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Despite the extreme heat (temperatures reached 44° C) we continued our visit by walking towards the left hand side of the site where the carved stone reliefs of the investitures of Ardashir I and Bahram II were located.
The scene (to be seen underneath) shows Arsdashir I on horseback followed by a courtier with Ahura Mazda also mounted on a horse to his right. He is seen being invested by Ahura Mazda who is holding the sacred barsom of twigs (for tending the sacred fire. As in many other reliefs the Shah sees himself as an equal (at least physically) to the Deity, once their heads have been placed at the same level. His horse tremples on the last Parthian King, while Ahura Mazda steed crushes Ahriman (the symbol of evil).
The relief on a convex surface shows Bahram II (d. 291 ) with his courtiers, each of which is wearing a distinctive headgear. This is said to have been carved over a much earlier panel, of which the figure of an Elamite king is to be clearly seen on the far right, whereas to the far left the crowned head of his queen is less distinct.
Those of us who managed to sustain the heat still walked the around the site for a few minutes before having been driven back to Shiraz.
I had initially felt that after Persepolis there would be nothing else which might have a stronger impact, but I was definitely wrong ...
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