The walls of Kalat are 35 km. in length and 10 km. in width and located 180 km. north of Mashad. The remains of this area belong to the Nader Shah period. There are observation towers (constructed in the years 1155-1160 AH) around this city. Existing inscriptions are evident including one written in the Turkish language and Nasta’liq script. The ancient entrance gate, Dahcheh gate, Choob Bast gate, Gashtaneh gate, Nafaqi gate located in Band-e-Arqavan Shah and Khorshid palace located in band-e-Nafaqi and Takhte-e-Dokhtar situated on a hill near the Nafaqi Gate which was built under the orders of Nader Shah are counted as the only monuments which have been remained.
According to the history of Iran, Nader Shah the Afsharid King is known to be one of the most powerful men who ruled Iran. He chose Khorasan as his capital while Iran was passing a period of chaos. He reunited Iran and removed the invaders. Then he constructed a splendid palace in Kalat town located in a mountainous and impassable area near Mashhad. It is said that Kalat e Naderi had been the only fortress that Timur couldn’t conquer.
This citadel which is also named the “palace of the sun” is a three-story mansion with 12 rooms. The rooms are ornamented with delicate paintings and floral stucco works. The cylindrical tower on the fortress is ornamented with vertical lines and reminds Indian architecture style. Kalat e Naderi had been used as the resident of Nader Shah and his family. The valuable treasury of the king, including the world known diamond of Iran named Kooh- e Noor was also kept in this palace.
The historical Kalat town, where the glorious Naderi palace is rested, has a stunning natural landscape, called “the lost paradise”. Visiting the green foothills, lush trees, water springs and Ghareh Su waterfall surrounding the historical Kalat e Naderi make it worthy to spend a day in this unknown land.
Kalat-e Naderi
Coordinates: 37°00′05″N 59°45′27″E Kalat-e Naderi (Persian: کلات نادری) is a massive natural fortress located about 44 miles north of Sousia, in Kalat County, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.
…I visited the extraordinary natural fortress of Kalat-i-nadiri and climbed its northern wall, which is one of the mountains in this range. From the crest I looked across the yellow plain, stretching northwards in level monotony, and was struck by its immensity….
Percy Sykes, A History of Persia, 1921
It is essentially a massive plateau about 4 miles in circumference that has been used as a fortress since before the Achaemenid era. It is surrounded on 3 sides by high cliff walls ranging from 1500 feet on the south side to 2000 feet on the west side with lower eastern walls and a gently sloping plain leading up to the heights from the north.
It is famous as the only fortress ever to withstand a siege by Tamerlane.
Alexander the Great’s army laid siege to it. While Alexander left to deal with a rebellious Persian chieftain, he ordered Craterus to command the majority of the army and take the fortress.