#sasanid

[along-the-silkroad]

Relief at Naqsh-e Rajab depicting the Sasanian king Shapur I followed by his sons and nobles, 3rd century CE. Shapur I, known as “the Great,” was the second ruler of the Sasanian Empire (c. 240–270), initially co-ruling with his father Ardashir I. He expanded and consolidated the empire, waging major campaigns against the Roman Empire, capturing key cities and even defeating and capturing the emperor Valerian in 260.

Rather than holding Roman territories, he focused on plunder and resettlement, strengthening cities like Gundeshapur. Shapur also promoted state building, founding cities, supporting Zoroastrianism while incorporating foreign influences, and tolerating new movements such as Mani’s teachings. He was the first to adopt the title “King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians” and died in 270.

Photo: Wikipedia (user: Bernard Gagnon)

[adesertdryad]

a friend of mine shared a picture of some fabric woven with this motif and I just had to make a copy of it for my collection of designs

[iraniagroup-blog]

Narin Qal'eh, a Sasanid castle in #Meybod , #Iran Narin Qal'eh, un château de Sasanid à Meybod, Iran #irania #traveltoiran #mustseeiran #narinqaleh #sasanid #sasanian #history #wonderland #irangraphy #castle #histoire #château #terredesmerveilles #heartofthemiddleeast #middleeast #moyenorient #desert #désert

[along-the-silkroad]

Sasanian silver vase with repousse relief of four nude female figures (two musicians and two dancers) each with a child, Iran, 6th-7th century CE. National Museum of Iran (ID: F1966.1).

[along-the-silkroad]

Bahram Chobin fighting Bagha Qaghan, from a Safavid Shahnameh manuscript, Iran, Shiraz, c. 1560. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (ID: M.2009.44.1) Bahram Chobin (d. 591) was a prominent nobleman and general of the late Sasanian Empire who briefly ruled as King Bahram VI (590–591). A member of the powerful House of Mihran, he gained fame through military successes against both the Byzantines and invading Hephthalite-Turkic forces, becoming one of the empire’s most celebrated commanders.

His growing popularity aroused the suspicion of Shah Hormizd IV, who stripped him of his commands. In response, Bahram launched a rebellion, presenting himself as a restorer of Iran’s rightful traditions and drawing on Arsacid and Zoroastrian ideals. After Hormizd’s overthrow and the accession of Khosrow II, Bahram seized the capital, Ctesiphon, forcing Khosrow to flee to the Byzantine Empire. With Byzantine support, Khosrow returned, defeated Bahram in 591, and regained the throne. Bahram escaped to the Western Turkic Khaganate but was soon assassinated at Khosrow’s instigation.

Despite his short reign, Bahram became a legendary figure in Iranian historical memory and Persian literature. His exploits were celebrated in works such as the Bahrām Chōbīn Nāma and the Shahnameh, where he appears as a heroic warrior and challenger of royal authority. His popularity endured for centuries among Iranian nationalists, and later tradition even linked him to messianic expectations. The medieval Samanid dynasty also claimed descent from him, further enhancing his prestige in Iranian history.

[along-the-silkroad]

Shahanshah Ardashir I (r. 224–242) receiving the Ring of Power from Ahura Mazda, Naqsh-e Rustam, Sasanian, 3rd century CE.

[along-the-silkroad]

Relief of Sasanian King Khosrow II (r. 590-628), Taq-e Bostan, Kermanshah, Iran. Khosrow II (spelled Chosroes II in classical sources; Middle Persian: Husrō or Khosrau), better known as Khosrow Parviz (“Khosrow the Victorious”), was the last great Sasanian King of Kings of Iran. He ruled from 590 to 628, with a one-year interruption. The son of Hormizd IV and grandson of Khosrow I, he was the final ruler of Iran to reign for an extended period before the Muslim conquest, which began five years after his death. Though he briefly lost his throne, he regained it with the aid of the Byzantine emperor Maurice. A decade later, he expanded Sasanian power to heights reminiscent of the Achaemenids, capturing wealthy Roman provinces in the Middle East. Much of his reign was marked by wars with Byzantium and conflicts with powerful challengers such as Bahram Chobin and Vistahm. In 602, Khosrow launched a new war against the Byzantine Empire, claiming to avenge the murder of Maurice. His armies seized vast stretches of Byzantine territory, earning him the title “the Victorious.” However, the failed siege of Constantinople in 626 shifted momentum, as Emperor Heraclius, allied with the Turks, carried out a daring counteroffensive deep into Persian lands. Growing discontent with the costly war led powerful noble families to support a coup in which Khosrow was overthrown and executed by his son Sheroe, who ascended the throne as Kavad II. This ushered in civil strife, a period of instability, and the collapse of Sasanian gains against Byzantium. Beyond history, Khosrow II became an enduring figure in Persian literature. In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Nizami Ganjavi’s Khosrow and Shirin, he is celebrated as both a mighty ruler and a passionate lover. The romance of Khosrow and Shirin, which tells of his devotion to the Aramean princess who would become his queen after many trials, transformed him into one of the great cultural heroes of Persian tradition.

[along-the-silkroad]

Drachm of Bahram IV, Sasanian, ca. 388–99 CE. MET (ID: 99.35.2965). The coin’s obverse features the bust of the Sasanian king Bahram IV, who wears a crown with a diadem and one pair of wings, a single crenellation, a globe and two fillets. On the reverse, the king is depicted both to the right and the left of a flaming fire altar. Royal central authorities controlled all Sasanian mints and in general, the ruler is depicted on Sasanian coins with his individual crown. Coins for thirty-two Sasanian rulers are known and in addition to their significance for economic history, royal coin portraits enable the identification of depictions of kings on other media, such as stucco and rock reliefs and silver plates. (MET)