To the southwest of Karbala and 30 kilometres from its city centre, is a castle that dates back to the 2nd century A.H, it is called Khan al-Atshan.
Some historians say that the castle is a place where travellers used to rest, while others view it as a form of communication post between the castles of al-Akhaidar and al-Kufa to keep each other informed of what was happening using traditional means of sending messages. However, several centuries later, the castle started to be used as a resting place by visitors on their way to the holy shrines in Karbala.