Shahr-i Sokhta, Mysteries of the Burnt City of Iran

Located near Zabol in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, the ancient site of Shahr-i Sokhta (“Burnt City”) is one of the largest and richest Bronze Age sites in Iran and the Middle East. It is believed by some to have been the capital of an ancient civilization that flourished on the banks of the Helmand River around 3,200 BC.

However, the latest excavations have provided a different story. Carbon 14 dating of charcoal collected from kilns and hearths at the site now suggest that Shahr-i Sokhta is about three to four centuries older than previously believed.

The History of the Burnt City

Shahr-i Sokhta is also known as the Burnt City and “Pompeii of the East.” Spanning approximately 200 hectares, archaeological literature has linked it with the legendary city of Aratta – “where the sun rises” according to Mesopotamian texts. Aratta appears in Sumerian poems such as ‘Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta’, ‘Enmerkar and Ensuhkeshdanna’, ‘Lugalbanda and the bird Anzu’, and in the famous Gilgamesh epic. It was said to be a “far away place” that was “difficult to reach” and immensely rich. Gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and other luxurious materials were prevalent. Allegedly it had a temple entirely built out of lapis lazuli in honor of the goddess Inanna.