About Kermanshah

About Kermanshah

The city of Kermanshah is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located in the western part of Iran. Kermanshah is the largest and central city in the west with a population about one million people. Kermanshah developed in the 4th century AD under the patronage of the Sassanid. The city is situated on the foothills of the Zagros mountain range, 525 km south-west of Tehran. It has many natural and historical sightseeing in the city and the towns around. The city enjoys a temperate climate and regular seasons. The people of Kermanshah are warm and friendly. The languages spoken by the people are Kurdish and Farsi. The beautiful nature, together with its people s dialects and their spiritual and religious characters make the province substantially unique in the region. Kermanshah has a rich history of culture and civilization, possessing monuments illustrating its people s values for life and humanity throughout historic and prehistoric periods.

Taq-e Bostan

One of the most impressive reliefs inside the largest grotto or ivan is the gigantic equestrian figure of the Sassanid king Khosrau II (591-628 CE) mounted on his favorite charger, Shabdiz. Both horse and rider are arrayed in full battle armor. The arch rests on two columns that bear delicately carved patterns showing the tree of life or the sacred tree. Above the arch and located on two opposite sides are figures of two winged angles with diadems.

Around the outer layer of the arch, a conspicuous margin has been carved, jagged with flower patterns. These patterns are also found in the official costumes of Sassanid kings. Equestrian relief panel measured on 16.08.07 approx. 7.45m across by 4.25 m high.

Bistun inscription is considered as one of a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The inscription includes three versions of the same text, written in three different cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian.

The inscription is approximately 15 meters high, 25 meters wide, and 100 meters up a limestone cliff from an ancient road connecting the capitals of Babylonia and Media (Babylon and Ecbatana). It is extremely inaccessible as the mountainside was removed to make the inscription more visible after its completion.