Tehran – Iranian historians have announced their discoveries of what he says. “The smallest known ancient inscription in the world,” a text from 1,600 years ago, carved on the rock walls of Marvdash, County Fars, dates back to the late Sassanid period.
Abolhassan Atabaki, a PhD in history, said the inscription measures 4 x 7 cm of the size of the matchbox and is engraved with a tool just 0.5 mm thick.
“This extraordinary discovery is one of the masterpieces of pure Iranian art during the Sassanid period,” Atabaki was quoted as saying by state media. “This valuable discovery in cultural heritage could represent a source of national identity and appeal for future tourism.”
Another historian, Najmeh Ebrahimi, said that the text was written in nine lines using the central script of Pahlavi and Persian. The first two lines are obscure by rock deposits. She said the inscription, believed to be made by residents of Istafuru, an ancient city, contains religious texts from the Sassanid period.
Ebrahimi added that Atabaki studied and translated the inscription. This will soon be published in academic journals.
Earlier this year, Atabaki announced the discovery of another rare Sassanid period inscription in the Malfdasht region of Fars. The text condemned the destruction of the promise.
The ancient city of Istakul, near Persepolis in southern Iran, was once the royal family of the king of Sassanid, and was characterized by the ruins of palaces, temples and fortress. Its political significance dates back to AD 224 when Aldasir defeated Altabanus IV of the Parthian Empire to establish the Sassanid dynasty.
Today, Istacles are largely reduced to abandoned, with architectural fragments scattered across walled areas of 1,400 x 650 meters. The site was once surrounded by moats linked to seasonal rivers.
Under Sassanid, Iranian art and architecture flourished, with monumental palaces and cliff carvings on sites such as Vishapur, Naksh Erostam and Naksh e Rajab.
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