The Fire-temple of Arakhash (the Building of Imamzadeh Mohammadi), Another Evidence of the Ancient City of Alishtar

Alishtar is the name of the central part of a small plain located in North Lorestan province. Some decades ago, in the northern part of Alishtar plain, a building known as Imamzadeh Mohammadi was discovered after centuries being buried under dust. Imamzadeh Mohammadi is a new name given to this building by the inhabitants of Alishtar less than half a century. This name was chosen after the discovery of a tombstone inside the building. According to an ancient custom, Iranians named these buildings, the owners of which were unknown, as Imamzadeh. Investigations of Imamzadeh Mohammadi revealed that probably this building belonged to the Seljuk era. Reflecting more on this building, it was found that its plan layout showed a kind of chartaqi (four-arched structure) in the pre-Islamic era. This building, thus, shows two pre-Islamic and post-Islamic periods of prosperity. Also, historical and geographical reports in Islamic texts contain the names of the prosperous city of “Alishtar” and the fire-temple of “Arakhash” in this region. There seems to be a connection between the building of Imamzadeh Mohammadi and the fire-temple of Arakhash. The researchers have attempted to study these topics in the present research.