TYPOLOGY OF THE HISTORICAL CASTLES OF CENTRAL IRAN

According to the modernization and urbanization changes, some of post urban spaces missed their utilization and structures. They have been destructed and forgiven completely. The castles and defensive fortifica-tions are among those spaces which have a parted structures from the urban contexts. Their structural and utilization erosion has turned them into the ruined and criminal places. The first step to regulate these buildings are recognition of these buildings. These buildings were classified according to their initial utilization in province of Yazd. In this research, the castles were divided to five classes such as: governmental, residential, military and disciplinary castles, depots and stores, citadels. The results of studies reveal that citadels include the most abundance (10 buildings) in geography province of Yazd. The depots and stores and state castles (7 buildings ) are in the next ranks. The military and disciplinary castles (4 buildings) are in the next rank. In last rank are the residential castles (2 buildings).


INTRODUCTION
The castle means a area surrounded by the strong walls and towels that were built usually to reside the soldiers and/or residents.These fortifications were used during wars and the people stayed inside the castle to protect themselves to enemy's attack.Some foods were stocked in there for several months.Yazd province has geographical vast and natural location includes various buildings and contexts that separated its to different parts.This province has the most valuable and broadest monolithic ancient context.It includes some valuable treasures of the historical and cultural human works.In addition, their cultural and historical identity is risk of destruction at the result of wear.Every neglecting in recognizing the various dimensions of the historical context (body and application) has turned these buildings into a limited urban area with the special longitude without identity.In past times, some various defensive buildings were built on ancient roads, according to the special specifications of a region.Some of these structures have formed the most important parts of some historical cities of Yazd, considering the political geography of the governments and importance of these roads.
This paper attempts to recognize the initial application of famous defensive buildings and fortifications of Yazd which were the important part of some cities to recognize the worn out contexts where are the important and historical parts.First the present castles were recognized in this area for the geographical expansion of Yazd province, then the places and paths of these buildings were recognized.The method of this study is screening the following indexes according to the structures.Through investigating the documents and field studies of Yazd province geography it was cleared that there are more than 70 castle and/or defensive fortifications.This subject should be pointed out that some of these structures had two defensive and residential applications such as the caravanserais with several towers and ramparts.Passing times have led the structure and application of these building to be worn.Most of the middle road caravanserais are not applicable same as past times; because, they have been located in the secondary and far paths.
The progressions of the cities, total climate factors and lack of custodian leed to intense structural wear in some constructions.They have been destructed completely and few points of them can be found only in the past documents and/or in the local people's narratives; Such as the towers and ramparts in Bafq, Mehriz and Harat that have been omitted from the selected list by the performed screen.This paper has been organized as follows: Section 2 discusses the literature review.Typology of the castles is presented in Section 3. In Section 4, analyzing the research findings is illustrated.In this phase, we organized castles by the name and site of the structures.Finally, conclusions are presented in Section 5.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Ghirshman reported first of indication of defenses in Iranian plateau Silk, prehistoric village (Ghirshman,1988).Dayson defined castle part of building of hill Hesar that had thick brick walls and one big gate (Dayson, 1972).The reports of Hassanlo hill be seen as castle that has seven meter in height and three diameter (Javadi, 1984).
Taghavi nejad has expressed to face to invaders and wild animals are some of reasons of building castles (Taghavi nejad, 2007).However, Diakonov noticed that castles have been seating of monarchs (Diakonov, 1975).
In the Assyrian inscriptions, Elamite castles had high labyrinthine walls and towers that located at regular intervals between them (Majid zadeh, 1990).Diakonov realized by reviewing of the Assyrian inscriptions that the castle was built in the surrounding residential areas that residents could use them when they needed (Diakonov, 1975).Some of castles have hole around themselves to defense against the enemies and avoiding flood (Eshmit, 1963).In the Hellenistic period, all cities had castle around themselves and governmental buildings were insight it (Pygoloskaya, 1975).It seems that Parthians people build their cities as cycle.Sample of these cities is Firoz Abad (Diakonov, 1963).
