Sardasht’s natural springs bring tourists to Kurdistan’s mountains

The Zagros Mountains in Kurdistan have their hidden gems like the Garavan Mineral Spring in Sardasht.

It is located on Iran's eastern border in the Kurdish province of West Azerbaijan near the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

The natural attraction brings in tourists from across the country.

Medya Khanzad came from the capital city of Tehran to visit.

"I come to Sardasht every year and visit this aquafer. The mountain you see is made by the spring.  The water is very nice and beautiful; I can say it’s paradise on Earth," she told Rudaw English.

Visitors believe the mineral-rich waters help to treat skin problems like eczema, so they splash it on themselves. But it's too salty to drink.

The minerals in the water leave deposits which have formed the sedimentary rock mountain.

"The mountain was tiny at first and now it’s big. I remember when the end was here but now it’s there. There was another one but it’s destroyed," local resident Ali Hamidi said.

The spring's source is 12 kilometers away from Sardasht city. The mineral deposits give the mountain and rock a reddish-orange color.