Hilevar Village, Tabriz

Hilevar Village is one of the scenic and historical villages of East Azerbaijan Province, located near the city of Tabriz and on the slopes of Mount Sahand. This village, due to its stone houses and unique architecture, closely resembles the village of Kandovan, but its main difference lies in being uninhabited and its mysterious atmosphere. According to narrations, the history of Hilevar Village dates back to pre-Islamic times, and it is said that the people of this region carved their homes into the rocks to stay safe from enemy attacks. This feature made the village invisible from afar and thus recognized as a safe refuge. Today, Hilevar Village is known as one of Iran's tourist attractions, which, besides its unique architecture, also has pristine nature. Its antiquity is attributed to the Ilkhanid to Safavid periods, approximately the 7th to 12th centuries AH. Also, about 300 meters from this village, there is an old cemetery whose remains confirm the region's existence during Islamic centuries. What makes this stone village even more mysterious is its bitter and sudden abandonment. In the 7th century AH, coinciding with the Mongol invasion of Iran, Hilevar, like many other settlements, was attacked. Hilevar was registered on August 2, 2005 (11 Mordad 1384) with number 12622 in the list of national heritage sites of Iran.