The Zagros Mountains ( ar, جبال زاغروس, translit=Jibal Zaghrus; fa, کوههای زاگرس, Kuh hā-ye Zāgros; ku, چیاکانی زاگرۆس, translit=Çiyakani Zagros;
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
: ''Zagros Dağları'';
Luri: ''Kuh hā-ye Zāgros'' ''کویا زاگرس'') are a long
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...
, northern
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, and southeastern
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. This mountain range has a total length of . The Zagros mountain range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border while covering much of southeastern Turkey and northeastern Iraq. From this border region, the range continues to the southeast under also the waters of the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...
. It spans the southern parts of the
Armenian highland, the whole length of the western and southwestern
Iranian plateau, ending at the
Strait of Hormuz. The highest point is Mount
Dena, at .
Geology
The
Zagros fold and thrust belt was mainly formed by the
collision of two
tectonic plates, the
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate that includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia), with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent and ...
and the
Arabian Plate.
This collision mainly happened during the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
(about 25–5 million years ago or mya) and folded the entirety of the rocks that had been deposited from the
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
(541–242 mya) to the
Cenozoic (66 mya – present) in the passive continental margin on the Arabian Plate. However, the
obduction of
Neotethys oceanic crust during the
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
(145–66 mya), and the
continental arc collision in the
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
(56–34 mya) both had major effects on uplifts in the northeastern parts of the belt.
The process of collision continues to the present, and as the Arabian Plate is being pushed against the
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate that includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia), with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent and ...
, the Zagros Mountains and the
Iranian plateau are getting higher and higher. Recent
GPS measurements in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...
have shown that this collision is still active and the resulting deformation is distributed non-uniformly in the country, mainly taken up in the major mountain belts like
Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs ...
and Zagros. A relatively dense GPS network which covered the Iranian Zagros also proves a high rate of deformation within the Zagros. The GPS results show that the current rate of shortening in the southeast Zagros is ~, dropping to ~ in the northwest Zagros. The north–south
Kazerun strike-slip fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tecton ...
divides the Zagros into two distinct zones of deformation. The GPS results also show different shortening directions along the belt, normal shortening in the southeast, and oblique shortening in the northwest Zagros. The Zagros mountains were created around the time of the second ice age, which caused the tectonic collision, leading to its uniqueness.
The sedimentary cover in the SE Zagros is deforming above a layer of rock salt (acting as a
ductile decollement with a low basal
friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding (motion), sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:
*Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative la ...
), whereas in the NW Zagros the salt layer is missing or is very thin. This different basal friction is partly responsible for the different topographies on either side of the Kazerun fault. Higher topography and narrower zone of deformation in the NW Zagros is observed whereas in the SE, deformation was spread more and a wider zone of deformation with lower topography was formed.
[Nilforoushan F, Koyi HA., Swantesson J.O.H., Talbot CJ., 2008, "Effect of basal friction on the surface and volumetric strain in models of convergent settings measured by laser scanner", ''Journal of Structural Geology'', 30, 366–379.] Stresses induced in the Earth's crust by the collision caused extensive folding of the preexisting layered
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particle ...
s. Subsequent erosion removed softer rocks, such as
mudstone (rock formed by consolidated mud) and
siltstone
Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, ...
(a slightly coarser-grained mudstone) while leaving harder rocks, such as
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
(calcium-rich rock consisting of the remains of marine organisms) and
dolomite (rocks similar to limestone containing
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...
and
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ...
). This differential
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is di ...
formed the linear ridges of the Zagros Mountains.
The
depositional environment and tectonic history of the rocks were conducive to the formation and trapping of petroleum, and the Zagros region is an important area for oil production.
Salt domes and
salt glaciers are a common feature of the Zagros Mountains. Salt domes are an important target for
petroleum exploration, as the impermeable salt frequently traps petroleum beneath other rock layers. There is also much water-soluble
gypsum
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and dr ...
in the region.
Type and age of rock
The mountains are completely of sedimentary origin and are made primarily of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
. In the Elevated Zagros or the Higher Zagros, the
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
rocks can be found mainly in the upper and higher sections of the peaks of the Zagros Mountains, along the Zagros main fault. On both sides of this fault, there are
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Creta ...
rocks, a combination of
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
(252–201 mya) and
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...
