ABSTRACT
Located in the mountainous north-west, Takht-e Soleyman is one of the most enigmatic Iranian sacred natural sites. The Azar-Goshnasb Fire Temple, one of the three Zoroastrian fire temples (Joneidi, 2000), was built in the Sasanian era (third to seventh century AD), the last Iranian empire before the rise of Islam in early seventh century. It was an important centre for practicing rituals, celebrations and imperial ceremonial affairs. The holy everlasting fire in this fire temple burned over seven centuries and played an emblematic role in Zoroastrianism, the ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran. Founded by the Iranian prophet Zoroaster in the sixth century BC, Zoroastrianism survives in isolated areas in Iran and India. The temple and the fire also played an important role in the socio-political unity of the Sasanian government. Historians as well as Iranian, Roman, Greek and Arab travellers have mentioned Azar-Goshnasb Fire Temple as the biggest religious and social centre of its time, making it the most considerable ancient Iranian temple (Marbaghi, 2006: p. 7).
