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March 10, 2017

Exploring The Ancient Castles and Temples of Firuzabad, Iran

This post is part of a series called Iran 2016
Show More Posts
  • Mashhad, My First Destination in Exotic Iran
  • Riding The Night Train From Mashhad to Yazd in Iran
  • Exploring The Desert Town of Yazd
  • Day Trip to Kharanaq, Chak Chak, And Meybod
  • Mosques And Bazaars of Shiraz
  • Persepolis And The Tombs of Naqsh-e Rustam
  • Exploring The Ancient Castles and Temples of Firuzabad, Iran
  • Isfahan, The Most Beautiful City I Visited in Iran
  • Desert Oasis Town of Kashan
  • Ancient Town of Abyaneh, And Beautiful Fin Garden
  • Tehran, My Last Stop in Iran
  • In Review: 24 Days of Backpacking in Iran

Tommy, who I met at my hotel in Shiraz, wanted to go on a day trip to Firuzabad but needed somebody to share the cost of hiring a car and a guide (60 USD total) with him. At the beginning I wasn’t sure, but later I decided to go for it mainly to escape from an older Chinese couple that wanted to continue traveling with me and use me as their personal translator and bargainer.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. During the 2-hour drive from Shiraz, he went over the many periods of ancient Persian history that I was not familiar with.

On the way to Firuzabad we stopped at Qal’eh Dokhtar, a castle high up on a hill. We had left Shiraz early in the morning to avoid the midday sun, but when we arrived it was already uncomfortably hot. There’s a 15-minute hike from the road to the castle over a steep trail.

The hike up to Qal’eh Dokhtar Castle near Firuzabad, Iran
The hike up to Qal’eh Dokhtar Castle near Firuzabad, Iran

Qal’eh Dokhtar was built in 209 AD during the times of the Sassanian Empire, before the arrival of Islam. There’s scaffolding everywhere indicating that there was restoration work going on, but the guide told us that they stopped a few years ago.

Qal’eh Dokhtar Castle near Firuzabad, Iran
Qal’eh Dokhtar Castle near Firuzabad, Iran
View from Qal’eh Dokhtar Castle near Firuzabad, Iran
Our guide at Qal’eh Dokhtar Castle near Firuzabad, Iran

Next up was the main attraction: the Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, built in AD 224 by King Ardashir I in the same Sassanian Empire time period as the Qal’eh Dokhtar castle.

Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran
Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran
Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran
Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran
Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran
Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran
Palace of Ardashir in Firuzabad, Iran

After visiting the palace we made our way back to Shiraz. While the day trip was a bit short, I enjoyed having someone knowledgeable tell me the history of these places, something I wish I had in Persepolis.

Posted in Travel, Photography, Round The World Trip, Iran, Middle East
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kevinstravel

Rough race and not the result I was looking for. W Rough race and not the result I was looking for. Was targeting a sub 2:55 but finished in 3:31. It felt hard from the start and had stomach issues later on. Still proud of the effort and finish.
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