(201–145 mya) rocks that are surrounded by
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
rocks on both sides. The Folded Zagros (the mountains south of the Elevated Zagros and almost parallel to the main Zagros fault) is formed mainly of
Tertiary
Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago.
The period began with the demise of the non- avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
rocks, with the
Paleogene (66–23 mya) rocks south of the Cretaceous rocks and then the
Neogene (23–2.6 mya) rocks south of the Paleogene rocks. The mountains are divided into many parallel sub-ranges (up to wide), and
orogenically have the same age as the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, ...
.
Iran's main
oilfields lie in the western central foothills of the Zagros mountain range. The southern ranges of the
Fars Province have somewhat lower summits, reaching . They contain some limestone rocks showing abundant marine fossils.
History
The Zagros Mountains have significant ancient history. They were occupied by early humans since the
Lower Paleolithic Period. The earliest human fossils discovered in Zagros belongs to
Neanderthals and come from
Shanidar Cave,
Bisitun Cave, and
Wezmeh
The Wezmeh Cave is an archaeological site near Islamabad Gharb, western Iran, around southwest of the capital Tehran. The site was discovered in 1999 and excavated in 2001 by a team of Iranian archaeologists under the leadership of Dr. Kamyar ...
Cave. The remains of ten
Neanderthals, dating from around 65,000–35,000 years ago, have been found in the Shanidar Cave. The cave also contains two later "
proto-Neolithic
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) denotes the first stage of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, in early Levantine and Anatolian Neolithic culture, dating to years ago, that is, 10,000–8,800 BCE. Archaeological remains are located in the Levantine and Up ...
" cemeteries, one of which dates back about 10,600 years and contains 35 individuals. Evidence from later
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories coi ...
and
Epipaleolithic occupations come from Yafteh Cave, Kaldar Cave near Khoramabad, and Warwasi, Malaverd near Kermanshah, Kenacheh Cave in Kurdistan, Boof Cave in Fars and a number of other caves and rock shelters.
Signs of early agriculture date back as far as 9000 BC in the foothills of the mountains. Some settlements later grew into cities, eventually named
Anshan and
Susa
Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...
;
Jarmo is one archaeological site in this area. Some of the earliest evidence of wine production has been discovered in the mountains; both the settlements of
Hajji Firuz Tepe and
Godin Tepe have given evidence of wine storage dating between 3500 and 5400 BC.
During early ancient times, the Zagros was the home of peoples such as the later, the
Kassites,
Guti,
Elamites and
Mitanni
Mitanni (; Hittite cuneiform ; ''Mittani'' '), c. 1550–1260 BC, earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, c. 1600 BC; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat (''Hanikalbat'', ''Khanigalbat'', cuneiform ') in Assyrian records, or '' Naharin'' ...
, who periodically invaded the
Sumerian and/or
Akkadian cities of
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
. The mountains create a geographic barrier between the
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
n Plain, which is in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, and the
Iranian plateau. A small archive of clay tablets detailing the complex interactions of these groups in the early second millennium BC has been found at
Tell Shemshara along the
Little Zab.
Tell Bazmusian, near Shemshara, was occupied between 5000 BCE and 800 CE, although not continuously.
Population
The Zagros mountains have been inhabited by different groups of pastoralists and farmers for thousands of years. Pastoralist groups such as
Bakhtiaris,
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
or
Qashqais move from their herds from the east slopes in summer (''Yeylāgh'') to the west slopes in winter (''Gheshlāgh''). Some major cities are located on the foothills of the Zagros mountains, including
Sulaymaniyah,
Kermanshah,
Khorramabad or
Shiraz.
Bakhtiaris
The
Bakhtiaris are a
Lur tribe from
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...
, primarily inhabiting the Central and South Zagros. Major cities inhabitated by Bakhtiaris include
Masjed Soleyman,
Izeh and
Shahr-e Kord. A significant number of Bakhtiari still practice nomadic pastoralism.
Kurds
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...
are an
Iranian ethnic group native to the northwestern Zagros and the eastern Taurus mountain ranges, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria.
The high
altitude
Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
of the Zagros mountains produces a series of
choke points and
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
s perfect for agriculture and human development. It has also long defended the Kurds in times of war by acting as a
natural barrier A natural barrier refers to a physical feature that protects or hinders travel through or over.
Mountains, swamps, deserts and ice fields are among the clearest examples of natural barriers. Rivers are a more ambiguous example, as they may obstruc ...
