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Persepolis*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Iran
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, vi
Reference	114
Region**	Asia and Australasia
Inscription history
Inscription	1979  (3rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Michael ( listen (help·info) Old Persian: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 Pārsa, Modern Persian: تخت جمشید/پارسه, Takht-e Jamshid or Chehel Minar^[1], UniPers: Taxte Jamšid) was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid dynasty (ca. 550-330 BCE). Persepolis is situated 70 km northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid (Throne of Jamshid) and Parseh. The earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BCE. To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Pārsa, which means "The City of Persians". Persepolis is the Greek interpretation of the name Πέρσης πόλις (Persēs polis: "Persian city").

UNESCO declared the citadel of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Construction

Location of Persepolis

Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BC. André Godard, the French archaeologist who excavated Persepolis in the early 1930s, believed that Cyrus the Great chose the site of Persepolis, but that Darius the Great built the terrace and the great palaces.

Darius ordered the construction of the Apadana Palace and the Council Hall (the Tripylon or three-gated hall), the main imperial Treasury and its surroundings. These were completed during the reign of his son, King Xerxes the Great. Further construction of the buildings on the terrace continued until the downfall of the Achaemenid dynasty.^[2]

The location of Persepolis can be found on Google Maps here.

Archaeological Research

Plan of Persepolis

The first European to visit the ruins of Persepolis was Antonio de Gouveia from Portugal, who wrote about cuneiform inscriptions following his visit in 1602. His first written report on Persia, the Jornada, was published in 1606.

The first scientific excavations at Persepolis were carried out by Ernst Herzfeld and Erich F Schmidt representing the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. They conducted excavations for eight seasons beginning in 1930 and included other nearby sites.^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

Herzfeld believed the reasons behind the construction of Persepolis were the need for a majestic atmosphere, a symbol for their empire, and to celebrate special events, especially the “Nowruz”. For historical reasons, Persepolis was built where the Achaemenid Dynasty was founded, although it was not the center of the empire at that time.

Persepolitan architecture is noted for its use of wooden columns. Architects resorted to stone only when the largest cedars of Lebanon or teak trees of India did not fulfill the required sizes. Column bases and capitals were made of stone, even on wooden shafts, but the existence of wooden capitals is probable.

The buildings at Persepolis include three general groupings: military quarters, the treasury, and the reception halls and occasional houses for the King. Noted structures include the Great Stairway, the Gate of Nations (Xerxes the Great), the Apadana Palace of Darius, the Hall of a Hundred Columns, the Tripylon Hall and Tachara Palace of Darius, the Hadish Palace of Xerxes, the palace of Artaxerxes III, the Imperial Treasury, the Royal Stables and the Chariot House.

Site

Persepolis (R)

Representation palace of Darius at Persepolis

Persepolis is near the small river Pulwar, which flows into the river Kur (Kyrus). The site includes a 125,000 square meter terrace, partly artificially constructed and partly cut out of a mountain, with its east side leaning on Kuh-e Rahmet ("the Mountain of Mercy"). The other three sides are formed by retaining walls, which vary in height with the slope of the ground. From 5 to 13 meters on the west side a double stair, gently slopes to the top. To create the level terrace, depressions were filled with soil and heavy rocks, which were joined together with metal clips.

Around 518 BC, construction of a broad stairway was begun. The stairway was planned to be the main entrance to the terrace 20 meters above the ground. The dual stairway, known as the Persepolitan stairway, was built in symmetrically on the western side of the Great Wall. The 111 steps were 6.9 meters wide with treads of 31 centimetres and rises of 10 centimetres. Originally, the steps were believed to have been constructed to allow for nobles and royalty to ascend by horseback. New theories suggest that the shallow risers allowed visiting dignitaries to maintain a regal appearance while ascending. The top of the stairways led to a small yard in the north-eastern side of the terrace, opposite the Gate of Nations.

