Ardashir Babakan Palace
The Palace of Ardashir Babakan, also known as the Atash-kadeh, is a castle located on the slopes of the mountain on which Dezh Dokhtar is situated on. Ardashir Babakan Palace is located two kilometers north of the ancient city of Gor, the old city of Firouzabad in Fars, in ancient Persia that was Built in AD 224 by King Ardashir I of the Sassanian Empire.
Description about Ardashir Palace
The structure contains three domes, among other features, making it slightly larger and more magnificent than its predecessor, the nearby castle of Dezh Dokhtar. However, it seems that the compound was designed to display the royalty image of Ardashir I, rather than being a fortified structure for defense purposes. That is why perhaps it would be best to refer to the structure as a "palace" rather than a "castle", even though it has huge walls on the perimeters (twice as thick as Ghal'eh Dokhtar), and is a contained structure. From the architectural design, it seems the palace was more of a place of social gathering where guests would be introduced to the imperial throne.
What is particularly interesting about it is that architectural design of Ardashir Babakan Palace does not exactly fall into that of the Parthians or even Sassanian category; the design of palace is a unique design particular to architects of Fars.The palace was built next to a picturesque pond (on the bank of the western branch of Tangab River) that was fed by a natural spring, perhaps in connection with the Persian goddess of water and growth, Anahita.
Architecture of Ardashir Babakan Palace
Probably one of the most valuable examples of the architecture of the Sassanian period from the 3rd to 7th centuries. The domes of the palace belong to a period prior to the advent of Islamic architecture in Iran. The palace has many of the recurring features of Sassanian palace and civic architecture primary among which are arches, domes, recessed windows, and stairways.