Kalat Nader

Kalat is a lofty basin in the mountains north of Mashhad, enclosed by steep cliffs and reached through a few narrow entrances. Its natural defences made it a refuge for rulers and armies. In the thirteenth century the Ilkhan Arghun sought shelter here and strengthened the southern approach, remembered as Arghun's Gate.

Nader Shah made Kalat an important stronghold during his rise to power in the eighteenth century. After his Indian campaign he strengthened its approaches and ordered construction within the valley, intending it to serve as a secure base and perhaps a repository for his treasures. The building later called the Sun Palace has a tall cylindrical tower set upon a square lower structure, its walls ornamented with projecting columns. Work on an inscription associated with Nader remained unfinished when he was killed in 1747. His name has remained closely attached to this mountain fortress.