Adur Burzen-Mihr


Adur Burzen-Mihr or Azar Barzin was an Atash Bahram located in Parthia. In the Sasanian period it was one of the three Great Fires and was associated with the farmer class; the other two were Adur Farnbag in Persis which was associated with the priest class, and Adur Gushnasp in Media, which was associated with the warrior class. Its establishment can be dated to the late 5th or early 4th century BC. Adur means "Holy Fire", and Burzēn-Mihr is a Parthian given name which literally means "Exalted is Mihr" and is probably the name of the temple's founder.
This Fire is described in Bundahishn. Its location is given as Mount Rēvand, probably a spur of the Nishapur mountains in the district formerly known as Rēvand in Khurasan. An element of the name is preserved in the name of the nearby village Borzinan may. Another identification is Mount Mehr, five miles from the village Mehr on the Shahrud-Sabzevar Highway.
The Fire is mentioned several times in Shahnameh as Mehr-Barzīn, Mehr, and Barzīn, and is used also as a simile for fiery fierceness.
The Fire is thought to have been a major center of pilgrimage, even after the Arsacids' fall. In the Sasanian period, although its name was always placed third in texts and the fire was associated with the lowliest class of the society,, it still maintained its importance. Its history in the Islamic period is not known.