Adur Burzen-Mihr

Adur Burzen-Mihr was an Atash Bahram (a Zoroastrian fire temple of the highest grade) located in Parthia. In the Sasanian period it was one of the three Great Fires and was associated with the farmer class; the other two were Adur Farnbag in Persis which belong to the priest class, and Adur Gushnasp in Media, which belong to the warrior class. Its establishment can be dated to the late 5th or early 4th century BC. Adur means "Holy Fire", and Burzēn-Mihr is a Parthian personal name literally meaning "Exalted is Mihr", thought to be the name of the temple's founder.

This Fire is described in Bundahishn. Its location is given as Mount Rēvand (in Avestan: Raēvant), probably a spur of the Nishapur mountains in the district formerly known as Rēvand in Khurasan. An element of the name is preserved in the name of the nearby village Borzinan may. Another identification is Mount Mehr, five miles from the village Mehr on the Shahrud–Sabzevar Highway.

The Fire is mentioned several times in Shahnameh as Mehr-Barzīn (مهر برزین), Mehr (مهر), and Barzīn (برزین), and is used also as a simile for fiery fierceness.

The Fire is thought to have been a major center of pilgrimage, even after the Arsacids' fall. In the Sasanian period, although its name was always placed third in texts and the fire was associated with the lowliest class of the society, (farmers; the other two being warriors and priests), it still maintained its importance. Its history in the Islamic period is not known.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.