The Relief of Shapur I – Naqsh-e Rajab, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by Pier Giorgio Carloni / Shutterstock

Naqsh-e Rajab refers to an ancient site comprised of series of rock-cut bas-reliefs depicting Ardashir I (founder of the Sassanid Empire ruled in 226-241 CE), Shapur I (the second king of the Sassanid Empire ruled in 241-272 CE), and Kartir (the most influential priest of the Sassanid Empire) that are located in 13 km of Marvdasht city and in about three km north of Persepolis, Fars Province.

The Relief of Ardashir I – Naqsh-e Rajab, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by Pier Giorgio Carloni / Shutterstock

The Bas-Relief of Ardashir I

This bas-relief shows a coronation ceremony in which Ardashir I receives his kingship ring with his right hand from Ahura Mazda while keeping his left hand above as a sign of respect.

The Relief of Shapur I – Naqsh-e Rajab, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by Marcin Szymczak/ Shutterstock

The Bas-Relief of Shapur I

The first bas-relief of Shapur I in Naqsh-e Rajab is located on the right side of Ardashir I’s bas-relief, indicating that Shapur is appointed as the king and successor of Ardashir I by Ahura Mazda. In this scene, Ahura Mazda and Shapur I are depicted on the left and right sides of the bas-relief, respectively while both of them are on horseback.

The other bas-relief shows Shapur I is riding a big horse while wearing a crimping dress, a crown on his head, and his mass curly hair. Also, a dagger is hanging from his waist and he is holding the horse tack with his right hand. The picture of nine people can be seen behind him. Notably, the bas-relief has an inscription in three different languages about the king’s name, title, and lineage: Parthi (in four lines), Greek (in six lines), and Pahlavi (in five lines) languages engraved on a flat part of a cliff and in front of the king’s chest.

The Relief of Kartir – Naqsh-e Rajab, Fars Province, Iran
Photo by Pier Giorgio Carloni / Shutterstock

The Bas-Relief of Kartir

The fourth and last bas-relief of the site is related to Kartir, a high priest during the kingdom of five Sassanid kings (Ardashir, Shapur I, Hormizd I, Bahram I, and Bahram II) and the head of other priests. There is an inscription next to Kartir rockface which is written in Pahlavi (Middle Iranian language) in 31 lines. In this inscription, Kartir vaguely points out to his ascension.

He asks the readers of the inscription to be faithful to their religion like him and he precisely mentions that he has made so much endowment to temples and priests. He then points out to his various titles during the Sassanid kings from the period of Shapur I to Bahram II. This rockface is known as the fourth and last rockface of Kartir.

The post Naqsh-e Rajab appeared first on Persia Advisor.

The Palace of Ardeshir, Firouzabad – Fars, Iran
Photo By Hamed Yeganeh/shutterstock

The archeological landscape of the Sassanid era in Fars region is composed of three historical-geographical areas of Bishapour, Firouzabad and Sarvestan. It’s the twenty-third Iranian landscape registered on UNESCO’s word heritage list and the fourth internationally-known site of Fars province.

The Sassanid axis of Fars region includes three cities: the Bishapour historical area includes  Bishapour city, Khandaq, the Valerian Palace, the Temple of Anahita, the fortification, monumental pillars, the historical bath, the fire temple, the ceremony hall, the Sassanid entrance, the Sassanid bridge, the mosaic porch in the Bishapour historical site, Ghale Dokhtar, Shapour cave, and Sassanid inscriptions in Chogan Strait. The historical site of Firouzabad includes the historical city of Firouzabad, the Ardeshir Palace, Ghaleh Dokhtar, the Mehrnersi Bridge, and stone inscriptions dating back to the Sassanid era. The historical city of Sarvestan includes the Sarvestan monument.

The Historical Bishapour Site

1) The city of Bishapour

the city has been founded by the second Sassanid king, king Shapour I (242-272 AD). It is located in the eastern part of Bishapour plain, 18 km northwest of the city of Kazeroun. It is some 155 hectares wide and was considered as one of the five administrational centers of Fars in the Sassanid era.

Natural traces have been used to pinpoint the boundary of the city in the north and the east. The Shapour River runs from the east to the west of the plain and marks the northern border of the city. A moat runs around the rest. The city is originally planned like a rectangle with streets that cut each other vertically. There were four gates at the sides of the city. Two main streets were used to connect the gates in one direction. The streets met in the center of the city. There were two main walls, each seven meters high, around Bishapour.

