Babak Fort: A Large Citadel on Top of A Mountain in Arasbaran Forests
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - High in the mountains at an altitude of 2,300 meters lies the relatively well-preserved Babak fortress, a tourist destination near Kaleybar in West Azarbaijan Province, northwest of Iran.
Locally known as Qaleh Babak, it consists of several stone towers and lodging areas stretched in an area of nearly ten thousand square meters, attributed to the Sassanid-era (224–651).
The fort is named after Babak Khorramdin, an Iranian warlord who managed to resist Arab invaders until his death in 838 CE.
Access is challenging and involves an arduous uphill walk that takes one to two hours. There are several paths to the castle, though the normal route soars stairs behind the seasonal Babak Hotel. The hike is not recommended for the infirm, elderly or those afraid of heights.
Once at the top, onlookers are highly rewarded with some matchless vistas of the encircling Arasbaran oak forests, jagged cliffs and some steep gorges.
Here is a select of comments that visitors to the historical fortress have posted to Trip Advisor, one of the most popular travel websites in the world:
“Beautiful way up and amazing castle”
We booked a taxi ride to this place at our guesthouse in Tabriz. It took us around two hours and a half to get there by taxi; once we got to the base of the hill, we started the walk up and it took us one hour and a half to get to the castle.
It’s a rough climb, but totally worth it, as the views of the castle and from the castle are really beautiful.
“Stunning scenery and amazing people”
One of my best experiences in Iran (even though I had many).
Source: Tehran Times
