Ilam is a city in Central Western Iran populated by Kurds.
The local language is Kurdish but many people also speak Iran's national language, Persian, and since the area is near the Iraqi border some may speak Arabic.
Like many other regions of Iran the architecture in Ilam includes traditional and contemporary periods. The Governor Castle, Falahaty Mansion and The Mirgholam Castle are examples of some surviving traditional buildings in Ilam. The courtyard dwelling is the main type of the buildings of this period. This type of building was accepted as the main building type over all Iran for both climatic and cultural reasons.
Primary administrative division