One of the historical attraction of Zangi Abad village in
Marvdasht city, is Kaabe Zartosht ,which was made probably in the era of Dariush the king .
There are many memorial of Elamite, Achaemenid and Sassanian in Naghshe
Rostam area.
Ernest Hertsfeld, studied and explored Naghshe
Rostam area for the first time in 1923.
This area was also explored by University Of Chicago Oriental Institute team, led by Eric Fredrich Smitt in 1936 until 1939. Major works such as the Middle Persian version of the inscription of Shapur I the Great was written on the wall of the building, were found by this team.
Kaabe Zartosht is 46m away up to the mountain and is exactly in front of the
tomb of Dariush II.
There are different perspective and interpretations about usage of this monument.
Alireza Shapoor Shahbazi, believe the epithet of Kaabe Zartosht(cube of zartoster) is new and unscientific , and its history dates back to the 4th century AD.
He believe it was Achaemenid
tomb.
According to some archeologists, Kaabe
...see more Zartosht was a tomb, but some other belive it was a place which sacred fire and did their religious ritual.
The local name of Kaabe Zartosht, was Kornay Khane or Naghar Khane(timpani home) .
Because inside of building was black by smoke, Europeans thought it was a place for worshiping fire , and since they mistakenly consider Zartoshtian fire worshiper, they called this building Zoroastrians fire temple .
Since the building was square and it has black stones on white background of walls, it was reminiscent of the Muslim Kaabe stone, so it was known as Zoroaster Kaabe.
Henry Rawlinson and Walter Hening believe it was a place for maintenance of religious documents and Avesta.
After finding Kartir inscription on the wall of building, they discovered that the name of the building in Sassanid era was Bon Khanak and it means foundation house.
As shown in the inscription text: “the foundation house is belong to you, behavior the best way that you deem, to gratify the Gods and us (Shapur I).’’
A few people thinks it was temple of Anahita .they believe this goddess statue was kept in building.
Ebn Balkh called it Nebesht mountain(mountain of inscription) because he believed Avesta originally held there.
Evidence suggest that the construction is done at the beginning of the Achaemenid period.
On the north wall of building is a trilingual inscription in Greek, Pahlavi, and Parthian .the dates back to the Sassanian period and belong to the Shapur I and high priest Krtir.
This building has only one entrance above the ground and each side of the Kaabe exist four blind windows.
The height of the tower is 14.12m and each square form is about 7.30 meters long.
Stones of building are white Marble and they are carved rectangular form and based without mortar .evidence show the door is made of stone.
On the wall, Within the building, the word “Kaaba” (the Sassanid) carved in Pahlavi script and it seems that Arabs took this word from ancient persia.
It has been said ,in compare of all chronology buildings(calendar)day of the world , this building is most advanced ,most accurate ,and best calendar of the world and Zoroastrian used it for awareness of many occasions and celebrations of the year .
