2019-02-09T13:20:00-08:00
The most famous ancient monuments in Iran are located in Fars and Kermanshah provinces.
1- Fars Governorate (Persepolis and Istakhar)
2- Kermanshah Province (Bestun city)
All of these monuments are almost close to each other. The city of Istakhar is located 5 kilometers from the city of Persepolis, and the Bestun area is located in the Kermanshah Mountains. All the monuments are located in mountainous areas in the Zagros Mountains.
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The most famous ancient monuments found in Iran are four
1- Takht Jamshid – Persepolis city
2- Naqsh Rostam – Istakhar city
3- Naqsh Rajab – Istakhar city
4- Beeston Inscription – Beeston City
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1- Takht Jamshid in the city of Parsa (Persepolis)
■ Takht Jamshid is located in the city of Persepolis, Fars Province
Persepolis is the capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC). The site of Takht Jamshid is 70 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province in Iran. This site is known as Takht-e-Jamshid (i.e. Throne of Jamshid) or Parsa. The oldest remains of this site date back to 515 BC. This site was called Parsa by the ancient Persians, which means “City of the Persians.” The translation of the name Persepolis in Greek means “Persian city.”
■ Today, Takht Jamshid consists of ruins, ruins, and ruins of ancient palaces and halls. Takht Jamshid has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
■ It was built during the reign of the Achaemenids, and construction work began in 512 BC. Its construction lasted from 150 to 200 years.
The French archaeologist, René Godard, who excavated the site at the beginning of the fourth decade of the previous century, assumed that Cyrus the Great had tested the site of Takht Jamshid, but it was Darius I who built the mastaba and the great palaces. After Darius died, he was succeeded by his son Khashayar Shah, who built the Hadish Hall and proposed the project of building a hall with a hundred pillars. After him, Ardashir I sat on the throne and completed the construction of this hall.
■ Takht Jamshid is a group of palaces and halls with architectural art mixed with Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian and Greek architectural styles and located within an area of (120 square kilometers), that is, located within a place 10 km long and 12 km wide.
Scientists say that these palaces and halls were built on foundations and pillars made of great, harmonious rocks that were carved by sculptors in the mountains.
■ Names of known palaces and buildings in Takht Jamshid, Gate of Nations, Apadana Palace, Darius or Tajr Palace, Palace with the Hundred Columns, Incomplete Palace or Gate, Treasury of Takht Jamshid, Shura Hall, Rock Well, Tomb of Ardashir II and III, Hadish Palace, Inner Palace Which is now the Takht Jamshid Museum.
The largest palace in the Takht-e Jamshid group was known as the “One Hundred Columns” Palace. It may be considered one of the largest architectural monuments remaining from the Achaemenid rule, which was used by King Darius I as his public governmental hall.
We see stone inscriptions on its side walls. On the walls of the stairs leading to the north, there are bas-reliefs of high-ranking Medes and Parsian military leaders, carrying water lilies, preceded by soldiers saluting them. As for the upper section of the wall, there are inscriptions depicting individuals approaching the palace, carrying gifts. On the walls of the stairs leading to the south, we see pictures of ambassadors and representatives from various countries of the world holding gifts in their hands.
– Haddish Palace. There is not much information available about it, due to the destruction it sustained. This made some people call “Hadish” the “Unknown Palace.” “Hadesh” in the Persian language means “a high place,” but the reason this palace was called “Hadesh” is because the second wife of King Xerxes, her name was “Hadesh.”
– The Shura Palace or the Central Hall, where the king may have held his meetings with his senior ministers and men. According to the engraved images, the king entered this palace through one of its gates and exited through the other two gates. This palace was named “Al-Shura” because of the presence of two columns in the shape of a human head, which we do not find a similar effect in other places. The human head symbolizes thinking.
– Apadana Palace, located at the main entrance to Takht Jamshid, includes a central hall built of 36 columns and three iwans based on 12 columns located on the northern, southern and eastern sides. The northern and eastern iwans are connected through stairs to the courtyards and front courtyards. The height of the floor in the place of the Apadana Palace itself is 16 meters and the height of its columns is 18 metres.
