological and hydrological settings | 38 |
3.4 | Description of Ghar Katalehkhor | 41 |
3.4.1 | First (main) level | 41 |
3.4.2 | Second level | 44 |
3.4.3 | Third level | 45 |
3.5 | Speleogenesis of Ghar Katalehkhor | 45 |
3.6 | Outlook and recommendations | 47 |
4. | References | 48 |
Appendices: | ||
Photo tables | 49 | |
International cave map symbols | 60 | |
Surveys of Ghar Alisadr and Ghar Katalehkhor | 61 | |
Most important show caves acc. to the length of public underground boat tour (as at 2001). | 101 |
This volume replaces volumes 4 and 12 of this series and describes the longest caves known in Iran so far. Ghar Katalehkhor is featured with a detailed survey showing 12,860 m. The same applies to Ghar Alisadr (11,440 m) which is one of the most visited show caves in the world. A number of caves in the surroundings of Ghar Alisadr are also described. In English.