Falak ol-Aflak () or Shapur Khast Castle () is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

situated on the top of a large hill with the same name within the city of

Khorramabad Khorramabad (; ) is a city in the Central District of Khorramabad County, Lorestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Situated in a scenic valley surrounded by mountains, the city lies approx ...

, the regional capital of

Lorestan province Lorestan province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Khorramabad. Lorestan is in the western part of the country in the Zagros Mountains and covers an area of 28,392 km2. In 2014 it was placed in Region ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. This gigantic structure was built during the Sasanian era (224–651). The Khorramabad River runs past the eastern and south-western side of the Falak-ol-Aflak hill providing the fortress some natural protection on those sides. Today, the western and northern sides of the hill are bordered by the residential districts of Khorramabad.

History

During the

Pahlavi era The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...

, after being used as a prison until 1968, it was transformed into a museum complex.

Architectural layout

The

foundations Foundation(s) or The Foundation(s) may refer to: Common uses * Foundation (cosmetics), a skin-coloured makeup cream applied to the face * Foundation (engineering), the element of a structure which connects it to the ground, and transfers loads f ...

of the actual

measure approximately . The height of the entire structure, including the hill, reaches to 40 meters above the surrounding area. Falak ol aflak panorama

Surrounding structures

Archaeological studies have identified the existence of a two layered rampart with twelve towers around the present day construction. From the twelve original towers, only two remain and these are situated northwest and southwest of the existing fortress. Falak-ol-aflak-Khorramaabaadcxxxx

Dehumidifier

Falak ol-Aflak castle is made with different materials like stone and wood that are vulnerable to

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

. That is why the castle was built on the highest point of the city of Khorramabad, so that the wind could penetrate the building and dry its

Current status

The castle is managed by the Iran Cultural Heritage Organisation and is a protected site.

References

External links

Lorestan Province Cultural Heritage Organization
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapur Khast Sasanian castles Castles in Iran Prisons in Iran Military history of Iran Tourist attractions in Lorestan province 3rd-century fortifications Buildings and structures in Khorramabad Tourist attractions in Khorramabad Buildings and structures on the Iran National Heritage List