Hawraman Valley

The Uramanat is a series of steep valleys in the Zagros where the Hawrami Kurds have farmed terraced slopes for thousands of years, and the villages are built into the hillsides so tightly that the roof of one house is the courtyard of the one above, giving the settlements a stepped appearance that is the region's signature. Uraman Takht is the largest and best known. Building is in dry stone without mortar, and the terraces, irrigation channels, walnut and pomegranate orchards and seasonal migration between valley and high pasture make up a cultural landscape that was inscribed by UNESCO in 2021. The Hawrami dialect, dress and music are distinct, and the Pir Shalyar ceremony held in winter draws people from across the region.

What you actually see

• Stepped villages - each roof serving as the terrace of the house above.
• Dry stone building - houses laid without mortar into the slope.
• Terraced orchards - walnut and pomegranate on engineered slopes.
• Hawrami dress and music - a distinct Kurdish culture in the valleys.

When to go

April to June and September to October; winters are heavy with snow and the roads close. Two days to see several villages. Autumn brings the walnut and pomegranate harvest. The Pir Shalyar ceremony falls in winter.

Honest expectations

Mountain roads are narrow, winding and slow. This is a border region and foreign visitors may face additional checks; ask about current requirements before going. Accommodation is homestay-level. Villages are lived in and photographing people needs permission.

Nearby

Palangan is north in the same range; Marivan and Zarivar Lake lie north.