Chah Darya () or Chah-i Darya is a natural well and underground lake in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. It is found below the desert coastline of

Rafsanjan Rafsanjan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Rafsanjan County), Central District of Rafsanjan County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Demographics Population At the time o ...

County of

Kerman Kerman (; ) is a city in the Central District (Kerman County), Central District of Kerman County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. History Kerman was founded as a def ...

province. This site is 15 kilometers to the west of Davaran and close to the village of Odrej. Its width ranges from 20 to 60 meters, with a depth of 93 meters. Chah Darya is among only a small number of underground lakes in

. Formerly visible, it now lies retired.

Folklore

Chah Darya lake is thought to be mysterious and creepy. Its deep waters have attracted explorers, some of whom were lost. Mysterious beings are said to inhabit the area. A yarn recounts the experience of a camel herder who lost his camels and walking stick near Audarj village in

. Days later he found his walking stick floating on the Zayandehrud River near

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

. The space between the entrance and the lake offers

speleologists Speleology () is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, as well as their composition, structure, physical properties, history, ecology, and the processes by which they form (speleogenesis) and change over time (speleomorpholog ...

and other visitors opportunities for exploration..

Origins

The origin of Chah Darya remains undetermined. According to Mohammad Jahanshahi, the most likely explanation is that the land face collapsed. Located between Rafsanjan and Zarand, near Davaran village, Chah Darya is in an area prone to erosion. The entrance features two conical openings, measuring 60 and 30 measures wide and is girdled by

yardangs A yardang is a streamlined protuberance carved from bedrock or any consolidated or semiconsolidated material by the dual action of wind abrasion by dust and sand and deflation (the removal of loose material by wind turbulence). Yardangs become e ...

References

{{reflist Lakes of Iran Lakes in Kerman province Tourist attractions in Kerman province