Description
Close to Pasargadae, the resting place of the Cyrus the great, Perspolis is the name of one of the ancient cities of Iran that perpetually over the years was the dazzling and ceremonial capital of Iran kingdom during the Achaemenid Empire.
It was built on an enormous half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of kings created an outstanding palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. Persepolis is the true pride of old Persia and a survivor of atrocious fire set upon it by Alexander of Macedon. However, being immune to the heat of the enraging flames, many stone pillars and clay scripts remain untouched and healthy now to please the sight of any visitor.
The founder of this immense complex (Perspolis) was Darius the Great, most of the available information about the history and culture of the Acaemenid is due to the stone inscriptions, which are engraved on the walls and tiles of the palace. The full extent of Perspolis (Takht-e-Jamshid) palaces is as big as 125 thousand square meters.
There is an ongoing debate on the function of Persepolis. On one hand, many savant claim that, Achaemenids have built it as a ceremonial palace complex predominantly for celebrating Nowruz (Persian’s New Year festival).On the other hand, others deny any evidence of celebrating Nowruz in the Achaemenid period, and thus, at Persepolis. Some other scholars have different hypothesis, they see the site as a manifestation of royal power or think of it as a political, economic, and administrative center of the empire.
With all that said, the palaces and their annexes of the site benefited from such luxury and splendor that could raise a sense of respect and humility in every visitor. To your astonishment, in constructing the palaces, best materials were provided from all over the empire alongside with all the skills and industries offered voluntarily by ethnic groups living under the empire.
Archaeological evidences prove that the oldest parts of Perspolis date from 518 BC. As cited in various historical sources, the construction of Perspolis commenced about 25 centuries ago on the West hillside of Kuh-e-Rahmat (the mountain of mercy) or Mitrayamehr at the time of Darius the Great and after that, it has been continued by his successors with some alterations in its original building. It lasted 120 years to build such beautiful and huge complex that any visitor is marveled and surprised at the techniques used in it.
The reliefs that are more than 3,000 altogether on the entire Takhte Jamshid environment are affected by the art of the Assyrian and the Middle Eastern. Although Assyrian art is filled with quarters or scenes of warfare, the reliefs in Perspolis illustrate the peace and justice of the ancient Iranian society. Justice and social laws that were engraved on tablets and now are held in American study museums, all portraying the social equality of men and women, the payment of workers’ salaries, social protection of children, etc. which, for such a long history, represents a high level of equality and social consciousness, which is not fully implemented even today.