Tabriz surrounded by Red mountain(Eynali) of north and in South by Sahand mountain from west Misho , good choice for trekking in mountains.
Zahhak Castle is a castle in Hashtrud, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. It is named after Zahhak, a figure in Persian mythology. According to various experts, it was inhabited from the second millennium BC until the Timurid era. It was first excavated in the 19th century by British archeologists. Wikipedia
Zahhak Castle, a 4000-year-old battlement
Even though Iran is better known for foreign tourists by magnificent mosques and Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Persian Empire, the nation does in fact have a large number of rather forgotten historical heritages like a castle dating back a thousand years before the start of the Persian Empire.
Named Zahhak Castle, this ancient ruin was built around 2000 BC and was used as a government building and a fire temple during the later Parthain era (ca.129 BC-224 CE).
Located in northwest Iran near Hashtroud, the castle contains depictions of animals and symbols that show what life was like for the royalty in ancient Iran.
The castle was first discovered by a British army officer in 1830. He noticed that the ruins were quite ancient, dating back at least two thousand years. In recent years, Zahhak Castle has been unearthed slowly by archaeologists who have discovered that different parts of the castle were built in later periods. This includes a square shaped hall made of bricks built during the Parthia period. During this time, Zoroastrianism was the religion of the ruling kings, who likely used part of the castle for a fire temple.
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Engraved reliefs found on the castle walls were numerous. A bull found on one relief wall with an image of Mithra, an ancient pre-Zoroastrian deity of justice, suggests that the castle was dedicated to Mithra at one point. Other human figures were also discovered, along with floral and geometrical shapes. These were unearthed during an archaeological dig several years ago. The castle remained in use until the Timurid period which lasted from 1370 to 1526.
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Sareyn (Persian: سرعين, also Romanized as Sar‘eyn, Sara’eyn, Sar‘eīn, Sar ‘Eyn, and Sarein)[2] is a city in and the capital of Sareyn County, in Ardabil Province, Iran. Sareyn is known for its hot springs. The population is about 8000, and increases to more than 20000 in the summer because of the many tourists who go there due to the charming climate. It stands 25 km from Ardabil and total area is 1.28 square km2. At the 2006 census, its population was 4,478, in 1,135 families.
The Sareyn springs are near an inactive volcano in mount Sabalan and its water contains sulphur particles and it is believed that it is good for bone and joint pains.
The word Sareyn in the Persian dictionary means "Spring's Outlet".
The climate and hot springs are the first attractions to tourists who travel to this region from different parts of Iran and the world.
Sareyn is also famous for its 'Ashe Doogh' (Yogurt Soups), during the busy summer periods, it is not uncommon for many of the local shops to be seen selling and preparing this soup.
Hot springs (spa) have always been in Sarein but the 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake caused some of them to get colder or hotter. The water is heated largely by the Sabalan mountain which is Iran's second highest mountain after Damavand.
Many tourists visit Sabalan. Its most interesting feat is the 'crater' top which contains a lake of acidic water.
Sareyn is also very famous for its honey, again like the soup, many of Sareyn's shops sell honey which is produced locally by the Bee keepers of the area.
The main language of Sareyn is the Azeri dialect, however Persian is understood.
There are 9 hot springs in Sarein, with 'Gavmesh Goli' being the hottest, with water reaching 67 degrees, and turning out around 80 liters per second from the source. There is also several cold water springs nearby, with the most popular being situated in a small village nearby called 'Vila Dareh' – the water here is fizzy and is very good for the kidne
