امیررضا واثق عباسی

The Bayazid Bastami complex, located in Bastam, Semnan province, is considered one of the outstanding examples of the Iranian religious architecture during the Ilkhanid era. Due to the existence of a renowned Sufi’s shrine, Bayazid Bastami (161-234 AH), this complex has attracted the attention of different reigns and kings since the very early Islamic period, and numerous constructions have been performed in this monument during various periods from the Deylamiyān (Deylamites) dynasty to the Qajar period. Most of the constructions in this complex and also the restorations conducted here relate to the Ilkhanid era, and particularly to Sultan Muhammad Ghazan Khan’s reign (694-703 AH) and Sultan Mohammad Khodābandeh Öljaitü’s time (703-716 AH). Thanks to his high regard for Bayazid, Öljaitü even selected his own children’s names according to Bayazid’s name and titles: Bastam, Bayazid, and Ṭayfūr. In various Ilkhanid buildings and extensions in Bayazid Bastami’s complex, numerous inscriptions can be seen that have adorned the architectural elements of this complex. Due to the existence of multiple features and the religious importance of this part, inscriptions on the mihrab of this mosque, called Mardana or Bayazid, have been widely investigated and analyzed from different aspects, including ritual, artistic, and historical. In the present research, a descriptive-analytical methodology has been applied, and the data have been collected from documentary and field studies with a theoretical approach to study the cultural history.  

Anahita, a prominent Zoroastrian goddess, has always had importance status and widely revered during the Sassanian period. In the present research, relying on the studies of Sassanian bas-reliefs and stuccos, an attempt has been made to study the role of this goddess in Sassanian art. The results of this research clearly indicate that Anahita, among the other Zoroastrian deities, has always had a valuable place in those eras because she was thought to offer wisdom to those who revered her. Personification and depiction of the goddess Anahita in human icons in Sassanian bas-reliefs and stuccos were an attempt by the Sassanian emperors to legitimize their rule.