Badab Soort
Badab Soort is the name of a stepped spring at an altitude of 1841 meters above sea level. It is a unique natural site in Iran and is very rare in the world. Badab Soort is a spring of thousands of years with many floors. Each part has its specific color and has a different odor; A masterpiece formed over many years with the cooperation of natural elements of Mazandaran province such as wind and water.
It is bounded on the north by forested heights with conifers and on the south by valleys downstream.
In the east of Badab Soort, there are heights covered with shrubs, and in the west, one can see the village of Orost.
Some believe that in the distant past, this neighborhood was a Zoroastrian district called Soort. Legend has it that the Zoroastrians worshiped God with special rituals above the springs of Badab Soort. That is why the villagers consider the spring their holy mission to protect, and they try to preserve it.
Badab Soort spring water is salty and has a moderate temperature and, due to the presence of salts and iron oxide, scientists can mention several healing properties for it.
Many consider this attraction to be the most beautiful spring in the world, and they refer to it as the second saltwater spring in the world, which is the runner-up after the Pamukkale spring in Turkey.
Pamukkale spring is in the form of white calcareous sediments, which in the local language is called white castle or white palace, and has less area and healing properties than the springs of Orost village.
At the request of Orost officials, the city, and the village council, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage made efforts to register this natural site in 2006. Finally, in 2008 its name was registered as a natural heritage.
The Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization of the country approved the protection and landscape privacy of this spring on August 25, 2014. Badab Soort became the first national natural heritage of Iran.
At first glance, you see rainbow stairs. In Badab Soort spring, you will encounter a colorful staircase that amazes everyone.
How is this staircase formed? Well, mineral water travels a long way till finally, it opens its way to the earth from the depths of hard rocks. The wind starts working and moves the water back and forth.
Meanwhile, the hot sun evaporates the water, leaving minerals traces behind. These minerals remain as sediment on the ground, and the strata stack on top of each other. Over time, a spectacular staircase is formed that has in Iran has created Badab Soort.
The mineral waters move on the stairs that form and, based on their ingredients, leave beautiful colors of gold, orange, red, and cream to complete the masterpiece of creation. Iron deposits are red, copper deposits are green, sulfur is yellow, and lime and salt are white. The Bacteria in the water, sunlight and air temperature also change the color of the water in the pools. The lower basins of Badab Soort are more transparent because the salts settle in the upstream basins.
The view of these floors and the location of the spring at the foot of the mountain and the surrounding landscapes reach their most beautiful form at sunset. The formation of one centimeter of Badab Soort basins takes 200 to 300 years.
What makes Badab Soort famous is not only its stepped appearance or the colorful springs but also that each spring has a different taste, odor, and volume of water:
Orost salt spring and Bermuda: In some parts of Badab Soort, which is a waterier, a pond with a diameter of about 15 meters and a relatively deep depth has been formed, which has very saline water and black sediments can be seen around it.
They say that the water of this spring is effective for treating back and leg pains, skin diseases, rheumatism, and migraines, and for this reason, many people bathe in it so as not to lose its properties. The lake does not freeze in winter due to its rich salts, minerals, and salts, and no living thing can live in it.
There is a deep hole in the bottom of this lake which is known as Bermuda of Orost. Let’s say that it is Bermuda because there is no end to the hole in the basins of this part of the springs. They have recently estimated the depth of this hole has up to 98 meters.
The Elixir of Life: In the north-western of Bermuda, there are springs known as the Elixir of Life, which taste like sour orange. The water of these springs is like carbonated drinks and boils from the depths of the earth.
Sour spring or sour wind: Above the colored stairs, there is a spring with sour and red and orange-colored water, around which there is a little iron deposit.
Black oil: You can see black matter next to the water in some parts of Badab Soort springs. This part has been used for sludge treatment and the locals know it as black oil meaning black mud.
Time Pit, the dried spring: A significant part of Badab Soort has dried up and there is no water flowing in it, but this issue has also created a special beauty in the whole landscape.
If you walk a few hundred meters to the north and heights from the springs of Badab Soort Orost, you will reach the old Badab Soort, which resembles a pond with stone walls.
For hundreds of years, water has not flowed in this part and into the pit of time. There is a well in the middle of this pool from which gas is emitted; A gas that harms living things and the bodies of birds, snakes, etc. have been observed many times.
The natives, based on what they have heard from the ancients, believe that Shah Abbas once swam in this pool.