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.

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Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque – Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran

The architecture of pre-Islamic Iran is divided into two styles of “Parsian” and “Parthian”.

Parsian Style

it is the first architectural style in Iran starting from Achaemenid era until the invasion of Alexander (from 6th to 4th B.C). Rectangular spaces with columned halls, construction of buildings on platform, introverted style, using wooden ceilings, carved stones, plinth and capital, decoration of entrance and glazed tile in interior sectors are among the main features of Parsian architecture.

Parthian Style

As the name suggests, Parthian Style is the architecture used by the Parthian, it includes diversity in patterns, introverted style, symmetry in construction of palaces and temples, increase in the height of buildings, curved arches and domes, squinches below the domes, using local materials like rubble, adobe, brick, mud, and stucco work.

Iran’s Architecture from the Advent of Islam to Seljuk (6^th to 11^th centuries)

In spite of the advent of Islam, for years, Iran’s architectural style was dependent on the past elements. After that, Muslim artists introduced new forms, buildings, and constructs like mosque, school, bridge, castle and caravanserai with respect to previous artistic features especially Sassanid ones and inspired Islamic mind-set.

At the beginning of Islamic time, more attention was paid to the construction of mosque. The mosques usually had simple structures, but from this time, we witnessed the rise of Muqarnas decorative designs (decorations made of brick, tile, stone, plaster and wood) as an ornament of the mosque. The Muqarnas decorative styles used in Gonbad-e Qabus tower is one of the earliest examples of it in 10th century. Besides, Ribat-i Mahi, contemporary to Gonbad-e Qabus tower, has muddy brick and stucco decorations as well and acts as a precedent for the more lavish decorations of Seljuk and Ilkhanate Eras.

Iran’s Architecture from Seljuk to Timurid (11^th to 15^th Centuries)

Seljuk dynasty (11th century) is one of the most outstanding periods of Iran’s architecture. The construction of schools was popular in this time and many schools were built in the cities of Baghdad, Neyshabur, Marv, Rey and Hyrcania (current Gorgan). The plans of most of the buildings in this era was Four-Iwan design (Chahar Iwani) with stucco and brick as their prominent decorations. Iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. They are mostly build in exterior space of the buildings having entrance/ exit spaces. Different buildings such as mosque, school, tomb and caravanserai were constructed in this era as well. The splendour and glory of Seljuk architecture are completely visible in Jameh mosque of Isfahan. Although, Jameh mosque of Isfahan is the result of continual construction, reconstruction, additions and renovations of 15 centuries of Islamic Era, the most beautiful and important part of the mosque belongs to Seljuk Dynasty. It is interesting to know that the use of tile as a decorative element has become popular since the end of 10th century. The oldest examples are the tiles of Kharraqan towers in Qazvin which were built in Seljuk Dynasty.

Preserving the Seljuk architectural styles including Four-Iwan design, Ilkhanate architecture entered a new stage; Iwan became higher with narrow width and the walls got narrower as well. Decorations like stucco, tile work and brick with special patterns adorned buildings. Mihrabs of Isfahan Jameh Mosque, Urmia and Oshtorjan mosques are the obvious proofs of the mastery in stucco art in that era.

During Timurid dynasty, the art of mosaic tiling reached its zenith, it is the art of the assembling of small pieces of coloured tiles to make an image. Mosques like Goharshad in Mashhad, Blue in Tabriz, Khargerd Ghiasieh School in Khorasan and some buildings in Herat and Bukhara show the importance and application of this art in religious buildings.

In this era, Grand Khorasan in east of Iran played an important role in development of architecture as well. Khorasan was the origin of lots of innovations in architecture that spread it to other parts of the country. Two-Iwan style was used in Khorasan for the first time and it was one of the first cities that the traces of turquoise tile are found in, this style can be observed in Mosques of Zuzan, Gonabad and Forumad.

