ACQUAINTANCE with the SAB castle

Extracted from Beytoote
SAB castle is the safest fortress which remained from the Islamic period in SISTAN and BALUCHESTAN
SAB castle is the safest fortress which remained from the Islamic period in SISTAN and BALUCHESTAN. This castle and other 27 historical monuments which remained, represent the signs of SAFAVID rulers and beyond. In the beginning of the 12th century AH, the castle was the ruling center of the local ruler and his children by name, "MALEK DINAR KHAN", who were ruling around SIB area. The last ruler of "SAB castle" was GHOLAM RASUL KHAN SURAN, who added two rooms to the second floor of the castle of the building. The name of the castle means a place where water is flowing. There is village by name SIB nearby. This term also refers to ancient clans in SARAVAN city.

In the early twelfth century AH, the castle was the local governing center of the "MALEK DINAR KHAN" and his sons

The castle was built on a rocky plate and low-lying rock cliff with mud in the 12th century AH and at the end of the thirteenth century, the last major changes took place. The castle complex is a set of fences and main building with 23 meters height, located in the village of "SIB", 25 kilometers southwest of SARAVAN. The castle is considered to be the most political part of the SARAVAN`s history, because according to historical texts, it was the first region in eastern BALUCHESTAN where NASERULDIN SHAH forces traveled there in 1257 to monitor the movements of the area.

The castle was built on a stone plate and rock cliff with mud in the 12th century AH.

The main building of castle at the base is made a rectangular of 36 meters in 25 meters, in two floors. As its height increases, its volume decreases and appears in the form of a "mosaic pyramid"». It caused more static construction and prevented the thrust of its thick and high walls. Local expert architects, used their experience. They mixed a plant that called "TOTRI" with mud for the construction of castle, and made a sticky mixture that, when dried, the most severe seasonal rainfall in BALUCHESTAN was not able to wash it, that is why the castle remained stable.

The main building of the castle at the base, is made rectangular 36 meters in 25 meters, in two floors

The SAB `s castle fence with 3 meters high, 48 meters in 74 meters in rectangular shape, has covered the castle. And is guarded by GHOLAMGERDS (a special place for guards and shooting) inside the wall and four rectangular towers at four vertices of the fortress. The castle builders also used the trunk of palm trees, foliage, and the mats of DAZ (small wild palm tree) to cover the ceilings and then covered them with mixture of straw and mud. The entrance to the castle is possible only through the southeast staircase, and people, after passing through the main door of castle, by a ford to ferry, at the middle of the western wall, and then through a passageway tunnel with a length of 5.16 meters with a fairly steep slope, were reaching the central courtyard. Also, for the residents of the castle to have fresh water, the wells were drilled in the rocky cliff and the central courtyard. The SAB monument, was registered on October 1996 by number1715 in the list of country`s national works.

The castle has a total of 10 small and large rooms that are located around the central courtyard

The castle has a total of 10 small and large rooms that are located around the central courtyard, and there is a hidden steep slope, small width staircase to access the ruling space and summer camps. After the SAFAVID period, especially in the AFSHARIYEH era, the castle was the residence of the rulers.