TEHRAN – A hand-dug subterranean passageway, which is believed to once served for military purposes, has been discovered in northern Iran.

“An underground tunnel with an approximate length of 700 meters has recently been discovered in Gol Sarak village of Gilan province,” deputy provincial tourism chief Vali Jahani said on Monday.

The tunnel, which is equipped with underground stairs, ammunition slums, soldiers’ rooms, etc., is stretched in the north-south direction, and it probably dates from the Qajar era (1794–1925), the official added.

Jahani added that further research and analysis should be conducted to answer questions such as the exact construction time of the tunnel, its usage in certain periods, as well as the way that construction materials and water were provided (by the original builders/users).

Bounded by the Caspian Sea and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the north, Gilan, in the far past, was within the sphere of influence of the successive Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanid empires that ruled Iran until the 7th century CE.

Sophisticated Rasht, the provincial capital, has long been a weekend escape for residents of Tehran who are looking to sample the famous local cuisine and hoping for some pluvial action – it's the largest, and wettest town in the northern region. Gilan is divided into a coastal plain including the large delta of Sefid Rud and adjacent parts of the Alborz mountain range.

AFM