TEHRAN – An archaeological team has uncovered the remains of a structure dating back to the Sassanid era in western Iran, which they believe could be the ruins of a fire temple.

The discovery was made during a heritage protection survey at the archaeological site of Malatabad, located in Gilan-e Gharb county of Kermanshah province, ISNA reported.

The investigation was conducted under the supervision of Iran’s Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

Naser Aminikhah, the head of the archaeological team at Malatabad, underlined the challenges faced by ancient sites across the country due to urban development, which threatens the preservation of historical landmarks.

“Gilan-e Gharb is no exception to this issue. The expansion of the village of Malatabad on the southern outskirts of the county has surrounded the archaeological site. Without proper attention from relevant authorities, this invaluable cultural heritage may face the risk of destruction,” Aminikhah warned.

He emphasized that delineating heritage zones and their legal boundaries not only aids in the preservation of archaeological sites but also prevents confusion among local people who wish to develop housing in areas close to historical sites.

The site of Malatabad consists of two mounds located approximately 300 meters apart. However, surface findings and cultural materials from excavations indicate that the site dates to both the Sassanid and Islamic periods, with minor evidence of earlier, prehistoric activity.

The remains of the Sassanid-era structure has been identified in the smaller mound, Aminikhah said.

“While a large portion of the structure has unfortunately been lost due to a lack of prior preservation efforts, what remains is a 2-meter-high mound covering an area of about 700 square meters,” he added.

Aminikhah expressed hope that further excavation will shed new light on the history of the region and provide deeper insights into its ancient heritage.

The discovery adds to the growing body of knowledge about Iran’s rich Sassanid past, with archaeologists hopeful that ongoing research will uncover more about the site’s significance in ancient times.

The Sassanid era (224 CE–651) is of very high importance in the history of Iran. Under Sassanids, Persian art and architecture experienced a general renaissance. Architecture often took grandiose proportions, such as palaces at Ctesiphon, Firuzabad, and Sarvestan, which are amongst the highlights of the ensemble.

Crafts such as metalwork and gem engraving grew highly sophisticated, yet scholarship was encouraged by the state. In those years, works from both the East and West were translated into Pahlavi, the language of the Sassanians.

The Sassanid archaeological landscape also represents a highly efficient system of land use and strategic utilization of natural topography in the creation of the earliest cultural centers of the Sassanid civilization.

In 2018, UNESCO added an ensemble of Sassanian historical cities in southern Iran — titled “Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region”-- to its World Heritage list. The ensemble comprises eight archaeological sites situated in three geographical parts of Firuzabad, Bishapur, and Sarvestan. It reflects the optimized utilization of natural topography and bears witness to the influence of Achaemenid and Parthian cultural traditions and Roman art that later made a significant impact on the architecture and artistic styles of the Islamic era.

Kermanshah, formerly Bakhtaran, the capital of Kermanshah province, was founded in the 4th century CE by Bahram IV of the Sasanian dynasty. Conquered by the Arabs in 640, the town was called Qirmasin (Qirmashin). Under the Seljuk rule in the 11th century, it was the chief town of Kordestan. The Safavids (ruled 1501–1736) fortified the town, and the Qajars repulsed an attack by the Turks during Fath Ali Shah’s rule (1797–1834). Occupied by the Turkish army in 1915 during World War I, it was evacuated in 1917. The construction of a road in the 1950s over the age-old Khorasan track added considerably to the importance of the city.

AM