IFP Exclusive

Iran’s History in Photos: Castle of Lions

Shir Qaleh or the Castle of Lions is located on the top of a mountain in central Iran.

Shir Qaleh, also known as the Castle of Sheikh Cheshmeh-Sar, is situated near a namesake valley in Shahmirzad, a tourist resort 20 km north of Semnan.

One needs to climb a mountain to reach the castle, which has an irregular design because of the steep slopes that lead to the valley.

The rocks of the mountain and a nearby river have been used in the construction of Shir Qaleh, originally built in the pre-Islamic era along with the Sarou Castles in Semnan. According to archaeological studies, its infrastructure dates back to the Parthian and Sassanid periods.

The castle has been reconstructed during the Nizari Ismaili period, and turned into an important refuge in Qumis province. It was put in use again by the Bavand dynasty rulers, most probably Shah Ghazi Rustam, the Bavandid king of Tabarestan.

The main walls of the castle have remained in the western and northern parts, while the eastern and southern parts are half-destroyed. The castle’s inner land is totally buried under the ground.

Shir Qaleh has been registered in the list of Iran’s National Heritage sites in 2001.
What follows are IRNA’s photos of the Castle of Lions:

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.

Share
Published by
IFP Editorial Staff

Recent Posts

Saudi defense minister arrives in Tehran for landmark visit

Defense Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud arrived in Tehran on…

29 minutes ago

Iran rejects UK’s ‘unfounded’ allegations

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has dismissed as baseless and bogus the accusations msde by the…

37 minutes ago

EU fails to agree on sanctions on Russian gas: Reuters

The European Union has shelved the idea of banning Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) imports…

2 hours ago

IAEA Chief engaged in active shuttle diplomacy between Iran, U.S. amid nuclear talks

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), described his recent visit…

2 hours ago

Non-nuclear issues not on Tehran’s agenda for negotiations with Washington: Iran deputy FM

A member of the Iranian negotiating team has stated that non-nuclear issues are not on…

3 hours ago

Gaza war would ‘end immediately’ if Israeli captives released: US envoy

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip will end if Hamas releases all remaining captives, US…

4 hours ago