Investigating the Importance and Features of the Most Important Castles of the Safavid Era

Castles were solid structures used in various ways in historical periods, depending on the circumstances. The course of the Iranian history also shows that castles have been used by residents for a variety of reasons. Extensive invasions of Iran and the need to have durable defensive structures provided the background for the construction of new buildings or the restoration of existing defenses. The Safavid era was no exception. Therefore, the construction of new castles and the restoration of old fortifications were taken seriously by Safavid government officials. Given the abundance of castles and their various uses in the Safavid era, this article seeks to examine some of the most important functions of castles. The main question of this research concerns the significance and the variety of the castles in the Safavid era. The results show that during this period castles were considered by the government as an efficient defensive tool at the borders.  In addition, castles were used as a safe place to protect valuables and keep prisoners. Furthermore, in cases of desirable security, castles were rulers' residences.