Iranian Architecture Infographic / Historic Imam Mosque – Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
Photo by Alexandre Rotenberg / Shutterstock
Infographic by Negar Ganji

Iran’s Architecture from Safavid to the Contemporary Era

The 16th and 17th centuries are known as the period of flourishment of Islamic arts in Iran. In the shadow of the support of Safavid’s kings, art and architecture advanced drastically. The majority of buildings in Safavid era such as mosques, schools, and caravanserais were constructed in a four-Iwan style and Muaraq (Mosaic) and Haft Rang (Seven-Coloured) tiles were the main decorations used in the buildings, the template of tiles were square which were glazed and seven colors were used to design them. Calligraphy on tile became common in decoration of religious buildings as well. Public places like mosque, bridge, bathhouse, water reservoir and specially caravanserai were built more than ever. Amin Abad caravanserai in Isfahan, Deh-bid caravanserai on the road of Isfahan to Shiraz and the numerous Abbasi caravanserais built all over the country were important caravanserais of this period.

After the fall of Safavid Dynasty, the same architectural style of that time continued like before but it was not as glorious as before. Kalat Naderi Palace (Khorshid Palace) in Khorasan province (Afsharid era) and Vakil complex in Shiraz (Zandiyeh era) are outstanding buildings of this period. After this period and with the beginning of Qajar Reign, architecture was the centre of attention again. Some of the buildings from Qajar era like Al-Nabi Mosque in Qazvin, the Haj Ali Agha complex in Kerman, Imam Mosque, Sepahsalar Mosque and school in Tehran, as well as Golestan palace are the examples of the breathtaking architecture of Qajar era.

Contemporary Architecture

The contemporary architecture of Iran starts from early 19th century and continues up to now. Architectural structures of buildings in this time were the combination of traditional and western architecture styles which were witnessed in constructs like Shahrbani Palace, Marble Palace and Post Office building of Tehran, or modern architectural style was entirely used.

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Located in Kermanshah city in the west of Iran, the ancient relic of Taq-e Bostan, meaning Arch of the Garden, encompasses two nearby arches, several rock reliefs, and inscriptions cut on a mountain cliff in front of a pond. This ancient complex was created during the Sassanid Empire (224-651 CE) to illustrate the significant historical events of the time related to several kings including Khosro Parviz, Ardeshir II, Shapur II, and Shapur III. Sassanid kings as successors of the Achaemenian Empire (550-330 BCE) chose firstly Fars province and its neighboring areas for their majestic bas-reliefs.

However, from the mid-Sassanian era, they represented this art in other provinces as well as in the west and north-west of Iran to accentuate and legitimize their power and sovereignty across the country. Besides, the religious center of Iran was changed from Fars to Azerbaijan in the northwest of the country and thus, the importance of these new areas increased drastically.

In the bigger arch of Taq-e Bostan, with an iwan carved in the cliff  (around 7.85 meters in width, 11.90 meters in length and 90 cm in depth), there are pictures of women playing musical instruments such as Harp and different wind instruments. The rock relief on the right side of this arch shows the investiture ceremonies of Ardeshir II (379-383 CE), the ninth Sassanid King. In this scene, the king is standing while his left hand is on the hilt of a sword, and he is receiving the diadem (symbol of royal investiture) with his right hand from Ahura Mazda.

Also, the god of light, Mithra, is standing behind Ahura Mazda with a halo around his head. He is in fact, the witness to this pact. Importantly, the king’s and Ahura Mazda’s feet are on the body of Julianus (361-363 CE), the Roman emperor, who was considered a powerful enemy. The king has big eyes, thick eyebrows, curled beard, and long hair reaching his shoulders. He is wearing a ring-shaped earing with a small ball attached to it, a bracelet, and also a necklace comprised of a row of pearls.

The bigger arch’s rock relief also shows the investiture of Khosro Parviz while he has raised his right hand in the direction of an old man and his left hand is on the hilt of a sword. The face of the king is damaged but from what has remained, it can see that the king has a rather plump face with round eyes and thick eyebrows. His crown is adorned with two rows of pearls. In the front section of the relief, there is a crescent on a small rod with two wings of an eagle attached to its sides.

The old standing man is giving the king a diadem with his right hand while his left hand is on his chest. Some believe that this old man is Mithra, the god of light. On the left of the scene, Anahita, the goddess of water is shown carrying a pitcher and the diadem with her left and right hands, respectively.

