Ardashir I built Qal'eh Dokhtar, the Maiden Castle, in 209 AD, according to the article, around the time he founded the nearby city of Ardashir-Khwarrah. The article describes it as Sasanian and names no architects. It stands on a high bluff overlooking a river and a roadway, and it controlled access to Firuzabad.
The walls are very thick on all sides. Steps lead to a third level, where a large rectangular room has quarter-circle squinches at the corners supporting a domed roof. A spiral staircase on the south side leads to the cupola. The article says the castle was presumably roofed by an arched vault and gives no building materials.
The castle has lost about 13 feet (4 m) of height over the last century, and experts warn it may collapse without urgent conservation. It was listed on the Iran National Heritage List in 1937.
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