Sassanid

By Afshin Majlesi

Iran and Uzbekistan: Where shared history comes alive in Tashkent

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - As an Iranian journalist visiting Tashkent, I found myself looking at the huge Islamic Civilization Center from two perspectives. I was a visitor discovering the depth of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage. I was also an Iranian looking for familiar traces of a civilization that has never respected the borders drawn on today’s maps.

2026-09-26 17:31

Conservation project launched for Sasanian King Shapur I statue in southern Iran

TEHRAN – The first phase of a new conservation and rehabilitation project has begun on the monumental statue of Sasanian King Shapur I in Shapur Cave, near Kazerun in southern Iran, the head of the Sasanian Archaeological Landscape of Fars said.

2026-09-25 16:39

Zoroastrian funerary inscription from late Sasanian era discovered in southern Iran

TEHRAN - A newly discovered funerary inscription dating to the late Sasanian period and associated with a Zoroastrian burial has been found in a carved frame north of the ancient city of Estakhr in Marvdasht plain of Fars province, southern Iran.

2026-09-23 18:32

30 Sasanian silver coins restored in Isfahan workshop

TEHRAN - Thirty silver coins dating to the Sasanian period have undergone specialized conservation and restoration at the restoration workshop of the Cultural Heritage Department in Iran’s central Isfahan province, the provincial heritage chief has said.

2026-09-15 17:16

Newly discovered ‘Sasanian’ rock engravings depict mountain goat, horses in southern Iran

TEHRAN – Needle-engraved rock art depicting a mountain goat and horses dating to the Sasanian period (224–651 CE) have recently been found on the rocky outcrops of the Marvdasht Plain in southern Iran.

2026-09-08 16:49

From sacred spring to stone museum: the long journey of Khusro II's bust

Located north of Kermanshah, the Taq-e Bostan archaeological complex is renowned for its magnificent Sasanian rock reliefs and royal grottoes.

2026-08-23 17:12

Rock art: Tiny Sasanian bird motif discovered in southern Iran

TEHRAN – Archaeologist Abolhasan Atabaki has reported the discovery of what he describes as the smallest known bird motif from the Sasanian period, measuring just 3 by 2 centimeters and engraved on the rocks of the Marvdasht Plain in Fars province, southern Iran.

2026-07-29 17:29

Study points to Sasanian military control reaching Indian Ocean

TEHRAN - A comprehensive geochemical study of ancient transport containers from the Fulayj fort in Oman has provided compelling new evidence of extensive maritime trade networks linking the Iranian heartlands with the Arabian coast during the Late Sasanian and Early Islamic periods.

2026-07-17 16:43

Iran, Iraq can expand cooperation on shared Sassanian heritage sites: official

TEHRAN - Manouchehr Habibi, the governor-general of Iran’s Kermanshah province, has said that Iran and Iraq can broaden cooperation on shared Sassanian heritage sites through joint cultural and tourism projects linked to the proposed Sassanian historical route extending from western Iran into eastern Iraq.

Dehdasht urban development plan approved after 20-year delay, linking growth to historic preservation

2026-06-21 17:57

Dehdasht development plan approved after 20-year delay, linking growth to historic preservation

TEHRAN - Authorities in Iran's southwestern Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad province have approved and issued a new comprehensive urban development plan for the city of Dehdasht after a 20-year delay, a move officials said would support tourism development and the preservation of the historic Belad-e Shapur district.

2026-06-02 17:25

New hall and ritual offering tables unearthed at Vigol fire temple site

TEHRAN – Archaeologists working at the ancient Vigol archaeological site in central Iran have discovered a new hall and the remains of ritual offering tables during the third season of excavations at the site, a cultural heritage official said on Monday.

2026-05-30 18:16

Quri Qaleh: Discover one of Asia’s longest water caves in western Iran

TEHRAN - Nestled in the foothills of the Shaho mountain range in western Iran, Quri Qaleh Cave stands as one of the country’s most remarkable natural attractions. Located near the village of Quri Qaleh, approximately 86 to 90 kilometers northwest of the city of Kermanshah and about 10 kilometers from Paveh, the cave is a geological masterpiece that combines natural beauty, ancient history, and ecological significance.

2026-05-30 18:05

Iranian researchers uncover likely image of last Sasanian king

TEHRAN - Researchers from University of Tehran have identified what they believe may be the last known portrait of Yazdegerd III, the final king of the Sasanian Empire, following archaeological excavations at the ancient Bazeh Hur fire temple in northeastern Iran, according to a study published in the Italian academic journal East and West.

