Sarvestan city in brief

Sarvestan (formerly Khavrestān) is a City 84 km southeast of Shiraz in Fars, Iran, near which a palace Sasanian.

At the center of the village stands the Imamzadeh Pol, mausoleum of Sheikh Yusuf Sarvistani, dating from 1283 and has the form of a Chahar taq square structure with open sides, and is strongly inspired by the Sasanian palace nearby. He was attached to another Mausole the Mongol era, now ruined, houses the tomb of Mohammad al-Bayzavi, dated 1310.

The palace (modern names: e-Kakhi Sasani, Qasr-e Sasan) is located 11 km southwest of the village on a site inhabited since the Chalcolithic. reign of Bahram It dates back to the fifth century during the reign of Bahram V (420-438), and was probably built by his minister Mehr Narseh. Building a stone mortar and gypsum. Its dimensions are relatively small: 40 meters by 34.
It is built according to a plan similar to Firouzabadi: front three iwans preceded by a monumental staircase, access to a central room surmounted by a dome, flanked by two elongated with barrel vaults, and followed an inner courtyard surrounded by a collection of small rooms, the courtyard opens onto the facade is a iwan. Unlike Firouzabadi, there is no symmetry evident in the arrangement of rooms and can be noted, however, a certain symmetry diagonal.
In the south-east room is topped by a small dome. A porch on the north side and smaller doors give access to the building on the sides, including the party seen as the harem, which was traditionally completely closed.
The support arches are original: the square pillars, resting on columns round short frame half-domes with tubal corner. The vault itself is based on the half-domes. The iwans of the building are supported by pillars made of three columns. The entire building is decorated with stucco decorations particularly developed.
The throne room itself is large, about 11 meters wide. The doors are made of double bays from widening. The dome was built above the brick cooked, arranged in encorbellement; the transition to the square is provided by tube angles. It is pierced by a oculus summit. Less broad than Firouzabadi but higher and thus a less thick, it represents a peak of Sasanian architecture as the overall balance of its forms that the perfection of construction techniques.
The use of this structure remains undetermined. It is widely believed that it was a hunting lodge. Other hypotheses have been advanced: André Godard believe it is a palace reception; Oleg Grabar believes, given the very different architectural styles and comparing with the Qapu Chahar Chahar taq and Kunar Siah also surrounded by parts, it should be seen as a complex transformed into a royal temple.
The palace was extensively restored in 1956 by the Archaeological Department of Fars.
All around the palace are the ruins of other buildings, Sasanian and other times, but have not yet been excavated.