Introduction to Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars
Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars is about eight archaeological sites located in three ancient regions; Firuzabad, Bishapur and Sarvestan, southwest of Fars province.
Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars are one of four heritages that recorded at UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in June 30, 2018, to increase the number of Iranian heritages recorded among UNESCO World Heritage List to 23 heritages, and Fars province heritages to 5 monuments. These structures and towns related to 224 to 658 BC.
In December 2016, Iran sent Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars province in a 1000-page document to UNESCO, and UNESCO put these heritages together with three other monuments on the UNESCO World heritage list in its forty-second annual session held in Bahrain in June 2018.
Qal’eh Dokhtar
The first monument of Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars is Qal’eh Dokhtar. It is a Castle located six kilometers from Firoozabad Road trough Shiraz on a mountain slope overlooking the road. You can find it after passing a distance about 300 meters. Georgina Herman wrote in Revival of Art and Civilization in Ancient Iran: ArdashirI Sasanian probably built this castle in late Parthian period, when it had not yet beat Ardavan V, the last Parthian dynasty.
This castle built on three levels and entered from the lowest level by a spiral staircase to the main courtyard of the middle terrace. Three sides of the courtyard consisted of rectangular chambers, and the fourth side led to the upper terrace on which the main palace building was located. The whole palace consisted of a large porch with a vaulted arch and two smaller porches on either side. The large porch, 14 meters wide and 23 meters long, would lead to a central room whose roof covered in a new way. In the vicinity of this doomed room there were additional rooms, all enclosed in a circular outer wall.
Ardashir Investiture Relief
This is one of the ArdashirI petroglyphs in FiruzAbad. In this orthography, Ahuramazda and Ardashir Babakan stand opposite of each other, and Ahuramazda appoints him as king while giving Ardashir the king’s ring from the altar of fire. Behind Ardashir, crown Prince Shapour and two other princes stand. Dimensions: 7 meters by 7.5 meters. The motifs very harmoniously drawn and have a profile, and their layout is similar to that of Mehrdad II in Bisotoun. However, lithology of this pattern strongly distanced from the monuments of Parthians and tends to follow the common patterns of the Achaemenids.
This heritage is from Sassanid period and located in Firouzabad, 3 and 5 kilometers from Firouzabad Road to Shiraz, along with “Ardeshir Babakan Victory Stone” with the title “Two Eminent Engravings” on March 3, 1937 as one of the heritages registered in Iranian national with number 268.
ArdashirI Babakan victory stone another Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars
Ardashir Babakan victory stone or pattern of victory is a petroglyph related to Sasanid era in which the scene of Ardashir Babkan’s victorious battle with Ardavan V, the last Parthian king Arjavan excavated in year 224 AH. Eighteen meters long and about four meters high, this orthography is the largest surviving petrography in Iran. The heritage sets in the city of Firouzabad, and around Firouzabad River on a rocky cliff. Its carved sword was stolen several years ago. In this monograph, six horsemen are seen in three groups of rebels.
Ardashir Khourreh
Gur (ancient Ardashir Khourreh or old Firoozabad) is an ancient site in Firoozabad city, Fars province. The city founded in the early third century AD by the order of Ardashir Babakan. At the time of its development, Gur was the capital of a part of Persian province of Ardeshir Khourreh. The layout of the city is circular in shape with two main diameters of four kilometers, with government buildings and courtyards. Gur is also the first circular city in Iran, and one of the first circular cities in the world. The ancient city of Gur now deserted and the current city of Firouzabad is three kilometers away.
Ardashir Babakan Palace
Ardashir Babakan Palace built during Sasanid era by Ardeshir Babakan, founder of Sasanid dynasty in the 3th century AD. Ardashir Babakan Palace is one of the historical and tourist attractions of Firouzabad as one of Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars.
The palace has nested halls, and after more than 1800 years, plastering the upper part of its inner walls stayed invulnerable. On the east side of the palace, there are four large dome-shaped buildings like Qal’eh Dokhtar. Part of the ceiling of the dome is open at the size of a circle about one meter in diameter. On the north side, outside the palace wall, a fountain guards from the soil, and a natural pool in front of the fountain has emerged. Rudy passes by the eastern wall of the palace which underpins the development of the city of Gur and Sasanid palace. A little upper There is a fire house for religious ceremonies. The presence of four natural elements of water, wind, soil and fire has given this region special prominence.
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Bishapur
Bishabour is one of the ancient cities of Iran in central part of Kazeroon and Fars province, built during Sassanid era. Today the ruins remains today.Finally it registered at UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bahrain in 2017 June 30th as Sasanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars.
Bishapur is one of the oldest cities with a history of stone writing. Bishapur has been a city of design and engineering for its time. Bishapur has been the capital of the Ardashir-Khwarrah state and kiln. Bishapur had been inhabited until seventh century AH, and was subsequently destroyed. Bishapur is a treasure trove of valuable Sasanian artifacts such as Anahita Temple.
Sarvestan palace of Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars
Sassanid Archaeological Landscape Of Fars include a Sassanid palace complex of Sarvestan which located in Fars province, 9 km south of Sarvestan city, and Tazang neighborhood. The palace made of stone and gypsum. A square porch forms the central part of it, measuring 13 meters long, and width and 18 meters high. It also has a dome in the center and courtyard.
It is similar to Firouzabad palace and smaller than it. Its dome arches are brick. This is one of the most magnificent Sassanid palaces, and includes an entrance porch and a dome in the center and courtyard. The palace has a more sophisticated architecture, and plan than any other building in that period.
Shapur cave
Shapur Cave is at the bottom of Chogan valley and four kilometers from Bishapour in Kazerun, the most important Sassanid capital, about 800 meters high and about 30 meters wide. There is a statue of Shapur I (second Sasanian king) at the mouth of cave which is why it has become known as Shapur. The statue of Shapur carved from a giant abstract pillar that existed in the cave, and has been around for the past 1700 years and is the only remaining statue from antiquity that is about 7 meters high. Over the years, the statue’s head is still healthy, but its two arms broken. The statue was overturned which was replaced by the army in year 1958. The statue shows Shapur standing.
