Murad Ice Cave

Murad Ice Cave is one of the most beautiful and fascinating natural sites, located 65 kilometers from Tehran, near the village of Kohneh Deh in the Gachsar area, along the Chalus road. This cave is recognized as one of the natural attractions of Alborz province and dates back to prehistoric ancient Iran.

The entrance of this cave is three meters wide and eight meters high. In the months of Esfand and Farvardin (late winter and early spring), the beautiful icicles of this cave shine at their best. However, nowadays, caving equipment is necessary to enter this cave. Murad Ice Cave is registered as one of Iran’s national monuments.

In the past, local people believed that the ice in this cave had healing properties for treating female infertility. The name of the village Kohneh Deh also originates from the old rags (ex-votos) hung at the main entrance and inside the cave, referring to this belief. Some people also believe that anyone who consumes the ice from this cave will have their wishes granted in the following year, which might be why the cave is known as “Murad Ice.”

A fossil on a large rock near the main entrance of this cave, from a marine mollusk species of the third geological period called (Cardita), indicates that the cave was underwater about fifty million years ago. However, geologists estimate the age of this cave to be between 70 and 230 million years. Various parts of this cave include three halls, a pond, and a frozen waterfall.