Vali Castle

Vali Castle covers an extensive site of roughly 17,700 square meters, including almost 1,800 square meters of green space on its southern side. The fortress sits atop Chega Mirak hill and was originally isolated in open land, although contemporary developments have brought residential and administrative buildings close to its perimeter. The castle’s foundation stretches across approximately 1,466 square meters and encloses a large inner courtyard measuring about 1,363 square meters. Its southern façade is shaped in a trapezoidal form.

Constructed primarily with brick walls that bear the structural load, the castle incorporates stone elements in its foundation and retaining walls. On the southern side, sturdy stone foundations support the building, and the courtyard features stone facing up to the dado level. The interior is arranged with 20 spacious rooms alongside five smaller chambers, all arranged around the central courtyard. Four iwans—large vaulted porches typical in Persian architecture—form symmetrically elevated eastern and western wings. These wings rise about 80 centimeters above the courtyard and connect via stone steps.

Defensive features include two semicircular watchtowers positioned on the northern corners of the building. These towers are crenellated, allowing guards to monitor the surroundings through openings, while internal corridors contain niches used as guard posts. Three staircases, each turning at right angles, lead to a flat rooftop designed with brick and mortar layers. During restoration, waterproofing materials such as asphalt were added to protect the roof.

The northern side houses the Shahneshin, or royal hall, which is the largest room within the castle. A small central pool once filled by the Bibi Ab spring stood here, enclosed by marble steps and featuring colored tile decoration restored in recent times. Although the spring has ceased flowing, a symbolic water effect has been maintained by piping. Interior details include plaster reliefs with floral designs on walls and ceilings, as well as some surviving mirror work in rooms on the western side.

The castle’s entrances are strategically arranged on the southern, eastern, and western sides. The main southern entrance is notable for its eleven steps ascending to a guardroom, followed by eight steps descending into the courtyard. This entrance features architectural elements inspired by Greek design. Secondary doors, reserved for private use or guests, connect to the courtyard through covered corridors ending in octagonal vestibules called hashtis. Some of these vestibules contain small pools and are decorated with brick reliefs and ornamental arches.

Additional functional spaces include six basements situated along the northern, western, and eastern sides of the castle. These underground chambers stand approximately two meters high and receive natural light through colored brick lattice windows facing the courtyard. The ceilings throughout the castle display a range of arches: pointed (known locally as gonaghi), semicircular (halali), and triple-part arches. These support domed interior ceilings that, from outside, appear as flat roofs due to the structural technique combining arches and corner vaults filled with lightweight material.

Water management originally relied on the Bibi Ab spring, whose waters were channeled into the courtyard via traditional qanat-like conduits called tanbousheh. Restoration efforts included reinforcing the iwan roofs with steel beams and carefully repairing vaults and walls to maintain the site’s historical character. Decorative elements visible today include turquoise brick latticework, stained glass windows on the terraces, carved capitals on circular columns, tile adorned muqarnas (stalactite vaulting) above arches, and stone reliefs with scrollwork patterns on exterior segments.

Together, these features provide a well-preserved example of late Qajar architectural design and craftsmanship, reflecting both the residential and defensive functions of Vali Castle.