Persepolis
The most magnificent royal palace complex of the ancient world and the supreme expression of Achaemenid Persian imperial ambition — Persepolis (Marvdasht, Fars Province, Iran; UNESCO WHS 1979) was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire, built by Darius I from 518 BCE on an artificial terrace 450m × 300m, incorporating tribute and craftsmanship from every corner of the empire that stretched from Greece to India.
At a glance
Persepolis (the most precisely Persepolis single Darius I 518 BCE Achaemenid Persian Empire Parsa terrace 450m 300m Apadana 72 columns 23 nations tribute Nowruz Alexander 330 BCE burning French English excavation 1930 UNESCO heritage: the basic description: the setting (Persepolis (in Ancient Greek; the original Persian name was Parsa; the city of the Persians) stands on a large artificial stone terrace (the platform; 450m long × 300m wide; cut from the living rock of Kuh-e Rahmat (“Mount of Mercy”); the terrace was constructed beginning approximately 518 BCE under Darius I (the Great; ruled 522-486 BCE); 14m of fill was added on the natural rock face to raise the terrace to a uniform height; the north face of the terrace against the rock outcrop is 12m high; the west face (the original main approach) was given a double staircase that could be ascended by both humans and horses); the purpose (Persepolis was not a commercial or military capital — it was used primarily for the celebration of Nowruz (the Persian New Year; approximately March 21 of each year; at Nowruz, representatives of all the subject nations of the empire came to Persepolis to offer tribute to the Great King and celebrate the new year; the city was empty for most of the year; the permanent population was small (mainly the builders and craftsmen)); the Apadana (the throne room and audience hall (completed by Xerxes I, Darius’ son; the largest building on the terrace; originally 72 columns (of the 72 to stand at full height, only 13 survive; the columns were 20m tall with double-bull (or double-horse) capitals; the cedar roof beams (imported from Lebanon) rested on the column capitals; the bronze door hinges and fittings were gilded (traces of gilding survive on several column capitals)) — the most precisely Persepolis single Darius I 518 BCE Achaemenid Persian Empire Parsa terrace 450m 300m Apadana 72 columns 23 nations tribute Nowruz Alexander 330 BCE burning French English excavation 1930 UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
Key facts
- The Nations Reliefs: the most precisely Persepolis single Apadana staircase bas-relief 23 delegations tribute nations Elamites Babylonians Lydians Greeks Nubians Medes Persians Nowruz UNESCO heritage — the most historically important bas-reliefs in the ancient world: the Apadana staircase reliefs (the eastern and northern staircases of the Apadana are carved with processions of tribute-bearing delegations from 23 nations of the Achaemenid Empire; the processions are separated by cypress trees (the sacred tree of Persian tradition); each national delegation is identified by clothing, hairstyle, gifts, and the animals they lead; the identified groups include: Elamites (with a lion and date palms), Babylonians (with a Zebu bull), Lydians (Anatolians; with a horse and metal bowls), Ionian Greeks (with bolts of cloth and small vases), Cappadocians (with a horse), Armenians (with a stallion and a beaker), Medes (with bracelets and a horse), Ethiopians/Nubians (with an antelope), Egyptians (with a bull), Bactrians (with a camel), Scythians (with a horse and pointed hats), Indians (with a donkey and baskets); the art-historical importance (these reliefs are the most important visual source for the ethnic diversity of the Achaemenid Empire and for ancient dress, hairstyle, and material culture of 23 civilizations; they have been studied intensively since the first European visitors in the 17th century CE))
- GPS: 29.9350° N, 52.8914° E
History
From Darius to Alexander to modern Iran (the most precisely Persepolis single Darius I 518 BCE Xerxes I Artaxerxes Cyrus Alexander Great 330 BCE fire burning Diodorus drunken incident Seleucid Sassanid Muslim 637 CE European visitors 1620 Herzfeld 1930 UNESCO heritage: the historical sequence: Darius I (522-486 BCE; the builder of Persepolis; Darius moved the ceremonial capital from Pasargadae (the original Achaemenid capital; where Cyrus the Great is buried) to a new site in the Plain of Marvdasht; the first construction (the terrace, the Apadana palace, the Council Hall (Tripylon)) was initiated approximately 518 BCE; Darius also built the Treasury and the royal apartment complex (the hadish)); Xerxes I (486-465 BCE; Darius’ son and successor; Xerxes completed the Apadana (the largest building on the terrace) and built the Gate of All Nations (the ceremonial gateway leading onto the terrace, with the famous winged bulls (the lamassu-like guardian figures)); Artaxerxes I and II (465-359 BCE; continued construction; built the Hall of Hundred Columns (a second throne hall, larger but less refined than the Apadana)); the burning by Alexander (330 BCE; the most controversial event in the site’s history: after defeating the Persian king Darius III and occupying Persepolis, Alexander the Great burned the palace complex; the ancient sources disagree on the motive: Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch report that Alexander was drunk and a courtesan named Thais urged him to burn the palace in revenge for the Persian burning of Athens in 480 BCE; other ancient accounts suggest it was a deliberate political act to signal the end of Achaemenid power; the