Kantal National Park

Kantal National Park is located on the border of East Azarbaijan Province and the Republic of Armenia. The flora and fauna of this park have made it one of the most important areas of the province. This park is part of the Kiamaki Wildlife Refuge.

Where is Kantal National Park Located?

Kantal or Kamtal is a mountain in East Azarbaijan province, which is located 50 km from Jolfa and 175 km from Tabriz. To reach Mount Kantal one has to take the Jolfa road to Khoda Afarin County and after crossing Siyahrud Rud, pass through the beautiful village of “Nowjeh Mehr”, which houses the “Sayyid Mohammad Agha Shrine”.

Kantal is located near the Aras River; the border between Iran and Armenia. The height of this mountain, which is located along the heights of Arsbaran and near Mount Kiamaki is 3347 meters.

Kiamaki Wildlife Refuge was declared a protected area in 1973 AD and became a wildlife sanctuary two years later. The area of this wildlife sanctuary is 96952 hectares and the existence of more than 700 plant and 250 animal species has greatly increased the importance of this refuge.

Kantal region, which ends at the Kharunai district of Varzaqan county, was made a national park in the year 2011.

Features of Kantal National Park

Kantal National Park is located in the south of the Aras River and houses several permanent rivers, high cliffs, and deep valleys. Because of its rocky structure and repeated ups and downs, there are no traces of human settlements throughout this park. Of course, there are some old and abandoned castles and stone mills in the area, which are sometimes used as a resting place for nature lovers. Kantal Mountain is also of interest to mountaineering groups. Due to its rough and steep structure, climbing this mountain requires high skill and professional equipment.

Some areas of this national park are rocky and difficult to cross and are only habitats for animals like mountain goats. So far, more than 350 animal species have been identified in this national park, some of which live in a specific part of the park. Wild sheep, boar, brown bear, caracal, wild cat, forest cat, leopard, fox, jackal, and wolf are the main mammals living in Kantal National Park.

About 450 plant species are also in the park, the most common of which are juniper, populus euphratica, maple, Celtis australis, pistacia atlantica, wild pear, Russian olive, gaz, barberry, tulip, and dog-rose.

Kantal National Park has an area of seven thousand hectares and turns into a field of colorful tulips in early spring.

There are many valleys around Mount Kantal, each of which has unique scenery. These valleys include Jarjan Valley, Dastjerd River Valley, Bolagh Plateau Valley, Anjirlikh Valley, Johannom Valley, Farrokh Valley, and Shoghli Valley. Due to the mountainous nature of this national park, it is better to be visited during the warmer seasons of the year. Hiring a local guide to go through this area is highly recommended.

Kantal region, which ends at the Kharunai district of Varzaqan county, was made a national park in the year 2011.