Istakhr and its territory. A glance over Middle Persian sources and Sasanian epigraphic evidence
The city of Istakhr played a pivotal role in the rise of the Sasanian dynasty as it was the place where the foremost members of this family based their political authority. The presence of earlySasanian rocky reliefs and inscriptions bear witness to the importance of the sacral sites surrounding this city in propelling the new dynastic ideology.