Sasanian Reliefs Photogrammetry Project

Firuzabad, Relief of Ardashir and Ahuramazda

Sasanian rock relief near Firuzabad, located close to the remains of an old bridge and visible across a small river. Situated approximately one kilometer north of another relief and near the castle along the road from Ardašir Khureh to Shiraz, it depicts the investiture of King Ardašir by the supreme god Ahuramazda. This relief, likely created after Ardašir's capture of the Parthian capital in 226, portrays Ahuramazda, an altar, Ardašir, a page holding a fly whisk, and three Persian noblemen. The god presents Ardašir with a diadem adorned with rubies symbolizing royal power.
Source: Livius.org

This detailed photogrammetry model has been donated by Amir Saeidi.

Naqsh-e Rostam relief Narseh

The rock carving known as the Investiture of Sasanian King Narseh, located near the tomb of Darius I the Great, portrays Narseh receiving the cydaris ring from a female figure, possibly his wife Shapurdokhtak or the goddess Anahita. Narseh, a younger son of Shapur I, came to power through a coup d'état, overthrowing his nephew Bahram III. The presence of a female figure rather than Ahuramazda suggests Narseh's questionable legitimacy as a ruler. The depiction also includes Narseh's son, Hormizd II, and two courtiers making a respectful gesture. Narseh's absence from triumph reliefs is attributed to his defeat by Roman Emperor Galerius in 297, reflecting the weakened state of the Sasanian Empire after Shapur I's reign.
Source: Livius.org

This detailed photogrammetry model has been donated by Amir Saeidi.

Naqš-e Rajab Šapur I and followers

Naqš-e Rajab I depicts Šāpur on horseback, identified by a trilingual inscription, followed by a group of nine people (PLATE I; Schmidt, pp. 126, pl. 100-101). Naqš-e Rajab IV is an investiture scene with the king on horseback reaching for the beribboned ring held by Ohrmazd (Overlaet, 2013). The king’s head and crown are damaged beyond recognition. Herrmann convincingly identified this as an early Šāpur I relief based on stylistic arguments and tool working.

Source: Iranca | ŠĀPUR I: ROCK RELIEFS

This detailed photogrammetry model has been donated by Amir Saeidi.

Kartir's inscription at Naqsh-e Rajab

Kartir, an influential Sasanian priest, left a remarkable inscription in Naqsh-e Rajab near the Chamgan mountain. Positioned near the ancient city of Istakhr and Takht-e Jamshid, this inscription stands out as the only non-royal person's inscription, featuring alongside a depiction of Ahura Mazda appointing Ardashir I as the Shahanshah of Ērānshahr. Kartir's Middle Persian inscription, consisting of 31 lines, introduces his ascent, underscores his devotion to Ahura Mazda, and lists his achievements such as constructing fire temples and holding prestigious titles in the Sasanian court.

This detailed photogrammetry model has been donated by Amir Saeidi.

Help Expand This Project

Rock relief of Sasanian King and his men attacking Parthian incumbent king and his men.

8m x 4m Sasanian Relief of Ardeshir’s victory over Artabanus near Firoozabad. Click here for details.

Intro:
This is an effort to preserve and study the visual heritage of Ērānshahr. The products of this work will be accessible publically. The funds will be collected by crowdfunding in Iran. As a start to the project, we are looking for a reliable team to apply photogrammetry techniques and create high-quality, detailed 3D scanning of Sasanian reliefs, starting with the most fragile and endangered ones.

Ask:
Find and scan the relief “Ardeshir’s victory over Artabanus near Firoozabad” Click here for details. For being granted the financial stipend, please fill out the form.

Requirements:

  • You must be living in Iran.

  • You should be able to demonstrate that you have experience in this field.

  • Drone operation and permits from local authorities to fly and film are a requirement.

  • Experience with historical inscriptions and or architecture is a plus.

Output Needed:
The output should be an OBJ file that includes the texture files. It should look like the example below when uploaded to Sketchfab.

Example of sample output:

Please Submit your proposals on the Sasanian Reliefs Photogrammetry by filling out the form below.