Owltan

Iran, Iran

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Owltan is both a small city and a historical area in Parsabad County, Ardabil Province, in northwestern Iran, located near the Aras River close to the border with Azerbaijan.

The city of Owltan itself is the administrative center of the former Qeshlaq-e Shomali Rural District, now the Owltan Rural District, and according to the 2016 census it had a population of about 3,622 people in 990 households; after that census it was officially raised from village to city status in 2021.

The area is also known for its ancient archaeological heritage, including Owltan Castle, a Parthian‑era military fortress mentioned in heritage sources as dating back to the Parthian Empire and still showing traces of a military castle design, with most of its original structure thought to be buried beneath the soil near the old Owltan settlement by the Aras River.

Recent archaeological work in the region has further highlighted its historical importance: in 2022, road construction near Owltan accidentally uncovered several pit‑shaped tomb chambers belonging to two main periods, the early Islamic centuries up to the Seljuk period and the Parthian period, and archaeologists have excavated at least nine graves at the site.