Next to the arch, there are rock reliefs of two winged angels, the tree of life (sacred tree), and royal hunting scenes (including pictures of elephants, deer, bow, arrow, lake, and boats) that all depict the Sassanid Empire’s ceremonies and symbols. Below the relief indicating the investiture of Khosro Parviz, there is a mounted Persian knight figure in battle armor riding a horse. Some believe that the figure refers to Khosro II (591-628 CE). This rock relief was carved under the influence of Byzantine art.

The smaller arch located on the right side of the bigger arch is 5.8 meters in width and 5 meters in length. The reliefs of Shapur II and Shapur III and two inscriptions indicating the names of the kings and their ancestries are carved in this arch. These reliefs have been damaged several times by humans. For example, during the Qajar era (1789-1925), Muhammad Ali Mirza (Fath Ali Shah’s son) ordered to replace his relief with the former ancient reliefs. The relief depicts Muhammad Ali is sitting on a throne with a plump face, long beard, and curved mustache. The crown he is wearing is similar to that of Fath Ali Shah.

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One of the most dazzling pre-Islamic attractions of Iran with a history dating back to the Elamite (2700-539 BCE), Achaemenid (550-330 BCE), and Sassanid (224-654 CE) dynasties refers to an ancient necropolis site entitled Naqsh-e Rostam. It is located six kilometers away from Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis). It should be argued that although Rostam is a mythological character in Shah Nameh, an epic masterpiece of poet Ferdowsi, the rock-reliefs of this ancient site is not of any relation to him.

In fact, the rock reliefs in this site narrate some of the most significant events that happened during the kings of Iran and importantly, Naqsh-e Rostam is a royal necropolis of Achaemenid kings including Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I, and Xerxes I. Their tombs are carved out of the rock in large size at a significant height above the ground. Below the rock tombs of these Achaemenid kings, there are seven rock reliefs depicting large figures of Sassanian monarchs in battles or investitures.

The first rock relief depicts the coronation ceremony of Narsieh (294-304 CE), Shapur’s son, who is taking a diadem (the ring of kingship) from Anahita, the goddess of water. Narsieh was the ruler of Armenia who revolted against Bahram the Third and took sovereignty over Iran.

The second rock relief is placed below Darius the Great’s tomb. It is made of two scenes that are separated from each other with a small line but in general, they show Bahram II’s victory against his enemy. More precisely, it shows Bahram is attacking a mounted Roman enemy while forcing this enemy’s spear. There is a soldier behind Bahram in a formal dressing, who carries a flag that is assumed to be the famous Sassanid flag, about which the Roman Historian Ammianus Marcellinus articulates it is the Red Fire of the Sassanid army. The highlights of the inscription include an armor on horseback and his the quiver that both are artistically carved on the stone. In other parts of the relief, there is a Roman soldier who is trampled underfoot of Bahram’s horse.

The third rock relief of Naqsh-e Rostam narrates the victory of the Sassanian king Shapur I against three Roman emperors including Gordian (who died in the battle), Philip the Arab (who after his defeat had to give a huge booty to Shapur), and Valerian (who organized an attack but was captured with his army). In particular, in this rock relief, Gordian is trampled underfoot of Shapur’s horse while Shapur is on horseback. Besides, Valerian is kneeling down with tied hands in submission in front of the king, while Philip the Arab is holding Shapur’s horse.

This rock relief also shows Kartir as a famous high Zoroastrian priest behind the king, who is paying his respect to the king. The story of this victory is also inscribed in a stone tower structure called Ka’beh Zartosht (on its lower exterior walls) in front of the rock reliefs. Interestingly, the story of this victory is also carved out of the rock in ancient Bishapur City, Fars Province that is, to some extent, a more elaborate version than that of Naqsh-e Rostam.

The fourth rock relief is located under Artaxerxes’ tomb, which belongs to Adur Narseh or his brother Shapur II among his courtiers (not much has been left from this relief). There is also another scene in this relief that belongs to Hurmuz (Hormizd) II, the grandson of Shapur I. It depicts the battle of mounted Hurmuz against a Roman enemy.

