| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Abstract
The institutions of religion and state had a deep connection during the Sasanian period. Fire temples played an important role in national unity with governmental support throughout Iran, aiding the central government by conducting religious ceremonies. Fire altars, as part of the Sasanian fire temples, were essential for worship and one of the most important tools of worship in Zoroastrianism, serving as the place and throne of the great god; therefore, they are considered among the most sacred parts of fire temples. Sasanian fire altars varied in shape and material, serving different purposes. Most Sasanian fire altars were made of stone or gypsum, with a few cases made of clay. Some fire altars were cone-shaped with spoon or simple designs. An interesting point to note is that in the province of Fars (including the present-day provinces of Fars and Bushehr, and parts of the neighboring areas) during the Sasanian period, all discovered fire altars were made of stone. Except for a few cases possibly dedicated to Azar-Bahram, all the other discovered fire temples had gypsum fire altars. With this description, there may be a specific meaning hidden in the choice of fire altar material during the Sasanian period. The question raised here is about the geographical location of fire temples in relation to the material of fire altars whether a clear connection could be established between the Sasanian-Period Fars and the construction materials of fire altars or not. This fundamental research was conducted by examining field data, archaeological studies, accidental discoveries from various locations, and utilizing library information. Additionally, one of the known types of fire altars, in the form of a curtain, is depicted on some Sasanian coins. Ultimately, it seems that since Fars was the seat of the Sasanian Empire, they displayed fire on stone fire altars.
Keywords: Sasanian Period, Fire Temple, Fire Altar, Fars Province.
Introduction
The three sacred fires (Adur Faranbagh, Adur Gushnasp, Adur Burzin-Mihr) shone in important fire temples across the country, each associated with one of the three major Iranian empires: the Medes (Adur Gushnasp), the Parthians (Adur Burzin-Mihr), and the Sasanians (Adur Faranbagh). The fire temple Adur Faranbagh in Kariyan was considered the primary fire of Bahram. The fire Adur Gushnasp, possibly originating from ancient Median fires, was located near the Lake Urmia in Shiz (modern Takht-i Soleiman), and Adur Burzin-Mihr was situated in the mountains of Riwand in northwestern Nishapur. The fire of Bahram was revered as a warrior deity for the monarchy, and elaborate purification rituals were performed before placing it on the throne.
Fars province held a special significance as the religious capital of the Sasanians due to the numerous fire temples present, reflecting its religious importance during the Sasanian Period. The material used for constructing fire altars here was predominantly stone. The province was mentioned prominently in the Ka’ba-ye Zartosht inscription by Shahpur I, indicating its importance within the Sasanian Empire.
The research aims to explore the relationship between the material of fire altars and their geographical locations during the Sasanian period. By analyzing the discovered fire altars, insights into the type of fire burning within them and their geographical context could be gained. This study seeks to aid in distinguishing the fire of Bahram from the other known fires and sheds light on the significance of fire altars in the ancient Iranian society.
Fire Altar in Fars Province
The fire altars of Fars Province were classified into three types based on the importance of the fire and the fire site: the victorious fire of Bahram, the local fire or the ancestral fire, and the domestic fire. The Azar Faranbagh fire temple in Karian held the primary position, while the fire altars of Fars included Imamzadeh Hasel, Khevrooyeh Alamarvdasht, Chah Kooreh, Tal-e Shabestan Maz, Kalat Bahrestan, Tomb-e Bot Sheldan, Sargah Asir, Behdeh Gavbandi, Sargah Firouzabad, Shahr-e Gor, and the coastal fire altars such as Tal Shahid, Imamzadeh Shah Nooraldin, Qaleh Borazjan, and the village of Kashtoo in the Dashti district were of the local type. The domestic fire altars sits in the third group, but they have not been identified yet.
The discovered Sasanian fire altars on the coasts of the Persian Gulf, including Tal-e Shahid, Imamzadeh Shah-Nooraldin, Qaleh Borazjan, and the village of Kashtoo, have specific characteristics, such as the following:
1- They are made from limestone.
