Barm-e Delak Rock Relief

🕰️When was it built?

The carvings belong to the reign of the Sasanian king Bahram II, but the exact year they were cut is not known. The relief was added to Iran's National Heritage List on 6 January 1932 as number 71. Part of the inscription beside the king's figure has faded over time.

🏛️What was it built for?

The Pahlavi inscription under the king's arm was probably meant to name Bahram. It was cut in small letters, and most of them have worn away over time.

👀What you will see

• In the left-hand panel, Shapurdokhtak, a granddaughter of Shapur I, takes a lotus flower from Bahram.
• Bahram II is on the right, holding out the lotus flower towards his wife.
• Under Bahram's arm, a small Pahlavi inscription of four or five lines is carved, though most of its letters are gone.
• The reliefs are cut into the rock face above the pond; spring water comes out of a crack in the mountain, and reeds grow around the pool.

💡Something interesting

The name Barm-e Delak is thought to come from the Middle Persian Bahram-e Dowandalak, meaning Bahram's heart. The spring and pool are also called the Lovers' Spring and lie 4 kilometres from Qasr-e Abu Nasr.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Most of the inscription has faded; don't pour water on the stone to bring out the lines, and don't touch the carved surface.