In Takht Jamshid, there are texts by King Darius the Great inscribed on the walls, frames, corners of buildings, and window corners. There is also an inscription in Takht-e-Jamshid of the son of Darius, Khashayar Shah.
■ Nearly a century ago, about forty thousand clay tablets in the shape and size of prayer dirt were discovered on the northwestern side of the foundations of Takht Jamshid, on which phrases were written in Elamite script.
After reading these tablets, it later became clear that they were documents that talked about the costs of building the palaces of Takht Jamshid. Some of these tablets are written in Persian and Elamite script. These tablets, or to quote historical documents, narrate that all those who worked in constructing these palaces, including workers, architects, carpenters, sculptors, and engineers, received salaries and wages for their work. Each Elamite clay tablet is a document to pay the costs of employing one or a number of workers. The workers who contributed to the construction of Takht Jamshid were of different nationalities. Iranian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Elamite, and Assyrian; All of these were subjects of the Iranian Empire.
■ Scholars disagreed about the nature of these buildings, because Takht Jamshid is neither a city nor a fortified citadel nor a temple.
1- A theory that says that he was playing two different roles through a cohesive harmony, because he was located in the heart of the empire, which made him a suitable treasure trove for saving the country’s wealth that was increasing day after day. It was a luxurious place suitable for holding various ceremonies and celebrations such as festivals.
2- A theory says that the aim of the Achaemenids in constructing such majestic buildings and buildings was to highlight their great royal power to the world.
■ When Alexander invaded Persia and arrived at Takht-e-Jamshid in the year 330 BC, and saw with his own eyes this abundance of greatness and royal wealth, he ordered his soldiers to seize everything they could carry, and to destroy what could not be carried. And setting it on fire.
Therefore, what remains today of Takht Jamshid embodies in our minds an image that is very vague and ambiguous compared to the splendor and splendor of the palaces and edifices.
Currently, Takht Jamshid is nothing but ruins and ruins.
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Ruins of the city of Istakhr in Fars Governorate
It includes antiquities from the Achaemenid and Sassanid era
The city of Istakhr in Fars Province in the Zagros Mountains, 6 km away from the site of Takht Jamshid, which includes the royal palaces.
There are royal tombs and ancient and extremely magnificent sculptures on the solid rocks in the Zagros Mountains, including the Naqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab, as these monuments express historical stages that include the Achaemenid and Sassanian eras, and they contain the tomb of King Artaxeres I.
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2- The role of Rostam
It is located in the city of Istakhar, and the relics are from the Achaemenid and Sassanian era
Naqsh-e Rostam is an archaeological area that was in previous times a cemetery for the Achaemenid kings. It contains inscriptions dating back to the Sassanid era and the original temple of the Zoroastrians (the Kaaba of the Zoroastrians), in addition to monuments and ruins dating back to the Elamite era.
In the past, this area was called Saha Ganbadan, Du Ganbadan, Haji Abad Mountain, Istakhr Mountain, and Nevisht Mountain, and some people called it Naqsh-e Rostam.
The oldest inscriptions there date back to the Elamite era, as they include images of two male gods and two female gods, in addition to the image of the king and queen sitting on snakes and wearing clothes sewn with a special pattern. However, the Sassanid king Bahram II erased some of these traces and carved his image and images of his entourage.
Naqsh-e Rostam houses the tombs of the Achaemenid kings, such as Darius the Great, Xerxes, Ardashir I, and Darius II. There is also a fifth tomb left intact, which may relate to King Darius III. Among these tombs, only the tomb of Darius I contains inscriptions.
The area surrounding this tomb contains a relief of a king with a bow in his hand and next to him two bowls for kindling fire. On the right there is a sculpture of the moon, and at the bottom there are inscriptions of ambassadors of the neighboring peoples and countries subject to the government of Persia at the time.
In Naqsh-e Rostam there is a sculpture of King Ardashir calling for help from the legendary hero Rostam.
■ In the Naqsh-e Rostam area, there is the Kaaba of the Zoroastrians, located in this area and built of stone. Its history dates back to the Achaemenid era. No one knows the name that was given to it at that time, but in the Sassanian era it was called Ben Khank.
