The rock reliefs of Khunag Azhdar
The cave reliefs of Khunag Azhdar are located near the town of Izeh (Khuzestān region). They include two bas-reliefs, one of which belongs to the era of the Elamites, while the other belongs to that of the Parthians.
Unfortunately, the elamite bas-relief has largely been erased but it is clear that his subject is the audience in the presence of the king. In the particular bas-relief one can see the image of a man on horseback, another in the middle, three standing men and two pigeons.
The man on horseback arouses an awe similar to that procured by an elderly person, he wears the royal hat and approaches the four people standing in front of him and perhaps they thank him and greet him. The man on horseback is said to be Mehrdād II king of the Parthians and behind him is seen a man, probably a companion of his.
The person who is standing in the center of the image and whose face is shown in front, is one of the local governors who is taller than the others, has a shawl on his left shoulder and his left hand on his hip and hilt of the sword.
On the other side of the inscription you see the image of three other people standing and the first is a clergyman who has something like a pine seed in his hand. The other two people who have their hands crossed on their hips are probably guards.
In the beak of one of the two pigeons that are carved between the king on horseback and the governor of high stature, the ring of power and the royal diadem without any kind of decorative symbol has been portrayed, only to show the subjection and magnificence of the real presence.
This bas-relief demonstrates the custom of the affirmation of power by Mehrdad King of the Parts. It is thought that the image of a man who is seen at the center of this relief, is related to the bronze statue of a noble Parto which is preserved in the archaeological or national museum of Iran and according to experts this image is the same statue of the museum.
If a person other than the king has made his statue, in this case the person mentioned above must be among those who hold high offices and it is also expected that the statue of the king is present in this place.
