Taq-e Bostan is a historical site located in Kermanshah, Iran. It is a part of Biston mountain in the middle of Zagros mountains and was built around the 4th century CE during the Sassanid Empire of Persia.

 Once you reach Kermanshah city, you can head northwest towards Taq-e Bostan. There is a boulevard called “Taq Bostan” that leads you to the area where the monuments are located. Taq-e Bostan is approximately 5 km from Kermanshah city center.

Description: Taq-e Bostan is a site with a series of large rock reliefs carved into the mountain. The reliefs depict various scenes, including royal hunting scenes, investiture ceremonies, and battles.

Location: Taq-e Bostan is located on a hillside with the same name and next to the fountain in the northeastern fringes of the city of Kermanshah.

Age: Taq-e Bostan is almost 1700 years old, dating back to the Sassanid dynasty.

Significance: Taq-e Bostan and its rock relief are one of the 30 surviving Sassanid relics of the Zagros mountains. According to Arthur Pope, the founder of the Iranian Art and Archeology Institute in the United States of America, “art was characteristic of the Iranian people and the gift which they endowed the world with”.

Rock Reliefs: The rock reliefs at Taq-e Bostan are considered to be some of the most important examples of Sassanid art. They are also the first stone animation in the world.

The carvings at Taq-e Bostan are some of the finest and best-preserved examples of Persian sculpture under the Sassanids. The carvings depict various scenes, including royal hunting scenes, investiture ceremonies, and battles.

The monument symbolizes power, glory, religious tendencies, honor, the vastness of the court, game and fighting spirit, festivity, joy, and rejoicing. The carvings of the entrance part of the vault represent parties of the kings and governors. Like other Sassanid symbols, Taq-e Bostan, and its relief patterns accentuate power, religious tendencies, glory, honor, the vastness of the court, game and fighting spirit, festivity, joy, and rejoicing.

If you are visiting Kermanshah, Taq-e Bostan is a must-see historical site that offers a glimpse into the rich history and culture of Iran.