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Adur Gushnasp (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭲𐭥𐭫𐭩 𐭦𐭩 𐭢𐭱𐭭𐭮𐭯 ʾtwly ZY gšnsp^[1] Ādur ī Gušnasp; New Persian: آذرگشسب Āzargušasb)^[2] was the name of a Zoroastrian sacred fire of the highest grade (Atash Behram), which served as one of the three most sacred fires of pre-Islamic Iran;^[3] the two others being the Adur Farnbag and Adur Burzen-Mihr.^[4] Out of the three, Adur Gushnasp is the only fire whose temple structure has been discovered and "for which archaeological, sigillographical, and textual evidence are all available."^[4]

History

Location and purpose

The temple, constructed by the Sasanian kings, was located in the city of Shiz in Adurbadagan, now present-day Takht-e Soleymān in the West Azerbaijan province.^[4]^[5] It served as a prominent site of pilgrimage.^[4] The identification of the site of Takht-e Soleyman with that of the fire temple of Adur Gushnasp became clear when a Sasanian era-bullae was discovered there, which had the following engraving "High-priest of the house of the fire of Gushnasp" (mowbed i xanag i Adur i Gushnasp).^[6]

Origin

The fire is not mentioned in early Sasanian sources, and archaeology suggests that the fire was first taken to the site in Adurbadagan in the late 4th or early 5th-century.^[7] Under the Sasanians, the fire was linked with the warrior class (arteshtār), which the Sasanian dynasty itself belonged to.^[8] In the same fashion as the Arsacids on Adur Burzen-Mihr, the Sasanian kings bestowed gifts on the temple of Adur Gushnasp, the first recorded king being Bahram V (r. 420–438).^[7] The latter is mentioned in several instances related to the fire, such as celebrating Nowruz and Sadeh there, and also entrusting the high priest to convert his Indian wife.^[9] Khosrow I (r. 531–579) reportedly visited the fire before launching a military expedition.^[9]

He also bestowed on the fire temple an extensive amount that was part of the tribute which the Byzantines paid the Sasanians.^[9] Kings were not the only ones who made offerings to the fire; according to the Saddar Bundahesh, it is recommended that when praying to reclaim eyesight to swear, "I shall make an eye of gold and send it to Adur Gushnasp" or, in order to make a child become astute and sensible, send a present to the fire.^[9] The fire temple of Adur Gushnasp was renowned for its immense amount of wealth in Byzantine and Islamic sources.^[6]

Sack by the Byzantines

The fire temple was sacked in 623/4 by Heraclius during the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628.^[10] The Iranians succeeded in saving the fire, which they later restored to the temple, which was quickly rebuilt.^[11] The apocalyptical Middle Persian text Zand-i Wahman yasn may report some form of contemporary memory of the destruction of the temple; "They will remove Adur Gushnasp from its place . . . on account of (the devastation of) these armies, Adur Gushnasp will be carried to Padishkhwargar."^[9]

Decline and fall

The fire continued to burn for a long period in the Islamic era, but persecution eventually increased, and by the late 10th-century, or early 11th-century, the fire had most likely been quenched.^[9] Not long after, a local Muslim ruler used the remains of the temple to erect a palace on the hilltop.^[9]

References

Sources

Boyce, Mary; Grenet, Frantz (1991). Beck, Roger (ed.). A History of Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism under Macedonian and Roman Rule. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-9004293915.
Ghodrat-Dizaji, Mehrdad (2011). "Disintegration of Sasanian Hegemony over Northern Iran". Iranica Antiqua. 46: 153–302. doi:10.2143/IA.46.0.2084424.

v t e Fire temples in Iran
Adrian Adur Burzen-Mihr (Fire Temple of Kashmar) Adur Farnbag Adur Gushnasp Espi Mazget Fire Temple of Amol Fire Temple of Aspakhu Fire Temple of Ateshkuh Fire Temple of Azar Ju Fire Temple of Bardneshandeh Fire Temple of Baze Hoor Fire Temple of Cham Namesht Fire Temple of Farashband Fire Temple of Fishvar Fire Temple of Harpak Fire Temple of Ij Fire Temple of Isfahan Fire Temple of Izadkhast Fire Temple of Jereh Fire Temple of Karkuyeh Fire Temple of Kazerun Fire Temple of Kerman Fire Temple of Khaneh Div Fire Temple of Kheyrabad Fire Temple of Konar Siah Fire Temple of Kusan Fire Temple of Mil Azhdeha Fire Temple of Mil Milgeh Fire Temple of Nagharekhaneh Fire Temple of Natanz Fire Temple of Neyasar Fire Temple of Qotbabad Fire Temple of Shiyan Fire Temple of Siah Gol Fire Temple of Takht-e Rostam Fire Temple of Tashvir Fire Temple of Yazd Noushijan (Fire Temple of Noushijan) Tarikhaneh Temple of Khvorheh Temple of Mehr Temple of Mehri Temple of Sorkh Dom Luri