Temple of Anahita, Bishapur

Temple of Anahita

‎𐭠𐭭𐭠𐭤𐭩𐭲𐭠‎𐭬𐭠𐭡𐭣 معبد آناهیتا
Temple of Anahita in Bishapur
Shown within Iran Show map of Iran Temple of Anahita, Bishapur (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia
Location	Kazerun, Fars province, Iran
Coordinates	29°46′48″N 51°34′30″E / 29.780°N 51.575°E / 29.780; 51.575
Type	Temple
History
Builder	Shapur I
Material	Limestone, Metal
Founded	3rd century AD
Abandoned	1101 AD
Periods	Sasanian Empire
Cultures	Persian
Site notes
Condition	Ruins
Management	Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran
Public access	Open
Website	salfbase.ir
Architecture
Architectural styles	Achaemenid
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, vi
Designated	2018 (42nd session)
Reference no.	1568
Region	Asia-Pacific

The Temple of Anahita or the Shrine of Anahita (Middle Persian: Ādur-Anāhīd) is one of the famous monuments of the ancient city of Bishapur, located near the city of Kazerun.

The temple was built in the 3rd century AD by the order of the Sasanian king Shapur I. It was registered in 1310 SH^[a] as one of the first national monuments of Iran. It is also listed as part of the Bishapur complex in the UNESCO World Heritage List.^[1]

The Temple of Anahita is located near the Royal palace of Shapur I and adjacent to the Iwan-e Mosaic and Ceremonial Hall in the northeast of the ancient city of Bishapur, one of the capitals of the Sasanian Empire, 15 kilometers west of the city of Kazerun.^[2]

The Temple of Anahita was built in the second half of the 3rd century AD by order of Shapur I, the Sassanid king, in the city of Bishapur.^[3] The first excavations in the ancient city of Bishapur were conducted in 1935 under the leadership of French archaeologist Roman Ghirshman. During this excavation, Ghirshman succeeded in obtaining a full-scale sketch of the side corridors of the Anahita Temple. After a long hiatus in the excavation of the city of Bishapur, the operation was resumed under the leadership of Ali Akbar Sarfaraz in 1968. In this excavation operation, which lasted several years, the Anahita Temple was excavated and then organized and restored.^[4]

The Anahita Temple was a place of worship for Anahita, an Aryan goddess. It was also the site of religious celebrations during the Sassanid period, during the seasons when the Shapur River flowed into the temple, and for ritual purification before entering the Fire temple.^[5][6][7]

The Temple of Anahita is a large rectangular room in the shape of a cube in a depression 6 meters above the ground, each side of which is nearly 14 meters. It is built of carved stones without mortar, double-walled, and in the Achaemenid architectural style. These stones are connected to each other with iron fasteners. A staircase from the palace was also connected to this temple. The temple has no roof and the purpose was to bring the water of the Shapur River, which flows 250 meters away, into the temple, so that after flowing inside the temple, it would be discharged through a Qanat.^[8][9]

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  معبد آناهیتا
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  نیایشگاه آناهیتا بیشاپور
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  نیایشگاه آناهیتا بیشاپور
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  نمای بیرونی
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  دیواره نیایشگاه
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