Babak Castle, Kaleybar, Iran
Babak Castle (Image: Wikimedia Commons, Neeku Shamekhi)
The small town of Kaleybar in far northwestern Iran is home to Babak Castle. Babak was a resistance leader in Azerbaijan province in the 9th Century and fought against the Arab leadership of the time. Today he has gone down in Persian and particularly Turkish (Azeri) Persian folklore as a cultural icon.
Babak Castle, perched on that rocky outcrop in the centre of the picture
The castle is perched about 300 metres above Kaleybar, and to say that the climb to the top is strenuous is the understatement of the century. There are literally steps all the way from the bottom to the top – the climb is straight up.
At Babak Castle, 10 years ago!! Look how young I looked 🙂
I had come down with a cold the night before and only made it half way, but it was still enough to admire the breathtaking views of the castle and (possibly) over the border into Armenia and Azerbaijan. Later that day I had a delicious lunch in a village hotel where the chef allowed me to sit in the kitchen as they cooked for a local grandmothers’ birthday.
Gale Daresi village, seen from the Babak Fort mountain, near Kaleybar
what a spot! Looks like a fair bit of climbing! You look so young!
Yeah, it was actually one of my favourite things in Iran <3
Baby Tim…. so cute!
That climb sounds like one I would like to attempt. All about the mountains this year. And I havent visited a castle, but I want to.
Looking back, I wish I had made it all the way to the top, but I remember feeling so unwell, and pressed for time too 🙁 It’s still there, maybe I’ll return one day…