Grey limestone was the main building material used in Persepolis. After natural rock had been levelled and the depressions filled in, the terrace was prepared. Major tunnels for sewage were dug underground through the rock. A large elevated water storage tank was carved at the eastern foot of the mountain. Professor Olmstead suggested the cistern was constructed at the same time that construction of the towers began.

The uneven plan of the foundation of the terrace acted like a castle whose angled walls enabled its defenders to target any section of the external front. Diodorus writes that Persepolis had three walls with ramparts, which all had towers to provide protection space for the defense personnel. The first wall was 7 meters tall, the second, 14 meters and the third wall, which covered all four sides, was 27 meters in height, though no presence of the wall exists in modern times.

Ruins

Persepolis aerial view.

Bas-relief in Persepolis - a symbol Zoroastrian Nowruz - in day of a spring equinox power of eternally fighting bull (personifying the Earth), and a lion (personifying the Sun), are equal (Though lions were not a symbol of royalty in the achamenid era and were in fact a game to be hunted)

Ruins of a number of colossal buildings exist on the terrace. All are constructed of dark-grey marble. Fifteen of their pillars stand intact. Three more pillars have been re-erected since 1970. Several of the buildings were never finished. F. Stolze has shown that some of the mason's rubbish remains. These ruins, for which the name Chehel minar ("the forty columns or minarets") can be traced back to the 13th century, are now known as Takht-e Jamshid - تخت جمشید ("the throne of Jamshid"). Since the time of Pietro della Valle, it has been beyond dispute that they represent the Persepolis captured and partly destroyed by Alexander the Great.

Behind Takht-e Jamshid are three sepulchres hewn out of the rock in the hillside. The façades, one of which is incomplete, are richly decorated with reliefs. About 13 km NNE, on the opposite side of the Pulwar, rises a perpendicular wall of rock, in which four similar tombs are cut at a considerable height from the bottom of the valley. The modern Persians call this place Naqsh-e Rustam - نقش رستم or Nakshi Rostam ("the picture of Rostam"), from the Sassanian reliefs beneath the opening, which they take to be a representation of the mythical hero Rostam. It may be inferred from the sculptures that the occupants of these seven tombs were kings. An inscription on one of the tombs declares it to be that of Darius Hystaspis, concerning whom Ctesias relates that his grave was in the face of a rock, and could only be reached by the use of ropes. Ctesias mentions further, with regard to a number of Persian kings, either that their remains were brought "to the Persians," or that they died there.

The Gate of All Nations

Two Persian Soldiers in Persepolis(R)

The Gate of all Nations, referring to subjects of the empire, consisted of a grand hall that was a square of approximately 25 meters (82 feet) 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 onto 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 Lamassu's, bulls with the head of a bearded man, stands by the western threshold. Another pair, with wings and a Persian head (Gopät-Shäh), stands by the eastern entrance, to reflect the Empire’s power.

Xerxes' name was written in three languages and carved on the entrances, informing everyone that he ordered it to be built.

Apadana Palace

Detail of a relief of the eastern stairs of the Apadana

The Apadana Palace, northern stairway (detail)

Darius the Great built the greatest and most glorious palace at Persepolis in the western side. This palace was called the Apadana (the root name for modern "ayvan").^{[citation needed]} The King of Kings used it for official audiences. The work began in 515 BC. His son Xerxes I completed it 30 years later. The palace had a grand hall in the shape of a square, each side 60 m long with seventy-two columns, thirteen of which still stand on the enormous platform. Each column is 19 m high with a square Taurus and plinth. The columns carried the weight of the vast and heavy ceiling. The tops of the columns were made from animal sculptures such as two headed bulls, lions and eagles. The columns were joined to each other with the help of oak and cedar beams, which were brought from Lebanon. The walls were covered with a layer of mud and stucco to a depth of 5 cm, which was used for bonding, and then covered with the greenish stucco which is found throughout the palaces. At the western, northern and eastern sides of the palace there was a rectangular veranda which had twelve columns in two rows of six. At the south of the grand hall a series of rooms were built for storage. Two grand Persepolitan stairways were built, symmetrical to each other and connected to the stone foundations. To protect the roof from erosion, vertical drains were built through the brick walls. In the four corners of Apadana, facing outwards, four towers were built.

