ابن سينا طبArg of Karimkhan

Defensive Walls of the Castle

Arg of Karim Khan is also known as Castle of Karim Khan, Citadel of Karim Khan and Arg-e Karim Khani. This castle was the royal court of Karim Khan Zand in Shiraz but also used as the living quarters.

This castle is well protected with 12 m wall which is 3 meters thick at the base, high walls of this castle are protected by four 14m high circular towers on each corner. This tower on the southeastern side is slightly leaning, it is due to the underground cistern that served as the Arg’s bathhouse. One thing which is very obvious in this structure is that these towers are decorated with great details.

The rectangular courtyard inside measures 93.6 m by 72.8 m and it contains two pools and a garden. There are orange trees planted in the courtyard which compare with any other courtyard of a historical building in the Middle East, North Africa or even Spain (al-Andalus).

Outer walls of the Arg of Karim Khan

Hammam and History of the Arg of Karim Khan

The underground cistern was the bathhouse of the castle, the design and decorations of this bathhouse is typical Persian in style. Water was channeled into this bathhouse and stored stored in there, during winter months water was heated.

The construction of this castle was carried out between 1766-67. Karim Khan used the best architects and artists of the time to build this beautiful castle. During the Qajar period it was used as the governor’s seat. After the fall of the Qajar Dynasty it was converted into a prison. In 1971, Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organisation took control to care for this building.

Bathhouse of the castle of Karim Khan Zand

In one of the rooms of the castle, wax figures depict that Karim Khan is receiving some European representative. An old photograph of Shiraz inside the castle was showing that this area was known as Meidan Topkhane (The Square of the Guns). In the evening, Shirazis (people of Shiraz) gather beside the Arg of Karim Khan.