About 2 hours drive out of Shiraz is another old city of Iran, Bishapur. Built by King Shapur (the second Sassanid King)it lies on the river Shapur and very close to Persepolis. The City itself is a cross of Persian Roman architecture, and the city consisted of a super castle perched up on the side of the mountain, and hills and hills of excavated ruins. Along with several bas-relief of the king and his battle.
one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen is Anahita’s temple, which was a massive, very tidy stone courtyard 7 meters underground where there would have been a pool for worshippers. I’ve never seen an old city with something so big and open below the level of the land, and it was so well constructed with massive stone blocks that fitted together almost without mortar. A square corridor around it disappeared underground. It would have been a beautiful building and a beautiful pool, but the fact that it was so complete and intact and underground as well (the underground bit was what allowed it to be intact) were quite amazing!
We hired a car and driver for the day and had the most amazing and solitary trip once outside in the open. although I am wearing a headscarf in one image it was not because I had to at that point. Again with no one around we could dispatch our scarves. The one thing I did wear it for was to cover my head from the relentless sun, so not always is it a law but a genuine practicality!
Journeys From A Small Room 