Tamtaman Cave

Tamtaman Cave, one of the oldest human settlements in northwestern Iran, is located in West Azerbaijan Province, 20 km southwest of the city of Urmia. The cave lies in a mountain called Tamtaman in Nazlu District, and because of its historical and archaeological importance, it was inscribed on Iran's National Heritage List in 1384 (2005) under registration number 14299.

Tamtaman Cave is about 35 meters long and 16.9 meters wide, with a single level and two branches. Studies have shown that the remains found in the cave are the oldest evidence of human habitation in West Azerbaijan, and they are dated to the Paleolithic period. In 1949, the American anthropologist Professor Carleton Stanley Coon explored the cave and discovered 48 stone tools and nearly three thousand animal bones from various species. These finds indicate that humans lived in this area around 40,000 years ago.

To reach Tamtaman Cave, take the Urmia–Serow road from the center of Urmia and after about 23 kilometers you will reach the village of Tamtaman. From the village, a short walk leads to the cave entrance. The best time to visit the cave is spring and summer, when the weather is mild and the surrounding countryside is green. In these seasons the air inside the cave is also cooler than outside, which makes for a pleasant experience for visitors.