Chehel Dokhtar Tower

The tower chehel dokhtar is located in the city of Semnān (homonymous region). The date of construction of this tower dates back to pre-Islamic times. A group of inhabitants of Semnān believes that it was built with adobe and mud from forty girls who had renounced luxury, material goods and had abandoned the world and that it was chosen as a place to live.

Some even believe that forty girls chosen to serve in the temple of fire lived in this tower and this would clarify the reason for the attribution of this name. Considering that the tower chehel dokhtar of Semnān is located next to two districts, Kushmaghān (Kushak Maghān) and Zāvghān (Zāvieh Maghān), it can be said that the aforesaid once was a temple of fire and among the sacred places of the Zoroastrians.

The height of this octagonal tower in some parts is 10 meters and in the other sections almost intact reaches the 12 meters. The thickness of the walls is between 50 and 60 cm. The ceiling was circular and was destroyed by natural causes.

On the inside façade, in the middle of each side, blind arches with pointed arches were built and above them, some cornices were built under the ceiling. adobe.

According to the people of Semnān, the chehel dokhtar tower, which is still located inside the courtyard of a madrasa, is one of the buildings in this region considered suitable for obtaining the possibility of getting married; or the unmarried girls to find a husband go inside the tower and throw three or seven stones outwards; if all fall out their wish will come true and that same year they will marry, otherwise they will have to wait another year.