Zoroastrian fire temple

Timeline

1. c. -600–-550Persian Plateau · Iranian PlateauZoroastrianism regards fire as a sacred medium; believers worship before open-air or simple fire altars, with the sacred fire guarded by priests from generation to generation, forming the prototype of fire temple worship.
2. c. -550–-330Persepolis · Fars ProvinceThe Achaemenid kings inclined toward Zoroastrianism as a state religion, establishing or patronizing fire temples throughout the empire; sacred fires were sustained in graded ranks, and the fire temple became a symbolic center uniting royal and religious authority.
3. c. -330–1Iranian Plateau · IranAfter Alexander's eastern campaigns, Zoroastrian fire temples continued to operate under Seleucid and Parthian rule; the tradition of guarding sacred fire and the architectural form of the fire temple retained a central place among native Persian communities.