Oshida or Mount Khwaja or Mount Khwajeh () is a flat-topped black
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
hill rising up as an island in the middle of
Lake Hamun, in the
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
ian province of
Sistan and Baluchestan.
The trapezoid-shaped basalt lava outcropping, located 30 km southwest of the town of
Zabol, rises to 609 meters above sea level and has a diameter ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 kilometres. It is the only natural height in the Sistan area, and is named after an Islamic pilgrimage site on the hill: the tomb and shrine of Khwaja Ali Mahdi, a descendant of
Ali ibn Abi Talib
Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...
.
Mount Khwaja is also considered an important archaeological site. On the southern promontory of the eastern slope, the ruins of a citadel complex - known as the Ghagha-Shahr - with its remains of a
fire temple date to pre-Islamic Iran. According to
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
legend,
Lake Hamun is "the keeper of Zoroaster's seed." In Zoroastrian eschatology, when the final renovation of the world is near, maidens will enter the lake and then give birth to the ''
saoshyans'', the saviours of humankind.
The citadel complex was first investigated by
Marc Aurel Stein
Sir Marc Aurel Stein,
(; 26 November 1862 – 26 October 1943) was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at Indian universities.
...
in 1915–1916. The site was later excavated by
Ernst Herzfeld, and was again investigated in part by Giorgio Gullini in a short expedition of 1960. Initially, Herzfeld tentatively dated the palace complex to the 1st century CE, that is, to the
Arsacid period (248 BCE-224 CE). Herzfeld later revised his estimate to a later date and today the
Sassanid
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
period (224-651 CE) is usually considered to be more likely. Three bas-reliefs on the outer walls that depict riders and horses are attributed to this later period. Beyond the citadel at the top of the plateau are several other unrelated buildings, of uncertain function and probably dating to the Islamic period.
Murals
File:Kuh i khwaja mural.jpg, Mount Khajeh mural.
Ruins
File:قلعه کاخا درون کوه خواجه.jpg
File:نقش اسب سوار و شیر در کوه خواجه قلعه کاخا.jpg
File:هامون هیرمند از بلندای کوه خواجه.JPG
File:نمای کوه از داخل هواپیما.jpg
File:دورنمای کوه خواجه در گرد وغبار.jpg
File:Ebrahim Alipoor (2).jpg
File:Golestaneh (10).jpg
File:Ooshida mountain 01.jpg
File:Ooshida mountain 02.jpg
File:Ooshida mountain 03.jpg
See also
*
Sistan Basin
The Sistan Basin is an inland endorheic basin encompassing large parts of southwestern Afghanistan and minor parts of southeastern Iran. It is one of the driest regions in the world and an area subject to prolonged droughts. Its watershed is a ...
*
Helmand River
The Helmand river (Pashto/Dari: ; Ancient Greek: Ἐτύμανδρος, ''Etýmandros''; Latin: '), also spelled Helmend, or Helmund, Hirmand, is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primary watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin. It o ...
References
Sources
*
*
External links
Ernst Herzfeld Papers, Series 5: Drawings and Maps, Records of Kuh-e KhwajaCollections Search Center, S.I.R.I.S., Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
{{Sasanian castles
Khwajeh, Mount
Archaeological sites in Iran
Architecture in Iran
Castles in Iran
Landforms of Sistan and Baluchestan province
Sistan
Former populated places in Iran
Buildings and structures in Sistan and Baluchestan province
Tourist attractions in Sistan and Baluchestan province
Buildings and structures on the Iran National Heritage List
Sasanian castles
Mountains of Iran