zindan

Zindan is a term used in Persian and many related languages to denote a dungeon, prison, or confinement. The word originates from Persian zindān (زندان), meaning prison, and has been borrowed into Turkish, Urdu, Hindi, Kurdish, and other languages.

Historically, zindans were architectural features in fortresses, palaces, mosques, and citadels where prisoners were kept in confinement. They ranged from subterranean cells to above-ground chambers, often connected to guardrooms and other parts of the building complex. In medieval Islamic and later Ottoman contexts, zindan spaces were used for political prisoners, criminals, and detainees, reflecting administrative and security practices of the period.

In modern usage, zindan remains the common word for prison in Turkish, Urdu, and Hindi; in Persian it continues to mean prison and appears in literature and journalism. The term also appears in titles of works of fiction and in folk and religious literature, where it can be used metaphorically to describe inner imprisonment, spiritual trial, or moral discipline.

See also terms related to confinement and architectural spaces for imprisonment, such as dungeons and penitentiaries, as well as linguistic discussions of zindan in Persian, Turkish, and South Asian contexts.