The fifth rock relief is below Darius II’s tomb that is around seven meters long and three meters wide. In this scene, a crowned horseback rider has put his spear on the neck of his enemy. The date and the name of the victorious king is not known but archeologists believe it may belong to Shapur II because the crown in this scene is the same as the one in his coins.

The sixth rock-relief belongs to Bahram II and his family that was carved over an Elamite relief. The original Elamite relief made in the first millennium BCE shows the king, queen, and a goddess, introducing as one of the few ancient reliefs that shows the picture of a woman who is not a goddess. Bahram destroyed part of the previous relief to replace it with a scene where he is standing in the middle surrounded by his five family members and courtiers, three of whom are wearing a crown with an eagle sign as a symbol of victory. The king wears a very formal and adorned attire and holds the hilt of a long spear with both hands that represents power.

The seventh rock relief belongs to the investiture of the first king and the founder of the Sassanid Dynasty, Ardeshir I. In this scene, he is taking a diadem (the ring of kingship) from Ahura Mazda (Ohrmazd) while both of them are on horseback. The horses are trampling two bodies: Ahriman or devil as the enemy of goodness and Artabanus V, the last Parthian emperor.

Another important construct in Naqsh-e Rostam is referred to as Ka’beh Zartosht since it was assumed to be linked with Zoroastrianism but in reality, the function of this Achaemenid square tower is not known. The carefully carved stones of the construct with their smooth surface bears witness to the advancement and mastery of the Achaemenian architects and craftsmen. Although the attackers have destroyed it, it is still an important ancient remnant in history. Notably, there is a long inscription in the lower part of the Ka’beh in three languages including Sassanid Pahlavi, Parthian Pahlavi, and Greek. The 2.5×2.5 room of the construct is placed over a square-shaped basis of stone.

The decisive function of this room has yet to be discovered but archeologists believe it may have been a fire temple, a document archive, or a temporary tomb. On the other hand, some believe these hypotheses could not be true because of the large size of the structure and its difficult large stairs. Based on a hypothesis, this structure was meant to be a royal tomb but when Darius the Great decided to use the mountain tombs this place was left for another function. Although this hypothesis has not been proven yet, it has not been rejected either.

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The magnificent Jameh Mosque of Yazd City that took over 100 years to be built encompasses three historical architectural periods. First, a Sassanid (224-651 CE) fire temple was built with a structure known as ChaharTaghi; a common style for fire temples that is consisted of four pillars connected to four arches and a dome ceiling.

Second, following the advent of Islam and the beginning of Islamic-Persian art, the Sassanid ChaharTaghi was developed and turned into a mosque by the order of Garshasep during the Buyid Dynasty (934-1062). Third, when the art of designing and making mosques matured, and following the advent of the architectural style of Azari, a new construct of the mosque (the present mosque) was built during the reign of Rokn Al-Din Muhammad Ghazi in the 14th century.

Azari or the Mongol Style was used during the Ilkhanid kings (1256-1335) in Iran. The most notable feature of this style refers to its focus on height such that all buildings of this style are immensely tall with lavish decorations, implying the mindset of Mongol kings to indicate their splendor through majestic buildings. Similar to the architecture of most mosques, this mosque also consists of a portal entrance, a pair of minarets, a dome chamber, a courtyard, a Mihrab, and a praying hall.

In particular, the Jameh Mosque of Yazd has a double-layer dome with Islamic spiral motifs and an inscription over it noting “Almolk Allah” which means “the place of God”. The domed chamber of the mosque called Tabestaneh or the Summer Hall has reticulated windows and a tiled Mihrab. The tiles are decorated with Islamic motifs, the name of the Prophet Muhammad, and some verses from the holy book of the Quran.

The praying hall of the mosque has two sections, one of which used in winter and the other in spring. The portal of the mosque, following the tradition of the Timurid (1370-1507) architecture, is tall measuring about 24 meters in height and adorned with inlaid tiles. The Iwans surrounding the courtyard and the massive minarets make this mosque one of the unique examples of the Timurid architecture.

