Babak Fort in Kaleybar, also known as Qaleh Babak, Immortal Castle, and Republic Castle, sits attractively on a steep-sided mountain in north-western Iran and the southwest of the Caspian Sea, and dates back to Sassanid era and possibly to Parthian era. This Sassanid Castle took its name from Babak Khorramdin, the brave Iranian warlord who resisted Arab armies to preserve Persian lifestyle, language, and culture. He persisted against disgraceful Arab invasion for 22 years and finally gave his life for it. The castle was constructed in two floors and as you enter the castle you can see the main hall which is surrounded by seven rooms. On the east part of the castle, you can see cisterns and during the winter, it used to be filled with snow and rain and were used under siege. Iranian archeologists and restoration teams have found many coins and potteries belonging to 13th century. To reach the gate of Babak Fort, one must pass through a hill that is in the form of a hall and made of natural stones and has only one person's passage capacity and two can hardly pass through it. July 10th is marked as Babak’s day and many Iranians tolerate the hardship of climbing the mountain to celebrate the life of this national hero.
