TEHRAN – Local authorities have launched a tourism project to construct an access path to Qahqaheh fortress, which was once an out-of-reach military monument in Meshkinshahr, northwestern Ardebil province.

The access road to Qahqaheh fortress, which is located in the Moradlu region of Meshkinshahr, is being constructed to facilitate tourism and to pave the way for the better introduction of historical and natural elements of the region, Meshkinshahr’s tourism chief Imanali Imani announced on Thursday.

A budget of 150 billion rials (about $3.5 billion at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project, which is estimated to be completed by the month of Tir (which starts on June 22), the official added.

The original structure of the fortress, which is registered on the national cultural heritage list under the number 6192, dates back to the Parthian period (247 BC – 224 CE). And it was used as a jail in the Safavid period (1501–1736) to keep political prisoners, he explained.

Meshkinshahr embraces several historical sites including Qale Khohneh (“Old Castle”), the ancient site of Shahr-e Yeri, and Qahqaheh castle.

Situated near the high Mount Sabalan, Meshkinshahr enjoys a moderate mountainous climate and the Sabalan summit can be seen in the south of the city with eye-catching sceneries. The antiquity of the city dates back to the early centuries of Islam but in the Safavid era, it was thriving even more. The city is well known for its rugs and its mineral springs.

Meshkinshahr suspension bridge with 345 meters long, 3 meters wide, and 80 meters high, which was inaugurated in 2015 and is said to be the largest of its kind in West Asia, is also one of the top tourist destinations of the city.

AFM