. Persia past and present; a book of travel and research, with more than two hundred illustrations and a map . Sixth and Seventh Sasanian Sculptures at Naksh-i Rustam. Stone Edifice near the Tombs at Naksh-i Rustam THE SQUARE BUILDING AND THE FIRE-ALTARS 303 character of the building. ^ Although not strictly a temple,since the Persians had no true temples like the Greeks, it isprecisely the sort of building that would have been adaptedto the purpose of preserving the sacred fire which was keptburning in some hallowed urn. The absence of windows (forthe window-spaces blank) and of a smoke-
. Persia past and present; a book of travel and research, with more than two hundred illustrations and a map . Sixth and Seventh Sasanian Sculptures at Naksh-i Rustam. Stone Edifice near the Tombs at Naksh-i Rustam THE SQUARE BUILDING AND THE FIRE-ALTARS 303 character of the building. ^ Although not strictly a temple,since the Persians had no true temples like the Greeks, it isprecisely the sort of building that would have been adaptedto the purpose of preserving the sacred fire which was keptburning in some hallowed urn. The absence of windows (forthe window-spaces blank) and of a smoke-vent is noconvincing argument against this view, because smoke wasregarded as a creation of the evil spirit and every effort wasdoubtless made to provide against its formation.^ Leaving this square building and riding around the lowerend of the bluff we come to two Atash-Gdhs, Fire-Altars,carved out of the living stone and dating back to Achsemeniantimes, according to the generally accepted view, from whichthere is no occasion to dissent. They recalled to me the ddityagdtu, or fire-altar, of Avestan days, and I could fancy theMagian priest heaping high the ince
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