Dahan-e Gholaman

Dahan-e Gholaman is an ancient site of Sistan and Baluchestan province, which dated back to the Achaemenid Empire.

Dahan-e Gholaman is located in the city of Zahak, Qaleh Now village. The remains of this site is placed in an extensive area on a terrace with a length of seven to eight kilometers. This region contains Zabol city, Shib Ab district, Hirmand city, Zahak city, and Nimruz district. Due to the existence of a lot of historical monuments in this region, Dahan-e Gholaman is considered as an essential ancient site or the heaven of archaeologists.

Dahan-e Gholaman is the only adobe city of the Achaemenid Empire, which is known as Zarak or Zranka in the inscriptions of the Achaemenid era, Persepolis, Behistun, and Naqsh-e Rostam. It was the administrative-political center of satrap in the Achaemenid Empire. Satraps were the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires. You will see a combination of traditional Achaemenid architectural style with the native architecture of Sistan. This ancient site included public buildings, residential district, temples, waterway, streets, and industrial and military area.

• Why Dahan-e Gholaman?

The equivalent of Gholam in English is a slave. Also, Dahan-e means a strait. This city was called Dahan-e Gholaman because of a natural strait with the same name. The slave traders imported African slaves through this strait.

• Architecture

The construction of windows is one of the essential features of this city which based on the wind blow of Sistan and beliefs of people. All buildings were made of adobe with quadrilateral shape and a lot of columns in Dahan-e Gholaman. Also, there were different kind of fire pot to performing ceremonies with some singular or pair platforms with various shapes and sizes. Due to the blowing wind for 120 days in Sistan, the entrance doors of houses were located on the southern side in Dahan-e Gholaman. Having no tower and fortification reflects the safety of the city during that period.

• What is the best time to go?

Sistan and Baluchestan province has a hot and dry climate. The best time to visit the Dahan-e Gholaman in terms of weather is from late February until late April, and late October until early December. During this period the weather is quite mild, with an average temperature of around 21 degrees Celsius. In these months the temperature does not exceed 24 ° C.

• Getting there?

Dahan-e Gholaman is located about 10 kilometers from Qaleh Now village and about 57 kilometers from Zabol city. You can reach there via private car or public transportation.