The Izad Khast Castle is located in

Izadkhast Izadkhast () is a city in the Central District of Abadeh County, Fars province, Iran, and serves as the administrative center for Izadkhast Rural District. It is the first city in Fars on the Isfahan-Shiraz Highway. History In 1779 Za ...

Fars province Fars Province or Pars Province, also known as Persis or Farsistan (فارسستان), is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Shiraz. Pars province has an area of 122,400 km2 and is located in Iran's southwest, i ...

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 ...

. The

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 ...

was built during the Sasanian era (224 to 651 AD) and functioned as a fortified walled city on the ancient

Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...

that ran through central Iran. It is the second largest adobe building in the world after

Arg-e Bam The Arg-e Bam (), located in the city of Bam, Kerman province of southeastern Iran, is the largest adobe building in the world. The entire building was a large fortress containing the citadel, but because the citadel dominates the ruins, the en ...

. The castle was built on a high bedrock overlooking the Izadkhast valley. Inside the castle walls are many narrow alleyways and passages criss-crossing through centuries old tiny houses and buildings. The castle and surrounding Izadkhast complex has been nominated to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Tentative List on 9 August 2007, in the Cultural category.

Location

The Izad-Khast castle is located on the ancient

between

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

and

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

. The site is in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a desert land. But a high singular bedrock overlooking a valley was an ideal location for the development of a fortified desert city in the middle of nowhere. The Izadkhvast castle is built on this singular bedrock that juts out to the Izadkhast valley. The valley around it functions as a natural deep trench. Castle fortification walls have been built around the bedrock, tall and almost perpendicular, ranging from 6 to 15 meters on three sides. On the fourth and shorter side of the bedrock, a 30-meter (100 feet) long trench had been dug. The trench is 4 meters across and 4 meters deep. Access to the castle was over the trench, through a small bridge and a gate. The entrance of the big castle in Izad Khast - panoramio

The entrance of the big castle in Izad Khast - panoramio

The site's natural topography and added fortifications made the castle one of the most unattainable buildings of the ancient times for robbers and enemies. On the valley below the castle bedrock are rocky fields, with a barren plateau behind. The Izadkhast caravanserai roadside inn stands alone in this valley, in the middle of a rocky field.

History

The history of the castle complex dates back to the pre-Islamic era of Iran. Izad-Khast is a castle built during the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

(224 to 651 AD) which ruled

(

Persia 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 ...

) and many parts of the surrounding countries. It was then used, added and improved on until the

Qajar era The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

(1794 to 1925). This has left works inside the castle belonging to different eras from the Sasanians to the Qajars with different architectural styles. The

fire temple A fire temple (; ) is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. In Zoroastrian doctrine, ''atar'' and '' aban'' (fire and water) are agents of ritual purity. Clean, white "ash for the purification ceremonies sregarded as the basis of ritual lif ...

of Izad Khast Castle from the Sasanian era was turned into a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

after the advent of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

to Iran. The castle and complex are now completely abandoned. However, until the turn of the millennium there were still people living in the old quarters of Izadkhast. Floods in recent years destroyed many homes and forced people to move from this isolated, ancient desert citadel. In 1889,

Theodore Bent James Theodore Bent (30 March 1852 – 5 May 1897) was an English explorer, archaeologist, and author. Biography James Theodore Bent was born in Liverpool on 30 March 1852, the son of James (1807-1876) and Eleanor (née Lambert, c.1811-1873) ...

and his wife celebrated

Nowruz Nowruz (, , () , () , () , () , Kurdish language, Kurdish: () , () , () , () , , , , () , , ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ...

in the town.J.T. Bent
New Year’s Day in a Persian Village
''English Illustrated Magazine'', 1890, Vol. 76 (Jan), pp. 326–331.

Architecture

The castle's location and form of construction display unique characteristics. However, its materials are comparable to those found in nearby sites in Yazd and Kerman provinces such as

and

Rayen Castle The Rayen Castle ( ''Arg-e Rāyen'') is a historic adobe fortress situated in the city of Rayen, about 100 kilometers south of Kerman, Iran. The castle and the mudbrick city it protects display numerous architectural elements and design strategi ...

. The architecture of Izadkhast castle is very similar to the more feted Arg-e Bam. The Izad-Khast castle like Arg-e Bam is a sand construction, made of

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

. The castle is a

Sasanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

(224 to 651 AD) structure, but the interior has seen modifications and new structures such as a mosque and a bathroom were added later. Most of the homes in the castle interior are built from wood and mud. Size limitations of the bedrock led to an agglomeration of smaller rooms and increase of floors. Some of the buildings inside the castle rose as high as five storeys. It is impressive in itself but becomes a remarkable architectural achievement considering the circumstances of its time. The Izadkhast Caravanserai was built during the

Safavid era The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid Shah Ismai ...

(1502 – 1736).

Threats

Many parts of the Izadkhast castle are crumbling due to erosion and flooding. Many homes even beside the castle front gate have been completely destroyed. The castle is also in danger from treasure hunters and vandalism. Inside the walled city, there are signs of damage from treasure hunters and graffiti on the walls.

Gallery

File:The entrance of Izadkhast old castle - panoramio.jpg, Entrance of the castle. File:Iran - Fars - Old Historical Castle in Izadkhast - panoramio.jpg, part of the old castle. File:Izadkhvast ruins 01.jpg, Ruins of the old town File:Izadkhvast Castle 04.jpg, The drawbridge of the castle File:Safavid-period bridge, Izadkhvast 01.jpg,

bridge File:Izadkhvast Caravanserai 01.jpg,

Samanid The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate society, Persianate Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian peoples, Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Greater Khorasan, Khorasan and Transoxiana, at its greatest ...

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

near the castle of Izadkhast.

References