Vali Castle

Vali Castle, Qal'eh-ye Vali, stands on a hill in the city of Ilam. It was built in 1908 by Gholamreza Khan, the last of the hereditary valis, or governors, who ruled the mountain region of Poshtkuh, today's Ilam province, on behalf of the Qajar shahs. His family, Feyli Kurds and Lurs by origin, had governed the region for generations from seasonal camps and small forts, and the castle marks the moment when the vali's court settled at Ilam, then a small place known as Hossein-abad.

Despite its name, the building is less a fortress than a fortified residence. It is laid out around a courtyard with a central pool, with a large hall on the north side and rooms around the other sides. Its brickwork, arched openings and wooden windows are typical of late Qajar architecture, and a long inscription in nasta'liq script once stood over the eastern entrance.

The power of the valis ended in the late 1920s, when Reza Shah's government brought the tribal lords of the western mountains under central rule, and Gholamreza Khan left for Iraq. The castle passed through various uses before being restored. It was registered as a national monument in 1997 and now houses Ilam's anthropology museum, with displays of Kurdish and Lur dress, tools, weaving and tribal life.

For visitors to Ilam, the castle is a good introduction to the province and its peoples, and the view from its hill takes in the city and the mountains that ring it. Ilam is one of Iran's least visited provinces, and its museum is a rare chance to see the material culture of the Feyli Kurds and Lurs gathered in one place.