The head of Natanz city’s cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism department said: On top of one of the peaks of Natanz’s Vulture Mountain, there is an amazing castle called “Veshak”, the secret of all this splendor and artistic beauty in such a difficult place is not known, as The secrets of its residents and rulers are shrouded in mystery.
According to jahane-gardesh – Hossein Yazdanmehr in an interview with ISNA about the historical castle of Vashak, which is also called Mount Vashak, stated: Mount Vashak, the castle and the historical area of Vashak is located on the slopes and peaks of the southern heights of the Vulture mountain range and is one of the most amazing And the most beautiful natural locations of Natanz city, which is about 8 kilometers west of Natanz city and overlooking the old road of Natanz, Kashan, stands out from a far distance. From the west and north side, this castle overlooks the historical location of Kushk and Abbas Abad hunting ground and the view of the plain from the top of the peak to the vicinity of Kashan.
He added: This castle has a view of Ure village and Natanz city from the east, and from the south, the Vulture mountain range and God Mountain, which is one of the unique natural attractions, can be seen. Today, the best way to reach this mountain is from the stone quarries upstream of Ure Natanz village, which is the only possible narrow path, hard and wall-like, which requires hands to be stoned and rock climbing to a height that requires a rope and is only possible for experienced climbers. In the old days, apparently, they used to go to and from this fort using ropes or chains that were connected to thick steel nails and hammered on the chest of the rock.
The head of the cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism department of Natanz city said: The main structures of this area on top of the peak are unreachable, but the remains of this magnificent fortress can be seen from a few kilometers away and it is as if nesting fortresses surround this peak, like a stone wall. It is continuous and a gate starts at a distance of a few kilometers from the beginning of the valley on the side of Oreh.
Yazdanmehr clarified: There are also walls in the southwest a little closer to the peak, but the surrounding structures are not unique to these cases. A lookout tower and stone steps are visible at the entrance to the lower area of Kolah Dej, and the stone structures built in ambushes are clearly visible. Brick is another material of this fort, and there are a large number of broken and brick works scattered in the corners of this area, and regular brick structures are more visible on the top of the peak.
He continued: It is surprising that in order to prevent the attackers from accessing the main part, the builders of the fort dug up a large part of the mountain wall and turned it into a flat wall. The turquoise, golden and glazed tiles in this castle are another surprising thing.
The head of Natanz city’s cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism department said: Another feature of Vashak Castle is the abundant use of tiles, including turquoise tiles with inscriptions and golden tiles, which are abundantly scattered around it. Apart from that, there is a large amount of other types of pottery, including unglazed and glazed pottery, which has a remarkable variety. Among the glazed pottery, there are also many delicate and patterned glazes that add to the amazement of the viewer.
Yazdanmehr clarified: The pottery or turquoise tiles left at the top of the castle and the height above the mountain have a background with prominent blue lines as part of an inscription. This inscription was formed by putting together a number of 20 cm square glazed pottery and it was probably on the forehead of the magnificent building at the top of the peak. Today, a significant part of these turquoise tiles are still broken and incomplete at the top of the peak. Both Arabic and Persian phrases can be seen in this inscription.
He added: “Understanding the meaning of the inscription is a bit difficult, and the remaining tiles must be put together to arrive at a meaning.” As reported by Maxim Siro, the golden tiles of this fortress were stolen and sold in Tehran. Having said that, the golden tiles are still broken and can be found in the corners of the fortress, but it seems that the pottery is not unique to this period and probably belongs to the periods before and after the Ilkhani.
The head of Natanz city’s cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism department said: Some historians believe that this fortress is the hideout and living place of the Ismaili sect. We know that the Nizari Ismailis had considerable power in Iran during the Seljuk period, and such fortifications were possible for them.
In fact, it should be said that the natural positions of the peak that were characteristic of the fortress were used in different periods. Therefore, it is not unlikely that the building of the fortress was used in different historical periods, as the last use of this fortress is considered to be the Qajar period.
Yazdanmehr reminded: in fact, government officials, rebels, rebels, and bandits could use this fortress due to the special features of Vashak Castle, and apart from taking refuge in it, the nobles took the best advantage of this position on the slopes and the vast plain in front of them, and every monitor a movement and rob commercial convoys in a suitable position or attack military detachments.
He added: In any case, the Mongols and Ilkhans wrapped the scroll of the Ismailis and made their impregnable castles, whose inhabitants bit the Seljuk government like a biting snake, and naturally they used this type of castle as a place to imprison and exile them. have rebels and take refuge in it when in danger.
The head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department of Natanz said: According to the available documents, most of the glory of this castle is related to the Ilkhani era, as historical sources also testify. Regarding the name of this fort, the only source that can be mentioned is “Nuzhat al-Qulob Mostofi” in the Ilkhanate period, where Mustofi mentions the old name of this fort as “Kumrat“, which became famous as Washaq. Mostofi said: “Washak is a castle in Natanz province. At first, you called it Kamrat. When Washak became the ruler there, it became known as Washak.”
Yazdanmehr clarified: In the contemporary period, “Maxim Ciro”, a French architect who sought to document the road to Isfahan, pointed out the features of the mountain fortress and it is not unlikely that he himself saw this fortress closely. Siro refers to the unsuccessful climbs to this fortress and that its golden tiles were looted and sold.
He added: Maxim Siro mentions that this strong fortress can be seen from 150 kilometers away. Some say that this was one of the shelters of the Hashashin sect, or the Ismailis, which later turned into a military fort, and after many years, it was the ambush of bandits.
The head of the cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism department of Natanz city said: during the reign of Abu Saeed in 734 Hijri corresponding to 1333 AD, this prison fort of Amir Mohammad Qoshchi became one of the owners of Tiul, which was incited to disobedience by the deposed ruler of Fars, Amir Mohammad Shah.
The possibility of a tomb in Vashak Castle
Yazdanmehr said: Anyway, the secret of all the splendor and beauty of art in such a difficult place is not known, just like the secrets of the residents and rulers who rule over it are in a halo of ambiguity, but Siro mentions the golden tiles from the big tower of the castle. have been excavated, it strengthens the possibility that this tower was a sacred place and possibly a tomb.
He added: It is possible that a person who was sacred to the residents of Vashak Castle and it was not possible to bury him in a cemetery outside the fortress was buried in this castle. We also know that downstream of this fort is a garden and a mansion from the Safavid period. Abbas Abad mansion was the hunting ground of Shah Abbas and probably other Safavid sultans and rulers, and it is not unlikely that the Vashak fortress was also used by Shah Abbas, and there are probably structures from the Safavid era here, as Maxim Siro pointed out that this fortress was used until the Qajar era. has done./end
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