The relief at Firuzabad is a stone picture of power being handed over. Carved in the early third century into a cliff face near the town, it shows Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty, on horseback, receiving a ring of kingship from the god Ahura Mazda, who is also mounted. Beneath the hooves of the horses lie the bodies of Ardashir's defeated enemies, the last Parthian king and, according to some readings, an evil spirit. It is a statement in rock of the new dynasty's claim to rule by divine favour.
The relief stands at the mouth of a gorge called Tang-e Ab, where a stream runs through a narrow valley of limestone cliffs and the air is cool and fresh. Firuzabad itself, a town of about 66,000 people nine kilometres away, is the place for fuel, supplies and a meal. Ardashir founded the original city of Gor here, a perfectly round city of walls and moats, whose outline can still be traced from above, and his palace, a vast domed ruin, stands to the north, with a fortress called Qal'eh Dokhtar, the Maiden's Castle, on a ridge above.
Firuzabad is also famous for its roses. The damask rose of this region is distilled into rosewater, and in spring the fields bloom pink and the air smells sweet. The road through the mountains to Firuzabad is a pleasure, with winding bends, steep cliffs and views over valleys. Surfaces are generally good, but rockfalls can occur after rain, and goats and sheep share the road.
The best time is spring, when the roses are in flower and the hills are green. Summers are hot and dry, and winter brings snow on the heights. Bring water and a hat, and give yourself time to walk through the gorge and look at the carving in the late afternoon light, when the stone warms to a golden shade.