Mount Soffeh or Kuh-e Soffeh is a mountain that is situated just south of the city of Isfahan, southeast of Mount Donbeh and south of the Zayanderud River in Iran.
Mount Soffeh or Kuh-e Soffeh is a mountain that is situated just south of the city of Isfahan, southeast of Mount Donbeh and south of the Zayanderud River in Iran.
The term "soffeh" in Persian is derived from an Arabic word "soffa" that means "stone bench" or "sofa" or "raised platform". But there are different opinions about the origin of the name of this mountain. There is this belief that the name of this mountain comes from the name of a mystic called "Mir Ali-ye Soffeh" who lived and prayed in this mountain in the second half of the seventeenth century during the reign of the Safavid king Shah Suleiman I of Persia. This is related to the belief that the mountain was used as a refuge by Sufis or Muslim mystics. It is also believed that the word "soffeh" is somehow related to the word "safa" (meaning "purity", "pleasantness" and "enjoyment") or pleasure that is obtained and felt by visiting this mountain. There is also this opinion that "soffeh" is somehow related to the Persian word "spah" or "sepah" (meaning "army") and therefore it is related to the word "spahan" or "sepahan" (meaning a place for the army), which is the etymological origin for the name of Isfahan. And of course, there is this idea that the reason for the name "soffeh" is the existence of a flat raised platform at the foot of the mountain. [1]
Mount Soffeh is mainly made of Lower Cretaceous limestone. Only a very small narrow section of the lowest part of the mountain is formed chiefly of Jurassic shale. Mount Soffeh is located in the Sanandaj-Sirjan geological and structural zone, a geologic zone that is in the east and parallel to the Zagros geological and structural zone. [2]
With an elevation of 2257 metres, Mount Soffeh is the nearest mountain which is situated just south of the city of Isfahan. [3] The mountain was a few kilometres far from Isfahan, but with the expansion of the city, now it is just located at the southern part of the city. This mountain is about 590 metres high from the ground level. There are some small water springs in Mount Soffeh. On the eastern side of Mount Soffeh there are a series of hills. Isfahan to Shiraz road passes through these hills. There are remnants of a few ruined buildings which might have been used as some sorts of castles and fire temples in the distant past (see Shahdiz). Mount Soffeh and its surrounding hills have been converted to a beautiful park which covers at least 100 hectares. A wonderful panoramic view of the metropolitan city of Isfahan can be seen from the mountain especially at night. The mountain is the closest slope for some citizens of Isfahan who practice mountain climbing, but many people visit this place every day. There is a small zoo with a few wild animals and birds at the foot of the mountain. There are also restaurants, (gondola lift) cable cars and other recreational facilities. [4]
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The Köpet Dag, Kopet Dagh, or Koppeh Dagh, also known as the Turkmen-Khorasan Mountain Range, is a mountain range on the border between Turkmenistan and Iran that extends about 650 kilometres (400 mi) along the border southeast of the Caspian Sea, stretching northwest-southeast from near the Caspian Sea in the northwest to the Harirud River in the southeast. In the southwest it borders on the parallel eastern endings of the Alborz mountains being together part of the much larger Alpide belt. The highest peak of the range in Turkmenistan is the Mount Rizeh, located at the southwest of the capital Ashgabat and stands at 2,940 metres (9,646 ft). The highest Iranian summit is Mount Quchan with 3,191 metres (10,469 ft).
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Abidar is a mountain to the West of Sanandaj, in Rojhelat of Kurdistan, situated in Iran. With an elevation of 2550 metres, Mount Abidar is made of Upper Cretaceous rocks and is located in the Sanandaj-Sirjan geological and structural zone. This mountain is the place where the residents of Sanandaj go hiking and has many beautiful sub parks like "Emîriye" Jungle Park. Awyer main Jungle Park was designed and renewed in 1995 by the mayor of the time, Ardavan Nosoudi. He built and designed new roads to the highest places of the mount to increase the accessibility even for older people, without destroying the original view.
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Mount Donbeh or Kuh-e Donbeh is a mountain which is situated just southwest of the city of Isfahan in Isfahan Province in Iran. Stretching in a northwest-southeast direction, Mount Donbeh is located south of the Zayanderud River and northwest of Mount Soffeh in the Sanandaj-Sirjan geologic and structural zone of Iran. The mountain is mainly formed of Lower Cretaceous limestone. Only the southeastern part of the mountain is made of Jurassic shale.
Mount Kolah Qazi or Kuh-e Kolah Qazi is a mountain that is located about 30 kilometres southeast of the city of Isfahan in Isfahan Province in Iran. With an elevation of 2534 metres, the highest peak is in the north-central part of the mountain. Having a general northwest-southeast direction, this mountain is situated southeast of Mount Shah Kuh and west and almost parallel to Mount Qaruneh. With an average width of about 5 kilometres and a length of almost 20 kilometres, this mountain is a part of the Mount Kolah Qazi Protected Nature Reserve which covers an area of about 50,000 hectares of national park and 3,000 hectares of protected wildlife region.
Mount Qaruneh or Kuh-e Qaruneh is a mountain which is located about 30 kilometres southeast of the city of Isfahan in Isfahan Province in Iran. Situated southeast of Mount Shah Kuh and being almost parallel to Mount Kolah Qazi this mountain has an average width of about 2 kilometres and a length of around 25 kilometres. Mount Qaruneh has a general northwest southeast direction. With an elevation of 2030 metres, the highest peak is located in the southern section of the mountain. Mount Qaruneh is situated in the Sanandaj-Sirjan geologic and structural zone of Iran and is made mainly of Lower Cretaceous limestone.
Shah Kuh or Mount Shah Kuh is a mountain which is located about 15 kilometres south of the city of Isfahan in Isfahan Province in Iran. With an average width of about 3 kilometres and a length of almost 20 kilometres, this mountain has a general northwest-southeast direction and is situated almost northwest of Mount Kolah Qazi. The highest peak is located in the northern section of the mountain and has an elevation of 2418 metres. Mount Shah Kuh is situated in the Sanandaj-Sirjan geologic and structural zone of Iran, and except for a very small section of Jurassic rocks in its north-central part this mountain is mainly formed of Lower Cretaceous limestone.
Shahankuh is a mountain which is located about 20 kilometres southwest of the city of Fereydunshahr in the western part of Isfahan Province in Iran. With an elevation of 4040 metres, the Shahankuh is the highest mountain in Isfahan Province. Situated in the Zagros Mountains and stretched in a general northwest-southeast direction and almost parallel to other Zagros mountains, the Shahankuh has an average width of about 3 kilometres and a length of almost 20 kilometres.
The ecological environment of Isfahan, Iran, reflects many interrelated factors, such as wildlife, climate, topography, irrigation, farming, and the human population.
