Findings of the Sassanid Period from the Excavations of the Eastern Side of the Urmia Grand Mosque

Urmia City, the capital of West Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran, holds a rich historical background with numerous Islamic era structures. Despite this, the historical-cultural evidence in Urmia has been less studied due to its location beneath urban and residential buildings. In 2017, due to the digging operation for the restoration and organization of the eastern side of the Urmia Grand Mosque, evidence of evidence of architectural structures and cultural artifacts was obtained. However, disputes led to the suspension of the restoration operation. Subsequently, in 2019, archaeological excavations were initiated to identify architectural remnants and understand the site's cultural layers. Aligning with the excavation's objectives and the General Department of Cultural Heritage's goal to establish a museum site, two trenches were excavated. Notably, evidence of cultural materials from the Sassanid period beneath Islamic-era structures was uncovered. This paper, while studying and relative chronology of cultural findings of the Urmia Grand Mosque, compares them with findings of Sassanid sites in western Iran. The data of this research has been collected by documentary and field methods, and this study has been carried out by descriptive-analytical approach.