Abdanan's Rear Castle in Ilam

Strolling down the old castles, sneaking into old kitchens in which there are no chefs rushing to skillfully prepare different dishes for the guests, walking in the court without the presence of any guards with strange historical uniforms and their spears’ threat, imagining little children playing around in the patio whose voices have been muffled for centuries, going near small the windows and trying to see the world through the eyes of the castle and the old building’s owners, are all parts of a sweet game which can go on for hours and transform Abdanan’s Rear Castle in Ilam from merely a heap of soil to a spiritual and noble palace.

 

When you visit these type of places with your children, try to stimulate their imagination and use this game as an excuse to enjoy the trip more.

5 kilometers to the south of Abdanan Village of Ilam Province in Iran, a high singular mount has risen from the ups and downs of the Rear Castle Village at the bottom of which the Abdanan River flows. This castle is called “Posht Qaleh” Fortress in Kurdish language.

Abdanan’s Rear Castle in Ilam was registered as a National Heritage Site in 2001. Fortunately, 80 % of the castle’s building which dates back to the Sassanid Era has remained intact.

 

Different parts of the castle such as the king’s chamber, the rooms, the high stairways, the guarding peepholes and the towers, the battlement, the residential areas, the tunnels and the arched and thick mantels which were built with cobblestones, plaster and concrete are still visible and can be distinguished.

The Rear Castle in Ilam used to have military significance in the past, and according to what the locals say, this beautiful castle worked as a link between the military castles of Hezar Dar and Hezarani, and there was a secret tunnel between these three castles that could be used in times of a siege.

Surrounding the mount, there is a natural ditch through which the Doridge River runs and works as a natural moat for the Fortress.

 

Nowadays, there is no more gun shot and bugle sounds, as Abdanan’s Rear Castle in Ilam is now being surrounded by grain fields through which the local bird’s songs instead echo. At sunset, the cool weather and the silence, flickers of lights coming from the village’s houses which are located below the castle, the returning herds and the sound of their bells could all make for an incredible and unforgettable feeling.

 

8/31/2023 2:44:57 AM