Qaleh Dokhtar

Southeastern Iran


On dun-coloured ridges at the eastern edge of town rise the lumpy outlines of two timeless mud-fortress ruins. This area would have been Kerman's most ancient settlement – while there's not a great deal left to see, the surrounding wasteland retains a small selection of older buildings, including a huge, recently restored beehive-shaped ice house.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southeastern Iran attractions

1. Ateshkadeh

0.55 MILES

The buildings are mostly new and the 'eternal fire' in a giant central chalice smoulders rather than flares, but if you've never visited a working…

2. Moshtari-ye Moshtaq Ali Shah

0.57 MILES

With prominent blue-and-white-tiled roofs dating from the late Qajar period, this attractive mausoleum is the last resting place of several Kerman…

3. Masjed-e Jameh

0.74 MILES

The Masjed-e Jameh's four lofty iwans originally date from 1349, though there was extensive modernisation during the Safavid and later periods. Instead of…

4. Masjed-e Imam

1.02 MILES

The expansive Imam Mosque courtyard covers 6000sqm with tiled iwans (barrel-vaulted halls) on three sides. But it's the main southwest iwan that's the…

5. Bazar-e Sartasari

1.03 MILES

Kerman’s magnificent 'Sartasari' ('end-to-end') Bazaar is one of the oldest and most memorable trading centres in Iran. Its main thoroughfare stretches…

6. Masjed-e Ganj Ali Khan

1.13 MILES

With an entrance hidden away in the northeastern corner of Ganj Ali Khan Sq, this tiny but lavishly decorated mosque was once the private place of worship…

7. Bazar-e Zargaran

1.13 MILES

The gold bazaar is tucked away to the northeast of Ganj Ali Khan Sq. In the middle of its countless jewellery shops is a small square where you'll come…

8. Hammam Museum

1.16 MILES

This historic bathhouse is now a museum in which wax dummies illustrate the workings of a traditional hammam. Signage is a little garbled ('AD' dates…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "iran/southeastern-iran/kerman/attractions/qaleh-dokhtar/a/poi-sig/1563120/361023",
      "destination": "Southeastern-Iran",
      "continent": "Middle-East",
      "country": "Iran",
      "region": "Southeastern-Iran",
      "position": "superzone"
    }