Iran (IMNA) – After magnificence complex of Persepolis, Anahaita temple is the second largest stone building in Iran which dates back to the ancient times of the B.C era. Anahita for ancient Iranians had been considered as a guardian of water, an angel of abundance, beauty and fertility. Therefore, the temple of Anahita was used as a sacred place to praise and honor the god of water.
Unfortunately, natural disasters have changed the appearance of the temple over time and many parts of it have been destroyed; so, it is very difficult to make any comment about its true architecture. It has been said that the architectural characteristics of the temple have been inspired from the Achaemenian era.
This famous structure was built on a natural hill with a maximum height of 32 meters from the surrounding lands. Large pieces of stone were extracted from quarries, cut, shaped and converted into blocks, then they were laid flat upon each other to great height in order to make a wall of platform by a mountainside. Exterior façade of the temple was also decorated with carved stone.
The main structure of the temple is quadrilateral, the length of the ramparts are 230 meters, and its thickness in many parts is 18 meters. The difference between the lowest and the highest point of the monument is 30 meters, and like Achaemenian structures includes step-like structure.
This monument was registered in the list of national monuments in 1931, with the registration number of 31.
Your Comment