Bishapur

Bishapur
Middle Persian: Vēh-Šābuhr or Bēšābūr; Persian: بیشاپور
	Temple of Anahita, Bishapur
	Bishapur Shown within Iran Bishapur Bishapur (West and Central Asia)
	Interactive map of Bishapur
Alternative name	Bishâpûr
Location	Kazerun, Fars province, Iran
Coordinates	29°46′40″N 51°34′15″E / 29.77778°N 51.57083°E
Type	Settlement
Area	an area of 194 hectares
History
Builder	Shapur I
Material	Limestone, Plaster, Iron
Founded	226 AD
Abandoned	1101 AD
Periods	Sasanian Empire
Cultures	Persian
Events	Construction of Bishapur by order of Shapur I, and its designation as a Sasanian capital.; Residence of Valerian, the Roman emperor.; Birth of Hormizd I, the third Sasanian king.; Birth of Bahram I, the fourth Sasanian king.; Death of Valerian, the Roman emperor.; Death of Shapur I, the second Sasanian king.; Arab conquest of Fars.; Conquest of Bishapur by Mujāshi‘ ibn Mas‘ūd.; Declaration of independence from the Rashidun Caliphate and the Battle of Bishapur.; Revolt of the Arabs and its suppression by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari.; Revolt of the Arabs and its suppression by ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Ma‘mar.; Revolt against the Umayyads and its suppression by the army of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf.; Migration of the inhabitants to Kazerun and its surroundings.; Conquest by Rukn al-Dawla.; Revival of the city under the rule of the Buyid dynasty.; Destruction of the city by Abu Sa‘id Shabankara.;
Site notes
Condition	Ruins
Management	Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts
Public access	Open
Architecture
Architectural styles	Greek urban planning (Grid plan), Sasanian architecture, Achaemenid architecture (Some of the remains)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iii, v
Reference	1568-006
Inscription	2018 (42nd Session)

Bishapur (Middle Persian: Vēh-Šābuhr or Bēšābūr; in Middle Persian inscriptions: 𐭡𐭩𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩 Byšḥpwḥry or 𐭡𐭩𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭫𐭩 Byšḥpwḥly; in Parthian: 𐭅𐭉𐭇𐭔𐭇𐭐𐭅𐭇𐭓 Wyhšhypwhr; in Sogdian: ܘܝݎܫܦܘܪ Wyxšpwr; in Syriac: ܒܝܫܗܒܘܪ; Arabic: بیشابور) was an ancient city in Iran and one of the capitals of the Sasanian Empire, near the city of Kazerun.

This city, listed among Iran’s World Heritage Sites, covers an area of about 200 hectares and contains a rich complex of historical monuments and structures.

Bishapur was founded in AD 266 by order of Shapur I to commemorate the Sasanian victory over the Roman Empire, and it remained one of the most important cities of the empire until the Muslim conquest of Persia. After the Islamic period began, the city gradually declined, and most of its inhabitants migrated to Kazerun due to its destruction from the war.

Bishapur is one of the few ancient cities in Iran that was built according to Greek urban planning principles. During the Sasanian period, it rivaled the great and prosperous cities of the Eastern Roman Empire, such as Antioch and Byzantium.

According to historical sources, Bishapur was a fertile and verdant city surrounded by tall fortifications and had four gates named Hormoz, Mehr, Bahram, and Shahr. It also contained two fire temples known as Sasan and Gonbad-e Golshan.

The city, roughly 2 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, was laid out on a rectangular plan with two main streets running north–south and east–west, intersecting at the city’s center. Along these axes and in the right-angled grid of streets and alleys stood royal palaces richly decorated with stucco reliefs, mosaic-adorned iwans, temples, spacious audience halls, and other elaborate structures featuring large carved capitals and architectural embellishments.

Bishapur is one of the main archaeological sites of the Kazerun region, known for its rich Sasanian heritage.