Far north, close to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea lies the fabled Ganjkhaneh cave. The cave is cursed; that is, if you believe the folklore. The locals certainly do.
Located in the remote village of Subatan in Talesh County, Gilan Province, Ganjkhaneh functions as the village’s main tourist attraction during the finals days of spring.
The locals talk up the place, but they also warn travelers. “Beware the cave, for it is cursed!” they say, sending shivers down the spines of the less skeptical travelers.
The belief that the cave is cursed is so deeply ingrained in the local culture that even shepherds avoid the lush pastures around the cave’s opening.
The cave has never been explored by speleologists. With no expert opinion on the cave and what lies inside, the locals have allowed their imaginations to fill in the blanks for them.
Some believe there is a hidden treasure deep in the bowels of Ganjkhaneh, which might explain the name given to the cave – it literally translates to ‘treasure house’.
Others claim there is a large lake in the cave much like the well-known Alisadr cave in Hamedan Province.
The cave, however, is not going to be cursed for much longer. ISNA reports that Iran’s Cave and Speleology Association (ICSA) will deploy a team of experts today to explore the cave and put an end to the legend of Ganjkhaneh.
