Pars (Sasanian province)  Pars (Middle Persian: 𐭯𐭠𐭫𐭮𐭩 "Pārs", ) was a Sasanian province in Late Antiquity, which almost corresponded to the present-day province of Fars. The province bordered Khuzestan in the west, Kirman in the east, Spahan in the north, and Mazun in the south. Ardashir-Khwarrah (Middle Persian: "Arđaxšēr-Xwarra", meaning "glory of Ardashir") was founded by the first Sasanian king Ardashir I (r. 224-242), who made Gor (also founded around the same time) its capital. It was the seat of the "driyōšān jādag-gōw ud dādwar" (advocate), "mowbed" (chief priest) and "andarzbad" (councilor) of Pars. It formed the southwestern administrative division of Pars, and consisted of a mountainous countryside of the southern Zagros Mountains—much of the territory inhabited later by the Qashqai tribe; with its mountainous terrain and extreme temperature, this was regarded by the geographers as a "sardsīr" (cold zone). The Zagros mountains and the coastal plain, along the Persian Gulf, however, was regarded by the geographers as a garmsīr (hot zone). In the center of the circular city of Gor, there was a tower-like structure called Terbal, which was similar to a Buddhist stupa. Furthermore, there was also a fire-temple which the 10th-century Arab historian al-Masudi reportedly visited. Istakhr (Middle Persian: "Staxr") served as an administrative and religious centre under the Sasanian Empire, which it had done since Achaemenid times. The Anahid fire-temple was the "ideological heart of the empire." It was also the home town of the Sasanians. Darabgerd (Middle Persian: "Dārāvkirt", meaning "Darab did it") was a town founded during the Parthian era, and was turned into an administrative division by Ardashir I after he took conquered it. Shapur-Khwarrah (Middle Persian: "Šāpuhr-Xwarra", meaning "glory of Shapur") was founded by the second Sasanian king Shapur I (r. 240-270).