Pāpak Fort (Persian: دژ بابک) or Babak Castle (Persian: قلعه بابک), also known as the Immortal Castle or Republic Castle, is a large citadel and National Symbol of Iranians on the top of a mountain in theArasbaran forests, which is located 6 km southwest ofKalibar City in northwestern Iran. It has been identified as the stronghold of Pāpak Khorramdin, the leader of the Khurramites in Azarbaijan who fought the Islamic caliphate of Abbassids. The ascent to the Castle is not for the infirm, elderly, or those afraid of heights. A series of long, and in places, broken steps lead the traveler to the top of a hill from where there are several choices for further ascent. Ascending the Castle steps is a dangerous process, as there are sheer cliffs on right hand side, and no protective rails or fences to prevent a fall of several hundred meters.
The castle, built on 2300-2600 meter heights, surrounded by gorges as deep as 400 to 600 meters, is believed to belong to the Parthian dynasty and modified under the Sasanid dynasty. To reach the castle, one has to trek a tortuous and narrow passageway and then cross a corridor-shaped temple, 200 meters in lengths. Source: Wikipedia
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