Kandovan is a village in the rural district of Sahand, the central district of Osku, East Azerbaijan province, 60 km away from Tabriz. This rocky village displays human being’s domination over the nature; it is like a beehive, hence known as Kandovan which is the Persian equivalent of the beehive in plural form. The village was constructed on the structures left from Sahand volcanic mountain’s activities. The lava started flowing from Sahand volcano and other volcanic mountains around the village and gradually a stony surface was created. As time passed erosion changed the lava and only its solid parts remained. Then people built the Karans there. Karans are the rocky houses made in this village.

The history of living in this village dates back to 13th century AD when Iran was attacked by Mongols; those who lived in a village near this mountain took refuge in the beehive spaces to protect themselves from different invasions, as well as weather changes. After their immigration, the inner spaces of the stones were further craved for people to live in.

Villagers still live in the houses carved at the heart of mountain; the village has a mosque, a bathroom, a school and a mill. The Karan Mosque is the biggest Karan in the village. Karan is like a cone, each Karan includes a living room, a cuddy, a kitchen, and an oven and it includes some stories that have no connections in their interior parts. The upper levels are connected to other parts by stairs attached to the main body of the house. The ground floor is mostly used as a stable and the second, third and the fourth floors are used for dwelling. In some cases, the fourth floor is used as a warehouse. Also, because of the walls’ thickness lighting the lower floors is not easy so the windows stand on the upper floors that are made of wood and shaped like a plaid with small pieces of colorful glasses. The water channels are usually in the passages and outside the residence and each is shared by a couple of families. The most amazing feature of the rocky houses is the fact that they remain warm in winter and cold in summer.

This rocky village displays human being’s domination over the nature; it is like a beehive, hence known as Kandovan which is the Persian equivalent of the beehive in plural form.

Today, there are three rocky villages of this type in the world, Cappadocia in Turkey, Dakota in the US, and Kandovan. However, the only rocky village in the world that people still live in is the one in Iran. The population of the village is almost seven hundred and travelers have the opportunity of experiencing the local life by living in one of the houses or by going to the beautiful rocky hotel of Kandovan.

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When Arabs Invaded Iran and reached the central lands, a group of people escaped and took refuge in the valley of a mountain, today known as Karkas. The seclusion provided by the mountains enabled them to remain in relative detachment from the rest of Iran that was under the attack of Arab army. They followed their Zoroastrian Sassanid ancestors and made houses and fire temples in that tradition. However, slowly, the story of an infidel group living in the depth of mountains reached the Islamic rulers and attempts to turn the villagers in Abyaneh to Islam began; although the new religion wasn’t accepted at first, people began to turn to Islam that soon became the main religion of the villagers. While their religion changed, many of their Sassanid traditions remained.

In Iranian Mythology, there is prince called Siavash. With a conspiracy led by King’s brother, Siavash was captured and murdered.  His death was so tragic that when the news of his death scattered in the country the whole nation began mourning. From then, people started a mourning ritual on the day of his death. Abyaneh was among few places that mourned Siavash’s death each year. Even after converting to Islam, the ritual of Siavashan (mourning for Siavash’s death) was held.

The popularity of Islam and especially Shiite Islam shifted the focus from Siavash to Imam Hossein who was also brutally martyred. The ancient tradition of Siavashan that dates back to early Zoroastrian time and the language that dates back to Sassanid time shows how much the villagers have maintained their Iranian origin.

Abyaneh is famous for its architecture; the stepped village is like a red pearl in the Valley of Karkas Mountain. The whole village is covered with red soil and the wooden doors, windows and terraces create beautiful harmony.

Today Abyaneh is famous for its architecture; the stepped village is like a red pearl in the Valley of Karkas Mountain. The whole village is covered with red soil and the wooden doors, windows and terraces create beautiful harmony. The houses are small but built in two or more floors. The four mosque of the village, the pulpit that dates back to 11^th century, the wooden altar that belongs to 14^th century, and the Harpark arched vault are the main tourist attractions of the place. The villagers still wear traditional attires that adds to the charms of the village. Visiting Abyaneh is a fascinating travel through time to the end of Sassanid and the beginning of Islam.

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