Mamasani , Fars, Iran

Mamasani Down
History Lane

Throughout history, Mamasani has hosted different civilizations and nations. Located in the highlands of Fars province, it lies strategically between empires that existed in the region, notably Elam and Persia .
Mamasani was also part of the capital city of the Achaemenid monarch, Cyrus the Great.
Situated 158 km from Shiraz , it is bound by Sepidan in the north, Bushehr and Kohkilouyeh-Boyerahmad in the west, Kazeroun and Bushehr in the south and Shiraz in the east, CHTN reported. The name Mamasani goes back to the ancient Mohammad Hassan’s tribe. Since Lori dialect is prevalent in the region, the name has changed to Mamdhassan, Mamasan and Mamasani.
Historians believe that the ancient name of the district was Anzan or Enshan that transformed into Anbouran and Shulestan. Finally, the name changed to Mamasani during the rule of Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736).
Artifacts and manuscripts remaining from 8000 BC to 3000 BC reveal that Iranian civilization originated in Mamasani. Abundance of forests and rangelands, rich water resources and soil, fertile plains and diverse climatic conditions led to the establishment of prehistoric civilizations in the district.

Language
The language spoken by most inhabitants of Mamasani is Lori, which goes back to the Sassanid period.
Some of the nomadic tribes of Mahour Milati region speak Turkish. These tribes belong to the Qashqaei tribe.
However, the residents of Arab Khanimeh and Kakhak villages speak Arabic while they can also speak Lori fluently.

Major Finding
At the end of the second season of archeological excavations at Saravan in March, it became evident that a major center of Achaemenid Dynasty (648-330 BC) was situated in the area.
The Iranian head of the Iran-Australia archeological team, Alireza Asgari, said the major accomplishment of the second season of archeological diggings was discovery of an edifice extending over an area of 1,500 square meters and 14 meters in height.
Asgari noted that studies conducted in the vicinity of the edifice show that at least two other buildings existed next to it during the Achaemenid era. One building was situated south of the edifice and the other to its east.

Prehistoric Times
Throughout history, Mamasani was the link between Khuzestan, Kohkilouyeh, Zagros, Bushehr and the Persian Gulf . In fact, the prehistoric cultures and civilizations of the neighboring provinces can be sought in Mamasani through scientific research.
The prehistoric sites remaining in the area date back to 8000 BC to 3000 BC. They are mostly hills, such as Nourabad, which belongs to 4500 BC and has been registered as national heritage.
Other sites include Tall-e Bakhtiyari, which is located 3 km from Nourabad and belongs to 5000 BC, and Dimeh Meel that dates back to 4000 BC and Kouzehgaran.

Historical Era
Some of the historical sites of Mamasani include Goornegoon bas-relief dating back to 2400 BC, Fahlian Silent Tower built in 700 BC, Davood Dokhtar Silent Tower of 650 BC, Achemenid palaces of Saravan Village belonging to 500 BC, Meel-e Ejdeha Fire Temple of 120 BC and Mansourabad Dam of Sassanid era (226-650).
There are sites and edifices belonging to the period marking Islam’s advent in various parts of Mamasani, among which one could cite Khafrak City in Shuseni and the city of Chahar Bazaar.
Historians consider Mamasani as an important center during the Islamic period.

Tourist Attractions
In addition to hosting historical and religious sites, Mamasani has beautiful natural attractions, such as the evergreen valley of Bouvan, which is covered with oak and almond trees, and Haft Berom lakes.
It has temperate weather and is verdant during February, March and early April.
Farmlands enhance the natural beauty of the region. Even nomadic tribes who live in the area add to the colorful landscape of the region.
One of Mamasani’s tourist attractions is the tomb of Imamzadeh Seyyed Alaeddin Mohammad in northeast Nourabad. It is the burial place of one of the sons of Imam Mousa Kazem (AS) and his daughter. The tomb consists of an old and new building.
Another tourist attraction is the Goornegoon bas-relief in Se-Tolen Village , which belongs to the Elamite Era (2700-539 BC). This rocky bas-relief depicts two figures, one ’God’ and one ’Goddess’ sitting among their worshippers. Meel-e Ejdeha or Dimeh Meel is a square-shaped stone tower on the slopes of Shirmard Mount in a region called Dimeh Meel, 10 km west of Nourabad. The tower, which was apparently a fire temple, is 7 meters in height and 3 meters wide.
Furthermore, relics remaining from the Achaemenid era in Saravan Village , 12 km from Nourabad include pillars with lotus decorations and resemble those of Persepolis .