The walls were tiled and decorated with pictures of lions, bulls, and flowers. Darius ordered his name and the details of his empire to be written in gold and silver on plates, which were placed in covered stone boxes in the foundations under the Four Corners of the palace. Two Persepolitan style symmetrical stairways were built on the northern and eastern sides of Apadana to compensate for a difference in level. Two other stairways stood in the middle of the building. The external front views of the palace were embossed with pictures of the Immortals, the Kings' elite guards. The northern stairway was completed during Darius' reign, but the other stairway was completed much later.

The Throne Hall

Next to the Apadana, second largest building of the Terrace and the final edifices, is the Throne Hall or the Imperial Army's hall of honour (also called the "Hundred-Columns Palace). This 70x70 square meter hall was started by Xerxes and completed by his son Artaxerxes I by the end of the fifth century BC. Its eight stone doorways are decorated on the south and north with reliefs of throne scenes and on the east and west with scenes depicting the king in combat with monsters. Two colossal stone bulls flank the northern portico. The head of one of the bulls now resides in the Oriental Institute in Chicago.^[8]

In the beginning of Xerxes's reign the Throne Hall was used mainly for receptions for military commanders and representatives of all the subject nations of the empire. Later the Throne Hall served as an imperial museum.

Other palaces and structures

There were other palaces built. These included the Tachara palace which was built under Darius I, and the Imperial treasury which was started by Darius in 510 BC and finished by Xerxes in 480 BC. The Hadish palace by Xerxes I, occupies the highest level of terrace and stands on the living rock. The Council Hall, the Tryplion Hall, The Palaces of D, G, H, Storerooms, Stables and quarters, Unfinished Gateway and a few Miscellaneous Structures at Persepolis near the south-east corner of the Terrace, at the foot of the mountain.

Tombs of King of Kings

Apadana Hall, Persian and Median soldiers

Lapis lazuli and paste plaque from Persepolis (National Museum of Iran)

It is commonly accepted that Cyrus the Great was buried at Pasargadae. If it is true that the body of Cambyses II was brought home "to the Persians", his burying-place must be somewhere beside that of his father. Ctesias assumes that it was the custom for a king to prepare his own tomb during his lifetime. Hence the kings buried at Naghsh-e Rustam are probably Darius the Great, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I and Darius II. Xerxes II, who reigned for a very short time, could scarcely have obtained so splendid a monument, and still less could the usurper Sogdianus (Secydianus). The two completed graves behind Takhti Jamshid would then belong to Artaxerxes II and Artaxerxes III. The unfinished one is perhaps that of Arses of Persia, who reigned at the longest two years, or, if not his, then that of Darius III (Codomannus), who is one of those whose bodies are said to have been brought "to the Persians."

Another small group of ruins in the same style is found at the village of Hajjiäbäd, on the Pulwar, a good hour's walk above Takhti Jamshid. These formed a single building, which was still intact 900 years ago, and was used as the mosque of the then-existing city of Istakhr.

Cyrus the Great was buried in Pasargadae, which is mentioned by Ctesias as his own city. Since, to judge from the inscriptions, the buildings of Persepolis commenced with Darius I, it was probably under this king, with whom the sceptre passed to a new branch of the royal house, that Persepolis became the capital of Persia proper. As the residence of the rulers of the empire, however, a remote place in a difficult alpine region was far from convenient. The country's true capitals were Susa, Babylon and Ecbatana. This accounts for the fact that the Greeks were not acquainted with the city until Alexander the Great took and plundered it.

At that time Alexander burned "the palaces" or "the palace," universally believed now to be the ruins at Takhti Jamshid. From Stolze's investigations it appears that at least one of these, the castle built by Xerxes, bears evident traces of having been destroyed by fire. The locality described by Diodorus after Cleitarchus corresponds in important particulars with Takhti Jamshid, for example, in being supported by the mountain on the east.

