Persepolis
Short account
of the building of Persepolis
Persepolis* (Takht-e- Jamshid) or Jamshid Throne is undoubtedly one
the greatest achievements mankind has ever witnessed. It’s construction,
in accord with the inscription found at Persepolis, commenced at the time
of Darius the Great in 518 B.C. Persepolis is located about 56 km north
of the city of Shiraz, and on the rise of Mercy mountain (Kooh-e-
Rahmat). Based on the inscription found, the construction of Persepolis
took nearly 180 years, and it was used for up to 200 years. It was the
ceremonial Palace for Achaemenian Kings. Each King after Darius the Great
added a palace and other buildings to this unique collection.
The total area of Persepolis is approximately 125,000 square
meters. It is built on a platform that is about 8 to 18 meters above the
ground. Persepolis is comprised of the following, among others
- The Grand
Staircase
- The Propylaea
(Xerxes Gate)
- The stone water
tank
- The Court of
Apadana
- The Eastern Stairs
of Apadana
- The Central Hall
of Apadana
- The Tachara
- Palace of Darius
- The Hadish
- Palace of Xerxes
- The Central Palace
(consultation hall)
- The staircase of
the Central Palace
- The western part
of the Queen’s Room
- The Court of the
Queen’s Room (museum)
- The main hall of
the Queen’s Palace
- The path of the
Queen’s Palace
- The Treasury
- The effigy of
Darius the Great
- The stone well
- The Tomb of
Artaxerxes the III
- The Tomb of
Artaxerxes the II
- The Place of the
Soldiers
- The porch of 100
Column Palace
- The unfinished
Gate
- The 2 double
headed eagles
- The Sepoy Street
- The rooms to the
north of 100 column Palace
- The archives and
the unexcavated site.
It was at Persepolis during the Persian New Year (Nou Rooz)
festival that representative of all nations under Persian rule would
gather and pay their tributes to the King of the Kings, and resolve their
problems. Nations such as:
- Medes
- Elamites
- Partians
- Sogdians
- Egyptians
- Bactrians
- Drangians
- Armenians
- Babylonians
- Cillicians
- Scythians
- Ionians
- People of
Samarghand
- Phoenicians
- Cappadocians
- Lydians
- Arachosians
- Indians
- Macedonians
- Arabs
- Assyrians
- Lybians
- Ethiopians
Therefore, it can be said that Persepolis was the United Nations of
it’s own time.
* Brochures of Persepolis are available and can be ordered through Darwan
Tour & Travel Co. Ltd.
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