Arg of Karim Khan — Attraction in Shiraz

The Arg of Karim Khan or Karim Khan Prison was the residence of Karim Khan and where he ruled. It was built in 1180 AH (1766-7) as part of a complex during the Zand dynasty and is named after Karim Khan, and served as his living quarters. It is the biggest and the most important building of the Zand Dynasty. The citadel is located North-East of Shiraz. Its shape resembles a medieval fortress. Karim Khan invited the best architects and artists of the time and bought the best materials from other cities and abroad for the construction of the citadel and had it constructed quickly. The design of the citadel combines military and residential architectures for it was the residence of Karim Khan and had to have high security. Hence, the exterior walls, which essentially resemble the walls of a military castle, are quite tall.

Thus the utter walls, which resemble the walls of a military castle, are very high with a height of about 15 meters. The citadel consists of four high walls. The lower section of the exterior walls is three meters in width. It is shaped like an incomplete cone and its width at the top reaches 2.8 meters. In the upper section of the wall, there is a small chamber, which houses soldiers and guards. Ramparts are built around the top of a castle with regular gap, some of which are small and diagonal for firing arrows or guns. The bigger gaps were for repelling the enemy. The palace’s entrance hall is rather large. Located in the eastern side of the citadel, it has one door which opens to the horse stable and another door, which opens toward the roof. Above  the entrance gate there is a beautiful painting depicting a scene from the battle between Rostam and the White Demon, two mythical personas in the renowned Iranian poet Ferdowsi’s masterpiece ’Shahnameh’. Colorful enameled tiles are used in the painting.  The king’s private bathroom, hall and guards’ residence are constructed behind this wall. There is a balcony in front of which there are two wooden columns and a square pond. The walls of the citadel are made of stone and baked clay is used in other parts of the building. Interior decorations include marbles of Yazd and Tabriz and large mirrors bought from Europe, Ottoman Turkey and Russia. Herbal colors and gold plates are used in the ceilings’ ornaments. The rooms are mainly decorated with flora designs. The citadel has three palaces and its entrance angle is allocated to services section. After the fall of Zand Dynasty and during the Qajar period, the citadel was used as the governor’s seat and turned into the residence of Fars governors. This situation continued until the early years after the coming to power of the Pahlavi dynasty. The tiles of the citadel were repaired at the order of the then governor, Prince Abdulhossein Mirza Farmanfarma (1857-1939). It was converted to the big city prison and was put at the disposal of the police department during the reign of Reza Shah, the first Pahlavi monarch (1925-1941) and afterwards. During all this time, all paintings were covered with plaster and all rooms and halls were turned into small prison cells by constructing walls. The citadel building was put at the disposal of the Cultural Heritage Organization and from this time attention is paid to rehabilitation of the building. Great attention has been paid to rehabilitation of the citadel to preserve the genuineness of the building and its beautiful paintings have been brought to light from under the plaster-work. This is one of the most important monuments of the Zand era and especially that of Karim Khan. It is also important because of depicting the architectural style...

The Karim Khan Citadel in Shiraz, Iran, is a stunning architectural masterpiece that exemplifies the grandeur of the Zand era. Karim Khan Zand commissioned the citadel, which functioned as a royal home as well as a fortress, showing his reign's might and refinement.

The citadel's construction began in 1180 AH (1766 CE), after Shiraz was designated as the Zand dynasty's capital. The castle was intended to be more than simply a royal palace; it was a symbol of the Zand dynasty's supremacy and a showcase for Persian architecture.

Throughout history, the citadel has served several purposes. Under the Zand dynasty, it served as the royal home and seat of authority. During the Qajar era, it served as the home of local governors. Unfortunately, it was utilized as a jail under the Pahlavi era, which caused some damage to the edifice.

Recognizing its historical significance, the citadel was designated a national heritage monument in 1972. Since then, substantial restoration and preservation efforts have been made to return the fortress to its former magnificence.

The citadel's rectangular layout covers around 12,000 square meters. It has two primary sections: residential and military. The residential part has rooms, halls, and courtyards, whilst the military section contains towers, walls, and defenses.

Four majestic towers, each 14 meters tall, stand at the citadel's corners. These towers not only served a military role, but also improved the structure's aesthetics.

The citadel is lavishly decorated with beautiful tile work, plasterwork, paintings, and sculptures. These decorations often feature floral designs, hunting scenes, and regal iconography.

Within the citadel's walls is a historic Persian bathhouse, which provides tourists with a look into previous...

Karim Khan Citadel of Shiraz

One of the most spectacular places in Shiraz is Karim Khan Citadel. This castle, which is located in the center of the city, was built during the reign of Zandieh and by the order of Karim Khan Zand. And since he was living in this castle, it became known as Karimkhani Citadel. Most of the materials of Karim Khan citadel of Shiraz are stone and brick. On the outer body of the walls and its four towers, simple and beautiful patterns can be seen. At the top of the citadel, you can see crescent-shaped holes that have been made for shooting. In the four corners of the castle there are four guard towers with a height of 14 meters, inside of which there is a spiral staircase and two rooms, one for the guards to rest and the other for storing weapons. These towers are probably slightly tilted due to landslides. There are rooms around the courtyard that lead to each other and are beautifully decorated. The stained glass of the rooms also has a captivating beauty when the sun shines into the rooms. The floor of the courtyard is paved with large sawdust stones. The large fountain located among the gardens full of orange trees makes this residential / war fortress much more pleasant. Another part of the citadel building is its bath, which is decorated with very valuable motifs. This place was used as a prison during the first...