7 beautiful caverns in MENA you need to explore

There's nothing more beautiful than entering a naturally formed underground space and getting that cold feeling in the middle of summer. Luckily, some of the most beautifully formed caverns are located in the Middle East and North Africa, and these 7 are a definite must-see:

Discovered in 1958, Lebanese speleologists discovered the upper galleries of the cavern, 60m above the lower caves. The upper galleries are known to have the world's largest known stalactite  and are composed of a series of chambers, the largest of which peaks at a height of 120m. Jeita is the longest cave complex in the Middle East, sitting at 300m above sea level. The caves also provide a tunnel for an underground river, which is the principal source of Nahr al-Kalb.

A 130 ft deep cave formed largely from fibrous gypsum crystals located in the Rawdat Rasid area.

Lying 200 km from Cairo, Sannur Cave is located in the Beni Suef area. Discovered in the 1989s after a blasting in the quarry, which created an entrance, the cave has since then become an important reserve due to the natural formations present therein.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Morocco is located near Tangier. The caves are partially natural and partially manmade. The cave was long thought to be bottomless and legend says that Hercules stayed and slept in this cave before doing his 11th labor, retrieving golden apples from the Hesperides Garden.

This cave is the world's largest water cave attracting thousands of visitors every year. Located in the Al Sadr Kabudarahang country, it is a recommended destination for tourists. Apparently, the water in the cave stems from a spring in Sarab, East Azerbaijan.

It is believed that the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus hid in the cave where they had fallen asleep for 200 years, where they had learned that Christianity had become the religion of the empire. In the Quran, they are known to be the "People of the Cave" where they are said to have fallen asleep with their dog. The Sleepers later died naturally (and permanently) and were buried in the cave in which they had slept. Although Muslims firmly believe in the story, some aspects including the location aren't agreed upon. Some allege it is in Ephesus, Turkey (above) while others cite a place in Jordan.

Located 40 km from Riyadh, Ain Heet cave is one of the easily accessible caves in the vicinity of Riyadh. An incredible underground lake in its interior chambers is more than 30m in depth and 150m in length.