Sarvestan Palace

The Sassanid Palace at Sarvestan ( fa, کاخ ساسانی سروستان ''kakh-eh Sassani-ye Sarvestan'') is a Sassanid-era building in the Iranian city of Sarvestan, some 90 km southeast from the city of Shiraz. The palace was built in the 5th century AD, and was either a gubernatorial residence or a Zoroastrian fire temple.

History

The Sarvestan Palace was built by the Sasanian king Bahramgur ( fa, بهرام گور) (r. 420–438), and dominates an immense, empty plain. The name "palace" is a bit misleading, because the monument's function is not really understood. It may in fact have been a hunting lodge or even a sanctuary. The problem is complicated by the fact that there appears to have been a small building, just north of the palace; its function is unknown.

Palace court

A visitor who would have arrived from the south, would have seen three iwans. After entering the central one, he would have reached a large square hall under a large dome, made of baked brick. After this, a visitor would have found himself on a rectangular courtyard, surrounded by the residential quarters. The building reminds one of the Ghal'eh Dokhtar and the palace of Ardashir, both near Firuzabad; the difference is that the Sarvestan palace is open to all sides. The building, made of stone and mortar, must have had fine decorations, which partly survive.

See also

* Iranian architecture
* History of Persian domes

References

* J Homayooni (1996), ''History of Sarvestan''.

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Architecture in Iran
Sarvestan
Castles in Iran
Sasanian castles
Buildings and structures in Fars Province
Historic buildings and structures in Iran
Sasanian palaces