Shamkhal Valley

Shamkhal Valley is one of the top tourist destinations and sights of Quchan, located in northeastern Iran close to the border with Turkmenistan. The valley is about 18 kilometers long, and its walls are estimated to rise up to 200 meters. It is bounded to the northeast by Mount Asmeleh and to the southeast by the permanent Kal-e Shamkhal River. The massive, solid walls of the valley, which enclose the river like a fortress, give this area a distinctive character.

The valley takes its name from the foothill village of the same name. Some researchers believe the name Shamkhal has Arabic roots; however, according to many historians, "Shamkhal" or "Shawhal" is a Turkic name that was used to refer to a Turkic state or its rulers. In Kurmanji Kurdish, shamkhal refers to a type of handmade rifle that was very powerful. The proverb "Have you been hit by a shamkhal bullet?" was used among the older residents of this area to refer to the power and accuracy of this rifle.

The best time to visit Shamkhal Valley is the first half of the year, that is, spring and summer. Visiting the area in the second half of the year is not particularly recommended because of rain and cold weather. Shamkhal Valley is one of the most distinctive and mysterious places in Iran, one that keeps you captivated until the very last moment. Besides walnut trees, the valley has a wide variety of other plants. Its vegetation includes trees and plants such as fig, apricot, plane, willow, poplar, blackberry, wild shallot (musir), anokh (kakuti), chinaberry, hafshan, milkvetch (gavan), rikhok, barberry, hawthorn (gazhi), and hundreds of other wild and medicinal plants. The diverse vegetation of Shamkhal Valley makes the area a habitat for various animal species such as wild sheep (ewes), wild boar, mouflon rams, leopards, eagles, vultures, see-see partridges and chukar partridges.