Kaleh

Kaleh is a toponym used for several settlements in Iran and, occasionally, in neighboring regions. The name is Persian in origin and is often interpreted as "fortress" or "castle," derived from kalāh or kalā meaning fortification. The term is commonly found as a standalone name or as part of compound toponyms such as Kaleh-ye Olyā (Upper Kaleh) and Kaleh-ye Soflá (Lower Kaleh), indicating relative location within a district or valley. In Iranian geography, multiple villages bearing the name Kaleh exist across provinces, typically small rural communities organized at the dehestan (rural district) level within larger counties. Variants in spelling include Kalaha, Kalāh, Kalāeh, reflecting transliteration from Persian and local languages.

Notable usage: In historic maps and gazetteers, Kaleh appears as a component of place names; in modern administrative lists, it is treated as either a standalone village or as part of a larger municipality when combined with qualifiers. The multiplicity of Kaleh localities means that disambiguation is required when identifying a specific place, often by adding province or county identifiers.

Etymology and distribution: The root Kalāh conveys fortification in Persian, a semantic thread that helps explain the proliferation of Kaleh as a place name in rural Iran. The term's recurrence across regions reflects historical settlement patterns around fortifications, trade routes, and geographic valleys.