Archaeological research launched at Sassanid Palace of Firuzabad
The first season of the comprehensive research and archaeological excavation project at the Sassanid Palace of Firuzabad, known also as Ardashir Babakan Palace, has officially begun. The project is being conducted through an integrated approach combining archaeology, historical architecture, and cultural landscape studies. It is directed by Azita Mirzaei of the Research Institute of Archaeology and is supported by the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization of Fars Province, as well as the UNESCO-listed Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of the Fars Region.
This research project has been designed and implemented with the aim of producing reliable and well-documented reference data, reinterpreting the architectural–ritual functions of the palace, and clarifying buried architectural structures, particularly in the northern part of the site, IRNA reported.
During this season of research, a range of modern documentation techniques and non-destructive investigation methods are being employed. These include high-precision topographic surveying, terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry using drones, and geophysical studies. In addition, targeted excavations of the architectural remains in the courtyard located opposite the northern ivan are included in the research agenda, with the objective of clarifying the building’s functions and establishing its chronology.
Focusing on field data and archaeological analyses, this research seeks to reinterpret the architectural–ritual functions and the evolutionary development of the palace in relation to the Sassanid Archaeological Landscape, and can contribute to enhancing scholarly understanding of the site’s position within the architectural system and settlement patterns of the Sassanid period.
This season of excavation will continue until late February, and a ten-member research and executive team is currently present on site conducting excavation operations. The scientific outcomes of this season’s work will be announced in due course.
The Ardashir Babakan Palace, located five kilometers from Firuzabad, is among the summer palaces of Ardashir I of the Sassanid dynasty. Built of stone and gypsum mortar, the palace is renowned for its magnificent stucco work and decorative elements in its halls, and it bears a close resemblance to the Tachara Palace, the exclusive building of Darius I at Persepolis.
Qal‘eh Dokhtar of Firuzabad is located six kilometers from the Firuzabad–Shiraz road. The structure, situated on the slope of a mountain overlooking the road, features refined and impressive architecture and was constructed using rubble stone, rammed gypsum, and sarooj mortar.
The Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of the Fars Region is the official designation given by UNESCO to eight Sassanid archaeological sites located in southeastern Fars Province, Iran. The property was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2018.