Evaluation of Tourism Potentialities of Caves in Soran and Mergasoor Districts (Bestun and Shanadar caves as study models)

Abstract

The cave as a natural aspect has its own importance in tourism, especially the one which most of its area covered with mountains. This is due to the direct relation between the caves and the mountains, especially the mountains which their geological formations consist of stones that are insoluble or their ability of solution is too weak during the weathering process.

Soran and Mergasoor District is a part of Erbil Governorate within the KRG Region. Spacious part of the study area covered by mountainous environment. These mountains involve a number of caves and Karsts features, some of them are famed for their unique and attractive views, or because of their archeologically remains.

  In this study, we tried to shed the light on the characteristics of a part of caves in the study area in order to evaluate them for achieving the tourism development. As well as discovering the distinctive information for each cave.

 The study started from an assumbtion that the study areas caves can be developed to be an important tourism sites.