Bishapur

Bishapur

Bishapur (Middle Persian: Vēh-Šābuhr or Bēšābūr; in Middle Persian inscriptions: 𐭡𐭩𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩 Byšḥpwḥry or 𐭡𐭩𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭫𐭩 Byšḥpwḥly; in Parthian: 𐭅𐭉𐭇𐭔𐭇𐭐𐭅𐭇𐭓 Wyhšhypwhr; in Sogdian: ܘܝݎܫܦܘܪ Wyxšpwr; in Syriac: ܒܝܫܗܒܘܪ; Persian: بیشاپور) was an ancient city in Iran and one of the capitals of the Sasanian Empire, near the city of Kazerun. This city, listed among Iran's World Heritage Sites, covers an area of about 200 hectares and contains a rich complex of historical monuments and structures. Bishapur was founded in AD 266 by order of Shapur I to commemorate the Sasanian victory over the Roman Empire, and it remained one of the most important cities of the empire until the Muslim conquest of Persia. After the Islamic period began, the city gradually declined, and most of its inhabitants migrated to Kazerun due to its destruction from the war. Bishapur is one of the few ancient cities in Iran that was built according to Greek urban planning principles. During the Sasanian period, it rivaled the great and prosperous cities of the Eastern Roman Empire, such as Antioch and Byzantium. According to historical sources, Bishapur was a fertile and verdant city surrounded by tall fortifications and had four gates named Hormoz, Mehr, Bahram, and Shahr. It also contained two fire temples known as Sasan and Gonbad-e Golshan. The city, roughly 2 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, was laid out on a rectangular plan with two main streets running north–south and east–west, intersecting at the city's center. Along these axes and in the right-angled grid of streets and alleys stood royal palaces richly decorated with stucco reliefs, mosaic-adorned iwans, temples, spacious audience halls, and other elaborate structures featuring large carved capitals and architectural embellishments. Bishapur is one of the main archaeological sites of the Kazerun region, known for its rich Sasanian heritage.

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Australian Defence Force.

First Anglo-Afghan War.

Bishapur

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