TEHRAN – The historical buildings across the ancient village of Masouleh as well as the neighboring Rudkhan fortress are planned to undergo some rehabilitation works, Gilan province’s tourism chief has said.

A budget of 5.5 billion rials ($11,000) has been allocated to the restoration projects, Vali Jahani explained on Monday. 

The presence of these remarkable historical sites and structures has elevated the province to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire country, the official added. 

The scenic village of Masouleh is famed for its Lego-shaped earthen houses built on another’s rooftop. Home to some of the most stunning landscapes in the country, Masouleh is one of the many stepped villages that are quite common to find around the country, especially in Kordestan and around Mashhad. They have been built on a hill so steep that the roof of one house is the pathway for the next.

Whereas practically, all stepped villages in Iran have been able to keep their rural and traditional essence, for some reason, Masouleh has evolved into a popular touristic destination that especially attracts domestic vacationers.

Thanks to a pretty developed tourist infrastructure, Masouleh is receiving the attention of all the guidebooks, portraying it as a dreamy mountain village so, slowly, it is becoming the prime destination for those travelers who have a little more than two weeks in Iran.

The village is pretty, composed of some yellowish houses which disappear behind the mist during the early morning hours. Being the most visited stepped village in Iran, Masouleh has all types of opinions.

On the one hand, the well-traveled backpackers will tell you that Masouleh is not worth the journey unless you don’t mind eating in overpriced restaurants or trying to bargain ridiculous fares with taxi drivers. On the other hand, less demanding travelers will tell you that Masouleh is such a lovely village that you can’t miss.

Surrounded by green valleys, misty forests, and 3,000m peaks, Masouleh is the ultimate trekking destination in Iran, offering several trails that include both day treks and multi-day treks.

Made of brick and stone, Rudkhan fort is located 25 km southwest of Foman in Gilan Province. The stronghold has been built on two sides of a jagged rocky region so its architecture benefits from natural mountainous features.

Preliminary evidence, uncovered by digging, indicates the foundation of the structure was built in the Sasanian era (224–651) and rebuilt in the Seljuk era (ca. 1040–1157).

To this day, there is no precise information regarding the date of its construction. However, what is known is the castle was continually in use until the Zand Dynasty in the 18th century.

To access the fortress, one has to go through a hilly winding route in a dense forest. Upon the arrival a big entrance gate flanked by relatively tall towers welcomes visitors.

Stepping inside, there are residential quarters, a bathhouse, and a running spring passing through. 

The east side of the fort is a bit smaller and has more military characteristics. It consists of two towers, another entrance, a prison, and an emergency exit. Above the north and south walls are a number of octagonal areas and the deliberate cracks in their walls are assumed to have been for monitoring the adjacent area and shooting arrows at approaching enemies.

Above the front entrance was once an inscribed plaque (which is currently on display in a museum in Rasht) stating that the fort had been renovated for the first time between the years 1539 and 1542 for Sultan Hesamoddin. Historians say that during that time the monument was known as the Hesami Fort.

Though being threatened and even partly eroded by excessive humidity and vegetation rooting in the chinks of its old but lofty walls, Rudkhan fort is still standing tall in very good condition as compared to other castles of the same time.

ABU/AM