Ceremonial hall of Sassanid palace discovered in western Iran
TEHRAN, June 10 (MNA) — A team of archaeologists has discovered ruins
of the ceremonial hall of the Sassanid era Khosrow Palace near the
city of Qasr-e Shirin in the western Iranian province of Kermanshah,
the Persian service of CHN reported on Friday.
The hall was constructed of cobblestone and gypsum and measures
12.5×26 meters.
`Studies indicate that the hall had a large arch built of bricks of
different sizes overhead,’ team director Yusef Moradi said.
The hall is surrounded by a number of porticos with stone and brick
columns, and the team recently discovered frescos on the columns, he
added.
Covering an area of 75,000 square meters, the palace was built by the
Sassanid king Khosrow II for his Armenian Christian wife Shirin. Some
Iranian and Arab geographers and historians of the early Islamic era
called the palace one of the wonders of the world.
Archaeological studies are underway to determine the original
appearance of Khosrow Palace.
The region was excavated by French archeologist and prehistorian
Jacques de Morgan in the late nineteenth century, British
archaeologist and writer Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell in 1910 and
1911, and then by Oscar Reuter. Each one prepared architectural plans
of the Khosrow Palace, but the Iranian team believes that none of the
plans are reliable.
The archaeological team working at the site recently discovered a wall
surrounding the palace about 40 kilometers in length, which they
believe was used as a defensive device for the palace.
Moradi said last February that the team is also searching for traces
of Byzantine emperor Heraclius (ruled 610-641) at the palace.
Khosrow II (reigned 590-628) began a long war against the Byzantine
Empire in 602 and by 619 had conquered almost all southwestern Asia
Minor and Egypt.
Further expansion was prevented by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius,
who between 622 and 627 drove the Persians back within their original
borders. Many experts believe that the Khosrow Palace had been sacked
and pillaged by Heraclius.