Among the narratives which have been stated about Yazd geography by the historians or tourists, its castles and impenetrable fortifications have been pointed out that sometimes the narratives were even get out of moderation.For instance, Ahmadebne Hossainebne Katebe Yazdi attributes the construction of Maybod Nrin Qale to prophet Soleyman's jinn and demons.He wrote "while some Iranian great men were opposing against Macedonia Alexander in Rey.Alexander arrested them and he decided to take them to Fars Estakhr, when he arrived to Yazd area.He imprisoned them in a citadel site and named that place Kesah (in Greek it means prison).Katebe Yazdi pointed to establishment of Mehrjard and Khormiz village and its ancient castle., 16, 1 (2016) 9-21 Khormiz (Katebe Yazdi, 2007).Ebnehoghli wrote about Yazd: " Kesah is among the most important cities of Estakhr village from Khorasan side" and it is suburbs of Yazd and Abarghooyeh; However, Kesah where is suburbs of Yazd is a city next to desert and its weather is good,dry and like mountainous cities is blessed with many resources and a village with cheap crops.Most of its building is long shaped and have built by mud.
Here, there is a constant city has a castle with two iron gates: Izad ( Izad door) and Mosque door (Babolmasjed) near Jame Mosque ( Ebne Hoghli).
In Yazd new history book, Abrandabad castle is intoroduced like this: "this castle (Abrandabad castle) was constant until fist half of second century A.H., but by Abumoslm Khorasani's rising against Baniomayeh government.Ahmad Mohammad Zomeji became governor of Yazd and Isfahan.While he entered to Yazd, The Omayyad governor of Yazd named as Aala Toofi that was escaped from Yazd and took refuge in this castle.Ahmad Zomeji destructed the castle after siege it and arrested Aala Toofi and burned it withYazid's flag in Yazd".
Afshar's book has introduced each cities and villages of Yazd.He has referred to the defensive buildings and fortifications of that place.
Geographical multiplicity and expansion of Yazd province from one side and numerous defensive fortifications is visible inside it , foe instance , Harat city inside this geography is named as Thousand castle city (Afshar, 2007).
The most important political aspect is security issue in the village.The excessive dispersion of the villages in the fields and mountains has made them vulnerable in front of possible attacks (Zargar, 2005).
From old times, there were two resident and immigrant groups.The residents' livelihood was based on using plants and agriculture.Immigrants' livelihood was based on using the domestic animals.
Some of these groups plundered the villages to provide their necessary grains and floras.Therefore, from old times the residents of a village built some structures and fences around their living place.Depending on the power of the rural people and/or local Khans, these fortifications were different.Zaargar divided these fortifications into the following three groups:  To establish a village in a safe place; for instance, under protection of a rock or edge of a cliff. To enclose with the fence around the village to construct Darbands( narrow passes)  High and inaccessible walls were built inside the context of a village (Zargar, 2005).
Among the above three groups, the total actions that have been occurred in the second group (immigrants) was the main factor for establishments of the castle of villages.
In another part of the this book, most of the rural castles of Iran have been classified to three classes as the following:  The villages where in the complex buildings have been located there according to the needs inside the castle (fence) during many years. The villages which were located in high and safe place outside of the village context with a castle without buildings and necessary equipments , their role was as a shelter for the inhabitants for many hours or days during danger. Some villages have been established for the previous purpose of castle and belonged to the local Khans, masters.They were organizational houses for the village inhabitants (Zargar, 2005).The establishment of the cities and their defensive fortifications has been stated in Iran ancient cities that mostly have been formed of two parts.One part was included the governors' residents and places to keep treasures and properties.Other part was included the resident of the common people and markets.
The first part was usually built on the high places and wall that was built around it.The defensive towels were placed at intervals.The fence (wall) was built around the second part and there was a moat along it (Farshad, 1997).
The castle has been divided into two groups of mountainous and plain parts, according to the established bed.
In this way, the natural materials mostly were used for defense.However, in the plain defense possibility was provided to establishing bed, digging moat, constructing adobe and mud (Rahmatpour, 2009).
The fortification was constructed for military garrison, road maintenance, prison, warehouse and munitions of war.There were constructed in order to protect the valuable objects that have been named as the citadel or castle.Iranian citadels have been built in various shapes, according to the natural situation of the place and the present materials.These types of fortifications can divide to two groups.(Sotoodeh, 1982)  Plain citadels  Mountainous citadels

