Three Historical Monuments of the Sassanid Era

The archaeological landscape which is located in the southwest of the Fars Province of Iran includes eight sites and three ancient monuments in the three regions of Firouzabad, Bishapur, and Sarvestan.

Before the advent of Islam in Iran, the Fars region was the capital of such powerful dynasties as the Elamites (3200 to 2700 BC), Achaemenids (550 to 330 BC), Parthians (247 to 224 BC), and Sasanids (224 to 642 AD) who ruled over the ancient Persia. Today’s Shiraz has been an important part of the history of these dynasties, but other cities of the Fars province also have important traces of them.

400 Years of Serving as Capital Cities

Fars province hosted several capitals of the Sassanid Empire for about 400 years. There are 30 historical petroglyphs and remains of roads related to the Sassanid era in this province, and the most magnificent monuments left behind by this empire can be seen in this region. More than three thousand valuable historical artifacts have been discovered from these historical sites the most famous of which are the monuments of Bishapur, Firouzabad, and Sarvestan cities.

These three cities, along with Fasa and Darab, formed the main route during the Sassanid era through which commercial caravans and military and government officials passed. Bishapur is located 60 km northwest of Firozabad, and Sarvestan is located northwest of Firozabad and east of Fasa.

Bishapur

Shapur I (reigned from 240 to 270 AD) ordered the construction of this city. He founded Bishapur in an area with a good climate using the Roman captives. Due to the presence of Romans in the construction of this work, there are certain similarities between the building of this city and Roman buildings.

Mosaic Porch, Anahita Temple, Royal Palace, Ceremonial Hall, Bathhouse, and Caravanserai are among the remains of historical monuments of this city. Shapur Cave, where the huge statue of Shapur is located, is located near the old city of Bishapur.

Firouzabad

Firouzabad was the first capital of the Sassanid Empire. The distance between this archaeological area and Shiraz is 110 km. The most important building in this area is the Palace of Ardeshir Papakan. This palace has several interconnected halls and its plasterworks have remained unchanged after 18 centuries. The four domed buildings of this palace are one of its unique features.

Qal’eh Dokhtar or Dokhtar Castle of Firouzabad, located six kilometers north of Firozabad, the ancient city of Gur, the observatory, and the petroglyphs of the four princes are other historical sites of this city.

Sarvestan

The ancient city of Sarvestan houses the Sassanid Palace, Gabri Castle, Barzou Castle, Tomb of Sheikh Yusuf Sarvestan, and several historical inscriptions that make it one of the valuable areas of the ancient Fars.

The Sassanid Palace of Sarvestan is a Sassanid monument, which was probably used as a resting place for hunters of the time. This palace has several porches and a central hall, and the unique Sasanian architecture is prominent in the construction of its dome. This palace is located 9 kilometers south of Sarvestan and has been built over an area of more than 25 hectares. Stone and plaster are the main construction materials of this building. The Sassanid Palace of Sarvestan is 13 meters long and 18 meters wide. Although smaller, this building is very similar to Firouzabad Palace.

The Importance of the Archaeological Site of Fars Region

The existence of eight significant works in terms of architecture, two ancient cities, eight reliefs, a castle, and two palaces, each of which is an important site for archaeological excavations, is enough to express the importance and special status of this region. Five historical monuments of Firouzabad have been inscribed on the list of world heritage, which include Dokhtar Castle, Coronation Relief and Mehrnarse Bridge, Victory Relief, the Palace Ardeshir Papakan, and Gur City. The Gur City, with its circular design, is known as one of the most special ancient cities of Iran. According to some archaeologists, the Palace of Ardeshir Papakan, which was built in the third century AD, was not a palace for the king but was a religious place for performing the rituals of the Zoroastrian religion.

Before the advent of Islam in Iran, Fars province hosted several capitals of the Sassanid Empire for about 400 years.