Babak Castle

The Babak Castle dates from the 9th-century AD and was home to Babak Khorramdin, a Shiite rebel and leader who managed to ravage the anti-Shiite Abbasid-Arab regime.

Today he is praised as a king among the Azari people (Iranians with Azerbaijan roots) and his castle visited by many Iranians from all over the country. The access to the castle can be hazardous, especially at this time of the year, where snow still covers large areas of the accessing mountains. It takes around 2 to 3 hours to reach the peak where the Babak Castle sits, but once you get there, you are blessed with majestical views over the upper Aras River Valley - ones wonders if director Peter Jackson got some inspiration from it to his films.