Faradonbeh Castle

Faradonbeh, Iran, Iran

---

Faradonbeh Castle, also known as Zargham al‑Saltaneh Castle, is a historic fortress in the town of Faradonbeh, 7 kilometers west of Borujen in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran, and it is recognized as the largest castle in that province.

The castle complex was built in two main stages: first, Ali Dad (the Ilay Peg, father of Zargham) constructed an older fortress called “Faradonbeh Castle” or “Qal’eh‑e Kohnah” during his rule, and later his son, Ibrahim Khan (known as Zargham al‑Saltaneh of Faradonbeh), built a new castle adjacent to the old one, which is now commonly referred to as Zargham al‑Saltaneh Castle.

The combined structure dates to the Qajar era, with its main foundation particularly associated with the year 1279 in the Islamic lunar calendar (roughly late 19th century), and it is registered as a national heritage monument of Iran (registration number 25,367, on 9 December 2008). Beyond its architectural role as a large defensive and residential fort.

The castle is historically significant because Zargham al‑Saltaneh led a force of about 7,000 Bakhtiari fighters from here during the Persian Constitutional Revolution, helping to defeat the forces of Mohammad Ali Shah and to liberate cities such as Isfahan and Tehran, and the site is linked to the nearby tomb of Zargham al‑Saltaneh (also known as Habe Ali Shah) in the northwestern part of Faradonbeh.