The underground relics of Samen were discovered accidentally during a construction project 1384 (2005). This Complex has been founded on a granite bed by hand and is completely under the streets, houses, and official buildings.
There have been great achievements during an eight-workshop research project. The complex includes more than 50 small and large rooms which are linked by many aisles.
These rooms have been built at a depth ranging between 3 to 6 meters. The rooms and spaces of all workshops are linked together and lead to the surface through carved stairways.
One of the features of this Complex is the existence of a lot of human skeletons buried in the floor. This shows that the complex has been used for a long period of time as a special place for burials.
In Ashkani Period, in order to prevent the four sacred elements (water, wind, soil, and fire) from being contaminated, burials were done using clay and stone coffins, away from direct contact with the four elements.
Archeological investigations show 3 phases of settlement and use of this complex. The first phase, referring to the philosophy of the foundation of the complex, indicates some kind of religious use the ...see more complex.
The second phases, which is related to Ashkani Period, shows that the complex has been used as a cemetery. In later phases, the complex has been used as a shelter during emergencies.
The alternative use of the complex for various functions has been documented from early Islamic period up to Ghajar period. A significant characteristic of Samen Complex is the existence of human skeletons and the granite bed of the complex which indicate the necessity of sophisticated tools and technology to create such a large complex.
This Complex was registered in the national heritage list 27th of Farvardin (the beginning) of 1387 (2008) with 24622 as the reference number.
