IRAN DAILY
Jan, 29, 2011
Sirvan, also known as Shirvan, is among the historical cities of Ilam province, which manifests the architectural glory of Sassanid era.
This city is situated in the northern part of Ilam province in the vicinity of the Zagros Mountain Range.
Abundance of water and springs as well as rivers in this city is reminiscent of the development of Iran in the past and blends architecture with water, Mehr News Agency reported.
Similar to Firouzabad in Fars, Taq-e Bostan in Kermanshah and Takht-e Suleiman in West Azarbaijan province, the tradition of using stone, mortar and natural plaster brings to memory the architectural style of Qal’eh Dokhtar in Fars and the historical city of Seymareh. This itself indicates that this historical city belongs to the Sassanid period.
During the peak of its glory and grandeur, Sirvan was the capital of Masbazan province and the presence of bridges, roads and ancient dwellings support the postulate that the city was important during the reign of the Sassanid Dynasty.
Sirvan in Writings
Based on the writings of the experts of Far East studies, Sirvan was a reputable city and maintained its unique position till the fourth century.
After the rule of Aal-e Bouyeh, due to the transfer of major centers of the country from western Iran (Baghdad, Tisfoon and Hamedan) to eastern parts of the country, there is no little information about Sirvan and other areas on the western side of Zagros in the writings of historians.
The ruins of the city clearly manifest the unparalleled architectural style of the ancient Persian Empire. This historical site has not been examined scientifically and archeological excavations have not taken place in it.
The present-day Sarabkalan Village has been built on relics of this historical city. In the middle of the village are chambers connected to each other, on top of which are square-shaped rooms. The lower floors were used as storage by its inhabitants.
Similarities in Construction
The architectural style of Sirvan’s relics resembles relics in the ancient city of Seymareh, the castles in Kabir Kouh and also Cham Aab-Bardeh Bridge.
Remnants of buildings in Seymareh show that the style of construction and type of materials used are almost the same as those of Sirvan.
Seymareh is a city with palaces, caravansaries and houses that have remained intact.
Small stones used in Seymareh’s buildings were taken from the banks of Seymareh River and the small stones used in the buildings of Sirvan were taken from the banks of Sirvan River.
Most plaster used in the cities of Sirvan and Seymareh were taken from mountains and hills surrounding them.
A provincial expert on cultural heritage, Mohammad Javad Khanzadi, said the survey of the historical city of Sirvan, aimed at examining its precincts, has been completed.
He also said compiling the archeological map of the province and launching a specialized museum in the cities of Ilam and Dehloran are planned for the near future.
Khanzadi noted that the Ilam Cultural Heritage Department has renovated two castles in the province, namely Kanjancham and Mir Gholam Hashemi.
"We also plan to open up a center for studying provincial dialects and linguistics-related research,” he said.
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