TEHRAN – No serious damage was inflicted on the centuries-old Falak-ol-Aflak Fortress as a medium-sized quake struck Iran’s western province of Lorestan on Wednesday, according to a group of assessors dispatched by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.

Located in Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan, the fortress was hit by an earthquake of magnitude 5.1. The quake was at a depth of 7 km, and took place near the city of Firouzabad.

“After the earthquake, we immediately dispatched our experts to Falak-ol-Aflak Fortress to investigate possible damages,” Tasnim quoted provincial tourism chief Seyyed Amin Qasemi as saying on Wednesday.

“Investigations revealed some (minor) harm to towers of the fortress but fortunately no serious damage was inflicted to Falak-ol-Afalak Castle.”

Regarding to probable damages to other historical sites and monuments scatted across the province, the official noted further investigations are being carried out in every corner of the province teams of experts under supervision of local tourism offices.

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

In the past couple of years ago, the historic castle was faced with lots of problems that resolved in close cooperation of provincial officials by the means of both essential and urgent repair projects, he explained.

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 crenellated battlements.

AFM/MG