Estakhr

BW

The city Istachr (Persian استخر Estachr, also Istakhr, Istachar or Stachr ) is a historical place in the province of Fars in Iran, by Alexander the Great not far (about 5 miles) and with the ashes of the burnt him Persepolis ( was BC) built 330. It was next to the capital Ctesiphon one of the summer residences of the Sassanid Empire.

Istachr resistant first Arab raids ( 640-649 ), but was later pushed back through the city, founded in 684 Shiraz in its meaning. In the year 998 the majority of the city was completely destroyed, leaving only remained a small settlement.

History of Research

The ruins of the place were of Eugène Flandin (1803-1876) and Pascal Coste (1787-1879) rediscovered in 1848 and mapped the locality. First excavations took place in 1932 and 1934, when Herzfeld worked for the Oriental Institute in Persepolis. 1935 and 1937 was Erich Friedrich Schmidt make first aerial photographs were again seen in the 9th or 10th century, primarily the size of the place.

Today, the Friday Mosque in the 7th century in the southwest are known, which was surrounded on three sides by a bazaar, a boulevard, apartment buildings, possibly a hospital and other facilities. The city itself was built mainly of large stones instead of bricks. The blocks measured 400 feet square, and the whole system was geared towards. The mosque is built in the Assyrian style and may have served in pre-Islamic times as the Fire Temple by Iranian custom. Schmidt describes Istachr as: "Holy district near Persepolis, place the rock tombs of Darius I and later kings. "

Istachr in Shahnameh

Istachr also found in Shahnameh, the Iranian national epic and life work of Persian poet Abū ʾ l - Qāsim Firdausi ( 940/41-1020 ) as the residence of the KAOS Kay mention. So, in the story of Rostam and Sohrab the lines:

" But to Kay Ka'us came to Istachar the letter In Gaždaham, which ran in haste the messenger. "

" From his rest was disturbed Kay Ka'us, As my name, it belongs in Istachar. "