Sarvestan

The Sarvestan Palace was built by the Sasanian king Bahram V (r.420-438), and dominates an immense, empty plain. The name "palace" is a bit misleading, because the monument's function is not really understood. It may in fact have been a hunting lodge or even a sanctuary. The problem is complicated by the fact that there appears to have been a small building, just north of the palace; its function is unknown.

A visitor who would have arrived from the south, would have seen three iwans. After entering the central one, he would have reached a large square hall under a large dome, made of baked brick. After this, a visitor would have found himself on a rectangular courtyard, surrounded by the residential quarters. The building reminds one of the the Qalah-e Dokhtar and the palace of Ardašir, both near Firuzabad; the difference is that the Sarvestan palace is open to all sides. The building, made of stone and mortar, must have had fine decorations, which partly survive.

Sarvestan from the south	Sarvestan from the west	Sarvestan from the north	Sarvestan from the east
Sarvestan, great dome, interior	Sarvestan, great dome, exterior	Sarvestan, small dome, exterior	Sarvestan, small dome, interior
Sarvestan, small dome, general	Sarvestan, court with arches	Sarvestan, decorated apse	Sarvestan, pillar
Sarvestan, court	Sarvestan hill	Sarvestan plain	Sarvestan, sunset

Getting there

Sarvestan town is about eighty kilometers east of Shiraz; the palace itself lies another ten kilometer beyond the town of Sarvestan. A taxi will bring you there; from Shiraz, it will take about an hour and a half.