Tang-e Chogan

The historic Tang-e Chogan gorge lies 23 kilometres from the city of Kazerun, opposite the ancient city of Bishapur. The Shapur River flows through the gorge from northeast to southwest. This natural and historic gorge sits beside the ruins of Bishapur and includes three villages: Upper Tang-e Chogan, Lower Tang-e Chogan and Middle Tang-e Chogan (Vasta). Shapur Mountain, which overlooks the village of Middle Tang-e Chogan, offers a beautiful view of the area.

As a valuable historic site, Tang-e Chogan holds unique relics from the Sassanid era. This one-of-a-kind attraction is comparable in importance to Naqsh-e Rustam in Marvdasht and Bisotun in Kermanshah. Within the gorge are six rock reliefs of Shapur I and Bahram I and II, which are among the most outstanding works in the region.

One of the unique features of Tang-e Chogan is the huge statue of Shapur I in Shapur Cave, which stands 800 metres above the riverbed. The reliefs in this gorge differ from other Sassanid works in size and detail, and some of them cover more than 30 square metres. More than 30 figures are carefully carved in these reliefs, and the only relief comparable to them is the hunting scene of Khosrow Parviz at Taq-e Bostan in Kermanshah.