On the three sides of this archaeological building there are two obelisks of King Shapur I and Kartir, and these two obelisks have great historical importance.
Surrounding the building – as we mentioned above – is a wall built in the Sassanid era, on which some inscriptions dating back to the third century AD have been engraved.
■ Shapur and Kartir inscription (Kartir and Shapur battalion)
In 1933, the Middle East Foundation at the University of Chicago discovered an inscription engraved on the Kaaba of Zoroaster. It was written by a high-ranking priest in the Magian religion called Kartir, and this inscription in Persian is called (Kartir Booklet).
These inscriptions were written in three languages: Sassanian Pahlavi, Ashkan Pahlavi, and Greek.
An inscription under the supervision of the High Priest Mobd Mobddan, Mobdhan al-Mawabdha in Arabic sources, called Kardir Hormizd or Mobd Ormzd, in which he describes the piety of King Ardashir I and his son Shapur bin Ardashir and the deeds they did for the sake of religion, especially their wars with the Romans.
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3- Naqsh Rajab – Istakhar city
■ Sculptures in a large cleft in one of the Zagros Mountains, dating back to the Sassanian era
Naqsh Rajab is one of the most important heritage areas dating back to the Sassanian era. It is located three kilometers from the ruins of Takht Jamshid, next to the road linking Naqsh-e Rostam, where it rests in a large cleft in one of the mountains.
■ Number of sculptures 4
The stone inscriptions in Naqsh Rajab include 4 reliefs of the coronation of King Ardashir Babakan, a statue of the great monk Krater, and a statue of King Shapur I and his coronation process.
1- The coronation sculpture of King Ardashir Babakan Shir depicts this king performing honorary ceremonies and receiving the royal crown from the Allah Ahura Mazda. Next to him are two children, one of whom may be Hormuz I and the second his crown prince. Behind him is one of the greatest leaders of the Sassanian era, whose image is engraved in many rock carvings. Sasanian.
2- The sculpture of the great monk Crater, who was the first religious leader in the Sassanian era, depicts him raising his hand in respect. Next to him are inscribed inscriptions in the Pahlavi language. Some of their inscriptions have disappeared. As for the remaining inscriptions, they indicate that this monk provided great services to Allah.
3- The sculpture of King Shapur I of Sassanid and the Allah Ahura Mazda. It refers to them riding two horses, and King Shapur being crowned with the crown of royalty by the Allah Ahura Mazda. However, it is unfortunate that some of the details of these inscriptions have disappeared.
4- On the left side of the Rajab inscription, there is a sculpture of King Shapur I of Sassanid, sitting on a horse, and behind him are nine members of the royal court and army leaders, as well as Hormuz I of Sassanid, who was the crown prince at the time.
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Antiquities of Kermanshah Province
Located in Beeston
Behistun is a country in western Iran, west of the city of Kermanshah, known for its rock-cut statues from the Achaemenid and Sasanian eras. These statues are considered among the best produced by Persian art.
In the Bastoun complex there are many statues of the Achaemenean kings, as well as a statue of Hercules and other Greek sculptures.
The most important work in Biston is Naqsh Biston.
4- Bastoon’s role
The Bestun Inscription is a multilingual inscription located on Mount Bestun in Kermanshah Province in Iran, near the city of Kermanshah in western Iran. The reason for its importance is that this inscription was decisive in deciphering the cuneiform texts.
The “Beston Inscription” was written by King Darius
● The inscription was authenticated by Darius I sometime between his coronation as king of the Persian Empire in the summer of 522 BC and his death in the fall of 486 BC.
● The inscription includes three versions of the same text, written in three different cuneiform languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian (a later form of Akkadian).
Scientists say that the origin of the inscription is in cuneiform, which is what the Rosetta Stone represents to the Egyptian hieroglyphic language, because it is the most important document in decoding textual writing systems.
