The Palace of Ardeshir Papakan

Palace of Ardeshir Papakan

Located three kilometers from the city of Firouzabad in Fars Province, this palace—built around 1,800 years ago—is regarded as one of the most significant architectural masterpieces of pre-Islamic Iran. It is also considered the oldest known building featuring a dome in Iranian architecture.

A short distance from the palace lies a site believed to have been used for religious rituals during the Sassanid era.

To the north of the palace stretches a lake, while a river flows along its eastern side, which once supplied water to the ancient city of Gur (Ardeshir Khoreh).

Where Was the City of Gur?

Gur was an ancient city located near present-day Firouzabad. According to historical accounts, Alexander of Macedonia flooded the city during his invasion of Iran by diverting the course of a nearby river after failing to capture it by force.

Centuries later, Ardeshir Papakan, the founder of the Sassanid Empire, revived the city and renamed it Ardeshir Khoreh. Following the Islamic conquest of Iran, the city fell into ruin once more. It was later rebuilt by ‘Adud al-Dawla of the Buyid (Dailamite) dynasty (r. 949–983 CE), who called the new city Firouzabad.

History of the Palace of Ardeshir Papakan

Historical evidence suggests that the Palace of Ardeshir Papakan was founded in the 3rd century CE by the order of Ardeshir Papakan (Ardashir I), the first king and founder of the Sassanid Empire (r. 224–242 CE).

Other names, such as the Firouzabad Fire Temple, the Grand Fire Temple, and Barin also know the palace. Many historians believe that the structure originally served as a fire temple for Zoroastrian rituals, which explains the absence of some decorative elements typically seen in royal palaces.

Architectural Features

The palace consists of several interconnected halls, and remarkably, much of its plasterwork has remained intact for nearly eighteen centuries. Four domed chambers are located in the eastern part of the complex.

The building is divided into three main sections:

• A relatively tall entrance porch (iwan),

• Three large domed halls, and

• A central courtyard surrounded by porches on each side leading to the main halls.

The palace’s massive outer walls, constructed without windows, give it the appearance of a fortress. The use of plaster and brick—considered luxury materials at the time—highlights the monument’s importance.

Because plaster hardens quickly, it enabled the architect to construct arches without supporting pillars.

Elegant plaster decorations, square columns, and small porches are characteristic of Sassanid architecture, elements that continued to influence later Iranian architectural traditions.

General Characteristics of Sassanid Architecture

Monuments from the Sassanid period typically feature a courtyard adjacent to a domed chamber or quadrangle, a fundamental architectural principle of the era. Other features include arches made of plaster and mud, flat-roofed columns, and a wooden structural framework supporting the arches or domes, which were often built upon a square base.

Influence on Later Iranian Architecture

Following the conquest of Iran by Alexander of Macedonia (330 BCE) and subsequent Greek rule, Achaemenid architectural traditions were largely forgotten. With the rise of the Sassanids, however, these traditions were revived and refined. After the advent of Islam, Sassanid architectural styles evolved further, profoundly shaping the development of Islamic architecture in Iran.

National and World Heritage Status

Recognizing its exceptional historical and architectural value, the Palace of Ardeshir Papakan was inscribed on Iran’s National Heritage List in 1931 CE.

Later, at the 42nd session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in 2018, it was included—alongside seven other ancient sites in Firouzabad, Bishapur, and Sarvestan—under the collective title:

“Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region.”