Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎608r] (1230/1814)

FROM SHIRAZ TO BUSHIRE
209
Shapur. It was over the gates of the Sassanian city that the skin of
Mani 01 Manes, the founder of the Manichean heresy, was stuffed and
set up on high, after he had been put to death (it is said flayed) by
A arahran I., a.d. 272-5. When the Arabs overran Persia, Shapur
was one of the first victims of their iconoclastic fury ; the sculptures
were mutilated and the city destroyed. In the tenth century El
Istakhri left a very correct record of its ruined condition.
Bishawur was built by King Shapur. It has four gates, and in the midst
o it is a singular hill or eminence like a tower or dome. ... In the territory of
Shapour is a mountain, and in that mountain are the statues of all the kings and
generals, and high priests, and illustrious men who have existed in Pars; and in
that place are some persons who have representations of them and the stories of
them v/ritten . 1
This being so, it is curious that there is not a single record of any
traveller having visited the place—although Kaempfer gives, appa-
lently from hearsay, a short but fairly correct description of its general
features, and although explorers so ardent as Tavernier and Thevenot
both passed through Kazerun—until Morier in 1809. The cave con
taining the great statue of Shapur was not discovered till later, Kinneir
saying in his ‘ Geographical Memoir’ that ‘a celebrated idol is also
mentioned which its votaries used to anoint with oil; but of such an
image there are no traces remaining.’ Neither on his first nor his second
visit was Morier fortunate enough to find the right cave, though some
of the party explored an empty cavern. The discovery seems to have
been reserved for Major Stone a few weeks later (in 1811), and his
description was embodied in Ouseley’s work. Since then a number of
travellers have visited and delineated the sculptures and remains of
Shapur . 2
1 Oriental Geography (of Ibn Haukal), pp, 101-129. Thevenot found the
river still called Boshavir.
I append a list of these: J. P. Morier (1809), First Journey, pp 85 93
and Appendix, p. 375 ; (1811) Second Journey, pp. 49-51; Sir W. Ouseley (1811)'
Travels, vol.i. pp. 278-301; J. S. Buckingham (1816), Travels, vol. ii. pp. 79 . 97 '
Colonel Johnson (1817), Journey from India, cap. iv.; Lieutenant T. Lumsden
(im), Journey from India, pp. 82-9; J. B. Fraser (1821), Journey into Khorasan,
p. 82; Captain Mignan (1830), Travels, p. 334; W. F. Ainsworth (1836), Personal
Narrative, vol. ii. cap. iv. ; Baron C. De Bode (1840), Travels, vol. i. pp. i 86 _ 8
206-18; Ch. Texier (1840), L'Armenie, $c., vol. ii. pis. 146-51, and text;
E. Flandin and P. Coste (l8il), Perse Anciejine, vol. i. pis. 45 - 54 , and text •
E. Flandin, Voyage, vol. i. pp. 45-54; R. B. Binning (1850), Two Years' Travel
vol. i. cap. xii.; Viscount Pollington (1865), Half Bound the Old World, pp. 302-8 •
A. H. Mounsey (1866), Journey, p. 235 ; F. Stolze and Th. Noldeke (1877), Per-
sepolis, vol. ii. ; K. D. Kiach (1878), Ancient Persian Sculptures. Vide also Silv. de
Sacy, Mem. sur div. Antiq. de la Perse ; C. Ritter, Erdkunde von Asien, vol. viii
p.827; E. Thomas, Early Sassanian Inscriptions', F. Spiegel, Eranische Alter-
thumer, vol. iii.; and Canon Cf. Rawlinsor, The Seventh Great Oriental Monarchy
VOL. II. ^