TEHRAN  - The first phase of restoration work has been completed on Bastam fortification in a bid to safeguard the Safavid era  (1501–1736) monument located in north-central Iran. The fort is located in the ancient town of Bastam near Shahroud. 

This phase of the restoration involved replacing worn-out materials, repairing the cracks, and strengthening the foundation, Shahroud’s tourism chief Morteza Nazari explained on Sunday. 

Based on narrations in various books, Bastam was initially built during the reign of the Sassanid king Khosrow II, byname Khosrow Parviz (“Khosrow the Victorious”), ruling from 590 to 628, by a master named Wastam, and then the city was expanded in the Islamic era, the official added. 

Clay and stratified mud are the main materials of Bastam tower and fortification, he noted. 

The fortification tower is rectangular, and on its northeast side was a government citadel, of which there is no trace, he mentioned. 

Bastam is home to countless historical sites including the holy shrine of Mohammad Ibn Jafar Sadegh (AS), Bayazid Bastami tomb, Bayazid Monastery, Bayazid Mosque, Eljaito Iwan, Ghazan Dome, Jame Mosque, Kashaneh Tower, and Shahrokhieh School, which were built in different eras from Seljuk era (1037–1194) to Qajar period (1789–1925). 

The prominent Persian mystic Bayazid Bastami lived in the historical city of Bastam, which is located six kilometers north of Shahroud. The monastery was a simple place where he studied and prayed. 

Ghazan Khan, the 13th-century ruler of Ilkhanate in Iran, is buried in the Ghazan Dome, which is a square building of 7.5 height and a dome covered with turquoise tiles.

Jame Mosque is another building from the complex with a beautiful plastered altar that was restored during the Qajar period. 

Kashaneh Tower is a tower connected to the Jame Mosque. It has a cellar that is connected to the top of the tower through a staircase that runs through the interior wall of the tower. The outer covering of the building has collapsed but the lower covering (the current dome) is untouched.

Shahrokhieh School has been built for the use of seminary students with 28 rooms on two floors. 

The school also has a very interesting plan and about 28 rooms on two floors, which have been built for the use of students of religious sciences.

The school has a mosque, an iwan, and a zurkhaneh, a special traditional place where men practice heroic sport.

ABU/AFM