Qal'eh Dokhtar, Ghale Dokhtar, Dokhtar Castle or Dezh Dokhtar (, "The Maiden Castle") is a castle made by

Ardashir I Ardashir I (), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new empire. After defeating the last Par ...

, in present-day Fars,

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 ...

, in 209 AD. It is located on a mountain slope near the

Firouzabad Firuzabad () is a city in the Central District of Firuzabad County, Fars province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Firuzabad is south of Shiraz. The city is surrounded by a mud wall and ditch. The original a ...

Kavar Kavar () is a city in the Central District of Kavar County, Fars province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Demographics Population At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 22,158 in ...

road.

Name

The name of the castle implies it was dedicated to the Goddess

Anahita Anahita is the Old Persian form of the name of an Iranian goddess and appears in complete and earlier form as ('), the Avestan name of an Indo-Iranian cosmological figure venerated as the divinity of "the Waters" ( Aban) and hence associat ...

, to whom the term "Maiden" refers.

Location

The castle is built on a high bluff which overlooks the river and roadway running south from Fars.

Specification

It was presumably roofed by an arched vault. Beyond this there are steps to a third level and a large rectangular room with ¼ circle

squinch In architecture, a squinch is a structural element used to support the base of a circular or octagonal dome that surmounts a square-plan chamber. Squinches are placed to diagonally span each of the upper internal corners ( vertices) where the w ...

es at each corner supporting a domed roof. This was buttressed by very thick walls on all sides, presumably to ensure its stability, and the cupola could be reached by a spiral staircase on the south side. The 1,800-year-old castle has lost some four meters of its original height over the last century and experts warn if urgent measures are not taken to enforce it, the castle may soon collapse.

Gallery

File:Qaleh Dokhtar 1 by Hadi Karimi.jpg, Far view from the castle File:Dokhtar castle, Firuzabad- by Hadi Karimi.jpg, Far view from the castle File:Dokhtar Palace2.jpg, Palace File:Dokhtar Palace1.jpg, Palace File:Bishabour - Daughter castle - panoramio.jpg, View of the castle File:Ghaledokhtar Firuzabad Fars.jpg, View of the castle File:269 قلعه دختر فیروزاباد فارس.jpg, View of the castle File:Ghale Dokhtar Bishapour 1.jpg, View of the castle File:Fars, Ghale dokhtar (فارس، قلعه دختر) - panoramio (3).jpg, Castle from above File:Fars, Ghale dokhtar (فارس، قلعه دختر) - panoramio (1).jpg, Main chamber File:Qaledochtar.jpg, Main chamber File:Fars, Ghale dokhtar (فارس، قلعه دختر) - panoramio (2).jpg, Main chamber

References

External links