Oltan Fortress

Oltan Fortress

The Oltān fortress is located next to the river Aras and near the town of Pars Ābād (Ardabil region). This fortress was initially built by the Arsacids but the period of its splendor was at the time of the Sassanids and at the beginning of Islam and because of its solidity and favorable position, it was used until the twelfth century of the Hegira.
According to completely scientific assumptions, most of the fortress buildings are still buried underground.
This ancient fortress that is located near the old village of Oltān and among the locals is known as Oltān Ghālāsi, was built in an area of ​​320 thousand square meters and the remaining structure is associated with a military fortress.
In the architectural spaces of the fortress numerous traces have been found such as the oven, the many rooms, the stove and four floors of niches that had been decorated using the stucco covering.
The unique and varied terracottas of different Islamic periods found here have a certain importance. Within the fortress area there are also hills that were small building units while considerable and main buildings were located in the east wing and due to the change in the Aras river path a part of them were taken away and disappeared.
This fortress is considered as urban with residential spaces inside and industrial spaces such as different laboratories of metallurgy, of blown glass, of ceramic outside. A mound of 15 meters had been built all around to preserve the safety of the fortress from attack by enemies.
Through two channels that had been created from the Aras river, it was always kept filled with water.

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