Qalat (fortress)

A qalat is a type of mud-brick compound common throughout southeast Asia, particularly in tribal areas with pre-modern building practices. The word qalat is Persian for 'fortified place.'

In many areas of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan the qalat is the standard housing unit for multi-generational families. Qalats can be quickly constructed over the course of a single season, and they can be extremely large, sometimes covering several acres. Towers may be placed at the corners or points along the walls to create a more defensible position, but most qalats consist only of the walls.

While the foundation of a qalat may be stone or brick, the walls are typically dried mud. Walls are created by laying down a carefully shaped row of mud several feet high along the length of the wall, waiting for it to dry, then building a new row on top of the old. Using this technique walls dozens of feet high can be built very rapidly.