The Pir Shalyar ceremony in Uraman Takht village
Pir Shalyar mausoleum is a temple respected by the people of the region. Each year on the last Wednesday and Thursday before mid Bahman, corresponding to early February, the Pir Shalyar ceremony is held in Uraman Takht village. According to some historians, this ceremony dates back to a thousand years ago. Pir Shalyar ceremony which lasts for two weeks displays an old ceremony. This ceremony is the wedding anniversary of a legendary pir (an elderly respectable person), whose name was Shahryar (or Shalyar in Kurdish dialects), and it has its roots in the ancient myths of the area.
The Pir Shalyar ceremony begins on Tuesday with distributing the walnuts of Pir Shalyar garden among the people of Uraman Takht and other villages in its vicinity. This indeed means an invitation to them and is done by children. Sacrificing cow, sheep and goat, making some especial foods, baking especial bread called Kelire Mojge (whose dough is made of flour, walnut, almond, and onion); playing the Daf musical instrument, distributing votives, and saying prayer are parts of this ceremony. In addition to these, people keep vigil at night and pass the leather shoe of Pir Shalyar to each other as a part of this ceremony. As final stages of the ceremony, the attendants gather and pray in the mausoleum, eat local bread and yogurt, knot some cloth to the door and tree in the shrine, all unanimously. In this ceremony which is a show of Uramanat people's cooperation, guests from all over the country attend and the number of attendants reaches some thousands.
Tourists are also drawn to this region to see a native ceremony called Kumsaay and the magnificent green springs of Uramanat.
The Uraman region is one of the most fascinating areas of Iran regarding natural attractions some of which are the large and deep river of Sirvan, fruit gardens, numerous waterfalls and caves. Quri Qal'e, the biggest water cave in the world and one of the most wonderful caves in Asia, with its astonishing form and structure draws many tourists to the region each year.
This region is one of the ancient settlements in Iran that even after thousands of years, still bears some evidence of antique settlements dating back to pre-Islamic and even prehistoric eras. Inside the explored caves and stone shelters in Uraman, tools and instruments related to men living 20 to 40 thousand years ago have been found. The entrance of Bardmir cave is carved in shape of a sheep's head and there are inscriptions of three antelopes and a dog on it; these are all proofs of animal husbandry in the region from a long past.
Source: irib.ir
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