Ancient texts

Cuneiform inscription from the Gate of All Nations in Persepolis

The relevant passages from ancient scholars on the subject are set out below:

(Diod. 17.70.1-73.2) 17.70 (1) Persepolis was the capital of the Persian kingdom. Alexander described it to the Macedonians as the most hateful of the cities of Asia, and gave it over to his soldiers to plunder, all but the palaces. (2) +It was the richest city under the sun and the private houses had been furnished with every sort of wealth over the years. The Macedonians raced into it, slaughtering all the men whom they met and plundering the residences; many of the houses belonged to the common people and were abundantly supplied with furniture and wearing apparel of every kind….

72 (1) Alexander held games in honour of his victories. He performed costly sacrifices to the gods and entertained his friends bountifully. While they were feasting and the drinking was far advanced, as they began to be drunken a madness took possession of the minds of the intoxicated guests. (2) At this point one of the women present, Thais by name and Attic by origin, said that for Alexander it would be the finest of all his feats in Asia if he joined them in a triumphal procession, set fire to the palaces, and permitted women's hands in a minute to extinguish the famed accomplishments of the Persians. (3) This was said to men who were still young and giddy with wine, and so, as would be expected, someone shouted out to form up and to light torches, and urged all to take vengeance for the destruction of the Greek temples. (4) Others took up the cry and said that this was a deed worthy of Alexander alone. When the king had caught fire at their words, all leaped up from their couches and passed the word along to form a victory procession [epinikion komon] in honour of Dionysius.

(5) Promptly many torches were gathered. Female musicians were present at the banquet, so the king led them all out for the komos to the sound of voices and flutes and pipes, Thais the courtesan leading the whole performance. (6) She was the first, after the king, to hurl her blazing torch into the palace. As the others all did the same, immediately the entire palace area was consumed, so great was the conflagration. It was most remarkable that the impious act of Xerxes, king of the Persians, against the acropolis at Athens should have been repaid in kind after many years by one woman, a citizen of the land which had suffered it, and in sport.

(Curt. 5.6.1-7.12) 5.6 (1) On the following day the king called together the leaders of his forces and informed them that "no city was more mischievous to the Greeks than the seat of the ancient kings of Persia . . . by its destruction they ought to offer sacrifice to the spirits of their forefathers."…

7 (1) But Alexander's great mental endowments, that noble disposition, in which he surpassed all kings, that intrepidity in encountering dangers, his promptness in forming and carrying out plans, his good faith towards those who submitted to him, merciful treatment of his prisoners, temperance even in lawful and usual pleasures, were sullied by an excessive love of wine. (2) At the very time when his enemy and his rival for a throne was preparing to renew the war, when those whom he had conquered were but lately subdued and were hostile to the new rule, he took part in prolonged banquets at which women were present, not indeed those whom it would be a crime to violate, but, to be sure, harlots who were accustomed to live with armed men with more licence than was fitting.

(3) One of these, Thais by name, herself also drunken, declared that the king would win most favour among all the Greeks, if he should order the palace of the Persians to be set on fire; that this was expected by those whose cities the barbarians had destroyed. (4) When a drunken strumpet had given her opinion on a matter of such moment, one or two, themselves also loaded with wine, agreed. The king, too, more greedy for wine than able to carry it, cried: "Why do we not, then, avenge Greece and apply torches to the city?" 5) All had become heated with wine, and so thy arose when drunk to fire the city which they had spared when armed. The king was the first to throw a firebrand upon the palace, then the guests and the servants and courtesans. The palace had been built largely of cedar, which quickly took fire and spread the conflagration widely. (6) When the army, which was encamped not far from the city, saw the fire, thinking it accidental, they rushed to bear aid. (7) But when they came to the vestibule of the palace, they saw the king himself piling on firebrands. Therefore, they left the water which they had brought, and they too began to throw dry wood upon the burning building.

(8) Such was the end of the capital of the entire Orient. . . .

