Rudkhan Castle, Gilan, is one of the most important historical and military fortresses in Iran that is located in Foman city and among the forest trees. This strong and impregnable castle has gone through many ups and downs throughout its history and is now considered one of the most important sights in Foman, which attracts many tourists.
Rudkhan Castle is one of the famous places of Foman in the green and pleasant province of Gilan. This spectacular castle is located 20 kilometers southwest of Foman, near the village of Rudkhan, above the forest heights of Heydar Alat region and in the middle of a dense forest. The height of Rudkhan Castle is between 655 and 715 meters above sea level.
Coming to Sam Qala, one is reminded of a scary and mysterious place. Strange stories are sometimes told around castles, which may not be unrelated to the structure of these places and their use; because castles are strong fortresses that were built to defend against enemy attacks, and they were designed to be impregnable. They are usually built on top of mountains and heights. Rudkhan Foman Castle is also one of these castles, because of these features, people believe in the existence of jinn and spirits in Rudkhan Castle. But maybe if you go to these apparently scary places and get to know their history and life story, you will change your mind.
A river called Rakhon flows near Rudkhan Castle and on the right side of it that is why it is called Rudkhan Castle. The local people of this area call it Rakhon Peak and officially Rudkhon Castle. Of course, it goes without saying that in the past, Rudkhan Castle was known as Rodgan or Rogan Castle; it means “fortress by the river” and over time it has changed to Rudkhan.
Also, since this peak is built on the area between two peaks with different heights, a large number of stairs have been built inside the castle to access its different parts, which is why this place is also known as the castle of a thousand steps. Hesami, Seksar, Segsar and Segsal are also other names of this amazing castle.
Despite its greatness, Rudkhan Castle was unknown until 1830, until this year, Aleksander Borejko Chodźko; The Polish Iranian researcher once mentioned it in his writings. He wrote the following about Rudkhan Castle:
It is a fort on top of a mountain in the upper part of a river with the same name, its roof is stone, and the two sides of the entrance have two strong defense towers, and the inscription on the entrance is engraved that this fort was built for the first time in the year 918 to 921 AH for Sultan Hossam al-Din Amir Debaj bin Amir Ala al-Din Ishaq was rebuilt.
The inscription mentioned by Khuchko was installed above the entrance gate and is considered the only historical document of Rudkhan Castle. You can see this inscription in Rasht’s Treasure Museum.
Also, regarding the age of Rudkhan Castle, it should be said that many opinions have been expressed and it is not yet clear to what era it belongs to. Some believe that the original building dates back to the Sassanid era or the early Islamic period. During the Seljuk period, this place was renovated and was even one of the bases of the Ismailis. Rudkhan Castle was the ruling center of many rulers of Gilan and Rasht and it was used until the Zandiyeh period. As Hedayat Khan, the ruler of Fuman, repaired this castle in 1175 AH during his uprising against Karim Khan.
With an area of 2.6 hectares, Rudkhan Castle is about 500 meters long, with different widths in some places. The height of the tower and its ramparts also reaches 1500 meters. The materials used in the construction of this castle are bricks and stones. This fort generally consists of two parts, the citadel and the courtyard, where the citadel was the royal residence of Rudkhan Castle, and the harem and courtyard were the place for military activities and soldiers’ lives. The citadel in the western part is on two floors and made of brick, and the guardhouses on the eastern part are on two floors with many skylights and openings dominating the surroundings of the castle.
Because the castle is built on two peaks, it is divided into three parts: eastern, middle and western:
Eastern part: This part, which is separated from other parts by a gate, is located on a 670-meter hill, and most of its buildings have a military aspect, and it includes an entrance gate, a prison, an emergency door, a number of residential units, and two large towers.
Middle part: The middle part is located at the lowest level of the castle and includes the main gate.
Western part: Finally, the western part, which is built on the steep slope of the mountain, includes parts such as the entrance gate, reservoir, cistern, cold storage, Shahneshin and a number of residential units.
The entrance of Rudkhan Castle is on the north side, and there are two huge towers on both sides, and the inscription that is now kept in the Rasht Museum was on top of it. There are watchtowers around the castle, which are solid at the bottom and hollow at the top, and their octagonal rooms are covered with dome arches. Inside the walls and towers there are sloping openings that were intended for pouring molten materials and shooting. Some of these towers have two floors, the roof of some of them is wooden, and there are stoves and chimneys inside them, which helped to better accommodate the soldiers in the cold of winter.
The most important building in the western part of this castle is Shahneshin, that is built in the highest part of the castle and is different from other parts in terms of structure. It has two parts, lower, upper and terrace, which is a good place to watch the castle. In addition, the water spring, which used to be the main source of water supply for the castle (which they say was brought from the Zardkhoni farm), was seen in its courtyard in the past, which dried up after the 1369 Gilan earthquake and was later revived by the cultural heritage of this province.
At the northeastern end of the castle there is a very beautiful two-story building, and on the southern side of it is a mountain where a cave can be seen, and according to the local people, it used to be the place of guards to signal the castle in case of an attack. Although many parts of this beautiful castle, which was registered as a national and historical monument in 1354, have been destroyed, it is still a beautiful place for tourists.
At the beginning of the way up to Rudkhan Castle and a little ahead of the parking lot, there is also a market that you will see as soon as you reach this place and you might be reminded of Korean and Chinese houses. For those who are into hiking and are interested in eating local food and delicacies while traveling, Rudkhan Castle Bazaar, which is known for its skim sellers, is a good place. In this market, you can also wear the colorful and beautiful clothes of the Gilki Castle of Rudkhan in spring: in this season, the greenery and freshness of the forest, the sound of the river, pleasant and pleasant weather; The beautiful music of nature plays in this place and calls people to it. Spring is the best time to visit the amazing Rudkhan Castle.
Rudkhan Castle in summer: This castle welcomes many tourists in the summer who go to the heart of Fomen forest to escape the summer heat and take the road to reach the castle to travel deep into history. Although the heat of the air along with the humidity of the forest in this season may be a bit annoying.
Rudkhan Castle in autumn: Rudkhan has a mesmerizing beauty in autumn. The colorfulness of nature and forest has given a beautiful view to this castle and doubles its magic.
Rudkhan Castle in winter: In winter, this castle has its own charm. The fact that this place is covered in pearls and white grains like snow makes it very spectacular, as if it is wearing a uniform white dress and has fallen into winter sleep.
But it is necessary to note that in the cold seasons of the year due to the area where Rudkhan Castle is located and the heavy snowfall and rain, it is more difficult to go to this castle than in other seasons of the year and not everyone can afford it. So choose the time of your trip to this magical castle, which is one of the most beautiful places in Gilan, in spring, autumn and summer respectively. Record your happy and sweet moments forever in lasting photo frames.
