Narin Castle

The Narin Castle (نارین قلعه), Narenj Castle or Mehrjerd Castle is a mud-adobe fort constructed on the top of Galeen hill in the town of Meybod, Yazd province. A local and unproven myth about it is that it was constructed by Solomon, the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel in order to conceal and protect his treasure. Some believe that the Narin castles are descendants of ancient Zoroastrian fire-temples. Some of the castles in Narin and Meybod, in Yazd province, are also called Narenj Castles (orange castles), possibly by folk etymology. Lying on the Silk Route, the stronghold was used by soldiers who provided an armed escort for passing caravans, charging a tax for their services, historical sources say.

What is currently left of Narin Castle is its central structure. A moat surrounded the castle to provide security during enemy attacks. Remnants of it still remain although part of it has been covered by vineyards and pomegranate orchards. A wooden bridge was located in the western section of the castle and served as a connection between the castle and the city, especially during times of need when it was placed over the moat.  The bridge was destroyed in 1965 to accommodate the modern adjacent street. It contains 4 walls for protection. The outer wall surrounds the entire complex and is adjacent to the moat. The second wall encompasses the interior area. The third walls urrounds the northern structure while the fourth provides additional protection to the governmental departments.

Once one passed over the moat and entered through the main gate, there was an open area spanning 50 square meters. Three further gates were present, the left and right ones leading to the area between the first and second walls. The middle gate led to the central courtyard. After passing a third door and following a short staircase, a fourth door would lead to a fork. 

 

Ultimately both paths would reconnect at a fifth door. 

At this point taking a left or right would lead to southern and northern parts of the structure respectively.

Built some 2,000 to 6,000 years ago and in 5 stages, it has four circular towers and stands 40 meters (130 ft) high. It contains what seems to be a type of plumbing system (made out of a kind of mortar called sarooj) which was built into its massive walls. Peculiarly similar in design to Ali Qapu palace of Isfahan, it has a terrace high on top of the structure whose circulation is provided by two helical stairwells (whose walls have caved in, making it inaccessible). The structure also has a large underground chamber (now filled by rubble) and was possibly used as a prison.

This building stretches three hectares and has been built as an old fortress with seven different floors, each for a different class of society. It seems that upper floors of the building have been reconstructed and belong to the Islamic era. Structures like Narin Castle constituted the government stronghold in some of the older (pre-Islamic) towns of central Iran. Some of these castles incorporate mud bricks of the Medes period and of the Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties. The varied sizes of bricks are further indication of ongoing construction across various eras. Based on the construction style, the latest additions and renovations seem to be done at the end of the Muzzafarid Dynesty in 1393.

The castle consists of upper and lower residential levels. The lower level (called Shahrestan), much of which has been destroyed, was inhabited by commoners. There is evidence of the prior existence of mosques, baths and alleyways in this section. The upper level (called Hakhamenishin) was utilized by rulers and consists of three storeys and expands in a spiral manner. The covered areas receive natural light via openings towards the top of the interior walls. Narin Castle also included an underground network of pathways to surrounding areas which was used to transport necessities to different areas of the structure. The dimensions of these tunnels was such that pack animals would be able to travel through it comfortably.

During excavations, archaeologists found pottery shards depicting half-human, half-animal creatures. These artifacts, similar to Elamite paintings from the third millennium BC, reveal much about the castle’s ancient civilization. The castle’s construction likely built on an older site, with evidence of brick structures and Iron Age pottery found beneath its clay layers.

In Ferdosi’s Shahnemeh, it is said that the castle destroyed by Sohrab is in fact Narin Castle. Narin castle is currently under study but has not been faring very well. The structure seems to have been affected by numerous earthquakes throughout the ages. A restoration project in 2023 was intended to strengthen its overall structure, walls, ceilings, and ramparts. In 1975 it was listed among the national heritage sites of Iran with number 1086.