- Type
- Palace / château
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 29.1956°, 53.2308°
History
The building stands on a plain about 90 kilometres south-east of Shiraz. Tradition linked it with the Sasanian king Bahram V, who reigned in the first half of the 5th century, and saw it as a hunting palace. More recent research suggests it was built later, in the late Sasanian or even the early Islamic period, and its purpose – palace, nobleman's residence or fire temple – is still debated. Whatever its date, it is one of the best-preserved examples of Sasanian building. In 2018 it was included in the UNESCO listing of the Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region.
What to see
The rubble-and-gypsum-mortar structure survives with a central hall roofed by a dome resting on squinches – a solution later taken up by Islamic architecture. Three arched entrances open on the façade, and the side halls have barrel vaults carried on massive columns. The building stands alone on the open plain, far from any settlement.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q115139
Popularity: articles about this site in 19 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).