Davazdah Rokh


Davāzdah Rokh is a story in Shahnameh. This relatively long story is described as one of the finest stories of Shahnameh in terms of "plot, dramatic description, and insight into human nature".
According to shahnameh It takes place in Zibad or black mountain of Gonabad in Iran state of Greater Khorasan The War of the Twelve Faces, described in the Shahnameh with 2518 verses or 5036 Hemistich and is one of the few mythological stories in the world whose geographical locations are almost certain. Ferdowsi used the name Zibad at least 11 times and the name Gonabad 12 times as the location of this war in geographical area Iran and Turan, In the
Hemistich and verses No: 295,310,538,545,1504,1839,2733,3222,4152,4185,503 Zibad had been mentioned :
295 :
  • چو گودرز نزدیک زیبَد رسید
  • سران را ز لشکر همی برگزید
When Goudarz arrived and settled in zibad he chosed the best of the army.
  • :545  ز زیبَد همی تاگنابد سپاه
  • در و دشت ازیشان کبود و سیاه
from Zibad to the Gonabad was full of army and warriors the land was covered by combatants. '
... where a number of Iranian heroes fight with a number of Turanian heroes. In all cases, Iranian heroes defeat their Turanian competitors. Goudarz is the chief of Iranian heroes and Piran Viseh is the chief of Turanian heroes. The battle begins when Piran's brother, Houman, challenges the Iranians and is killed by Bizhan in a single combat. The two armies then join battle, without either side prevailing. Finally they agree to abide by the outcomes of a series of single combats between the greatest heroes of the two armies:

Heroes of the two armies

  1. Fariburz vs Golbad Viseh
  2. Giv vs Goruye Zereh
  3. Gorazeh vs Siamak the Turanian
  4. Foruhal vs Zangolah
  5. Rohham vs Barman
  6. Bizhan vs Rooyin
  7. Hojir vs Sepahram
  8. Zange-ye Shavaran vs Akhvast
  9. Gorgin vs Andariman
  10. Bartah vs Kohram
  11. Goudarz vs Piran
  12. Gostaham vs Lahhak and Farshad
In all battles, the winner is the Iranian hero. At the end, Goudarz kills Piran and the war ends. However, Gostaham, who has not been chosen by Kay Khosrow to fight with Turanians, chases Lahhāk and Faršēd, brothers of Piran, and kills them, although he himself is severely injured in the process, whereupon Bizhan takes him to Kay Khosrow, who saves his life by the expedient of binding a healing amulet to his arm. The war ends with the death of Afrasiab, Turan's king. In some manuscripts of Shahnameh the story is entitled az Yazdah Rokh, not counting the last fight between Gostaham and Piran's brothers.
The campaign ends with the victory of Iran and the implementation of a festival in honour of the empire’s noble ruler Kai Khosrow and Goudarz the valiant commander of his sovereign’s army.

Location of Davazdah Rokh

According to shahnameh the place of war was in the area near Zibad Castle or black mountain of Gonabad in Iran state of Greater Khorasan..