2- In terms of shape and design, they can be compared to examples from the Fars region and other parts of Iran.
3- They are slightly larger compared to the examples from the other regions of Iran.
4- Like other examples, they have vertical spoon-shaped designs resembling rose petals on their bodies; however, the base design of the fire altars on the coasts of the Persian Gulf is more intricate compared to the other examples.
5- Simple base designs were not observed in the Persian Gulf region, but in other areas, a combination of simple and engraved bases in various shapes and dimensions could be seen.
Fire Altars in the other areas of Iran
During the Sasanian period, gypsum fire altars were prevalent in various regions of Iran. Many gypsum fire altars have been discovered in different parts of Iran, including the following examples:
Vigol Fire Temple in Kashan.
Bandian Fire Temple in Gonabad.
Imamzadeh Mohammad Vli Beyg in Daregaz.
Shiyan Fire Temple.
Mil-e Milagah, along with rectangular and cone-shaped gypsum and stone bases with spoon-shaped grooves on their quadrilateral sides.
Chem Namasht in Darreh Shahr, decorated with floral designs.
Cemetery B in the east of Kakavus, Gonbad-e Kavus.
Neyzar, Qom.
Palangerd, Islamabad, Kermanshah.
Torang Tepe, Gorgan.
Fulad Mahalleh, Semnan.
Koohzad Castle in Rumeshkan, Luristan.
Hajiabad, Darabgerd, Fars.
Qale-Davar, Ban-Zardeh in Qale-Yazgird, Kermanshah.
Arfeh-Deh, Savadkuh, Mazandaran.
Qale-Iraj, Varamin.
Conclusion
Bahram was sat between heaven and earth, serving as the guardian of the throne, and the fires of Bahram, each representing a “Koost” as a geographical, political, and religious unit, bestowed identity. What makes fire and fire temples significant in ancient Iran is the role fire temples played in establishing identity for communities and strengthening social unity and cohesion through the credibility of the blazing fires within them. In this regard, the role of the Bahram fires as the highest-ranking fires with no dependency on other fires, was very prominent. The geographical area under the coverage of a Bahram fire was independent in terms of religious and judicial matters and had its own religious and judicial orders or authorities, with the Bahram fire holding the highest position in that area. Bahram also symbolized and emphasized a certain degree of political and administrative independence. The three Bahram fires, Azar-Faranbagh, Azar-Gushnasp, and Azar-Burzinmehr, were among the most important Sasanian fires and belonged to the category of Bahram fires. These fires were introduced as symbols of the three-tiered identity of priests, warriors, and the general populace by the Sasanian propaganda system. In Zoroastrian culture, Bahram fire was known as “King Bahram’s Fire,” and his establishment ceremony in the fire temple was referred to as “enthronement.” Up to now, approximately 30 fire altars have been obtained from Fars province. Considering that only stone fire altars have been found in Fars Province, these altars had two interesting characteristics: it was the seat of the Sasanian kingship and the location of the Azar-Faranbagh fire. From these important points, two conclusions could be drawn: firstly, given the presence of Azar-Faranbagh in Fars, the throne of kingship was shared with the clergy, and secondly, considering the characteristic of stone fire altars in Fars Province, they were meant to signify the continuity of kingship. Additionally, it is noted that most fire altars have been found broken, except for a few cases. Furthermore, since only one main Bahram fire should have been lit in each province and other fire temples were subordinate to it, it is highly likely that the central fire temple had a stone fire altar while other fire temples had gypsum fire altars. Although we have few information about the gypsum fire altars in the subordinate fire temples of Azar Gushnasp due to the paucity of historical resources, we hope that with increasing archaeological discoveries in the future, we will have more precise results in this regard. Finally, only two examples of fire altars in the background of most Sasanian coins in the form of columns, one in Gur city and the other in Takht-i Soleiman, alongside historical sources, indicate that the Bahram fire was blazing in these two locations. |