Castels and Fortresses in Beladshapour Roustaq from the Geographical Perspective

According to the geographical and historical sources of the early and middle Islamic centuries, Beladshapour Roustagh, with the center of the city of Joumeh is located in the northern part of Arjan Koureh, with its location in the Idank area of Kohgilouyeh. Despite the fact that these texts refer to climatic conditions and several mountainous fortresses in the area, the borders of this Roustagh have not been specified in historical texts and maps. The purpose of the present study is to identify the fortifications of Roustagh Baladshapour to determine the geographical scope of the area and its historical significance. This study seeks to answer these questions: 1. Given the role of defensive fortifications in the perspectives of political-administrative geographical units, to which historical era can political-military significance, and the formation of fortifications of Beladshapour be attributed? and 2. To what extent does the geographical scope of this Roustagh correspond to the written sources of the late Islamic centuries? In this paper, we will examine this issue using a descriptive-analytical and historical-analytical approach based on historical and geographical sources and archaeological evidence. The results indicated that the triple fortifications, as a defensive belt, protected the quadrilateral sides of the geographical scope of Baladshapour. The homogeneity of the pottery and the architectural structures demonstrate residence in these fortresses, at least since the beginning of the second century AH, during the reign of Gilouyeh and his descendants in this eastern mountainous region of Arjan. These fortresses appear to have been destroyed by the invasion of Ismailis at the same time as the Seljuk era and have been neglected by the political sovereignty in Kohgilouyeh since then.