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Walled city
Photo essay: Izadkhast in Fars Province

Abbas Soltani
August 15, 2005
iranian.com

Two years ago, as I was driving on my way to Shiraz to see Persepolis and Pasargade, I noticed this fortress that dates back from the Sassanian era (224-651 CE) in the Shahr-Reza area in a small village/town called Izadkhast, which is also known az Yazdekhast. So, I made a point to go there on my next trip. So, two years later, I made it to Izadkhast. The fortress is actually much bigger than I had imagined and going inside it, I can tell you that it's easily a walled city.

There are alleyways and passages that criss-cross it. Right by the front gate that goes over a moat, there are many homes that are now fully deserted. Some are completely destroyed. When I inquired, I was told that up to 2-3 years ago, people still lived in the old part of Izadkhast but due to floods in the past two years, the homes were destroyed and people moved to other areas of Izadkhast and built homes there.

As you may notice in the photos, parts of the Izadkhast fortress have been destroyed as they have collapsed due to erosion and flooding. Inside the walled city, there are clear signs of damage from treasure hunters and also "yadegari" grafitti on the walls.

Across from the fortress, you will see a caravanserai that dates back to the time of Safavi Dynasty (1502 - 1736). The front gate was burned down by Nader Shah's soldiers camping there during a cold night as they were looking for firewood. Here again you will find signs of damage by treasure hunters. :-(

If you wish to visit Izadkhast, please note that the fortress is closed to tourists and you will have to have special permission to enter. Due to collapse of parts of the fortress, it is deemed unsafe for general public to wander around. However, you can get special permission to enter. I'd like to thank Mr. Rahimi, the custodian of the fortress, for his kindness and information. His help shall never be forgotten.