Archaeological survey of part of the Great Khorasan Road, So-Called Pataq Defile or Median Gate

One of the main parts of the Great Khorasan Road is the road leading through the Pataq defile. The Great Khorasan and Mesopotamia were origin and destination of the travelers who passed the defile. Archaeological evidence and historic sources about the defile point out its high importance through history. Pataq Defile is the same Median (Μηδικὴ πύλη or Zagros Gates (Ζάγρου πύλαι) of classic historians. There are evidences from passengers’ traffic at Pataq Defile. Heavy traffic and strategic position of the Defile made a context to construct a monument as Garra Arch. Thorough look at Pataq Defile and Median Gate lead us to better understanding of application of Garra Arch, which is unknown and should be discussed in another place. Pataq Defile. Path 1: it is compared to pre Islamic to Safavid road. Evidences of pavement (stone blocks), hand dug path, foundation and so on, imply the significance and activities for ultra-regional road. As the evidences imply connections between Garra Arch and the road, it is probable that the arch is a structure in relation to road, traffic, or a borderline of to land. Path 2: as conclusion, considering Flandin’s scheme, there is a caravan passing in front of the arch. As mentioned earlier, remained evidences indicate pre Islamic and even Islamic road (before Flandin) passes from lower part of the arch. Path 3: it is not seen in aerial photos of geographical Organization of armed Forces at 1956, however it is obvious Corona’s photos of 1969. Considering photos of Jalili Kirmanshahi and Golzari, and Kleiss’s documentation one can conclude that the road constructed between 1956 and 1965 at Pahlavi II’s reign. Finally, there are millennia’s efforts of Iranian people at Pataq Defile of constructing road in order to political, economic, and cultural exchanges between east and west.