Documented Reconstruction of the Sasanian Building at Tepe Hesar, Damghan: A Morphological Analysis Based on Erich Schmidt’s Excavation Data

The Sasanian building at Tepe Hesar, Damghan, is an important yet insufficiently studied example of Sasanian architecture in the Qumis region and the northeastern Iranian Plateau. The building was first identified during the excavations of Erich Friedrich Schmidt in ۱۹۳۱ and ۱۹۳۲ and was introduced as a Sasanian structure, initially interpreted as a palace. Despite the importance of Schmidt’s data, the architectural character and probable function of the building remain uncertain. This study adopts an analytical–interpretive approach and employs the method of documented architectural reconstruction. It rereads excavation data, plans, sections, photographs, architectural remains, stucco fragments, chromatic evidence, and architectural comparisons in order to propose a coherent spatial and architectural model of the building. Throughout this process, a distinction is maintained between certain data, inferential data, and hypothetical-comparative data, in order to avoid presenting reconstructed elements as definitive. The findings indicate that the Sasanian building at Tepe Hesar was organized according to an axial, hierarchical, and center-oriented spatial logic. The combination of an entrance iwan, a columned hall, a central domed chamber, and subsidiary spaces suggests a deliberate spatial and circulatory sequence that begins outside the building and culminates in the domed chamber as its focal point. The volumetric and structural system of the building appears to have relied on thick mudbrick walls, baked-brick columns, arches, and a probable dome. Its molded stucco decoration, animal and human motifs, and evidence of wall painting further reinforce its formal, ritual, or ceremonial status. On this basis, the Tepe Hesar building cannot be explained through a single definitive functional label, such as palace or fire temple. Rather, it should be understood as an intermediate architectural structure situated between palatial, ritual, and ceremonial traditions. The documented reconstruction of this building can contribute to a broader understanding of the diversity, complexity, and geographical range of Sasanian architecture in Iran.

کلیدواژه ها:

Sasanian architecture ، Tepe Hesar ، Damghan ، Sasanian building ، documented reconstruction ، morphological analysis ، Erich Schmidt ، Iranian architecture