TYPOLOGY OF THE CASTLES
Progression of the cities led to destruct the broad parts of the towers and ramparts of the cities as the way their prominent elements like the gates and/or towers and walls are without past prolongation and integration.They are not connected to the internal elements of the city same as the market and some parts of them that have protected museum insight them.Consequently, these spaces have not the qual-ity like the past times.For instance, towers of ramparts of Yazd, Ardakan, Maybod and Mehrix cities were omitted from the selected list after investigation.
Considering the above indexes, thirty ancient castles were selected among present seventy castles which were put under typology after the performed investigations in Yazd province geography (Figure 1)., 16, 1 (2016) 9-21 Among the selected twenty structures and fortifications, nine structures are belonging to Sassanid era, seven structures are belonging to Safavid era and the others are belonging to the historical eras as the following figure (Figure 2).
Considering this matter, the utilization of the castles have been turned into different from their initial utilization during various historical periods.In this paper, the first application of the building is considered.Considering the initial application of these buildings, the typology of the castles and defensive fortifications were performed according to their application in the following five classes (Figure 3).

Governmental castles (state castles)
Some buildings were used as the sites to determine the limitation of the governments' boarders, or they were residenced for the commanders and military forces in the land without any residents.« During tenth to seventh centuries B.C., Cities, states and many small aristocracy residences were located all around the empire.These local governments con-structed huge citadel such as fortifications for protecting themselves and expanding their territory in front of the challenger governments or the attackers» (Diyakounf, 1966).They constructed the fortifications like the Roman soldiers' residential camps in campaigning to their different empire regions where turned into the centers of some cities.These castles are named as government castles in this typology.The spaces of these castles include the multilayer towers and ramparts, governmental residences, common residences, common warehouses and stables, personal warehouses and stables, gates, markets, mosque and water reservoir.Etc of these castles have much ancientness and some of them have formed the initial centers of the cities and the villages.For instance, by joining several villages around Maybod Narin castle (Narin Qale), Maybod city has been formed « the political and official factors that were the main factor of formation of old Maybod city» (Pouya, 1992).The stone was used as the materials in some castles.Nodooshan Qalesefid is located on the rocky hill and adjacent to Nodooshan city.It was local Khans' and governors' residence of Nodooshan.The foundation of the castle is stone.It has been dig inside the castle on the rocky bed, in order to provide water (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Nodooshan white castle ( Qalesefid)
Also, the high and stable castle of Shavaz has been constructed on the stony rock in type of sedimentary hard stones with height up to 100m, beside slope crags and embankments.This building is fully adjacent to the around fields where was the main migration path of the tribal (Figure 6).

The residential castles
The caravanserais were the residential buildings which were built inside and/or outside the cities, near the roads and the main paths.In past time, commerce were the most major job for countries; therefore some residential buildings were built far from government centers to protect the paths with heavy traffic.In these buildings, the defensive and attacking features of the castles was obvious.Indeed, they were as middle road caravanserai and the resting place for the road keepers and protectors of these paths.These building are named residential buildings in this typology, such as Abarkouh village castle, Bafq Bagherabad castle, and Khargoushi village castle.
These buildings included some spaces to consist some chambers for residents' temporary staying and stable and warehouse to store the animals' and residents' requirements, defensive tower, rampart and gate.In some caravanserais, there is a free space to stay the convoys; such as, Abarkouh village cas-tle.In some spaces of residence, human and animal have been separated perfectly same as Khargushi village castle and Bagherabad castle (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Respectively, from right side: Robate Khargushi castle and Abarkouh village castle
In some of the castles, a moat was dig around the castle.The shape of the building is various in oval and rectangle shape.The applied material in the castles was adobe and mud.In few buildings such as, Khargoushi village castle, stone was utilized in the bottom part on the walls.Constructing these building was common in Safavid era.Consequence of similar application to caravanserais expanded procedure construction of the caravanserais in Safavid era.Constructing these castles has been abolished in every place of Iran.Some castles are located at limits of the cities and some like Bagherabad castle that has formed permanent residences around itself.Also, the internal context of the castle is very compacted, because of climate conditions particularly sand storm (Figure 8).

