page_title: Palace of Ardashir
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Palace of Ardashir / Description
caption_attribution_description: Identifier: historyofallnati02wrig Title: A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library Year: 1905 (1900s) Authors: Wright, John Henry, 1852-1908 Subjects: World history Publisher: [Philadelphia, New York&#160;: Lea Brothers &amp; company Contributing Library: University of California Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: d was thence imported to Persia. Inthe fifth century Chinese junks sailed directly to Hirah; but afterthe eighth century the trade was confined once more to Ceylon,whither the Persians and Arabians were in the habit of makingvoyages. The endeavor to introduce life into the representationled to an unnecessary multiplication of figures without action. Thehorses have an elephantine character, and are far behind the noblesteeds represented at Persepolis. Yet there are a few reliefs, as, forexample, the two tourneys under the Tomb of Darius, that showgreat power and animation. The sculptures are without exceptionthe work of Persian artists. The inscriptions are sorely weather-worn and damaged, which is greatly to be lamented, because severalof them apparently contain much explanatory historical information;this is the case with the inscription on the fire-temple at Pä-i-Kuli,near Zohab, north of Khanikin, of which only fragments are known. Vol. II.—17 258 THE EMPIRE OF THE SASSAXIAJSfS, Text Appearing After Image: Fig. 65. — Palace of Firuzabad. In Sassanian architecture, Graeco-Roman elements are noticeable.Certain monuments, as, for example, that of Tak-i-Bostan, are direct imitations of Roman works&#160;; likewisethe construction of the palace ofKhvarnak in Hirah is ascribed to aRoman or Byzantine architect withthe Babylonian name of Sinimmar,Here the Parthians had set the exam-ple, as can be seen by the temple ofArtemis at Konkobar, which, to judgefrom its style, must belong to the timeof Phraates IV. Along side of theseexotic works of Roman architects,there are memorials which betray indigenous art in their Asiaticforms, cupolas, and ancient Persian door-frames. In this categorybelongs the palace at Firuzabad (Figs. 65, 66), which was perhapserected in the fifth century, on the site of the one built by Ar-dashir. Here we find the ancient Persian doors and window-frameswith subordinated round arches, while domes and half-domes are builtin ovulate form. This form of construction,with domes on p Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: The Palace of Ardashir Pāpakan, also known as the Atash-kadeh آتشکده, is a castle located on the slopes of the mountain on which Dezh Dokhtar is situated. Built in AD 224 by King Ardashir I of the Sassanian Empire, it is located two kilometers north of the ancient city of Gor, i.e. the old city of Artakhsher Khwarah/Khor Adashir/Gor Adesheer in Pars, in ancient Persia. The ancient city where the palace is located, was renamed "Peroz" after Ardashir established the Sassanian Empire by overthrowing Ardavan, the last Parthian king. After the Arabian conquest, Peroz was called Firuz, and the name remained. The modern city of Firuzabad is hence, of important significance in Persian history.
context_section_description: The structure contains three domes, among other features, making it slightly larger and more magnificent than its predecessor, the nearby castle of  Dezh Dokhtar. However, it seems that the compound was designed to display the royalty image of Ardashir I, rather than being a fortified structure for defense purposes. That is why perhaps it would be best to refer to the structure as a "palace" rather than a "castle", even though it has huge walls on the perimeters (twice as thick as Ghal'eh Dokhtar), and is a contained structure. From the architectural design, it seems the palace was more of a place of social gathering where guests would be introduced to the imperial throne. 
  What is particularly interesting about this palace is that its architectural design does not exactly fall into that of the Parthians or even Sassanian category; the design is a unique design particular to architects of Fars.
  The palace was built next to a picturesque pond that was fed by a natural spring, perhaps in connection with the Persian goddess of water and growth, Anahita. The spring is thought to have fed a royal garden, in the same way that Cyrus had his garden (bustan) built at Pasargadae. The pond was tiled on its sides, surrounded by pavement for guests of the royal court to enjoy the evenings by.
  The structure is 104 m (340 ft) by 55 m (180 ft). The iwan is 18 m (60 ft) high, although it has partially collapsed. The structure was built of local rocks and mortar with plasterwork on the insides. The style of the interior design is comparable to that of Tachara palace at Persepolis.
caption: Interior elevation, Palace of Ardashir, 1905
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