TEHRAN – Archaeologists in Iran say a decorative motif known as Gardoun-e Mehr (literary “Mithra Wheel”) or cross-like pattern, carved in plasterwork at an ancient royal palace of Bishapur in Fars province, influenced artistic and architectural designs across the world.

The motif, which some scholars equate with the Greek solar wheel, is visible in the plaster reliefs of the reception hall at Bishapur, a Sassanid-era site in southern Iran. It is positioned above the alcove on the northeast side of the hall, according to reports by Mehr news agency.

Researchers say the circular design may symbolize the cycle of life based on the sun and appears in various forms in historic architecture worldwide. The emblem has been compared to the border motif of the Versace fashion brand and to ancient patterns found in Iraq.

“Today, Gardoun-e Mehr can be clearly identified in the plasterwork of Bishapur,” Mohammad Khalil Mahmoudi, director of the Bishapur heritage base, told Mehr. “This motif has also been documented in Iraq.”

The design, also known as a cross motif, has been identified in multiple cultures and periods. Some historians say it resembles the insignia later used on the Nazi SS flag, though its origins predate modern associations.

Bishapur (literally, “The city of Shapur”) was once the grand capital of Sassanid king Shapur I whose armies defeated the Romans three times. Narratives say much of Bishapur was built by Roman soldiers taken captive after their Emperor Valerian was defeated in c. 260 CE. The city remained an important city until the Arab invasion of Persia and the rise of Islam in the second quarter of the seventh century. It became a center of Islamic learning (a madrassah has been excavated) and there were still people living over here in the tenth century, but the decline started in the seventh century.

Bishapur has undergone several rounds of excavation so far. The Palace of Shapur, and a temple dedicated to the goddess of Anahita, were highlights of the digs.

The main monuments have been excavated between 1935 and 1941. Nevertheless, most of the city is still buried, and incidentally, teams of archaeologists returned to the site afterward.

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 is comprised of 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 of Roman art, which later had a significant impact on the architecture and artistic styles of the Islamic era.

The Sassanid Empire, which ruled Persia from 224 to 651 CE, is known for its art and architecture, with major sites including Bishapur, Naqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab in Fars province.

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.

AM