Were Zoroastrians in Tbilisi?

Persian armies conquered Tbilisi again and again, yet Georgia remained firmly Christian. Why? Did the Persians deliberately avoid converting the population to Zoroastrianism, seeking peaceful coexistence, or was the empire’s ancient faith reserved for its own administrators and elites? The ruins of Tbilisi’s Fire Temple point to a striking paradox: an imperial religion present at the heart of the city, yet never fully imposed. This tension reveals a complex encounter between power, faith, and cultural coexistence.

Walking to the Fire Temple

The Atashgah is an ancient site where Zoroastrian Persians worshiped. Atash means fire and “gah” is the place of. From near the base of the Mother of Georgia, one can walk down the path that leads to the Betlami churches. From there, the Atashgah is easily accessible, about 100 meters away. Or if one walked up to the former Fire Temple, a path behind the church leads up to the Mother of Georgia.

My walking tour of Persian sites in Tbilisi:

Zoroastrian Fire Temple – Atashgah

The Sasanian kings (224–651 AD) actively promoted the Zoroastrian faith. During their control of the Caucasus region from the 5th to the 7th century, they constructed a fire temple (Atashgah) on the hillside below their Persian palace at Narikala. The surviving structure from that time, before Islam, indicates it was a four-arched domed temple used for worship. The Persian Viceroy and the officials serving the Persian Empire likely worshiped at this site, which may have been built for that purpose. However, there does not seem to be any significant shift toward this religion during these centuries. The interactions between these two cultures could reveal a complex tapestry of religious influence and cultural exchange, especially with the former Fire Temple in Tbilisi.

Many of Zoroastrianism’s ideas most likely came from Judaism. The Zoroastrian religion likely drew inspiration from earlier Jewish traditions. This influence is particularly noteworthy, given that the foundational texts of Judaism, attributed to Moses (near 1300 BC), were composed nearly a millennium before the Avesta was formally inscribed. Avesta is the sacred book of Zoroastrianism. Some say the written form occurred after Darius the Great, most likely during the Sassanians’ rule in the 3rd century AD.

One striking example of this intertwining of ideas from Judaism is the notion of God’s presence symbolized by fire, a powerful image that echoes the manifestations of Yahweh found throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Such parallels suggest a fascinating dialogue between these ancient faiths, highlighting their shared spiritual heritage. Also, the prophet Daniel became chief of the Magi after Cyrus the Great, which would again spark interest in the Jewish faith among early followers of this religion.

Temple on the Sharden Drawing of 1673

The 1673 drawing of Tbilisi by Jean Chardin, the Atashgah appears as a low-vaulted cube with a spherical dome (F), surrounded by an open free area.^[1]Guram Qipiani, Old Tbilisi Zoroastrian Temple; ed. Ramin Ramishvili; Ilia State University / ICOMOS Georgia, Tbilisi, 2009; also Old Cities of Georgia, Tbilisi, 2006. In this image, it is labeled the Queen’s church.^[2]These drawings had numerous descriptions applied to the pictures based on the publishers so no consistent list of places relates to the various editions. I have tried to use the lettering of this … Continue reading It is possible that the site was used as a church in the 17th century, or that it refers to a nearby church. On the diagram below, the river is beyond the hill of the Metekhi church (on the north side) and passes by the public baths on the south side.

The Remaining Temple Structure

The remaining fire temple is a square space with four archways on each side under a central dome that once sat above.^[3]https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cahartaq The hillside area of this Zoroastrian temple provides a lovely view of the city.

Once there, one needs to go up the steps to the complex on the right. Currently, the site is a residency and not open to the public, but a walk around part of it offers a perspective on the former temple’s location. Later, a mosque and then a warehouse used this building.^[4]this site provides some interior images: https://www.kavehfarrokh.com/uncategorized/photos-of-atashgah-zoroastrian-fire-temple-of-tbilisi-georgia/

The remaining structure has a curved plastic roof placed over the cube to protect the interior from rain.

Is there a Tower of Silence?

Did these Persians have a Dakhma, where they placed bodies in an open-air structure known as the “Tower of Silence,” located on an elevated site? The Fire Temple is located near the path beyond the Bethlehem churches that leads to the SW fortress area. Could this area have been used for this purpose? The remaining fortress is round, like a Dakhma, and located on a nearby elevated site.

Dakhma, or Towers of Silence, were circular and made of stone and brick. The bodies would lie on the upper level, and the bones later would be stored in a central pit area that collected them for further deterioration. To be found in Tbilisi, it would need to exhibit the shape and structure of a central pit. Some of the upper fortresses may not have been large enough to host such a burial site formerly. Also, with the Persians as an invading force, the number of bodies using the tower would allow for a smaller version than the one we see in Yazd, Iran. Also, a key factor in the placement of towers was the distance from residency or even a fortress. If any tower existed in the Tbilisi area, it would most likely have been located some distance from where people lived.

Kaveh Farrokh said, “In accordance with ancient Zoroastrian beliefs that accentuates on purity of the earth, dead bodies were not directly buried but left in these uncovered stone towers so that birds of prey could pick the bones clean.”^[5]https://www.kavehfarrokh.com/uncategorized/zoroastrian-towers-of-silence/ this site also provides some pictures. The bones would then disintegrate or be placed in a central pit. No bone pit has been found in Tbilisi, which is not surprising since the bones would decompose. Also, the limited number of Zoroastrians in the past never demanded that other temples be built.