The Formation and Evolution of Spiral Staircases in Pre-Islamic Iranian Architecture

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran (Corresponding Author).

2 PhD Candidate in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Bachelor of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

Abstract

Iranian architecture has been a pioneer and innovator in the structural, technical, and artistic fields worldwide, producing valuable masterpieces throughout historical times. Despite this, there are many unknowns and ambiguities regarding its various aspects, including issues related to design, execution, techniques, and architectural elements. In this regard, although Iran is recognized as one of the pioneers in the design and construction of the first spiral staircases, as well as in demonstrating the important role of this element in the architecture of various historical periods, no comprehensive scientific study has yet been conducted, and therefore its origin, formation process, and evolution remain unclear. Focusing on these ambiguities, and relying on archaeological sources and data, the present study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to determine Iran’s role and position in the construction of spiral staircases. Based on the research conducted and considering references in Latin sources to the earliest identified example of a spiral staircase in Italy dating back to 480 BC, the first identified example in Iran is much older and dates back to the late second millennium BC, although similar examples had previously been identified in the regions of Syria and Mesopotamia. The process of their formation and expansion in the architecture of the first millennium BC in northwestern Iran (Hasanlū V and IV) and western Iran (Bābā Jān III and the main Median settlement at the Nush-i Jan site), and their continuation during the Achaemenid (Susa), Parthian, and Sasanian periods (Qal’a-ye Dukhtar and the palace of Artaxerxes I in Firuzabad), can therefore be traced and studied. This architectural element has subsequently secured a permanent place in the Islamic period.

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References

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Archaeological Research of Iran
Volume 15, Issue 47
English Issue
2026
Pages 193-219

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