Palace of Ardashir
28°53′53″N 52°32′22″E / 28.898091°N 52.539314°E
The Palace of Ardashir Pāpakan (in
Description
The structure contains three domes, among other features, making it slightly larger and more magnificent than its predecessor, the nearby castle of
What is particularly interesting about this palace is that its architectural design does not exactly fall into that of the
The palace was built next to a picturesque pond that was fed by a natural spring, perhaps in connection with the Persian goddess of water and growth, Anahita. The spring is thought to have fed a royal garden, in the same way that Cyrus had his garden (bustan) built at Pasargadae. The pond was tiled on its sides, surrounded by pavement for guests of the royal court to enjoy the evenings by.
The structure is 104 m (340 ft) by 55 m (180 ft). The iwan is 18 m (60 ft) high, although it has partially collapsed. The structure was built of local rocks and mortar with plasterwork on the insides. The style of the interior design is comparable to that of Tachara palace at Persepolis.[citation needed]
In modern times
Jane Dieulafoy visited the site with her husband, Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy, and described it in La Perse, la Chaldée et la Susiane.[1]
Robert Byron was there in February 1934, and wrote about his visit in The Road to Oxiana. Byron considered the Palace to include the prototype of the squinch. In his view, buildings such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Taj Mahal would not have existed without the squinch and the pendentive.[2]
Iran has tentatively listed the Palace of Ardashir and other sites in and around Firouzabad as a possible
Gallery
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View of the palace from La Perse, la Chaldée et la Susiane, 1887
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View from the north
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View from the south
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The iwan
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A squinch inside the palace
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View from the east
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Ceiling
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Interior of main chamber
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Main courtyard
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The iwan
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Palace of Ardashir by Eugène Flandin
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Dieulafoy, Jane (1887). "26". La Perse, la Chaldée et la Susiane. Archived from the original on 2013-05-21. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
- ISBN 9780141442099.
- ^ "Firuzabad Ensemble - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Retrieved 19 July 2012.