Falak-ol-Aflak: More than just a castle

Falak-ol-Aflak is one of the most gorgeous castles in Iran. At the top of a large hill of the same name is located inside the city of Khorramabad, Lorestan province.

This magnificent castle dates back to the Sassanid period. Shapour-Khast or Sabr-Khast fortress, Dezbaz, Khorramabad castle were the names of this castle since its construction more than 1800 years ago.

The first structure of the castle is attributed to the Sassanid reign of Shapur I in the Third century AD. The castle of Falak-ol-Aflak had great importance, and Roman prisoners were imprisoned there during the Sassanid period.

The castle was renovated during the reign of Fath Ali Shah Qajar and was used as a military unit and political prison during the Qajar period. Since the fact that the twelve towers resemble the twelve astrological signs of the celestial zodiac, the Falak-ol-Aflak name may have been derived from there.

Falak-ol-Aflak literally means the ‘sky of the skies. Falak Al-Aflak Castle has an area of ​​5300 square meters. There were twelve towers in the castle, in which only eight towers have survived.

The highest wall of the castle is about 22.5 meters above the ground. The total height of the structure, including the hill, reaches 40 meters from the surrounding space.

There are two anthropological and archaeological museums in Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, which beautifully display the customs and historical objects of this ancient land. Its extraordinary beauty and architecture have led many experts to refer to it as one of the world’s masterpieces of engineering and architecture.

This castle has been registered in the list of the national heritage of Iran with registration number 883. Falak-ol-Aflak is on the Tentative List of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites as an example of Persian Architecture.