Posht-e Qal'eh Fortress, Abdanan

🕰️When was it built?

The castle goes back to the Sasanian era and was also used in the first centuries of Islam. Stone and semi-crushed gypsum mortar are its main materials, found around the hill. The shape of the arches and the pottery on the surface of the site have helped in dating it.

🏛️What was it built for?

The castle's exact use is not clear, but it was probably built to guard the roads, keep caravans safe and watch over the towns around. The towers were for guards and archers, and the higher south-eastern part held the ruler's quarters and living rooms.

👀What you will see

• The stone rampart around the hill is oval; some parts have fallen, and the best-preserved parts are about four metres high.
• The towers on the rampart were built at different intervals and have round-arched entrances.
• In the south-eastern part are the remains of the ruler's quarters, with four linked rooms; this part is higher than the rest of the castle.
• Look from the permitted path at the wall stones and the gypsum mortar between them; you can tell the intact surfaces from the fallen ones.

💡Something interesting

On the west side of the castle a covered way with stone steps was built down to the river. Water was brought up this way in times of trouble; it may also have been an escape route during a siege, but that use is not certain.

🎒Good to know before you go