Reconsidering the Place of Ādur Farnbāg Fire Temple During the Sasanian Era on the Basis of the Evaluation of the Written Documents of 3rd-7th A.H. and Archeological Evidences

Topics related to religion and religious structures are a major focus on the debates concerning Sasanian Iran. The best sources of research are archeological evidences and written documents in the first centuries of the Islamic conquest. Since the late 19th century, finding the location of the three major fire temples of Ādur Farnbāg, Ādur Burzēn-Mihr and Ādur Gušnasp became an important aspect of study concerning the religions of Ancient Iran and the Sasanian period. In the mid-20th century, German archeologists found the exact location of Ādur Gušnasp, presenting important findings about religious architecture of Sasanian Iran. However, the other two fire temples have not yet been found. Ādur Farnbāg, belonging to the Zoroastrian priests according to historical texts, is one of these three. Archeologists and Orientalists focusing on Sasanian religious structures have concurred that the possible location of this fire temple is Kāriyān in Fars. In this study, examining the historical texts covering 3rd -7th A.H. that mention Ādur Farnbāg and comparing the findings to the archeological results concerning Sasanian religious structures, especially those located in Fars, the proposed locations have been examined and possible new sites have been offered as well. As a fundamental research, present study naturally and methodically is historic - descriptive. Required information collected bibliographically and from field surveys which analyzed and interpreted combining using “historic approach” comparatively. The importance of this study is the presentation of these possible new sites. Studying various historical documents shows that Kāriyān was part of Ardashir-Khwarrah during the late-Sasanian and early Islamic period, while most of the documents do not mention the name of Ādur Farnbāg and of the four Arabic text that mention the fire temple, three place it in Darabgird. Study and examination of written Islamic texts present this possibility that the original place of Ādur Farnbāg was not in Kāriyān during early Sasanian times and was in Darabgird near Fars instead. The studied text of the three places in Khwarezm, Darabgird and Kāriyān is mentioned as the location of the Ādur Farnbāg. It can be said that the naming of Khwarezm as the first location of the Ādur Farnbāg has mythological aspects and probably should be consistent with historical reality. While the name of Peroz I in the and other written sources referring to Khosrow I as transferring Ādur Farnbāg to Kāriyān could prove the fact that probably the site of the Ādur Farnbāg of the covenant Khosrow I in Darabgird and during or subsequent time he moved to Kāriyān. By exploring the Takht-e Soleymān actually a major part of this collection belonged to the Temple of Anahita and considering the fact that the goddess Anahita probably due importance to the Sassanid Empire and also accept Ādur Gušnasp as a Royal Dastgird, so it can be said that perhaps Ādur Gušnasp Fire Temple was larger than the other Fire temples, So it can be much smaller area, such as the possible location of two other temples considered. The plausible extent of Azarjou fire temple and its surrounding areas that probably had e defensive function to protect the fire temple, its proximity to the Sasanian city of Darabgird, the similarity of the name “karsiāh” with “kar” and also the similarity of the salt domes around the fire temple to “the shining mountain of Xwarrahomand” as described in the Greater Bundahišn, all give us this possibility that the location of Ādur Farnbāg was in this area up to the late Sasanian period. The suggestion of Azarjou fire temple as Ādur Farnbāg can be the closest candidate for the description of Ādur Farnbāg described in historical texts of 3rd-7th A.H documents. Moreover, by examining the overlap of historical texts, it can be deduced that the ambiguous description of Bundahišn possibly refers to the physical characteristics of an area near Darabgird, making the possible dating of this text in Bundahišn to be at the time of Khosrow I or a time before his reign.