Qal'eh-i Yazdigird: An Overview of the Monumental Architecture

Keall, Edward J.

doi:10.2307/4299721

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Rabana-Merquly overlooks the most direct route from Erbil south towards the Sharizor Plain, and it is conceivable that the ‘sanctuary’ could have been a pilgrimage destination in its own right, located close to the south-east frontier of Adiabene along a major thoroughfare crossing the Zagros Mountains. In western Iran, the Partho-Sasanian site of Qal'eh-i Yazdigird lies just north of the Khorasan Road (Keall 1982) and offers the closest comparanda for Rabana-Merquly in terms of architectural conception and geographical aspect. Intramural structures at Qal'eh-i Yazdigird again served a variety of defensive, political, sacred purposes, and include the Sasanian-era fire temple of Gach Dawar, which presents a parallel example for the construction and upkeep of a religious installation in an otherwise remote setting (Moradi and Keall 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Possible Parthian-Era Anahita Sanctuary at Rabana in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Brown,

Rashid

2023

Iraq

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Rabana-Merquly was a major regional centre of the Parthian era in the central Zagros highlands. This article explores the hypothesis that the Rabana intramural settlement was in part a ‘sanctuary’ devoted to the ancient Persian water goddess Anahita, based upon extensive architectural augmentations around an ephemeral waterfall, combined with the nearby construction of a probable fire altar. Two jar burials excavated in 2022 inside an adjacent building show this complex also functioned as a mausoleum. Carbon-14 dating of these cremation deposits supports occupation of the site during the second to first centuries B.C. Twin rock reliefs at the entrances to Rabana-Merquly indicate that the fortress was likely associated with the ruling dynasty of Adiabene, a vassal kingdom of the Parthian (or Arsacid) Empire in north-east Mesopotamia. A further link to Natounissarokerta/Natounia on the Kapros is suggested by the iconography of that city's coinage, which features an obverse image of a goddess, potentially a hybrid representation of Anahita-Tyche.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Possible Parthian-Era Anahita Sanctuary at Rabana in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Brown,

Rashid

2023

Iraq

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“…Rabana-Merquly is one of a handful of large, fortified centres in the north-central Zagros (Figure 2) that dominated settlement hierarchies during the Parthian period. The most closely comparable site is Qalʾeh-i Yazdigird, located on the opposite side of the Zagros Mountains in western Iran; it similarly comprises a large enclosure, within which a dispersed array of structures served a variety of defensive, political and sacred purposes (Keall 1982). Like Rabana-Merquly, the position of Qalʾeh-i Yazdigird and that of the fortified settlements of Amadiya (Miglus et al 2018;Bahrani et al 2019) andQalatga Darband (MacGinnis et al 2020) in Iraqi Kurdistan reflects a desire by their local vassal rulers to control strategic overland communications.…”

Section: The North-central Zagros Highlands During the Parthian Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabana-Merquly: a fortress in the kingdom of Adiabene in the Zagros Mountains

Brown

Raheem

Abdullah³

2022

Antiquity

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The mountain fortress of Rabana-Merquly was a major regional centre of the Parthian period (first century BC) in the Zagros Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. The iconography of two rock-reliefs that show an unnamed ruler suggests an association with the vassal kingdom of Adiabene. The exceptional preservation of the fortress's stone walls, undamaged by later agriculture in this highland location, provides an almost complete example of a large, fortified site with two main intramural settlements. Through its ability to control the surrounding landscape, Rabana-Merquly highlights the role of client states on the peripheries of the Parthian and Roman Empires and illuminates the practicalities of territorial control by state authorities in hinterland regions.

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“…Those continuing south towards the Parthian winter capital at Ctesiphon along the western flank of the Bazian ranges could have crossed the Diyala river either by boat (Herodotus 1.189, 5.52; Godley 1920) or via a precursor of the Sasanian era bridge near Jalula (Le Strange 1905: 62), where the Royal (later Khorasan) Road also turns east towards the Parthian summer capital of Ecbatana via the Zagros Gates. This strategically important pass was overlooked by a fortified complex of Late Parthian date 12 kilometres to the northeast at Qal'eh-i Yazdigird (Keall 1977;1982). The valley entrance at Sar-i Pol-i Zohab is marked by a series of rock-reliefs, including one depicting an unknown Parthian King (Mathiesen 1992: 176-77).…”

Section: Portraits Of a Parthian Kingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Portraits of a Parthian King: Rock-Reliefs and the Mountain Fortresses of Rabana-Merquly in Iraqi Kurdistan

Brown¹,

Miglus²,

Rasheed³

et al. 2018

Iraq

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This article presents detailed illustrations of two rock-reliefs from the neighbouring sites Rabana and Merquly, located on the flanks of Mt. Piramagrun in Iraqi Kurdistan. Both matching sculptures are aligned with perimeter fortifications that enclose substantial architectural remains. Based on numismatic parallels, supported by archaeological evidence, it is proposed that these depictions of near life-size figures represent an anonymous Arsacid King of Kings from the early first millennium (c. a.d. 50-150), who was credited with construction of the mountain fortresses. Rabana and Merquly together form an important landscape of settlement on the north-western frontier of the Parthian Empire.

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Qal'eh-i Yazdigird: An Overview of the Monumental Architecture

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

A Possible Parthian-Era Anahita Sanctuary at Rabana in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

A Possible Parthian-Era Anahita Sanctuary at Rabana in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Rabana-Merquly: a fortress in the kingdom of Adiabene in the Zagros Mountains

Portraits of a Parthian King: Rock-Reliefs and the Mountain Fortresses of Rabana-Merquly in Iraqi Kurdistan

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