Qal'eh Dokhtar (The Maiden Castle)
دژ دختر | QAL’A-YE DOXTAR | The Maiden Castle | Qal'eh Dokhtar | Ghale Dokhtar | Dokhtar Castle | Dezh Dokhtar | Firouzabad Castle
-by Amir Esmaili
Image by Negarestan
Overview
Qal'eh Dokhtar, also known as "The Maiden Castle," was built by Ardashir I in 209 AD in present-day Fars, Iran, near the Firouzabad-Kavar road. Perhaps dedicated to the Goddess Anahita, it served as a strategic location after Ardashir's victories. The castle is made on three general levels above the mountaintop and features a rectangular tower entrance, a multi-level structure with halls, arches, and domes.
Century Built: 3rd Century CE
Builder: Ardashir I
Stewards: House of Sāsān
Use: The structure was designed to display Ardeshir’s grandeur, and to prevent attacks from the Parthian King, Ardavan IV.
Location: Firoozabad, Fars, Iran | exact location
Reconstruction of the Qaledokhtar castle from Sasanidische Palastarchitektur by Marion-Isabell Hoffmann
Exterior Structure of the Castle
A) The Plan
The structure is built on the main levels. The image below clearly depicts these three levels with the bottommost level in, blue, the middle in green, and the top level in orange.
B) Building Access
The structure was built to be hard to access and well-defended against incoming threats. It is built atop a mountain, about ~140 meters from the base of the valley. The structure is built such that cannot be seen from the bottom of the cliffs.
A rocky plateau is inaccessible from three sides, and the side facing the river is protected by an extensive defensive system equipped with towers and walls.
A road comes from the north, passing under the castle, and after winding around the river, crosses over it.
Access to the complex is through section A in blue, which, via staircase tower #1 (Shown on the map below), provides access to the other two sections (B and C).
C) Materials
The building is constructed with multiple different materials including, cobblestones, mineral rocks, clay, earthen bricks, white gypsum plaster for decoration, and Sarooj as mortar and other materials have been found on the site.
Detailed plan of the Qaledokhtar castle from Sasanidische Palastarchitektur by Marion-Isabell Hoffmann
Interior of the Castle
The structure holds many rooms and spaces in the interior designed and used for different purposes. Generally, divided into three levels denoted as A, B, and C in the image below, and the spaces that were used to connect the three levels.
A) Bottom Section
This section is where the entrance of the castle is possible from. Known as “Padyavi” roughly means “courtyard” with four sides surrounded by walls. This section includes the high tower with twisting stairs connecting sections A to B and C. In the courtyard, multiple custom built-in stone edges were found used for seating. It is assumed that this section was used by the guards and the soldiers of the castle.
Architectural sectional of the Qaledokhtar castle from Sasanidische Palastarchitektur by Marion-Isabell Hoffmann
B) Middle Section
Likely used by the royal staff, this section has furnished rooms and tools for services. Middle of this section, there is a courtyard, surrounded by rooms.
C) Top Section
The highest point of the castle also is the largest, believed to have been the residence of the king. It includes a square hall with almost 20-meter-high walls that the dome was sitting on. The dome had an opening with a view of the sky and to let in sunlight. surrounding the square hall, there are several other rooms. The open area outside of the large dome and the Taghi, known in Persian architecture as “Eyvan“ roughly opens toward the West.
References:
- Hoffmann, Marion-Isabell. "Sasanidische Palastarchitektur." PhD diss., lmu, 2006.
پیرنیا، محمدکریم (1383) سبک شناسی معماری ایرانی نشر: تهران: گلجام
دیماری، نیما (1399) تاروپود معماری جهان مشهد: کتابکده کسری
ارژمند محمود, & اعتمادي پور مرضيه. نقد ساختارگرايانه فرم و عملکرد بناي تاريخي قلعه دختر فيروز آباد.
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