(10) The Macedonians were ashamed that so renowned a city had been destroyed by their king in a drunken revel; therefore the act was taken as earnest, and they forced themselves to believe that it was right that it should be wiped out in exactly that manner.

(Cleitarchus, FGrHist. 137, F. 11 (= Athenaeus 13. 576d-e))

And did not Alexander the Great have with him Thais, the Athenian hetaira? Cleitarchus speaks of her as having been the cause for the burning of the palace at Persepolis. After Alexander's death, this same Thais was married to Ptolemy, the first king of Egypt.

There is, however, one formidable difficulty. Diodorus says that the rock at the back of the palace containing the royal sepulchres is so steep that the bodies could be raised to their last resting-place only by mechanical appliances. This is not true of the graves behind Takhte Jamshid, to which, as F. Stolze expressly observes, one can easily ride up. On the other hand, it is strictly true of the graves at Nakshi Rustam. Stolze accordingly started the theory that the royal castle of Persepolis stood close by Nakshi Rustam, and has sunk in course of time to shapeless heaps of earth, under which the remains may be concealed. The vast ruins, however, of Takhti Jamshid, and the terrace constructed with so much labour, can hardly be anything else than the ruins of palaces; as for temples, the Persians had no such thing, at least in the time of Darius and Xerxes. Moreover, Persian tradition at a very remote period knew of only three architectural wonders in that region, which it attributed to the fabulous queen Humgi (Khumái)the grave of Cyrus at Pasargadae, the building at HäjjIãbãd, and those on the great terrace.

It is safest therefore to identify these last with the royal palaces destroyed by Alexander. Cleitarchus, who can scarcely have visited the place himself, with his usual recklessness of statement, confounded the tombs behind the palaces with those of Nakshi Rustam; indeed he appears to imagine that all the royal sepulchres were at the same place.

Destruction

After invading Persia, Alexander the Great sent the main force of his army to Persepolis in the year 330 BC by the Royal Road. Alexander stormed the Persian Gates (in the modern Zagros Mountains), then quickly captured Persepolis before its treasury could be looted. After several months Alexander allowed his troops to loot Persepolis. A fire broke out in the eastern palace of Xerxes and spread to the rest of the city. It is not clear if it had been a drunken accident, or a deliberate act of revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens during the Second Hellenic-Persian War. Many historians argue that while Alexander's army celebrated with a symposium they decided to take revenge against Persians. In that case it would be a combination of the two. The Book of Arda Wiraz, a Zoroastrian work composed in the 3rd or 4th century CE, also describes archives containing "all the Avesta and Zand, written upon prepared cow-skins, and with gold ink" that were destroyed. Indeed in his The chronology of ancient nations, the native Iranian writer Biruni indicates unavailability of certain native Iranian historiographical sources in post-Achaemenid era especially during Ashkanian and adds "..And more than that. He (Alexander) burned the greatest part of their religious code, he destroyed the wonderful architectural monuments in the mountains of Istakhr, nowadays known as the mosque of Solomon ben David, and delivered them up to the flames. People say that even at the present time the traces of fire are visible in some places."^[9][10]

After the fall of the Achaemenid Empire

Persepolis in 1827

Graffiti from visitors.

In 316 BC Persepolis was still the capital of Persia as a province of the great Macedonian Empire (see Diod. xix, 21 seq., 46 ; probably after Hieronymus of Cardia, who was living about 316). The city must have gradually declined in the course of time; but the ruins of the Achaemenidae remained as a witness to its ancient glory. It is probable that the principal town of the country, or at least of the district, was always in this neighborhood.

About 200 BC we find the city Istakhr (properly Estakhr), five kilometers north of Persepolis, as the seat of the local governors. There the foundations of the second great Persian Empire were laid, and there Istakhr acquired special importance as the center of priestly wisdom and orthodoxy. The Sassanian kings have covered the face of the rocks in this neighborhood, and in part even the Achaemenian ruins, with their sculptures and inscriptions. They must themselves have built largely here, although never on the same scale of magnificence as their ancient predecessors. The Romans knew as little about Istakhr as the Greeks had known about Persepolis—and this despite the fact that for four hundred years the Sassanians maintained relations, friendly or hostile, with the empire.

