کنگدز | کنگدژ| Kang-Dej | سیاوشگرد | SiavashGerd | SiavashGird

-by Reyhane Mohammadi

Overview

Kangdez is a mythological, city and structure built by Siavash, son of Legendary Iranian King, Kavus. It is said in the documents seen below that it was a city hovering/turning on “the heads of Deevs” and was connected to other dimensions.

Important Features of the Structure:

• Walls: walls are described as seven, consecutive, one inside another. The materials of the walls are described as varied, tho not all references agree on the exact order. “The first wall is of stone, the second of steel, and the third of crystal, and a fourth of silver, and the fifth of gold, and the sixth of chalcedony, and the seventh of ruby.” (Pahlavi Rivayat)
  Apparently, as the walls moved inward, they were constructed of increasingly more valuable materials. It seems that the residence of the king or high-ranking individuals was located at the center of the ring.

• 15 Gates. “Each 50 men high” (Pahlavi Rivayat) and “From [one] gate to [another] gate [is] seven hundred frasangs [in distance]“

• Formation: According to the Shahnameh, when Siavash was in the land of Turan, he chose the land of "Siavash Gerd," which was a fertile and pleasant land, and ordered the construction of Kangdez within that area.

• Environment: Within these seven rings of the city, there were palaces, pavilions, mountains, and rivers that shaped the city’s inner structure. The city is described to be situated on a raised platform constantly turning “over the heads of Deevs“ (!).
  ’The Koiras mountain, the thirteen mountains which are in Kangdez, of which they say, “These small mountains of good [light] are full of comfort.”’ (Greater Bundaheshn)

• The name of the rivers: “The river Peta-mehan is the Chitro-mehan water that is in Kangdez.” (Greater Bundaheshn)

• Location: “Kangdez is in the direction of the east, above the ocean Frakhvkart at many frasangs towards that direction”

References

KangDez -Pahlavi Rivayat - Chapter 49 1-11

“Concerning Syawaš the son of Kayus, it is revealed that his miraculous power was so (great) that through the Glory of the Kayanians, he managed to build Kangdiz with his own hands and (with) the strength of Ohrmazd and of the Amahraspands, over the heads (of the demons). The world was managed according to the command of Syawaš, until that (time) when Kayxosraw came. After (his disappearance) Kayxosraw said to the Spirit of Kang: "You are my sister, and I am your brother, for Syawaš made you into an estate, and he made me into a warrior; return to me!" And Kang acted accordingly. It came to earth in Turan, towards the district of the east, the place where Syawaškird was situated; and he dug one thousand holes, and he inserted one thousand stakes, and after that it did not move. It includes all of Turan with its fodder and cattle.

And its first wall is of stone, and the second of steel, and the third of crystal, and the fourth of silver, and the fifth of gold, and the sixth of chalcedony, and the seventh of ruby. And its palaces (are) of silver, and (its) pinnacles of gold, and (there are) fourteen mountains in it, and seven navigable rivers in it, and seven meadows in which there should be protection by his Lordship. And its earth is so good that if a donkey stales (there), in one night the grass will grow as high as a man. And it has fifteen gates, each one fifty men high. Kang itself is such a height that if a man at arms shoots an arrow, sometimes it will reach the top, sometimes not From (one) gate to (another) gate (is) seven hundred frasangs and ruby, gold, silver and other jewels and fine riches are within, and it is great and prosperous.”

مینوی خرد - ترجمه ی احمد تفضلی - انتشارات بنیاد فرهنگ ایران - ص 139 - پرسش 61 بند 13

كنگدز دژى است كه سياوش آن را بر سر ديوان ساخت و تا آمدن كيخسرو متحرك بود. كيخسرو از آن دز خواست  كه به زمين فرود آيد و كنگنر در ناحية خراسان در جابى به نام «سياودش گرد» در مرز ایرانویچ مستقر شد. کنگ دژ دارای هفت دیوار است كه بنابر روايات پهلوی يكى از سنگ ، دومين از فولاد، سومين از شيشه، چهارمين سيمين ، پنجمين زرين ، ششمين از كهربا و هفتمين از یاقوت است . بنابر روايت بندهش اين ديوارها از زر و سيم و فولاد و برنج و آهن و آبگينه و سنگ لاجورد ساخته شده اند. كوشک‌های آن سيمين و دندانه‌هايش زرين است . در آن چهارده كوه و هفت رود قابل كشتيرانى وجود دارد و هفت مر غ در آن‌اند كه می‌توانند حكمران آن را یارى كنند . زمينش چنان نيك است که اگر خرى در آن بول كند در بك شب گياه به قامت مردی در آن بروید. پانزده در دارد هريکی به بالاى پنجاه مرد. بلندی خود کنگدز به اندازه‌ی تيرپرتاب مرد جنگجویی است كه تيرى را يرتاب كند ، ممكن است اين تير برسر آن برسد يا نرسد. از درى تا در ديگر هفتصد فرسنگ است و ياقوت و زر و سيم و جواهرات و خواسته‌هاى نيك درآن بسيار است . پشوتن‌گشتاسبان با هزار پيرو خود در آن اقامت‌دارند و در پايان جهان به ايرانشهر مى آيند و دين و پادشاهى را دوباره مستقر مى سازند

Greater Bundaheshn - Chapter 32

“12. Of Kangdez one says, “It was a moving frame with hands and with feet, of eternal spring over the heads of the devs. Kay Khosraw established it on land. Its beams are seven of gold, of silver of steel, of bronze, of iron of glass and of crystal. Within it are seven hundred frasangs of roads. There are fifteen gates to it, which one can go from gate to gate on a chariot horse, in the days of spring, in fifteen days.”

In the Shahname - Reign of Kay Kawus

بیاراست شهری بسان بهشت / به هامون گل و سنبل و لاله کشت

بر ایوان نگارید چندی نگار / ز شاهان وز بزم وز کارزار

نگار سر و تاج و کاووس شاه / نگارید با یاره و گرز و گاه

بر تخت او رستم پیلتن / همان زال و گودرز و آن انجمن

ز دیگر سو افراسیاب و سپاه / چو پیران و گرسیوز کینه‌خواه

بهر گوشه‌ای گنبدی ساخته / سرش را به ابراندر افراخته

نشسته سراینده رامشگران / سر اندر ستاره سران سران

از ایوان و کاخ و ز پالیز و باغ / ز کوه و در و رود وز دشت راغ

سراسر همه باغ و میدان و کاخ / همی دید هرسو بنای فراخ

Century Built: Uncertain. Prehistoric/Mythical
Builder: Siavash Founded it, his son, KayKhosrow Established it on Land*
Castellan(s): Siavash/KayKhosrow
Use: Utopian City
Location: Uncertain, Eran-Wez

Other Structures