Ancient City of Darabgerd

🕰️When was it built?

When the city first took shape is not certain, and a history going back before the Sasanians has also been suggested. Darabgerd was an important city in the Sasanian era and the first centuries after Islam, and the citadel on the central rock was enlarged and strengthened several times.

🏛️What was it built for?

Darabgerd was both a place to live and the centre of government of a large district. Walls, gates and a moat protected the city, and the central citadel stood on high ground. This old city should be kept apart from today's town of Darab, which grew up elsewhere.

👀What you will see

• The wall is not a perfect circle; the outer wall, about 1,900 metres across, marks out the city on the plain.
• The four gates do not sit on two exactly perpendicular axes, and the north gate has projections on both sides.
• Beside the north gate, the remains of the piers of an old aqueduct survive, separate from the gate itself.
• The central rock has three peaks of different sizes and stands out from the low ground inside the wall.
• On the highest peak are the remains of the citadel; this part rises about 85 metres above the foot of the outcrop.

💡Something interesting

In the Shahnameh and old histories, the founding of the city is credited to Darab. This is the story of how the city began, and it should not be taken in place of a firm date for the wall and the surviving buildings.

Good to know before you go