TEHRAN – Once sheltering humans some 230,000 years ago, Darband Rashi Cave, situated in Gilan province, is planned to turn into a tourism complex, the provincial tourism chief has said.

Darband Rashi Cave is planned to be ceded to the private sector to be developed into a museum, restaurant, and handicraft market, Vali Jahani explained on Thursday.

“The ancient cave is believed to have been inhabited about 230,000 years ago, based on archaeological excavations,” the official added.

The project aims at protecting the cave and its surroundings as well as introducing it to both domestic and foreign tourists, and promoting sustainable development, he mentioned.

Creating direct and indirect jobs, which can have a significant impact on the growth and prosperity of the province’s tourism industry, is also a part of the project’s goals, he noted.

Historical and ancient caves have been converted into restaurants around the globe, including in European countries, to develop tourism in those areas, he stated.

Exploring a cave may not be on the “to-do list” of travelers in Iran. However, Karaftu, Ali-Sadr and Quri Qaleh, and Katale-Khor are among the most visited caves.

Iran is geologically a part of the Alpine-Himalayan organic belt. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, the enigmatic evidence of human presence on the Iranian plateau is as early as Lower Paleolithic times.

The first well-documented evidence of human habitation is in deposits from several excavated cave and rock-shelter sites, located mainly in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran and dated to Middle Paleolithic or Mousterian times (c. 100,000 BC).

Gilan is known for its tourist attractions and warm-hearted and hospitable people. The people of Gilan from different ethnic groups, including Gilak, Talesh, and Tat, have come together and formed a very rich and diverse culture and customs.

The northern region was within the sphere of influence of the successive Achaemenian, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires that ruled Iran until the 7th century CE. The subsequent Arab conquest of Iran led to the rise of many local dynasties, and Gilan acquired an independent status that continued until 1567.

Besides, its sophisticated capital city of Rasht 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 range.

ABU/AM