A Meadow Between 2 Gorges

There is a narrow mountain pass some 150km northeast of the capital that makes for a cool excursion in the hot summer days.

Known as Tangeh Vashi, the pass is located near Firuzkuh town.

A typical hike through the pass involves three sections: two gorges and one meadow in between. Water runs through the gorges and one should wade his/her way through the tight parts of the gorges. The water is unbelievingly cold even in the hot summer, because it runs in the deep ravines that have never seen sunshine. Tangeh Vashi also has a historical side. Fat’h-Ali Shah (1772-1834), the second king of the Qajar dynasty (1786-1925), who had a hunting lodge nearby, has left a rock relief carved on the rugged and steep rocky walls of the gorge.

The relief shows the long bearded, wasp-waisted ruler and his hunting party shooting spears and arrows at everything that moves. The deer being hunted in the scene, probably a Persian fallow deer, is now extinct in the area.