Each of the two minarets of the mosque is more than 52 meters in height and eight meters in diameter, introducing them as the highest historical minarets in Iran. Notably, the minarets were built in the Safavid Era (1501-1736) but were collapsed and rebuilt in 1934 when the mosque was registered as a national heritage by Iran’s Organization of Cultural Heritage and Handicrafts.

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The Falak ol-Aflak Castle located on a hill overlooking Khorramabad City, Lorestan Province dates back to the Sassanid Empire (224-651 CE). The castle has had several names in the course of histories such as Shapour Khast, Siah (Black), Boz, Khorramabad, Sefid (White), Salasel, Atabakan, Ghasr (Palace), Ghale Bala Kushk, and 12-Borj (Twelve-Tower). Of these based on historical documents, Shapour Khast was the oldest name of the castle but as of 1789 since the Qajar Dynasty, the current name, Falak ol-Aflak, has been used.

The castle built mainly with stone, brick, wood, mortar, and lime has an area of 5,200 m2 with a height, considering the hill, accounting for 40 meters. The tallest wall of the castle is also 22.5 meters in height. The Falak ol-Aflak Castle consists of four halls and several rooms surrounding two yards that all of them have a rectangular plan. The entrance to the castle is placed in the north leading to the first yard. Importantly although the structure has had twelve towers in the past, today, eight towers have remained. The water of the castle was supplied from a 40 meter-well behind the first yard.

The Falak ol-Aflak Castle, as a defensive fort, had a significant role in the formation and development of the old city of Khorramabad. Notably, not just as a castle and military fortress, but it had been used as a ruling place, treasury, and even prison in different dynasties. For example, Hasanwayhids, a Kurdish dynasty that ruled over the western part of Iran from about 961 to 1015 used the castle as a ruling place. During the reign of Naser Al-Din Shah, the fourth Qajar king, the castle was rebuilt but at the time of the first king of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Reza Shah was destroyed so as to suppress the powerful local tribes. After the destruction, it was converted to a prison and in 1969, the place turned into a historical attraction open to the public. Finally, since 1975, this structure has been functioning as a museum, first, an anthropology museum and later as of 1977, as an archeology museum.

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When Arabs Invaded Iran and reached the central lands, a group of people escaped and took refuge in the valley of a mountain, today known as Karkas. The seclusion provided by the mountains enabled them to remain in relative detachment from the rest of Iran that was under the attack of Arab army. They followed their Zoroastrian Sassanid ancestors and made houses and fire temples in that tradition. However, slowly, the story of an infidel group living in the depth of mountains reached the Islamic rulers and attempts to turn the villagers in Abyaneh to Islam began; although the new religion wasn’t accepted at first, people began to turn to Islam that soon became the main religion of the villagers. While their religion changed, many of their Sassanid traditions remained.

In Iranian Mythology, there is prince called Siavash. With a conspiracy led by King’s brother, Siavash was captured and murdered.  His death was so tragic that when the news of his death scattered in the country the whole nation began mourning. From then, people started a mourning ritual on the day of his death. Abyaneh was among few places that mourned Siavash’s death each year. Even after converting to Islam, the ritual of Siavashan (mourning for Siavash’s death) was held.

The popularity of Islam and especially Shiite Islam shifted the focus from Siavash to Imam Hossein who was also brutally martyred. The ancient tradition of Siavashan that dates back to early Zoroastrian time and the language that dates back to Sassanid time shows how much the villagers have maintained their Iranian origin.

Abyaneh is famous for its architecture; the stepped village is like a red pearl in the Valley of Karkas Mountain. The whole village is covered with red soil and the wooden doors, windows and terraces create beautiful harmony.

Today Abyaneh is famous for its architecture; the stepped village is like a red pearl in the Valley of Karkas Mountain. The whole village is covered with red soil and the wooden doors, windows and terraces create beautiful harmony. The houses are small but built in two or more floors. The four mosque of the village, the pulpit that dates back to 11^th century, the wooden altar that belongs to 14^th century, and the Harpark arched vault are the main tourist attractions of the place. The villagers still wear traditional attires that adds to the charms of the village. Visiting Abyaneh is a fascinating travel through time to the end of Sassanid and the beginning of Islam.

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