Atash-Kūhآتشکوه
Location: Atash-Kūh is the name of a mountain, a village, and an archaeological site located in central Iran, the central Province.
Map
Historical Period
Sasanian
Atash-Kūh is located 13 km south/southwest of Delijan and 5 km to the east of Nimvar, in an intermontane oasis. The first mention of the site is by Hamdūllah Mostowfi who refers to it as a fire temple built by King Gushtāsp at Nmisvar (The Geographical Part of Nuzhat al-Qolub, p. 73). The monument consists of a ruined chāhār-tāq (40 x 26 m) with a long entrance built not exactly on the axis of the main building (fig. 1). The studies by A. Godard and M. Siroux show that the two structures were part of a larger complex of adjacent buildings and eyvāns in rubble masonry (fig. 2). The chāhār-tāq seems to be covered with a dome (fig. 3).
Fig. 1. View of the ruined fire temple at Atash-Kūh (photo: M. Vandaii)
Fig. 2. Plan of the architectural complex at Atash-Kūh by Maxime Siroux (photo: after M. Siroux, “Le site d’Atesh-Kouh près de Delidjan,” Syria, vol. 40/1, fig. 3)
Fig. 3. Reconstruction of the northern façade of the fire temple at Atash-Kūh by Maxime Siroux (photo: after M. Siroux, “Le site d’Atesh-Kouh près de Delidjan,” Syria, vol. 40/1, fig. 9)
Archaeological Exploration
Anton Houtum-Schindler visited the ruins in 1877. André Godard conducted the first comprehensive survey and study of the ruins in 1938, followed by Maxime Siroux’s thorough study of the architectural vestiges at the site.
Bibliography
Godard, A., “Les monuments du feu,” Athar-e Iran, vol. III, 1938, pp. 32 and 59.
Houtum-Schindler, A., Eastern Persian Irak, London, 1877, p. 95.
Siroux, M. “Le site d'Atesh-Kouh près de Delidjan,” Syria, vol. 44/1, 1967, pp. 53-71.