.
Qashqai
Qashqai people are a tribal confederation in Iran mostly of
Turkic
Turkic may refer to:
* anything related to the country of Turkey
* Turkic languages, a language family of at least thirty-five documented languages
** Turkic alphabets (disambiguation)
** Turkish language, the most widely spoken Turkic language
* ...
origin. Significant populations can be found in Central and South Zagros, especially around the city of
Shiraz in the
Fars province.
Climate
The mountains contain several
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...
s. Prominent among them are the forest and
forest steppe
A forest steppe is a temperate-climate ecotone and habitat type composed of grassland interspersed with areas of woodland or forest.
Locations
Forest steppe primarily occurs in a belt of forest steppes across northern Eurasia from the easter ...
areas with a
semi-arid climate. As defined by the
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
and used in their Wildfinder, the particular terrestrial
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...
of the mid to high mountain area is ''Zagros Mountains forest steppe'' (PA0446). The annual
precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hai ...
ranges from and falls mostly in winter and spring. Winters are severe, with low temperatures often below . The region exemplifies the continental variation of the
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
pattern, with a snowy winter and mild, rainy spring, followed by a dry summer and autumn.
Glaciation
The mountains of the East-Zagros, the Kuh-i-Jupar (), Kuh-i-Lalezar () and Kuh-i-Hezar () do not currently have glaciers. Only at
Zard Kuh and
Dena some glaciers still survive. However, before the Last Glacial Period they had been glaciated to a depth in excess of , and during the Last Glacial Period to a depth in excess of . Evidence exists of a wide glacier fed along a long valley dropping approximately along its length on the north side of Kuh-i-Jupar with a thickness of . Under conditions of precipitation comparable to current climatic record-keeping, this size of glacier could be expected to form where the annual average temperature was between , but since conditions are expected to have been dryer during the period in which this glacier was formed, the temperature must have been lower.
Flora and fauna
Although currently degraded through
overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature ...
and
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then land conversion, converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban area, urban ...
, the Zagros region is home to a rich and complex flora. Remnants of the originally widespread
oak-dominated woodland can still be found, as can the park-like
pistachio/
almond steppelands. The ancestors of many familiar foods, including wheat,
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley ...
,
lentil
The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...
, almond,
walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a tru ...
, pistachio,
apricot
An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus '' Prunus''.
Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are al ...
,
plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...
,
pomegranate and grape can be found growing wild throughout the mountains.
Persian oak (''
Quercus brantii'') (covering more than 50% of the Zagros forest area) is the most important tree species of the Zagros in Iran.
Other floral
endemics
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
found within the mountain range include: ''
Allium iranicum'', ''
Astragalus crenophila'', ''
Bellevalia kurdistanica'', ''
Cousinia carduchorum'', ''
Cousinia odontolepis'', ''
Echinops rectangularis
''Echinops'' is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are native to Europe, east to central As ...
'', ''
Erysimum boissieri'', ''
Iris barnumiae'', ''
Ornithogalum iraqense'', ''
Scrophularia atroglandulosa'', ''
Scorzonera kurdistanica
''Scorzonera'' is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae.[Tragopogon rechingeri
''Tragopogon'', also known as goatsbeard or salsify, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It includes the vegetable known as salsify, as well as a number of common wild flowers.
Salsifies are forbs growing as biennial or per ...]
'', and ''
Tulipa kurdica
''Tulipa humilis'' is a species of flowering plant in the lily family, found in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and the North Caucasus region of Russia. The flowers are pink with yellow centers. Its preferred habitat are rocky mountain slo ...
''.
The Zagros are home to many
threatened or
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
organisms, including the
Zagros Mountains mouse-like hamster (''Calomyscus bailwardi''), the
Basra reed-warbler (''Acrocephalus griseldis'') and the
striped hyena (''Hyena hyena'').
Luristan newt (''Neurergus kaiseri'') – vulnerable endemic to the central Zagros mountains of Iran. The
Persian fallow deer (''Dama dama mesopotamica''), an ancient
domesticate once thought extinct, was rediscovered in the late 20th century in
Khuzestan Province, in the southern Zagros. Also,
wild goats can be found almost all over the Zagros mountain range.
In the late 19th century, the
Asiatic lion (''Panthera leo persica'')
inhabited the southwestern part of the mountains. It is now extinct in this region.