• The Valerian Palace
  The exterior of the entrance is made of polished stone. The stones have been tied together using iron holders. The structure is essentially Sassanian in nature. It has a huge gate. All the interior walls are covered with polished stones. The exterior has been painted white. There are designed with plaster pieces everywhere. Some of their most beautiful ones are kept at the Bishapour Museum. French archeologist Grischman believes that King Shaour I had ordered the palace to be built for captive Roman emperor Valerian. This shows the king’s kindness towards the emperor in jail.
• The Temple of Anahita
  a rectangular building with 14-meter-long walls. Simple stones have been used in building the structure and polished ones are used to design the interior. The building is covered with wooden logs. There were brooks running through the building in the past. That’s why the temple was associated with Anahita, the goddess of water in ancient Iran. Now it’s been learned that the place was used as a cleaning area that people entered before going to fire temples.
• The Fire Temple
  it’s a cross-shaped building that joins in the center, where there’s a narrow passage. The building has two entrances. Unpolished stones have been used in the central part of the building. There’s a dome, some 20 meters wide, in the central part. It’s probably the biggest dome built in the entire Sassanid era.
• The Fortification
  research says the city had two main fortification walls, each at least 10 meters high. The first fortification wall surrounded the royal arena and the other bounded the whole city. The thickest wall of Bishapour was some 7 meters wide and encircled all the neighborhoods.
• Monumental Pillars
  there are two pillars more than 6 meters high placed in the heart of Bishapour city. The two are based on two-step-high platforms. There are two stone inscriptions, one in Pahlavi Ashkani language and the other in Pahlavi Sassani. They’re carved on one of the pillars. The inscription explains about how the city of Bishapour was founded.
• The Bath
  it’s an octangular building, 100 m2 wide. It has three entrances. Stone and plaster are the two main materials used in constructing the building. Mixed tin and plaster has been used in the walls.
• The Ceremony Hall
  the hall has four porches covered by a huge dome some 23 meters high. There are passages that lead to the hall and the entrances join these paths. 64 shelves have been built in the hall. All of them are ornate with plaster and painted in bright colors. This hall was used for holding ceremonies, memorials and celebration parties.

2) The Historical Chogan Strait

Shapour cave and Shapour I’s statue, Bishapour – Fars, Iran
Photo By Kenneth Dedeu/shutterstock

• Shapour cave and Shapour I’s statue
  Shapour cave is located in the hills right of Shapour River. Nowadays 230 steps have made it much easier to reach the entrance of the cave. The entrance to the cave is some 16 meters high and 30 meter wide. The interior of the cave looks like a huge hall. It gets narrower, sloppier, and shorter in height as one proceeds into it.
  The statue of King Shapour I is the most important statue left from the Sassanid era (226-625 AD). It is six meters high and the the shoulders are two meters wide. It’s been carved out of a natural stalagmite inside the cave. The head of the statue (wearing a jagged crown) and the upper part of the body have been preserved. Much of the rest of the statue, including the hands, have been destroyed.

Firouzabad

1) Ardeshirkhoreh

the remains of the city are the most important Sassanian structure in Firouzabad plain. Historical texts say much of the plain was a lagoon before the city of Ardeshirkhoreh was built there. King Ardeshir I ordered the lagoon to be dried out to build the city there. Then the king partitioned the lands and brought water into it from Tangab river. This way, agriculture spread in the area.

Ardeshirkhoreh has a circular plan with a diameter of 1950 meters. The interior part of the city is like a wheel. It’s been divided into 20 huge similar areas using ten streets. The city center is itself another circle with a diameter of 400 meters. Streets are linked to this area. This circle was the official place of administrative, ceremonial and ritualistic buildings. Homes and business were located in the larger circle. There were four gates at the end of the main axis of the city. The city’s fortification wall was built of blocks. A 35-meter wide moat used to encircle the wall.

It should be noted that four-dome building plans were first invented in that era and later became the most notable achievement of the era developed during the rest of the dynasty.

Ardeshirkhoreh’s circular plan that was focused on a center was a symbol of Ardeshir’s ideal way of administration because it resembled the king sitting in the center and the other layers of power around it.

There are remains of a building called Takhtneshin in the city. Takhtneshin is said to have been a four-dome structure with the biggest dome in its central part (14 meter diameter). The place must have been Ardashir’s fire temple as cited in the book of Ardeshir Babakan’s record and other historical sources. It should be noted that four-dome building plans were first invented in that era and later became the most notable achievement of the era developed during the rest of the dynasty.

