Babak Fort

Also known as Babak Castle, “Ghal’eh-e Baz”, and “Ghal’eh-e Jomhur (Public Castle), is considered one of the most magnificent buildings of East Azarbaijan province, which is visited by many tourists every year. The fort was built on top of a high mountain to protect it from the attackers and to have full control over the surrounding areas.

History and Features of Babak Fort

The architecture of the fort is similar to the buildings of the Sassanid period (224 to 651 AD). Some artifacts discovered in this fort, such as coins, pottery, and enamelware, also confirm that the fort belongs to this historical period. Research shows that this fort was used until the 13th and 14th centuries.

The fort has only one entrance, but several paths lead to this entrance from outside the castle. To increase the security of the fort, those who entered it had to pass through a 100-meter corridor, which made it possible for the defenders of the castle to beat the attackers from above the walls by throwing stones and arrows. The location of the fort at an altitude of 2300 meters allowed the watchers to monitor it for kilometers by being in the watchtowers. The rocky and winding road to the castle is such that it is practically impossible to throw stones and arrows from the bottom to the top. These military preparations made it almost impossible to capture this fort. There is a story among the common people according to which Babak Khorramdin with 20 soldiers was able to defeat an army of 100 thousand people in this fort.

The structure of the fort had two and three floors and seven rooms were built around the central hall of the fort. There were water reservoirs and storerooms used for storing provisions. In these reservoirs, rainwater and snowmelt water were collected. The western parts of the castle have been destroyed during different eras, but the eastern part is more intact. The creation of places to stay and store water and food provisions shows that the builders of the fort had taken the necessary measures for long-term settlements and resistance against enemy sieges.

Where Is Babak Fort Located?

This fort is located three kilometers from Kalibar, 50 kilometers from Ahar, and 200 km from Tabriz from where it takes about three hours to reach the fort by private car. This historical site is located on a high mountain at a height of 2300 meters, and to see it, one needs to walk some of the path, which is mostly uphill, and through uneven staircases.

The best time to visit this fort is spring and autumn because the summer heat and winter cold make it very difficult to cross the access road to the fort.

Babak Fort was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in the year 1967.