fire was so intense that the column bases were fused to the stone platform; the burnt clay tablets (the Persepolis Fortification Archive: approximately 30,000 clay tablets recording the administration of the empire) were preserved by the fire’s heat — the only reason we have detailed records of Achaemenid palace administration)); the Islamic period (637-642 CE; Arab forces conquered Persia; Persepolis was a Greek/Zoroastrian symbol and was largely ignored by the Islamic administration; the site gradually silted and the columns fell); the modern period (1620 CE: the first European visitor (Pietro della Valle, Italian traveler); 1930-1939 CE: the first systematic excavation (Ernst Herzfeld, American archaeologist; funded by the Oriental Institute of Chicago)) — the most precisely Persepolis single Darius I 518 BCE Xerxes I Artaxerxes Cyrus Alexander Great 330 BCE fire burning Diodorus drunken incident Seleucid Sassanid Muslim 637 CE European visitors 1620 Herzfeld 1930 UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
What you see
Gate of All Nations, Apadana, and the Treasury (the most precisely Persepolis single Gate All Nations Xerxes winged bull lamassu Apadana 13 columns Darius Hall Hundred Columns Xerxes I Artaxerxes I Royal Tombs Naqsh-e Rostam UNESCO heritage: the visitor experience: the Gate of All Nations (the main entrance to the terrace; built by Xerxes I; the famous inscription “I am Xerxes, the great king, king of kings” in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian cuneiform; the four guardian figures on the sides: the winged bull-men (lamassu; facing the approaching visitor, intimidating); the Apadana (the throne hall; the 13 surviving columns; the approach up the double staircase with the 23-nation tribute relief processions (the most photographed element at Persepolis)); the Council Hall (the Tripylon; the three-door structure in the center of the terrace; the reliefs showing the Great King attended by servants); the Hall of Hundred Columns (the largest throne hall (Xerxes / Artaxerxes I; 100 stone columns in a 10×10 grid; the stone column bases survive; the cedar roof is gone; the original extent of this hall (68.5m × 68.5m) is appreciated only from the column bases); the Tomb of Artaxerxes II (the royal tombs on the cliff of Kuh-e Rahmat behind the terrace; 2 completed, 1 unfinished; in the characteristic Achaemenid cruciform rock-cut style; the interior accessible (a single chamber))); the Naqsh-e Rostam necropolis (6 km north of Persepolis; 4 Achaemenid rock-cut cruciform royal tombs in the cliff face (Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, Darius II); the stunning bas-reliefs of Sassanid kings (3rd-7th century CE) carved on the cliff between the tombs; a separate day trip or combined with Persepolis) — the most precisely Persepolis single Gate All Nations Xerxes winged bull lamassu Apadana 13 columns Darius Hall Hundred Columns Xerxes I Artaxerxes I Royal Tombs Naqsh-e Rostam UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
Practical information
- Getting there: Shiraz International Airport (SYZ; 70 km west of Persepolis; international flights from Dubai (DXB; FlyDubai, Emirates; 1h15m), Istanbul (IST; Turkish Airlines; 2h30m), Tehran (IKA/THR; Iran Air, Mahan Air; 1h20m)); from Shiraz to Persepolis (57 km northeast; the standard excursion: hire a taxi in Shiraz (approximately USD 20-30 for a half-day trip including waiting at the site; the road is good and the drive takes approximately 1h)); visa requirements (Iran requires a visa for most nationalities; an e-visa is available for many countries but NOT for US, UK, or Canadian citizens (who require a tour guide for all travel in Iran); check current political situation before travel — the US, UK, and most EU governments maintain travel advisories for Iran; entry restrictions have been tightened since 2022); entry fees (approximately IRR 3,000,000 for foreigners (approximately USD 5-8 at official exchange rate or USD 1-2 at the parallel rate); best time to visit (March-May (spring; after the cold winter and before the extreme summer heat (40°C+) of June-September) and September-November; sunrise and early morning is the best time for photography (the warm light on the columns; the site before the summer heat)); dress code (women must wear hijab (headscarf covering the hair) and modest clothing; men must wear long trousers))
Getting there
Shiraz (SYZ), 70 km west. Taxi to site ~1h, ~USD 25. Visa required; US/UK/Canadian citizens need a guide. Best March-May, Sept-Nov. GPS: 29.9350, 52.8914.
Nearby
- Naqsh-e Rostam — 6 km north (4 Achaemenid royal rock-cut tombs in the cliff: Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, Darius II; combined with Persepolis in a half-day trip; the rock-cut cruciform tomb style; the Sassanid investiture bas-reliefs (3rd-7th century CE) carved between the Achaemenid tombs)
- Shiraz — 57 km southwest; the cultural capital of Iran (the poets Hafez (1315-1390 CE) and Saadi (1210-1291 CE; the Bostan and Golestan; “the sweetest speech”) are buried in Shiraz; the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (“Pink Mosque”; 1888 CE; the stained glass windows creating the famous polychrome light display on the prayer hall carpet every morning); the Eram Garden (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; Qajar-era Persian garden); the Vakil Bazaar (the finest traditional bazaar in Iran outside Tehran))
Sources
- Wikipedia, Persepolis; Achaemenid Empire; Darius I; Apadana, accessed June 2026
- UNESCO, Persepolis, WHS reference 114, inscribed 1979
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