The Izad Khast Castle is located in Izadkhast in the Fars Province, central Iran. The castle was built during the

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

(224 to 651 AD) and functioned as fortified walled city on the ancient

Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...

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

Arg-e Bam The Arg-e Bam ( fa, ارگ بم), 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 castle is 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 World Heritage Tentative List on August 9, 2007 in the Cultural category.The Complex of Izadkhast - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Accessed 2018-09-23

Location

The Izad-khast castle is located on the ancient

between Shiraz and

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

. 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 The Izadkhast Caravanserai is a historic site located in Izadkhast in Fars Province, central Iran. It was a caravanserai or roadside inn on the ancient Silk Road, serving caravaners and travelers as a place for rest and recovery during long jou ...

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 Sassanid castle, built during the

(224 to 651 AD) which ruled Persia (Iran) and many parts of the surrounding countries. It was then used, added and improved on until Qajars era (1794 to 1925). This has left works inside the castle belonging to different periods from Sassanids to Qajars with different architectural styles. The fire temple of Izad Khast Castle from the Sassanid era was turned into a mosque after the advent of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

to Iran. The castle and complex is now completely abandon. 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.

Architecture

In location and form of construction the castle display unique characteristics. However the material wise its comparable to the

Citadel of Bam The Arg-e Bam ( fa, ارگ بم), 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 ...

Rayen Rayn ( fa, راين, also Romanized as Rāyen; also known as Rāyni) is a city and capital of Rayn District, in Kerman County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 Census, its population was 9,623, in 2,405 families. The Rayen Castle the Rayen Cas ...

and other sites nearby in Yazd and Kerman provinces. The architecture of Izadkhast castle is very similar to the more feted

. The Izad-Khast castle like the Citadel of Bam is a sand construction, made of

adobe Adobe ( ; ) 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 used to refer to any kind of e ...

. The castle is a Sassanid (224 to 651 AD) structure, but the interior has seen modifications and new structures added later on. Structures like a mosque and a bathroom are later additions. 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 The Izadkhast Caravanserai is a historic site located in Izadkhast in Fars Province, central Iran. It was a caravanserai or roadside inn on the ancient Silk Road, serving caravaners and travelers as a place for rest and recovery during long jou ...

was built during the

Safavid dynasty The Safavid dynasty (; fa, دودمان صفوی, Dudmâne Safavi, ) 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 th ...

era (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,

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

-period bridge File:Izadkhvast Caravanserai 01.jpg,

Samanid The Samanid Empire ( fa, سامانیان, Sāmāniyān) also known as the Samanian Empire, Samanid dynasty, Samanid amirate, or simply as the Samanids) was a Persianate Sunni Muslim empire, of Iranian dehqan origin. The empire was centred in Kho ...

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

near the castle of Izadkhast.

References