Rey fire temple

A brick and mortar structure whose main hall has two rows of square-based columns and two elliptical arches and entrances, the 2,000-year-old Rey fire temple is said to be the oldest and most revered in Iran.

Located in the province of Tehran dating back to the Sassanid era, the fire temple is known as the heart of the ancient city of Rey and has been mentioned in the Avesta (the Zoroastrian scripture) as well as several other ancient Persian texts, notes the report on the ZNA website.

Its four vast arches with a height of 20 meters rest on three stands. However, two of the arches have been completely ruined and visitors can now only imagine the beauty of the original design, states the write-up which quotes Tabari, the prominent Persian historian (838-923 CE), stating that the temple housed the original sacred fire which was sent to other fire temples. It was believed that the sacred fire was sent to the earth from the sky and should therefore never be extinguished.

This year the temple is said to have attracted the largest number of visitors to date — between 500 and 800 people visiting daily.