The longest salt cave in the world ( Namakdan Cave) with a length of six km.
The longest salt cave in the world ( Namakdan Cave) with a length of six km, is located on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, Iran. These salt domes dating back to approximately 550 million years ago -even before life flourished on the ground- has many unique parts such as salt falls, salt springs, and salt cave, with various geological formations. Salt domes emerge in the areas which have weak surface structures and openings and appear as the salt dome on the earth’s surface. Rainwater gradually penetrates the salt Dome, allowing the water dissolves the salt and enter the dome. As the dissolution process is not the same for all areas, the size, and the shape of these caves and the openings differ, giving rise to large and open spaces in some areas, while in other areas very narrow corridors formed when one only can get through the cave by crawling.
Characteristics Some of the most amazing structures that can be found inside the Salt Cave are Stalactites and Stalagmites, as well as salt crystals (such as needle-shaped, round, or multi-facet) formed by sedimentation of salt. In addition, in some areas where water has penetrated to the ground, some beautiful ponds have been formed with salt crystals at the bottom. One of the main attractions around the salt dome and the salt cave are geological structures that are composed of various layers of colorful minerals and stones. These are indeed gifts from the depth of the earth which have been brought to the surface through the rise of the salt dome. The age difference between these minerals and other geological structures on the island is over millions of years, and different colors in minerals represent different chemical elements. For example, the red color is the Iron, and the yellow color reflects the presence of Sulfur. Another interesting phenomenon around the salt dome, is the presence of very shiny and silvery particles, reflecting the presence of Oligists (Iron Oxid) that may be observed on the sandy beaches, creating a beautiful landscape. These are remains of large Oligists that have broken down and eroded and are widely distributed. Oligists and other Iron Oxid may be found in abundance around salt domes.
Remember while visiting the salt dome and the Salt Cave, one has to be extremely cautious not to fall, as there are many holes that have been formed by the dissolution process and are sometimes hidden and covered by a thin layer of salt, which is hard to distinguish at first sight.
Sustainable Tourism It is important to note that this Geo site is very vulnerable to visitors, as the Salt Dome and the Salt Cave and their related structures have taken thousands of years to form. Each piece of salt crystal that has been formed inside Salt Cave, if damaged, needs another hundred years to be formed. Therefore, extreme caution by visitors is highly required and advised to protect and conserve this unique Geo site for the next generations.
Related Tours
