The Bandian Fire Temple ( fa, محوطه باستانی بندیان) is an archaeological site in
Dargaz County
Dargaz County ( fa, شهرستان درگز) is in Razavi Khorasan province, Iran. The capital of the county is the city of Dargaz. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 73,439 in 19,435 households. The following census in 2011 coun ...
,
Razavi Khorasan Province,
Iran, near the medieval city
Abiward
Abiward or Abi-ward, was an ancient Sassanid city in modern-day Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to ...
.
The primary excavations were carried out to reveal precious remains of art and architecture of the pre-Islamic Iran, dating from the
Sassanian period (224-651 AD) when the archaeological significance of Bandian was recognized.
Found at the site, near the town of
Dargaz
Dargaz ( fa, درگز, also romanized as Dar Gaz; also known as Darreh Gaz; formerly, Moḩammadābād, Moḩammadābād Arbāb, and Muhammadābād) is a city and capital of Dargaz County, in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran.
The city of Dargaz ...
were a stucco-decorated hall with columns, Sassanian Pahlavi inscriptions, and at last the some remains of brick architecture, which are considered to be one of the most invaluable finds of that period. Additionally, the excavations yielded a
Zoroastrian sanctuary, with a substantial amount of its decoration and design features undamaged. while the upper parts of the stucco reliefs were not preserved, but a good deal had remained in place (info from Bandian of Daregaz).
Throughout six seasons of the site's excavations, the building's central part was found; its main hall, measuring 10.25x8.45 m, as well as a number of rooms and corridors were unearthed. The hall had four lime columns that supported the flat ceiling of the structure. The columns' strengthening structure is quite interesting. Another outstanding facet of the building is its mihrab (arched niche) in about 2.80x1.70 m.
The large hall features extensive stucco reliefs, depicting scenes of a hunt, battle, triumph, ritual, investiture, and banquet.
It contains depictions of Persian victories in the
Hephthalite–Persian Wars.
The complex has been dated to the reign of
Peroz Feroz or Firuz is a Persian name meaning 'victorious', derived from the middle Persian name Peroz or Piruz. Related names are Phiroze, Feroze, and Parviz.
It may refer to:
People (historical)
* Peroz I (), Sasanian king of Iran
* Peroz II (), Sa ...
(459-484 CE) or his son
Kavad I (488-497 CE).
The excavated area has been turned into a site-museum.
Hephthalite
The Hephthalites ( xbc, ηβοδαλο, translit= Ebodalo), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during th ...
ruler among the reliefs. The inscription reads: "I am Hephthalite, son … the Hephthalite is trustworthy".
References
{{Central Asian history
Archaeological sites in Iran
Buildings and structures in Razavi Khorasan Province
Nishapur Quarter
Fire temples in Iran
5th century in Iran
Sasanian architecture
Sasanian art