List of Sasanian inscriptions
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This is a list of Sasanian inscriptions, which include remaining official inscriptions on rocks, as well as minor ones written on bricks, metal, wood, hide, papyri, and gems. Their significance is in the areas of linguistics, history, and study of religion in Persia. Some of the inscriptions are lost and are known only through tradition.
List of Sasanian inscriptions
Early royal Sasanian inscriptions were trilingual: Middle Persian (in Inscriptional Pahlavi), Parthian (in Inscriptional Parthian) and Greek. Since the rule of Narseh, Greek was omitted. Book Pahlavi script replaced Inscriptional Pahlavi in late Middle Persian inscriptions.
| Photo | Name | Dedicated/attributed to | Location | Language(s) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investiture of Ardashir I (KNRm) | Ardashir I | Naqsh-e Rostam, Fars | Persian, Parthian, Greek | |||
| Nasrabad fire altar[fa] (ABD) | Shapur I | From Nasrabad, Fars | Persian? | Dating to after 243/4 | ||
| Dura-Europos inscriptions | Shapur I | Dura-Europos, Syria | Persian, Parthian | |||
| Shapur I's victory relief at Naqsh-e Rostam (BŠm) | Shapur I | Naqsh-e Rostam | Persian | |||
| Šābuhr I's inscription at the Kaʿba-ye Zardošt (ŠKZ, RGDS?) | Šābuhr I | Kaʿba-ye Zardošt, Naqš-e Rostam | Persian?, Parthian?, Greek? | Dating to 260–262 | ||
| Shapur I's inscription at Naqsh-e Rostam | Shapur I | Naqsh-e Rostam | Persian, Parthian, Greek | Only part of the Greek inscriptions remains | ||
| Shapur I inscription in Hajiabad | Shapur I | Hajiabad, near Istakhr | Persian, Parthian | |||
| Shapur I inscription in Naqsh-e Rajab (ŠNRb) | Shapur I | Naqsh-e Rajab | Persian, Parthian, Greek | |||
| Kartir's inscription at Sar Mashhad[fa] (KSM) | Kartir | Sar Mashhad | Persian | |||
| Inscription of Apasa the Scribe[fa]? (ŠVŠ) | Šābuhr I | Bīšāpūr | Persian?, Parthian? | |||
| Kartir's inscription at Naghsh-e Rajab (KNRb) | Kartir | Naqsh-e Rajab | Persian | |||
| Paikuli inscription (NPi) | Narseh | Barkal village, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq | Persian, Parthian | |||
| Inscription of Narseh at Bishapur[fa] | Narseh (formerly Bahram I) | |||||
| Inscription of Shapur Sakanshah[fa] | Shapur Sakanshah | Tachara Palace, Persepolis, Fars | Persian | |||
| Sasanian inscription in Meshginshahr[fa] (ŠMŠ, MeSh) | Shapur II | Near Meshginshahr | Persian | |||
| Inscription of Shapur II and Shapur III at Taq-e Bostan (ŠTBn-I & II) | Shapur II | Taq-e Bostan | Persian | |||
| Shapur III | ||||||
| Inscription in the fire-temple of Abruwan | Mihr-Narseh | Abruwan | Lost; attested in al-Istakhri's work | |||
| Inscription on Gor's bridge[fa] (MNFd) | Mihr-Narseh | Gor, Fars | Persian | |||
| Bandian complex inscriptions | Peroz I /Kavad I | Bandian complex | Persian? | |||
| Darab Inscription | Zarindasht, Darab | Persian | Discovered in 2020 | |||
| Sasanian relief discovered in England | None | Early 3rd century? |
External links
- For a full list see: