Persepolis, The Ancient Persian Empire

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http://www.heygo.com 11th March - Persepolis, The Ancient Persian Empire



PERSEPOLIS WAS ONCE THE RICHEST city on earth - the glittering capital of the Achaemenid Empire. At the heart of the city lay the royal palace - a wonder of gold and silver, ivory, and precious stones. From there, Xerxes planned his war against Greece - and the treasure of a vast empire piled up in the store-rooms.

In 330 BCE, Persepolis was captured by Alexander the Great. Before he left the city, he ordered the palace burned to the ground - whether through drunken malice or sober calculation, it is impossible to be sure.



The ruins lay buried until the 17th century when they were identified as the once-great royal city of Persepolis, but professional excavation did not begin until 1931. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.



Though construction began under Darius I, the grandeur of the site was due mainly to the efforts of Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I.The names and images of both of Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I appear most often – as well as that of Darius I – inscribed on tablets, over doorways, and in hallways throughout the ruins of the city.



Around 515 BCE, construction of the broad stairways began, leading from the base of the terrace up to the palace doors. This grand, dual entrance to the palace, known as the Persepolitan stairway, was a masterpiece of symmetry and the steps were so wide that Persian royalty and those of noble birth could ascend or descend the stairs on horseback, so as not to touch the ground with their feet. The cut of the stairs, wide and broad, also served to slow the ascent of visitors to the king as one would have to step up and walk across one stair before reaching the next; this provided for a slow, stately ascent to the Great Hall.



We entered the great palace complex through the Gate of All Nations, flanked by two monumental statues who were thought to ward off evil.



Darius had raised an enormous platform-terrace 1,345,488 square feet and 66 feet tall on which he built his council hall, palace, reception & great hall with 72 columns 62 feet high supporting a roof of cedar and cedar beams from Lebanon.

The columns were topped by sculptures of various animals symbolizing the king's authority and power, such as the bull and lion. Outside, on the walls of the platform beneath the great hall , bas-reliefs depicted the various people of the twenty-three subject nations of the Achaemenid Empire arriving with gifts to pay respects to the king. These reliefs are so precise in their detail that the nationalities represented are easily identified.



Our guide was able to get up close and you could see the intricate detail, she had a great way of telling the history and bringing to life this wonderful archaeological site.



Around the site we could see huge marble pieces that were never completed. The marble used was black marble so we could imagine how stunning these palaces must have looked thousands of years ago.

There is video on Youtube apparently ‘Persepolis Reconstructed’ so I’ll be checking that out.



I have to admit that in the past if we have ever visited an archeological site I often lose interest with all the facts being spoken but today the very eloquent guide had my complete attention.

The tour was in 2 parts and I’m looking forward to Part 3 when we visit Necropolis, 4 huge cross shape tombs, all with carvings and entrance to the burial chamber, belonging to four kings of the Persian Empire.

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