Ancient City of Gur (Ardashir-Khwarrah), Firuzabad

🕰️When was it built?

Ardashir Babakan founded the city in the early 3rd century AD. Its official name was Ardashir-Khwarrah, meaning the Glory of Ardashir, and Gur was another common name for it. In its heyday it was the centre of one of the districts of the province of Fars.

🏛️What was it built for?

The city was built as a seat of government and home of the court, and it had a defensive plan. Four main streets ran from the gates to the centre, and the central government and religious area stood inside a round wall. Two mud-brick walls and a moat also ran around the city.

👀What you will see

• The Minar, or Terbal, is a square stone tower at the geometric centre of the city, and about 33 metres of its height survive.
• The Takht-neshin lies south-east of the Minar, and today mostly its foundations remain; a stone gateway has been found on its east side.
• Archaeologists attribute the remains of a round mud-brick structure with twelve platforms to a Sasanian observatory.
• The original city was nearly 2 kilometres across, and radial streets linked the gates on all four sides to the centre.

💡Something interesting

It is said that Azod al-Dowleh thought the name Gur unlucky and spread the name Firuzabad instead. Yet the name Pirozabad has been seen on an older coin, so this story does not explain the whole history of the new name.

🎒Good to know before you go