Qalehye

Qalehye is a toponym used in Persian-speaking regions to designate villages and small settlements that originated near a fortress. The name derives from the Persian qal'eh or qal’eh, meaning fortress or castle, with the suffix -ye indicating a place associated with something. Variants in spelling include Qalehieh, Qal’ehye, and Qaleh-ye; transliteration from Persian and local languages yields multiple forms.

Geographically, Qalehye is not a single place but appears in several provinces across Iran and in neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Each Qalehye typically represents a rural settlement or village within a county and is administered as part of a rural district. In many cases, the locality preserves historical ruins or remains of a defensive site that once protected a local market, mountain pass, or settlement.

Historically, fortress sites were central to settlement patterns in the region, contributing to the proliferation of place names built around qal'eh. The name Qalehye thus reflects strategic and defensive roles in regional history, though individual Qalehyes vary considerably in size, economy, and culture.

See also: Qaleh, Qal'eh, and other toponyms derived from qal'eh.