2) The Palace of Ardeshir

The Palace of Ardeshir, Firouzabad – Fars, Iran
Photo By Hamed Yeganeh/shutterstock

is the second most important Sassanian building in Firouzabad plain after Ardeshirkhoreh. Locals call it the fire temple sometimes. It is located in the northern part of Firouzabad plain, two kilometers away from the city of Ardeshirkhoreh. There are no towers or fortifying walls in the palace. It shows the building was built at a time that there were no need to protect the area from enemies. The palace was the official residence of the king outside the city. Nowadays, farms and a cemetery have encircled the palace.

3) Ghale Dokhtar

was a strong fortress used to block invasions in the valley of Tangab. When we compare the castle with those in Firouzabad plain we understand that it was built by founder of the Sassanid dynasty, Ardeshir Babakan. He defeated Parthian king Ardavan V in 224 AD and then built the castle.

The castle has two parts: the residential area and the royal part. The residential part is located inside a wider wall. The castle is simple but beautiful at the same time.

4) Stone Inscriptions

there are two stone inscriptions in Firouzabad. One tells the story of Ardeshir Babakan’s coronation (he founded the Sassanid dynasty). The other narrates the way Ardeshir defeated the last Ashkanid king Ardavan V.

Sarvestan

Sarvestan Palace is 13 kilometers south of the city of Sarvestan, in the middle of Shiraz-Fasa road. Locals call it the palace of Sasan or the four-dome building. But it’s generally known as Sarvestan Palace. The purpose of building the palace has been a controversial issue all the time.

The plan of the building shows a main porch, which forms the backbone of the palace. It leads to a rectangular hall with a dome above. Clay blocks have been used to build the structure. Inside the building and in each room’s corner there are twin short columns built on small walls. One can see large shelves and semi-circular shapes all along the walls. Archeologists say the palace dates back to the mid-Sassanid era (5th century BC). They particularly relate the building to king Bahram V and say his minister Mehr Narsi ordered the building of the structure. Large rocks, stones, and a mixture of plaster and lime have been used in the building.

The post The Sassanid Archeological Landscape appeared first on Persia Advisor.

Qashqai Nomad, Iran
Photo by Marie Wilson/ Shutterstock

Iran has been home to both immigrant and settled tribes, which had great role in the evolution of Iranian politics. Cultural diversity of Iranian nomads in their clothes, cuisine, music and daily life attracts tourists from all around the world to their habitats in plains and mountains of Iran.

Historically, Aryans are the first immigrant tribe residing in Iran, which later a branch of them established the glorious Achaemenid Emperor. Both in pre-Islam eras of Iran, and the Islamic Iran these tribes played important role in government and many times took the control of the country. Seljuk, Timurid, Safavid, Turkmen, Afsharid, Zandieh, and Qajar are among the most famous immigrant tribes that became the main rulers of Iran.

Aryans are the first immigrant tribe residing in Iran, which later a branch of them established the glorious Achaemenid Emperor.

Common characteristic of all Iranian tribes is living in harmony with nature and overcoming challenges. It is important to mention that the term tribe and nomad are different from each other. In fact nomads are immigrant group who belong to one of Iranian tribes of Turk, Fars, Lur, Kurd, Turkmen and Arab. The distribution of these tribes divide the country to five main region. 1) north and north west, 2) west, south and south west, 3) north east, 4) north east and south east, and 5) central region.

The main occupation of Iranian nomads in all aforementioned regions is animal husbandry, a job that makes the nomad be in constant search for pasture and meadow, and therefore, emigrate from one place to another. Agriculture and producing handicrafts are also among nomad’s activities, which has its limitation regarding the environmental condition. It is interesting to say that kinship is very important for nomads and considered as basis for tribal relationship. The kinship has three forms of Nasabi, Sababi and Armani.

The main occupation of Iranian nomads is animal husbandry, a job that makes the nomad be in constant search for pasture and meadow, and therefore, emigrate from one place to another. Kinship is very important for nomads and considered as basis for tribal relationship. The kinship has three forms of Nasabi, Sababi and Armani.

Bakhtiari Nomad, Iran
Photo by Abbas Jafari

The Nasabi relations are in form of blood relations that include immediate and far relatives that come from the same ancestor and share a common origin. This form of relation can be traced on both mother side and father side.  If the emphasis is on the bloodline of the father, then the name, family, and social status is inherited from father and the male child is prioritized. If the emphasis is on mother, then the name, family and social status is inherited from her and the female child is prioritized.

