Abidar Recreational Park of Sanandaj

With a height of 2350 and 2550 meters respectively, the Small and Big Abidar Mountains are located in Sanandaj City and there is a forest park between these two mountains, which is one of the must-see places in Kurdistan province. The beautiful view of Sanandaj City from this mountain park, which is also called Abidar Recreational Mountain Park, is an attractive view that tourists can enjoy while in this park. The total area of the Abidar Mountains is about 1555 hectares. This region is neighbored by Sanandaj from the north and east, Hasanabad Village from the south, and the heights of Abidar Mountain from the west.

History and Features of Abidar Mountain Park

This mountain park, which is called “Navieh-re” in the local dialect, has always been a recreational resort for the people of Sanandaj. Although not much time has passed since the establishment of Abider Mountain Park, this park has become one of the symbols of Sanandaj City. This park is located at the foot of the mountain and extends to the top of the mountain. The vegetation of this park includes European ash, Pinus nigra, Arizona cypress, Platycladus, and Locusts.

This tourism area starts from the old Sanandaj-Marivan Highway and after passing Noureh, Garmash, Karju, Dadaneh, Kilaneh, and Kani Meshkan rural areas, it connects to Sanandaj via Hassanabad. To visit the Abidar Mountain Park, one needs to go from Sanandaj to the Abidar ring road. Abidar Mountain Park is located at the end of Abidar Street.

This recreational complex is 3.3 km away from Sanandaj city center. The distance of this park is 10.3 km from Sanandaj airport and 9.3 km from Sanandaj passenger terminal, making this park easily accessible to all tourists who travel to this city in different ways.

Statues and portraits of Kurdistan scientists and celebrities can be seen In different parts of this park. One of these statues shows a Kurdish father hugging his two martyred sons. With a height of 15 meters, this work is known as the tallest statue in Iran. The statue is located on a seven-meter-high platform and consists of five three-meter-high pieces. The weight of the statue is about 20 tons. The theme of this great work is to protest the inhumane actions of Saddam Hussain, the former dictator of Iraq, against the Kurdish people and the use of chemical weapons in the war with Iran. In 1987 Saddam’s army targeted the Kurdish areas of Iran and Iraq with chemical weapons several times and martyred a large number of defenseless Kurdish people.

Facilities Available to Tourists

Due to the low density of trees in the lower parts of Abidar Park, this area is usually used for camping. Of course, tourists who camp in this area must be cautious about the wild animals that, at times, pass through the area. There are shelters for mountaineers at the small Abidar Peak. Other amenities for tourists are also available in the park.

There are several smaller parks available to tourists of the Abidar Mountain Park complex, which include Amiriyeh Park, Ban Shelaneh Park, Goizeh Desert Forest Park, and Amaniyeh Park. The springs in this mountain park are another attraction. These springs are Kani Shafa, Kani Banta, Kani Mamatke, Kuchak Qur’an, Zendeh Khizr (Khirzaneh), and Haft Asaiab springs.

There is an open-air cinema with a screen measuring 25 x 12 meters in Amiriyeh Park, which is one of the largest open-air cinemas in the world. The way of setting up this cinema is in such a way that 10 thousand people can watch the movie at the same time. The sound of this cinema can be heard from an FM wave transmitter throughout the park. In addition to movies, some important sports competitions, such as the World Cup, are also shown in this open-air cinema for the people of Sanandaj and tourists.

The beautiful view of Sanandaj City from this mountain park, which is also called Abidar Recreational Mountain Park, is an attractive view that tourists can enjoy while in this park.