Bishapur, a City Shrouded in Mystery

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Sasanian Dynasty

The Shapur river flows down the Arjan mountain, finding its way southwards and bringing beauty and freshness to plains around Bishpur (the beautiful city of Shapur). The city used to be the jewel in the crown of the cities of the Sasanid Iran. Currently, what remains of the city is its encircling walls and its interior buildings.

Located 23 km from Kazerun in the Fars province, the city's ruins are now considered among major tourist attractions in the country.

Bishapur was built on orders from Emperor Shapur I (the Great) in a place astride Susa, Persepolis and Ctesiphon. There were two columns in the city one of which carries in the Arsacid and Sasanid scripts date of the construction of the city, that is 966.

The architecture of the city was designed in a way that all northern, eastern, southern and western streets would meet at the center of the city, while the well-to-do used to live at the middle of gardens.

The rectangular shape of Bishapur was designed to weather the local climate features. The city included three parts, the first of which housed religious and administrative buildings such as the Anahita temple and a mosaic yard, encircled by a fortified wall. The Dokhtar castle was the second part meant to guard the city. The area outside of the wall of the city was the third part. Bishapur was a booming town until the 12th century.