The Inner City Seljuk Fortifications of Rey: Case Study of Rashkān ‎Fortress, Gabri and Kāsni Castles ‎

Defensive fortifications in different regions of Iran have been an effective factor in the survival ‎of residential centers and commercial routes. An investigation on defensive structures will ‎provide useful information on this kind of architecture. The study of remains of castles in the ‎Rey region has provided an important context for archaeological research. In the present ‎study, the Seljuk fortifications (Rashkān fortress, Gabri and Kāsni Castles) are introduced and ‎recognized as inner city castles. It aims at identifying and studying the Seljuk fortifications of ‎Rey, identifying the function of inner city fortifications, and comparing them with other samples ‎in neighboring regions in terms of characteristics. The data were gathered through field and ‎documentary studies while an analytical-historical method was applied in the course of the ‎research. Important questions intended to be addressed were: 1. what has been the role of ‎Seljuk fortifications of Rey in security provision of the region? 2. In which categories can the ‎Seljuk fortifications of Rey be classified in terms of structural characteristics and architectural ‎classification? Among the Seljuk fortifications of Rey, Kohandez (e.g. Rashkān Fortress) had ‎functioned as the political headquarters, and in other inner city castles, larger circular towers ‎have been usually located in four angles and interspersed with subsidiary towers. These types of ‎defensive architecture indicate the progress in the urban construction and security provision. ‎