Temple of Anahita, Kangavar

Temple of Anahita, Kangavar is the ruined stone temple complex on the outskirts of Kangavar in Kermanshah province, Iran, traditionally associated with the Iranian goddess Anahita. The visible remains are dominated by a high stone platform and the bases of a columned structure, with much of the upper architecture lost or fragmentary.

The site presents a massive raised terrace and the remains of a colonnaded hall - visitors mainly inspect the platform, column drums and broad steps. The architecture shows Hellenistic influences in the stonework and the idea of a columned hall above a terrace, rather than a small enclosed shrine.

Archaeological study and stylistic comparisons place the main surviving masonry in the Parthian and Sasanian periods, roughly within the first centuries BCE and CE, though the exact original construction phase and full function remain debated. Over time the complex fell into ruin and became a landmark identified locally with Anahita.

The ruin sits adjacent to the modern town of Kangavar on a plain at the eastern edge of the Zagros foothills in western Iran, visible from the nearby road and reached by a short local approach from the town center.

• Dating and identification: Most visible masonry dates to Parthian and Sasanian phases, though the site's religious identification with the goddess Anahita goes back to local tradition.
• Visitor note: The ruin is reached from the town of Kangavar and is best examined on foot; much of the monument consists of a raised stone terrace rather than a complete freestanding temple.

What to See #

• Stone platform: A large raised stone platform with retaining walls that forms the main visible mass of the ruin; most surviving masonry belongs to later Parthian-Sasanian phases.
• Colonnade remains: Scattered column drums, foundation blocks and the footprint of a columned hall that indicate a colonnaded terrace or prostyle structure once stood above the platform.