Qalʿa-Iṣṭakhr and the Si Gunbadān

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the unclear connection between a well-known fortress (Qalʿa
Iṣṭakhr), located in the Fārs region on a mount not distant from the city of Istakhr, and the Si
Gunbadān (three domes), the name frequently given to the three mounts also standing on the plain of
Marvdasht. The mix-up over the two subjects - fortress and mount(s) - may have arisen from the
shape evoked by the term gunbad.