This castle is located in the Ghamas district, 45 km southwest of the city of Diwaniyah. It dates back to the period of the Ottoman presence in Iraq and is believed to have been built around 1770 AD. It was named by this name, attributed to the prince of the Khaza’al clans, Dharb bin Mughamis bin Shallal Al-Khazali, as this strategic castle was handed over to him by the Ottoman Empire to ensure the calm of the clans and not to provoke unrest against the Ottomans because of the influence of the Khaza’al reign in those areas. The Zarb Castle had an important role during the Twentieth Revolution in Iraq against the British occupation, as quantities of the rebels’ weapons were recently found, including swords, daggers and shields.
The castle is almost square in shape with a slight variation in the length of the four walls. It includes four watchtowers distributed in the four corners of the castle. Its walls are very thick and has a water well in the middle of the inner courtyard and double staircases for each watchtower. It is also characterized by decorated windows and internal arches, and has only one entrance because it is a defensive fortress.