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This is a summary of all the antiquities found in Iran
■ All important antiquities are located in two governorates
■ All important monuments are located in three cities
■ All important antiquities are located in four locations
■ All important effects included
1- Broken buildings
(Columns, statues, stone squares for rooms, and a small stone building in the shape of a room)
2- Statues carved on the rock
(Persian kings, Greek and Persian figures, soldiers, and heroes)
3- Engraved texts
(four inscriptions)
■ Names of historical Iranian inscriptions
1- Nas Darius – Birbulis – Takht Jamshid
2- Text of Khashayar Shah – Persepolis – Takht Jamshid
3- Nass Shabur and Kartir – Istakhar – Naqsh Rostam
4- Text of Darius – Biston – Naqsh Biston
■ Written languages in Iranian inscriptions
1- The text of Shapur and Kartir is written in three languages
Sassanian Pahlavi, Seleucid Pahlavi, and the Greek language.
2- The text of Darius is written in three languages
Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian
■ Number of inscriptions written in ancient Persian – 3
1- The role of Darius – Takht Jamshid
2- The role of Khashayar Shah – Takht Jamshid
3- The role of Biston – Biston
■ Number of inscriptions written in the Pahlavi language – 1
1- Text of Shapur and Kartir
■ Number of inscriptions written in cuneiform script – 3
1- The role of Darius – Takht Jamshid
2- The role of Khashayar Shah – Takht Jamshid
3- The role of Biston – Biston
■ Number of inscriptions written in Elamite script – 1
1- Text of Shapur and Kartir
■ The content of the themes found in the four inscriptions
1- The role of Darius – Takht Jamshid
“Here I am, the great king Darius, king of kings, king of countries and lands, son of Vishtasp the Achaemenid, who built this palace. May Ahura Mazda support me and protect this country from all the enemies, drought, and lies that afflict it, and protect it from every evil that befalls it. And I ask for this. From Ahura Mazda as a gift, in the hope that Ahura Mazda will give it to me.”
2- The role of Khashayar Shah – Takht Jamshid
“Ahura Mazda is the great Allah, who created the earth and created the sky for it, who created man and created for him joy and happiness, and who appointed Kheshrayar Shah as king and chose him from the rest of the kings and others. Here I am, the great king Kheshrayar Shah, the king of kings, the king of the lands in which races live.” And different nationalities of people, the king of this vast land and the son of Dariush, the Achaemenid king. All the buildings and buildings were built by order of Ahura Mazda, and there are a large number of other luxurious buildings in the city of Pars that were built by my father and I. Every building and building looks wonderful, we built them by order From Ahura Mazda.”
3 – The role of Kartir and Shabur – the role of Rostam
This inscription included 19 articles, the summary of which is as follows:
● At the beginning, he introduces Kartir himself, then lists his common titles in that era of time. He mentions that his title is Mu’abid, which is a title given to a priest and expresses a religious degree. Then he describes, as we mentioned previously, the piety of King Ardashir I and his son Shapur bin Ardashir and the deeds they did in The path of religion, especially their wars with the Romans.
● Then he says, addressing the king:
“And I, Karter, declared my grief and regret from the beginning to the gods and kings and to my own soul, so I made fire flourish in the kingdom of Persia and in the kingdom of Aniran as well. I expelled the doctrines of Ahriman and the demons from the kingdom, and I defeated the Al-Yahoud, Buddhists, Brahmans, Al-Nasarah, Al-Nasarah, Mandaeans, and Manichaeans.” .
● Then he proudly mentions the countries and cities that Shapur I captured, and concludes the battalion by praying for him and worshiping him.
4- The role of Biston – Biston
● The inscription begins with a brief biography of Darius, including his ancestors and lineage.
● Darius then recounts a long series of events that followed the murder of Cyrus the Great and Cambyses II, who fought nineteen battles in the period of one year (ending in December 521 BC) to put down multiple rebellions throughout the Persian state. The inscription details the rebellion, which resulted in the deaths of Cyrus the Great and his son Cambyses II, and was orchestrated by numerous impostors and conspirators in various cities throughout the empire, each of whom was falsely claiming royal blood during the turmoil after Cyrus’ death. . Darius the Great declared himself victorious in all battles during the period of turmoil, attributing his success to Ahura Mazda.
● Darius mentions in the inscription all the nationalities that he ruled, which are as follows: the Medes, the Elamites, the Heratians, the Egyptians, the Balchians, the Sigritians, the Aramenes, the Babylonians, the Syrians, and the Scythians.
