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The Glossary
Persepolis Travel Guide
No ruins can possibly conjure the greatness of the city they once were more than Persepolis, located in the Fars Province of modern Iran. When parts of the city emerged through excavations done in the 1930's, archaeologists were stunned by the beauty and sophistication of its columns, bas reliefs and terraces, freezing the glory of the Achaemenid Dynasty in marble. Records show that the site of Persepolis was chosen by Cambyses II (son of Cyrus the Great) but it was Emperor Darius the Great, around 520 B.C., who master-planned it, embodying his vision of a multi-cultural city. He commissioned artisans, architects and workers from his vast empire to create a city with no existing architectural precedence and yet still uphold the Persian ideals of humanism and beauty.
Declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage site, Persepolis embraces the visitors with the gripping arms of empire, architecture and history. Iranians feel a deep sense of pride for this Persian heritage, turning it into a stage for the 2,500-year celebration of the monarchy of Iran. Amid desert heat and dry winds, foreigners are at a loss for words as they examine the columns and the wall sculptures, bringing them back to remote times.
Among the extant buildings, the Apadana is the largest and the most adorned, with 13 of its 72 columns still standing on the colossal platform. Access to the platform is by a monumental double ramped ceremonial staircase, carved from massive blocks of stone. Next to the Apadana sits Throne Hall, also known as the Hundred Column Hall, an eight-stone doorway decorated with intricate reliefs such as the combat of the kings with monsters. Its northern portico is flanked by two symbolic stone bulls. Adjacent to the Throne Hall is the famous Treasury (not to be mistaken as the Treasury in Petra), which served as an armory and storehouse of the royalties. The Palace of Darious and Xerses shares similar decorative features in its doorframes and windows with all the elaborate Eastern and Western inscriptions.
If anything, Persepolis exhibits the fate of empires—their swift, mighty rise and inevitable downfall.
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