Shiraz - Persepolis

the city of the Persian

Persepolis also known as Takht-e Jamshid, literally meaning "city of Persians", was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BCE). Persepolis is situated 60 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province in Iran.UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Pārsa.

Name

The English word Persepolise is derived from Ancient Greek Persepolise, meaning “the Persian city” or “the city of the Persian”. To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Parsa, which is also the word for Persia. Due to the belief among late Antiquity Persians that the monuments were built by Jamshid, an Iranian mythological figure, the site has been known as Takht-e-Jamshid.

Gate of All Nations

The Gate of All Nation, referring to subjects of the empire, consisted of a grand hall that was a square of approximately 25 meters in length, with four columns and its entrance on the western wall. There were two more doors, one to the south which opened to the Apadana yard and the other opened on to a long road to the east. Pivoting devices found on the inner corners of all the doors indicate that they were two leafed doors, probably made of wood and covered with sheets of ornate metal. A pair of lamassus, bulls with the heads of bearded men, stand by the western threshold. Another pair, with wings and a Persian Head, stands by the eastern entrance, to reflect the power of the empire.

The Apadana Palace

Darius I built the greatest place at Persepolis on the western side. This palace was called The Apadana. The king of kings used it for official audiences. The work began in 515 BC, and his son, Xerxes I, completed it 30 years later. The palace had a grand hall in the shape of a square, each side 60 meters long with seventy-two columns, thirteen of which still stand on the enormous platform. The tops of the columns were made from animal sculptures such as two-headed bulls, lions and eagles.