Qiz Qala Si

Iran, Iran

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Qiz Qala Si (also spelled Qiz Qalasi or Giz Galasi) most commonly refers to the modern joint dam on the Aras River between Iran and Azerbaijan, but the name also appears for a village and a historic castle in the same broader region.

The Qiz Qalasi Dam is an embankment dam built jointly by Iran and Azerbaijan, located in Khoda Afarin County in East Azerbaijan province of Iran and the neighboring Jabrayil area in Azerbaijan. After construction that began about two decades ago, it was officially inaugurated in May 2024, with a reservoir capacity of around 62 million cubic meters, an ability to regulate about 2 billion cubic meters of water per year, and an associated hydropower station expected to generate roughly 270 megawatt‑hours of electricity annually to support irrigation and local development.

At the same time, “Qiz Qalehsi” is also the name of a village in Bileh Savar County in Ardabil province, and there is a historic site known as Dokhtar Castle (Qiz Qalasi) near Mianeh in East Azerbaijan, an old fortress and nearby caravansary that are listed as local heritage attractions. Because the name is used for both a modern infrastructure project and older settlements, the exact meaning depends on whether the context is the Iran–Azerbaijan border dam or the historic village and castle in the northwestern provinces.