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■ The nature of texts
Personal, political, religious and historical
But the prominent feature of texts in general is the personal feature, and it appears prominent and clear in all the inscriptions…a prominent feature.
All inscriptions begin with the person introducing himself and proving his presence on the stage of history, and talking about his rule and control over large regions of the world.
The inscriptions of Darius and his son… have a purely personal character, mentioning their names, listing their achievements, and their reverence for the Allah Ahuramazda.
The inscription of Shapur Kartir ……….. An inscription written by a priest, in which he talks about himself and the religious dome, and talks about the prosperity of fire in the kingdom of Persia and Anir, then he is proud of the king’s achievements, glorifies them, and prays for him.
The Bastun Inscription…an inscription written by Darius that talks about his name and lineage, then he recounts part of the ancient history of the kings who preceded him, and how he was able to be victorious in the end, thanks to Ahuramazda…then he enumerates the names of the peoples that he ruled.
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This is a summary of the monuments and archaeology in Iran
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now
How can we know the nature of religion in ancient Iran?
The only source that talks about religion in ancient Iran is the Kartir Shapur inscription, because it was written by the chief cleric.
A person speaks and introduces himself as the chief cleric in the region, and the inscription does not talk about Zoroaster or Zoroastrianism at all. There is a kind of praise and praising, not worship, praising water, fire, and livestock.
Let me quote to you a talk by an Iranian thinker and researcher, Nasser Porbirar:
“When you do not find (before Islam) in Mesopotamia, Iran, the Middle East, or anywhere, a name from Zoroaster, then where is this religion and where are its extensions? If this religion had prevailed before Islam, it should have been mentioned somewhere. This is why I have to those who claim the existence of Zoroaster.” The books of Avesta and Zend must provide historical documents that prove this matter.
Those who claim the existence of religions or wisdom in ancient Iran or anything cultural or civilizational before the emergence of Islam have not presented any documents, nor any rock inscriptions, nor even coins. Without these documents, talk in this area turns into myths, as we can accept them as myths. Not only.”
As for the ancient Persian language
The ancient Persian language, in which the Avesta was initially written, has three inscriptions written in cuneiform script, and the number of words in these inscriptions reaches approximately 100 words.
As for the Pahlavi language in which the book of the Avesta was written in the second stage, there is only one inscription: the Kartir inscription, and the number of words in this inscription is approximately 100.
Imagine that only 200 words… are all that the ancient Persian language and the Pahlavi language left behind for civilization… Imagine that a civilization that spanned 1000 years left us with 200 words. ….And we cannot use two of them to express serious cultural, artistic and religious issues. All of these words are simple, everyday words in which there is neither wisdom nor literature…. 200 They do not express at all the existence of an integrated language at all, and there is no talk in them of religious, cultural, or scientific aspects.
Where is the ancient Persian language and where is the language of the Book of Avesta?!
But what about the occurrence of the name of the Allah Ahuramazda, whom Zoroastrians still worship today?
True.. According to official sources, and history written by the West, the name of Ahuramazda was mentioned in three inscriptions in Iran.
1- The role of Darius – Takht Jamshid
2- The role of Khashayar Shah – Takht Jamshid
3- The role of Biston – Biston
Now… imagine that the ancient history of Iran, which extended over 1000 years, left us with only four ancient texts… and all of these inscriptions were as if to confirm the history that reached us through paper books.
Therefore, I believe that the mistake that occurred was that Zoroaster’s name was supposed to be Darius, because according to the Greek historical sources, this man was a king and a religious man, and he reached the pinnacle of glory with religion, and here the error occurred among those who read the Greek sources, because he transferred the name in the opposite way, so it became Darius. He is (Zarad – Shet). Therefore, this religious character was established as a symbol of religion.
As for the name of Ahuramazda, which appears in the inscriptions… we believe that the name is according to what the West tells us… because what is certain is that all the inscriptions in Iran are forged.
Or in other words, it was introduced very recently.
Am I exaggerating?
Let us tell you the true story of the discovery of these four inscriptions and their history…and the true story of the three languages that always appear in all the inscriptions of the region, including Greek, as in the Rosetta Stone, which is always credited with deciphering the inscriptions of the region.
He follows
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