Persepolis, Iran, 460

Ruins of Persepolis

Persepolis (deriving from the Greek words ‘perses polis’ meaning ‘Persian City’) is the ancient city of Parsa. Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The palace complex can be found 850 kilometers south of the present capital city of Tehran, Iran and about 50 kilometers north of Shiraz, Iran. 

Persepolis lies at the foot of Kuh-e Rahman (Mountain of Mercy). Construction for the site began in 518 BCE under the ruling of King Darius the Great (who ruled from 522-486 BCE). Darius intended to create a palace of only stunning beauty, ordering that his name and the details of his empire be written in gold and silver on plates to be placed in covered stone boxes in the foundations under the four corners of his palace. However, Persepolis was not completed until 460 BC by Artaxerxes I, the grandson of King Darius. Originated to be the seat of government for the Achaemenian kings, Persepolis was also used for receptions and ceremonial festivities.

Once Persepolis was completed, King Darius made it the new capital of the Persian Empire instead of Pasargadae which was perviously the capital as well the as the burial place of King Cyrus the Great. However, due to its location in the mountains, it was difficult to travel to Parsa in the winter. As a result, the city was mainly used in the warmer seasons such as spring and summer. 

Plan of Persepolis with all of the spaces

Persepolis was built on half natural and half artificial terrace, taking great inspiration from Mesopotamian architecture. Complete with double stairways, throne rooms, reception rooms and terraces, the palace complex stretches over 13-ha which is well over 125,000 square feet.

One of the most glorious architectural aspects of Persepolis has to be the large terrace that leans on the Kuh-e Rahmat known as the Apadana. Construction for this building as begun by Darius and finished by Xerxes. Large depressions were filled with soil and heavy rocks that were fastened with metal clips to construct this level terrace. The east side leans on the mountain and the other three sides are formed by a retaining wall varying in height. Built with 72 grand columns, the building also consists of two monumental stairways, containing 111 stone steps leading to the top of the terrace. This magnificent entrance was known as the Persepolitan stairway, “with steps so wide that Persian royalty and those of noble birth could ascend or descent the stairs by horseback thereby not having to touch the ground with their feet". The Apadana was mainly used for great receptions by the kings. 2 

One of the main building materials used in Persepolis were limestone. However, most of the doors were made out of wood and covered in sheets of ornate metal. Tunnels for sewage were also dug through the rock and the palace carried a large cistern at the eastern end of the mountain to provide water for drinking and bathing. 1 

Ruins of Persepolis

The walls of the palace were designed to help the Persians to defend any section of the front with ease. The walls aside from the one that leaned on the mountain had ramparts, fortified towers and was always manned. The height of the walls were as followed: seven feet, fourteen feet and lastly, thirty feet. Despite this much protection, Alexander the Great still managed to overthrow the city, looting and burning it down in 331-330 BC. The fire destroyed the city so greatly that all that was left was the columns, stairways and doorways.  In 1931, excavations were begun which revealed the glory which had once been Persepolis. 3

Works Cited
1 Mark, Joshua J. "Persepolis." Persepolis. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 02 Sept. 2009. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
2 Moghaddam, Dariush. "History of Iran: Parse or Persepolis." History of Iran: Parse or Persepolis. N.p., 2002. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.
3 Watkin, David. A History of Western Architecture. 6th ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Print.