Kartir Inscription and Sar Mashhad Relief

🕰️When was it built?

The relief and inscription belong to the Sasanian era and the time of Bahram II. Kartir, a powerful Zoroastrian priest of that age, tells in the text of his standing under several kings, from Shapur I to Bahram II. The work was added to the National Heritage List on 10 February 1940 as number 336.

🏛️What was it built for?

The inscription was written to present Kartir, his titles and his religious work. The first part is about lands, the founding of fire temples, support for Zoroastrian priests and action against other religions. The second part tells Kartir's religious account of a journey to the other world.

👀What you will see

• The relief of Bahram II on the rock shows the king facing a lion.
• Kartir's figure stands among the people in the same scene, separate from the text above.
• The Pahlavi inscription above the lion scene is cut in 58 lines and is hard to reach.
• Parts of the text are damaged, including the names of some lands in the first part and the rest of the story in the last lines.

💡Something interesting

In Kartir's account, he asks the gods to show him the world after death. After seeing several figures, a likeness of himself and a woman who stands for religion cross a bridge over hell. This story is part of the religious belief told in the inscription.

🎒Good to know before you go

• The text sits above the relief and is hard to reach; don't climb the carved rock to get closer.