TEHRAN – During the two-day holiday of Eid al-Fitr, the centuries-old Falak-ol-Aflak Fortress in Khorramabad, western Lorestan province, was visited by over 7,800 people, the provincial tourism chief has said.

The Sassanid-era fortress was one of the most visited monuments across the country during the mentioned time, Ata Hassanpur explained on Monday.

This year’s Ramadan began on March 23, which falls in spring in Iran, and ended on April 22. Because of the nature of the lunar calendar system, the dates of Ramadan vary each year and there is always a sort of disagreement among scholars as to when Ramadan precisely starts or comes to an end.

By tradition, the new moon crescent, which is sighted by the naked eye, marks the beginning of a new lunar month, but these days, Muslims prefer to lean towards astronomical calculations to avoid such confusion.

The unmissable eight-towered Falak-ol-Aflak Castle dominates the city as one of the most visited travel destinations in the region for both domestic and foreign sightseers.

The fortress dates from the Sassanid era (224–651). It seems particularly imposing and dramatic when floodlit at night, offering picturesque views of its encircling crenelated battlements.

The Sassanid era is of very high importance in Iranian history, under which Persian art and architecture experienced a general renaissance.

Soaked in history and culture, Lorestan is one of the lesser-known travel destinations in Iran, which mainly acts as a gateway to the sweltering plains below in the adjoining Khuzestan province. Lorestan is also a region of raw beauty that an avid nature lover could spend weeks exploring.

The region was inhabited by Iranian Indo-European peoples, including the Medes, c. 1000 BC. Cimmerians and Scythians intermittently ruled the region from about 700 to 625 BC.

Lorestan was incorporated into the growing Achaemenid Empire in about 540 BC and successively was part of the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanid dynasties.

ABU/AM