TEHRAN – Valerian’s Palace, which was once a residence for the captivated Roman Emperor during Sassanid era, in Bishapur, southern Iran, is set to undergo archaeological excavation.

According to Reza Norouzi, a faculty member at the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, plans are in place to explore the ruins of the palace, located in the ancient city of Bishapur in Kazerun county of Fars province.

Norouzi, speaking at a specialized archaeology seminar in Kazerun, highlighted the historical significance of Bishapur and the ongoing archaeological research in the area. He noted that historical sources, particularly Islamic geographical texts, provide valuable insights into the climate, urban structure, and accessibility of Bishapur.

The initial archaeological studies in Bishapur date back to the period before World War II when French archaeologists conducted research in the ancient city. Their approach involved partial excavations of structures, mapping, and documentation, but they left behind excavation debris, which now serves as a valuable record of their findings. Following the war, the French team abruptly left the site, leaving behind artifacts and mosaics.

A second phase of archaeological work was conducted between 1968 and 1978 under the direction of the late Iranian archaeologist Ali-Akbar Sarafraz, focusing on Sassanid palaces and structures within the royal citadel, including the Temple of Anahita and the ceremonial hall. A third phase, led by Mohammad Mehryar from 1995 to 2004, further examined Bishapur’s urban layout.

Currently, efforts in Bishapur are concentrated on site preservation, the establishment of a museum and library, administrative infrastructure, fencing of the site, and the enhancement of visitor pathways.

Glimpses of the ruined palace

The Palace of Valerian, situated approximately 150 meters east of Shapur’s Palace, is now little more than a mass of crumbling ruins. Originally constructed to house the Roman Emperor Valerian after his capture by Shapur I, the structure played a crucial role in the Sassanid Empire’s history. Following a decisive Persian victory over the Roman legions, Valerian and 70,000 of his soldiers were taken prisoner, and the palace was built to keep the emperor under close watch.

Those of the captives who had some I knowledge of architecture and construction were brought to the western part of Iran to participate in the Persians' building projects, and many palaces, dams, and bridges were built using the experience of Roman soldiers.

Valerian himself is said to have been familiar with construction techniques and may have contributed to the design of his palace in Bishapur. The palace is known to have occupied an area of more than 3,000 sq. m. It was the only structure in pre-Islamic Iran made entirely of stone. The stones, all of equal size and shape, were of the same quality as the stones used in the Temple of Anahita, and many were bonded together with clamps. Shallow depressions, which can be seen in the stone bonding, and which impart an interesting look to the palace, were originally filled with molten lead to give more solidity to the structure.

Ancient city of Bishapur

Bishapur (literally, “The city of Shapur”) was the grand capital of the Sassanid king, Shapur I whose armies defeated the Romans three times. Like an arch bridge at Shushtar, much of Bishapur was allegedly built by Roman soldiers taken captive after their Emperor Valerian was defeated in c. 260 CE.

Bishapur is situated south of modern Faliyan, just off the ancient road between Persis and Elam, which connected the Sasanian capitals Istakhr (close to Persepolis) and Firuzabad to Susa and Ctesiphon. The city was built near a river crossing.

Many architectural aspects of Bishapur look Roman and do not belong to Iranian building traditions. An example is what specialists call the "Hippodamian Plan", which means that the city looks like a gridiron, while Iranian cities usually were circular in design, according to Livius.org; a website on ancient history written and maintained since 1996 by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering.

Bishapur 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 had started in the seventh century.

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 archaeological landscape 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.

AM