Discovering a Fire Temple in Qalʿe-ye Dokhtar of Bazeh Hur and Some Remarks on Ādur Burzēn-Mihr

Abstract

ABSTRACT Due to three seasons of archaeological excavations at Qalʿe-ye Dokhtar of Bazeh Hur in north-eastern Iran, remains of a fire temple were discovered shedding significant light on the ritual architecture of Iran during late antiquity. The Qalʿe-ye Dokhtar temple resembling the western Sasanian fire temples is composed of a main chahartaq which was surrounded by a circumambulatory. This fire temple was made out of bricks and replaced an architectural complex that had been probably established in the Parthian period. The Sasanian fire temple continued to exist until the early Islamic period and was eventually destroyed due to a massive earthquake in the ninth and tenth centuries. Some specific features that were found within the fire temple including fire altars, a mould for producing altars, middle Persian inscriptions, and architectural decorations as well as its location in the ancient province of Pušt tempt us to consider it as the most likely nomination for Ādur Burzēn-Mihr.