Military and disciplinary castles
The buildings are utilized for keeping the prisoners and/or military garrisons and protecting the new established cities that they are named as military-disciplinary buildings; such as Taft Pah-levanbadi castle, Taft Garmsir castle, Abrandabad and Khormiz castle.
The internal spaces of these buildings are including some rooms for habitation, prisoners' cell, warehouse and silos for stocking foods, military field and covered passages.Abrandabad castle has been built in two floors.The internal walls of the castle have two layers.The spaces which are up to 100 to 150cm between the walls have been covered by arch.They were the place for locating the soldiers.The size of the wall edge beams is about 12m.There is a moat around the castle with four round towers at four corners of the wall.A wide wall with width about 8m has surrounded around it at the highest point.The castle has a high gate with three floors, four round towers at four sides of the castle.There is a square shaped tower with diameter less than two side tower in north angle and at middle of the wall (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Respectively from right side: Abrandabad castle and Khormiz castle
Constructing these types of castles was common in Sassanid era.The materials which applied in these castles were mainly adobe and mud in the wall and stone in the bed.These castles were constructed with high quality.They are intact structurally.For example, Khormiz castle has retained its application even after passing many years from construction (Figure 10).Aegean, 2016, Mediterranean Archaeology & Archaeometry, 16, 1 (2016) 9-21 Khormiz castle had military-disciplinary application.There are complex of cells with various living facilities.

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According to the historical narrative of the castle, it was used as prison application in Ilkhani era.» There was Seyyed Roknodin Yazdi the famous astrologer and maker of gate of Yazd Jame mosque in Ilkhani era «. ( Sarjami, 1994).

The castles with warehouse and store application
These types of buildings were built adjacent to the villages and cities to save the properties and treasures.Some of them were only grain silos and others were place of the local Khans' or kings' wealth; Such as: Bafq Kafar castle, Touranposht Jen castle, Mehriz Dehok castle, Mehriz Gariz castle, Fahraj castle, Taft Hossaini castle and Maybod Mehrjad castle.
Considering this matter, the villages produced their requirements in the past times.The grains and foods were propounded as the vital elements for living.Even the exchange was done products of the rural people who have been considered as their wealth.
Therefore, in some villages such as Touranposht, the silo and warehouse of foods is more preferential than living space.As the manner, some silos have been built in their bed and walls of room for storing annual necessary foods.Jen castle is located adjacent to Touranposht village on the stone bed that is fully adjacent to the around field.There is a gentle ramp that is entered to the village's main gate from surface of the village.The entrance gate [stone] that is a piece of stone.Nowadays, its remnant is located near the entrance.
Inside the castle, the houses have maximum two floor with rubble stone wall and compound ceiling that covered by the wood and rubble stone.Inside the castle, there is a main road that cut its secondary alleys.The structure of the path is very slope that some stairs have been considered for going to the upper floor.For example, inside Mehrjard castle, several complex chambers are located with very much compacted space where are mud vase and silos for stocking grains.
The height of some rooms' entrance is less than one meter and they were not at all residential.Even the vases and silos were made in the chambers.It should be noted that Mehrjard's main residents' job was agriculture and Narinqale that is located near Mehrjard (Figure 11).

Figure 11. Compacted context of Mehrjard castle
Constructing these types of castles was continuing that is referred to Sassanid era until the last period of castle construction Qajar.The shape of these castles was also different.The irregular shape (that means self-organized) of Gariz castle is the rectangle that is different than square shape of Hossaini castle.
This difference in shape of the castles was consequent of historical expansion of application and construction of these castles with the same application.The internal spaces of the castles are included the warehouse, stable, rooms with two purpose applications of resident, warehouse and defensive walls (Figure 12).

Citadel
The huge type of the buildings includes the urban castles that have been surrounded among the walls and moats with all requirements and facilities.These types of the castles have been built by the local governor and/or masters for protecting their stores and properties.The internal spaces of the castles include the family residence, stable and individuals' warehouse, urban stable and warehouse, the urban facilities include the mosque, Hosseinieyh, water reservoir, the governors residence, market and etc. (Figure 13).

