Conference by Pavel Lurje, research fellow and curator at the State Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, 2024-2025 research-fellow at the Paris IAS (FIAS program) at the University of Lille, organized by Khodadad Rezakhani and Ekaterina Nechaeva.

Hybrid event (onsite and offsite), open to the public with registration here.
Conference in English only.

Presentation

This conference scrutinizes the short passage from the early Arabic geography of Ibn Khurdâdhbih on "The kings who were called šāhs by Ardašīr" (BGA VI, p. 17-18) and the geographical identification of the domains mentioned in this list. A number of these names of lands mirror well the geography of the first century of the Sasanian rule. Considering the unification policy of Shapur I as well as some archaeological and numismatic data, Pavel Lurje finally exploresthe possible content and organization of the lost Sasanian Gâhnâmag "Book of Thrones". This research has many historical implications, for example the long-debated date of Kushano-Sasanian dominion in Bactria.