Bishapur

Bīšāpūr

Iran · Fars

Ancient cityUnknownUNESCO · 2018
Approximate period266 CE — 1,100 CESasanian period See on the map ↓

In brief

Archaeological excavations have been conducted since 1935 in the Sasanian city founded by Shapur I. The figural mosaics unearthed in the palace area are important finds that show the city's connections with the Iranian and Roman worlds.

What was found?

  • 1Marble mosaic with dancer figures

    The flooring fragment found in the palace area depicts dancing figures. It shows the use of human figures in Sasanian palace decoration.

  • 2Courtyard with figural mosaics

    Reclining nobles and musicians are depicted on the floors of Building D. According to researchers, the mosaics reflect the use in Iran of a technique of Western origin.

  • 3Remains of a cruciform palace

    Painted and stucco-decorated niches surround the large central space of Building B. How the central space was roofed remains debated.

  • 4Temple with a water channel

    A water channel from the river reaches the stone structure, which was built partly underground. According to researchers, this connection supports the interpretation that the structure may have been dedicated to Anahita.

What does it point to?

The palaces and mosaics of Bişapur indicate the importance that royal circles placed on lavish architecture and figural decoration. According to researchers, the buildings and decorations reflect artistic interaction between Iranian traditions and the Roman world.

What did it teach us?

  1. Documented the use of floors depicting dancers and musicians in Sasanian court circles.
  2. Revealed the architecture of a religious structure associated with water.
  3. The later covering of the mosaics and their truncation by new walls showed that the buildings were modified over time.

Images

Valerian Palace in Bishapur (Kazerun) 2
Behnam9395 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Anahita temple, Bishapur 04
Majid Taghipour · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Sasanians
First modern dig
1935
Coordinates
29.7775°, 51.5705°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. whc.unesco.org
  3. collections.louvre.fr
  4. iranicaonline.org
  5. Encyclopaedia Iranica — Bişapur

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