2026-05-19 19:55

A look at Iran’s treasure trove in Russia

The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, houses one of the most important and richest collections of pre-Islamic Iranian art and artifacts in the world. This unique collection ranges from Elamite pottery to Achaemenid reliefs and Parthian coins, offering visitors a vivid picture of the history and art of ancient Iran.

2026-05-05 23:55

Warnings raised over threats to UNESCO-listed Sassanid landscape in southern Iran

TEHRAN - Iranian cultural heritage authorities have issued a warning over a series of escalating threats facing the UNESCO-listed Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region, citing structural decay, incomplete excavations, and ongoing legal and management challenges that risk undermining one of the country’s most significant historical ensembles.

2026-02-25 10:03

Boundary survey commenced around Asirabad historical mound in Saveh

TEHRAN – A team of archaeologists and cultural heritage experts has begun a field survey to propose a protective buffer zone for the Asirabad historical mound, which is located in the southeastern part of Saveh, a local official said on Tuesday.

2026-02-18 17:12

Discover ancient pottery skills practiced by women in Hormozgan’s Behdeh village

TEHRAN-- In the hinterland of the Persian Gulf and in the east of Hormozgan province, the village of Behdeh is a little-known gem, carrying ancient knowledge in the field of handmade pottery; knowledge that is rooted in the historical memory and daily life of the women of this land.

2026-02-09 14:55

Archaeological excavations continue at Yazdgerd III Castle

TEHRAN-- According to the director of Kermanshah’s Parthian-Sassanid Axis World Heritage Site, given that many secrets still remain about Yazdgerd III Castle, continuing archaeological excavations, restoration, and preservation of the ancient monument are on the agenda.

2026-02-02 17:02

MP hails Belad-e Shapur’s bazaar restoration

TEHRAN-- Revival of the historical Belad-e Shapur Bazaar in Dehdasht, Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad province, is a lasting and effective measure.

2026-01-28 17:06

Qasr-e Shirin needs decades of archaeological work, heritage official says

TEHRAN - Iran’s western county of Qasr-e Shirin requires up to a century of archaeological research due to the number of historical sites dating back to the Sassanid period, a senior provincial heritage official said on Tuesday.

2026-01-28 16:57

Siraf historic port dossier submitted to UNESCO for World Heritage review

TEHRAN - Iran has formally submitted the nomination dossier for the historic port of Siraf to UNESCO for review and possible inscription on the World Heritage list, the deputy minister for cultural heritage said on Wednesday.

2026-01-25 17:25

Heritage sites in Fars province to be monitored by drones

TEHRAN – Fars’ cultural heritage department is set to use drones and electronic monitoring systems to oversee nationally and globally registered heritage sites scattered across the southern Iranian province.

2026-01-04 17:19

Mend pottery, narrative of 5,000 years of art, culture, life in desert

TEHRAN--Pottery artifacts from the village of Mend with geometric and plant motifs, discovered in excavations conducted around Gonabad, indicate the advanced civilization of people of this region about 5,000 years ago.

2026-01-03 16:55

Khor and Biabanak could emerge as desert tourism hub

TEHRAN--The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has launched a targeted approach to strengthen the desert tourism, support the Sassanid heritage, and improve the residential and service infrastructure of Khor and Biabanak county in Isfahan province. The balanced development of desert tourism will be one of the future drivers of Iran's cultural economy.

2025-12-24 16:30

Borujerd apple festival registered in tourism events calendar

TEHRAN--Borujerd apple festival in Lorestan province was registered in Iran’s tourism events calendar, said the head of the Borujerd Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department on Wednesday.

2025-12-23 17:33

Sasanian-era pottery jar discovered in southern Iran

TEHRAN – A pottery jar dating back to the Sasanian era has recently been discovered in Dehqaed village of Bushehr province, southern Iran, following recent rainfall, the provincial tourism chief said on Tuesday.

2025-12-22 17:45

Archaeologist says pomegranate origin traces back to the Iranian plateau

TEHRAN--Pomegranate is not only a plant native to the Iranian plateau, but also a symbol of civilization that has been present in Iranian culture as a symbol of fertility, blessing, and continuity of life, at least since the Iron Age until today, and rituals such as Yalda Night are a direct continuation of this ancient tradition.

Sassanid-era inscription referring to royal festival discovered

2025-12-15 17:02

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