Shahr-e Belqeis, Esfarayen

🕰️When was it built?

The oldest settlement found dates from the late Sasanian era, and life in the city went on until the Safavid era. The citadel was in use in the Seljuk era and was repaired and changed several times later. The city was ruined in the Afghan invasion, but some families lived in the citadel until the late Qajar era.

🏛️What was it built for?

Belqeis is not just a castle; it is the site of a city with a government quarter and a public quarter. The citadel, houses, a mosque, a bazaar, a cistern and a pottery kiln are among its parts, used for city life, defence and production.

👀What you will see

• The citadel of mud brick and rammed earth on flat ground, where, unlike mountain castles, the surrounding moat did the work of defence.
• The remains of interconnecting rooms with thick mud-brick walls, found in excavations inside the citadel.
• The southern cistern, with a round tank sunk in the ground, built of brick and lime concrete.
• A pottery kiln with a firebox and a firing platform, used to make turquoise-glazed pottery.
• The remains of Tappeh Menar, the Jameh Mosque of the old city, in the public part of the historic site.

💡Something interesting

In the excavated rooms of the citadel, small ovens were found under the floors. They were probably used in the cold season like a korsi, to warm the house.

🎒Good to know before you go