TEHRAN In categorizing Iran's historical sites, many interesting topics can be found with their own characteristics. Mosques, mausoleums, Imamzadehs, minarets, towers, halls, buildings, scriptures, tablets, fire temples, churches, statues, bridges, caves, squares, schools, baths, gates, and even cemeteries are indicators of the moral qualities and traditions of Iranian people throughout centuries.

One interesting example of this fact can be observed in buildings, sites, and towns named Dokhtar or Girl. Although there are still several such sites, most of them are abandoned and ruined. The most famous "girl" sites are as follow:

* Girl Castle in Fars With several turrets made of stone and plaster, this castle is situated some 6km from the town of Firouzabad. It appears to have been a fire temple, founded by Sassanid King Ardeshir Papkan. There is an adjoining circular building covered with lime, and a bath, entirely carved out of rock, water for which is provided from a spring in the mountain.

* Girl Castle in Bakoo In Bakoo, there is also a girl castle beside a tower called the Girl Tower. Bakoo was once one of Iran's ancient and sacred cities, home to several fire temples.

* Girl Castle in Khorasan Between Mashhad and Torbat-e Heidarieh, there is a mountain at the foot of a temple, and on the top of a hill there are two buildings called Girl Castle and Boy Castle. The two castles evidently were related to a temple at the foot of a mountain, which is abandoned now. The architecture of the building suggests its origin in the Sassanid era.

* Girl Castle in Mianeh On the top of a huge rock on a mountain made form bricks in the form of a polygon, and with a 14-meter-high wall surrounding it, this castle is located 2km from Pol-e Dokhtar, or Girl Bridge. Legend has it that King Ardeshir Sassanid had the castle built to detain a noble princess. Shah Abbas Safavid demolished the castle at orders because it had become stronghold for bandits.

* Other Girl Castles

There are several other girl castles in Iran, including Shoushtar (Khuzestan), Khanaman (Kerman), Naein (Isfahan), Fassa (Fars), Sirjan (Kerman), and Gonabad (Khorasan) all of which appear to have one served as Zoroastrian fire temple.

Courtesy from ****Gardeshgari***** magazine