Qashqai Nomad, Iran
Photo by MehmetO/ Shutterstock

The Sababi relation is gained through marriage and not blood relations. In families that have both girls and boys in marriage age, sometimes, double weddings are held and a girl from each of the families marries the boy from the other. This tradition is called Ƶen (/Ʒen/) Be Ƶeneh (/Ʒene/) in Kurdish Tribe. The Armani relation does not include blood or nuptial relations, and includes a far common ancestor among the members of the tribe. The difference of this relation with Nasabi one is that in this form one has to go several generation back to find the common ancestor, but the Nasabi Relatives are closer in this regard.

There are different group of nomads here in Iran but the most important ones in term of population are Bakhtiari, Shahsavan, Qashqai, Baluch, and Khamseh. Each of them have their own governmental structure, culture, rules and tradition.

In recent years, the lifestyle, culture and products of the Nomadic tribe became universally known and appreciated. As a result, more and more people were interested in visiting them, and they became popular tourist destinations of Iran. Some nomads prepare facilities for tourists to stay that is not only a means of income, but also a way of preserving a lifestyle that emphasizes simplicity and unity.

The post Iranian Tribes & Nomads appeared first on Persia Advisor.

In some parts of the province people, especially Qashqai tribes, speak Turkish, while in some other parts, the Arabs speak Arabic. Because of the geographical extent of the province, its climate varies in the northern and southern regions. In highlands, the climate is mild; in the valleys and lowlands, it is moderate and warm, while in the southern parts of the province, the winters and summers are moderate and hot, respectively.

Historically, the Persian who formed their own local government under the support of the Medes in Pars (current Fars), became gradually more powerful and eventually Cyrus, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 B.C.), overthrew the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.). Cyrus and his successors formed a vast empire of the time and developed their power using a set of organized and decisive laws. The Achaemenid kings established and chose several cities as their capital such as Takht-e Jamshid or Persepolis, Susa, Babylon, and Ecbatana (Hamedan).

The palaces of the Achaemenid rulers are among the most significant masterpieces of ancient architecture, which their remains are in the ancient city of Parseh. When Babylon and Susa were under siege, Alexander the Macedonian attacked Persepolis, plundering, killing people, and firing the Achaemenid palaces. Years later during the Parthian Empire (247 B.C. – 224 A.D.), Darabgerd, a city in Fars province, was one of the centers of power. As the Parthian Empire declined, Ardashir Babakan rose in revolt, the man who finally founded the Sassanid Empire (224-651 A.D.).

Ya’qūb-i Layth-i Saffārī (Jacob) was the first Emir of the Saffarid Dynasty (861-1003) who seized Fars and chose Shiraz as his capital. Several dynasties including Buyid (934-1062), Seljuk (1037-1194), Salghurids (1148-1282), Mongol (1206-1368), Muzzafarid (1314-1393), Safavid (1501-1736), Afsharid, (1736-1796), and Zand (1751-1794) dominated also over the region. During the governance of Karim Khan Zand (reign: 1751-1779), a magnificent peace and prosperity were established in Fars, while in contrast, the province was damaged and destroyed significantly later due to the wars by Lotf Ali Khan Zand (reign: 1789-1794) and Mohammad Shah Qajar (reign: 1834-1848).

The land of Fars, both during the pre-Islamic and Islamic era, was the center of civilization and culture, containing a great number of historical monuments. Fars was in fact the first center where Persian civilization and culture were developed.

Out of its remained historical monuments and buildings include Persepolis, Pasargad, the historical city of Istakhr, Naqsh-e Rustam, Bishapur, Shapur cave, and the palaces and fire temples of Ardeshir. Importantly, Persepolis, Pasargad, Eram Garden, The Sassanid Archeological Landscape have been registered in UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The collection of Zandieh and Qajar constructs including Arg of Karim Khan, mosque and bathroom of Vakil, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, and Qavam House as well as the shrine of Ahmad ibn Musa (Shah Cheragh) are among other important tourist attractions in the city of Shiraz.

The most important handicrafts in Fars province include wood carving, carpet weaving, glass blowing (in Meymand city), repoussage, handmade Khorjin (saddle), and Give-Doozi (in the city of Abadeh). Known native foods also include Kufteh Holoo, Kooft Sabzi, Salad Shirazi, Shirin polo (sweet rice), especial Aush for breakfast (Sabzi), Aush Kardeh, and Kalam polo Shirazi (cabbage and rice). When it comes to figures, Mansur al-Hallaj (the Persian mystic and poet) and two valuable Persian poets i.e. Saadi and Hafez are among the past celebrities of Fars province.

The post Fars appeared first on Persia Advisor.