SAEDNEWS: Step back 1,800 years to Ardashir Babakan’s palace! This video contrasts the Firuzabad ruins with a stunning digital reconstruction, showcasing the grandeur of Sassanid architecture.
According to the History & Culture Service of Saed News, Ardashir Palace, sometimes called the Firouzabad Fire Temple, is one of the most important and magnificent remaining structures from the Sasanian era, symbolizing the rise of this dynasty in Iran.
📍 Key Facts
Founder: Ardashir I (Ardashir Babakan), founder of the Sasanian Empire
Built: Around 224 CE (3rd century)
Location: Firouzabad, Fars Province, near the historical city of Gor (Ardashirkhwar)
Function: Royal palace, audience hall, and possibly a site for religious ceremonies (near a spring and river, also called a fire temple)
Heritage Status: Nationally registered in Iran (No. 89) and UNESCO World Heritage site (part of the Sasanian archaeological landscape of Fars)
Materials: Rubble stone and hand-tamped gypsum mortar
🏛️ Architectural Highlights
Domes and Squinches: One of the earliest Sasanian buildings with domes; three large domed halls built on square spaces using advanced squinch techniques.
Halls and Iwans: Central courtyard, a grand entrance iwan with arched vault (one of the largest after Madain), and multiple interconnected halls.
Decorations: Delicate stucco remnants show Sasanian artistic sophistication.
Rectangular Layout: Approx. 104 × 55 meters with a coherent, strategic plan.
Geographical Setting: Built beside a spring and river, creating a lush, pleasant environment that supported the prosperity of ancient Gor.
📜 Historical Significance
Ardashir I constructed this palace shortly after defeating Artabanus V of the Parthians and establishing the Sasanian Empire. Designed less as a fortress and more as a display of royal power, it served as Ardashir’s official residence and the venue for Sasanian ceremonies.
