galil Protected Area

Golestan and Sarani Protected Area, with an area of 18,000 hectares, is located north of Shirvan County and on the border between Iran and Turkmenistan. It has a rich and valuable reserve of plant and animal species. This area is located 85 kilometers away from the city of Shirvan and was declared a protected environmental zone in 1971 due to its unique natural features such as dense forests of oak, and diversity of plant coverage, as well as being the habitat of the purest population of the urial sheep. Golestan and Sarani Protected Area has a mostly mountainous climate, with steep slopes, deep valleys, and high rocks. The area is part of a mountain range known as Kopet Dag and has picturesque landscapes.

In the Golestan Protected Area, animals and birds such as the urial and mouflon sheep, leopard, wildcat, deer, stone marten, hare, and the rare brown woodpeckers as well as black grouse and Caspian snowcock can be found. The water resources of the area are formed by several springs including Koor Cheshme, Ghorban Cheshme, and Cheshme Giri, along with the river flowing towards Sarani in the southern border of the area.