Figure 13. Saryazd citadel
Sometimes, the tribal and religious boundaries had separated the living place of city residents from each other.Such as, Khetk castle where was the living place of the Jewish minorities in Fahraj region.
The wall has been built around the castles with compound of adobe and stratification and height up to 8m with beautiful decorations in external view.Around the castle walls, there were two moats with wide up to 10m that in present condition.These moats have been filled.

Figure 14. Khetk castle (Khavidak)
The internal space of the castle is in form of four rows of rooms that three alleys separated them in northern-southern prolongation.The ceilings of these rooms are mostly crescent -shaped.Some Sabats are seen over a part of the alleys.The southern and eastern rooms were two floors that the ceiling of third floor has been fallen in most of them.Observa-  , 16, 1 (2016) 9-21 tion towers have been built in four angles of the castle.The transportation system inside the citadel is via secondary roads that each ends to the main road.Indeed each secondary road is constricted vertical to the main road (Figure 14).
The main point in these types of castles are buildings the similar shaped chambers as living rooms for the farmers and peasants.Mehrpadin castle has bigger ratios where was asters' residence and it included the stables, warehouse and residential house(Figure 15).

Figure 15. Mehrpadin citadel
During times , some citadels were progressing irregularally ( self-organized) , such as Kharanaq citadel, some parts of Aqda big citadel, Nodooshan citadel and other castles with rectangle planes, similar algorithms that have been constructed; such as Shahrasb castle, Janatabad castle, Mehrpadin castle, Ernan castle, Gerdefaramarzi castle, Khetk castle and Saryazd castle.
Kharanaq castle is a big moat around the castle wall that has very high wall surrounded the village.There are all urban buildings such as market, square, minaret and moeque, residential houses to three floors.The form of the building which are relatively biggest than other citadels indicates the promotion of this region in old times.Kharanaq citadel was residence completely until forty years ago and the drink water has been provided via a Qanat.The Kharanaq citadel has been formed according to the urban progression and the walls have irregular and irregular geometry (Figure 16)

Figure 16. Kharanaq citadel
In safavid era, many castles have been constructed.Several castles of Harat city have been constructed for this reason with the same pattern.Some of these castles such as Saryazd castle have several fortifications for defensive purpose.The castle is irregular rectangle that is belonging to the Samanid era.Six defensive small towers are located around the castle.The castle has two defensive walls and a big moat.A grid of main and secondary passages and vertical buildings have been built inside the castle; for instance, water reservoir , mosque, warehouse and the residents' houses in three floors(Figure 17).

ANALYZING THE RESEARCH FINDINGS
The findings of this research included the name and site of the structures in Yazd province geography.The classification has been done based on the application of the building, construction period, shape and its foundation(bed).It has been presented in the following table.In addition, the main problems of these buildings that caused the acceleration in destruction of these spaces have been stated.
 Structural: That is destruction of the building shape that it will destroy the space and natural location of the building during long time.
In a manner that any remnant of building can not be seen.Through providing map and expert understanding, the documentation center can be prepared for these buildings.Depending on the facilities of the custodian organizations; such as cultural heritage, limitation and necessary renovation can be determined. Accessibility: the remote building from the main roads will lead to occupy thereby smugglers and shepherds.By applying few changes in some paths, the possibility of using these buildings will be provided as middle road complex.Consequently, the occupying these spaces can be found sooner by organization the people based associations in the near villages. Investment: The possibility of changing application and using these spaces are provided in the manner that these buildings will be relived in village live by adding the organization project to the rural conductive projects and two parties' investment between the government and rural people. Cognition: According to the historical ancientness and cultural index features of the buildings, there are very lacks in knowing these spaces; such as studies and investigation actions, education.It is necessary to make the local residents familiar with the tourism advantages of these places.Tourism potentials of these places can be used in attracting the tourists.Finding the private custodian and investment and propagandas in the Medias is possible for this aim.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Selected structures and defensive fortifications

Figure 2 .Figure 3 .
Figure 2. Structure and defensive fortifications during different historical eras

Figure 8 .
Figure 8. Bagherabad and context around it