Religion
The entrance to the
ancient Mesopotamian underworld was believed to be located in the Zagros Mountains in the far east.
A staircase led down to the gates of the underworld.
The underworld itself is usually located even deeper below ground than the
Abzu, the body of freshwater which the ancient Mesopotamians believed lay deep beneath the earth.
Gallery
File:Zagros iraq.png, A road through the Zagros mountains in Kurdistan region, Iraq
File:Wild Goat Herd, Zagros, Behbahan.jpg, alt=Wild Goat Herd, Zagros, Behbahan, Wild goat herd, Zagros, Behbahan
File:لاله واژگون در کوه دنا.jpg, alt=Fritillaria Imperialis in Dena, Iranian Zagros, ''Fritillaria imperialis
''Fritillaria imperialis'', the crown imperial, imperial fritillary or Kaiser's crown, is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to a wide stretch from the Anatolian plateau of Turkey, Iraq and Iran (i.e. Kurdistan) to ...
'' in Dena, Iranian Zagros
File:سنگفرش راه باستانی در بهبهان.jpg, alt=Ancient Pathway in Zagros, Behbahan, Ancient pathway in Zagros, Behbahan
File:Oshtoran Kooh.jpg, Mount Oshtorankuh
Oshtorankuh ( fa, اشترانکوه) is a mountain that is located in city of Azna, in Lorestan. With an elevation of 4150 metres, the Oshtorankuh is the highest mountain in Lorestan Province. Stretched in a northwest-southeast direction, the O ...
See also
Part of Zagros Mountains and their history
*
Battle of the Persian Gate
* Mount
Alvand
*
Mount Arbaba
Mount Arbaba (''Arbeba'', ''Erbeba'', ئاربهبا) is a mountain of the Zagros Mountains range, near the city of Baneh in Kurdistan Province of western Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also call ...
*
Mount Derak
Mount Derock or Deraak (also known as Kuh-eh Barfee or Mother Mount) is a sedimentary rock mountain in Shiraz, Fars, in the Middle East region in Iran. It is located west and northwest of Shiraz, Fars. It is called ''mother mountain'' because ...
*
Mount Judiof the Koran
*
Qaleh gorikhteh
Other
*
Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs ...
Mountains
*
Al Hajar Mountains
The Hajar Mountains ( ar, جِبَال ٱلْحَجَر, Jibāl al-Ḥajar, ''The Rocky Mountains'' or ''The Stone Mountains'') in northeastern Oman and also the eastern United Arab Emirates are the highest mountain range in the eastern Ar ...
, technically a continuation of the
Zagros
The Zagros Mountains ( ar, جبال زاغروس, translit=Jibal Zaghrus; fa, کوههای زاگرس, Kuh hā-ye Zāgros; ku, چیاکانی زاگرۆس, translit=Çiyakani Zagros; Turkish: ''Zagros Dağları''; Luri: ''Kuh hā-ye Zāgro ...
in the
Arabian Peninsula
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Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains,
: pronounced
* hy, Կովկասյան լեռներ,
: pronounced
* az, Qafqaz dağları, pronounced
* rus, Кавка́зские го́ры, Kavkázskiye góry, kɐfˈkasːkʲɪje ˈɡorɨ
* tr, Kafkas Dağla ...
*
Geography of Turkey
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Geography of Iraq
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Mount Elbrus
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Silakhor Plain
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Taurus Mountains
The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar'') are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Region, Turkey, Mediterranean coastal region from the central Anatolia# ...
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Wildlife of Iran The wildlife of Iran include the fauna and flora of Iran.
One of the most famous wildlife of Iran is the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus venaticus''), which today survives only in Iran.
History
The wildlife of Iran first ...
*
Wildlife of Iraq
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Wildlife of Turkey
The wildlife of Turkey is abundant and very varied. Turkey is a large country with many geographic and climatic regions and a great diversity of plants and animals, each suited to its own particular habitat. About 1500 species of vertebrates have ...
References
External links
* ''Zagros'', Photos from Iran
''Livius''
The genus Dionysia
Major Peaks of the Zagros Mountains
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of Iran
Mountain ranges of Iraq
Mountain ranges of Turkey
Iranian Plateau
Anatolia
Geography of Iranian Kurdistan
Geography of Iraqi Kurdistan
Geography of Turkish Kurdistan
Upper Mesopotamia
Physiographic provinces
Deforestation in Turkey