At the time of the Arabian conquest Istakhr offered a desperate resistance. The city was still a place of considerable importance in the first century of Islam, although its greatness was speedily eclipsed by the new metropolis Shiraz. In the 10th century Istakhr dwindled to insignificance, as may be seen from the descriptions of Istakhri, a native (c. 950), and of Mukaddasi (c. 985). During the following centuries Istakhr gradually declines, until, as a city, it ceased to exist.

In 1618, García de Silva Figueroa, King Philip III of Spain's ambassador to the court of Shah Abbas, the Safavid monarch, was the first Western traveller to correctly identify the ruins of Takht-e Jamshid as the location of Persepolis.

The fruitful region was covered with villages till the frightful devastations of the 18th century; and even now it is, comparatively speaking, well cultivated. The "castle of Istakhr" played a conspicuous part several times during the Muslim period as a strong fortress. It was the middlemost and the highest of the three steep crags which rise from the valley of the Kur, at some distance to the west or north-west of Nakshi Rustam.

We learn from Asian writers that one of the Buyid (Buwaihid) sultans in the 10th century of the Flight constructed the great cisterns, which may yet be seen. Amongst others, James Morier and E. Flandin have visited them. W. Ouseley points out that this castle was still used in the 16th century, at least as a state prison. But when Pietro della Valle was there in 1621, it was already in ruins.

Modern events

In 1971, Persepolis was the main staging ground for the 2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy.

Sivand Dam controversy

Construction of the Sivand Dam, named for the nearby town of Sivand, began September 19, 2006. Despite 10 years of planning, Iran's own Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization was not aware of the broad areas of flooding during much of this time^{[citation needed]} and there is growing concern about the effects the dam will have on Persepolis' surrounding areas.

Many archaeologists and Iranians worry that the dam's placement between both the ruins of Pasargadae and Persepolis will flood these UNESCO World Heritage sites. Scientists involved with the construction refute this claim, stating its impossibility because both sites sit well above the planned waterline. Of the two sites, Pasargadae is the one considered the more threatened.

Archaeologists are also concerned that an increase in humidity caused by the lake will speed Pasargadae's gradual destruction, however, experts from the Ministry of Energy believe this would be negated by controlling the water level of the dam reservoir.

Other archaeologists and political analysts believe that the real motivation for destroying Persepolis is the Islamic Fundamentalism of the Ayatollahs, who view the pre-Islamic heritage of Iran as shirk (idolatry) and Jahillya (the dark times) and wish to distance Iran from its ancient heritage^[11]. Ayatollah Khomeni once expressed such negative opinions about Persepolis. In 1979, Khomeini's right-hand man, the Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkhali, tried to demolish Persepolis by bulldozers on these grounds.^[12] He was stopped by the provisional government, who criticized the decision on the grounds that Persepolis was a defining feature of Iran's cultural heritage, and is a major source of income from tourism.^[13].

Notes

Panoramic view

Panoramic view from Persepolis

Panoramic view from Persepolis

Virtual tour

please visit: http://parsyad.ir/gallery.aspx?id=60

See also

Persian guards

• García de Silva Figueroa
• Persian Empire
• Achaemenid dynasty, Iran's first Empire and the creator of Persepolis.
• Darius I the Great, King of Persia.
• Cyrus the Great, King of Persia.
• David Stronach
• Erich Schmidt
• Persepolis (comic)
• Naqshe Rostam
• List of megalithic sites
• Cities of the Ancient Near East

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

External links

• Persepolis at the Ancient History Encyclopedia with timeline, illustrations, and books
• Persepolis Fortification Archive Project (This site provides information on the Persepolis Fortification Archive project based at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago)
• Virtual Reconstruction of Persepolis: 3dparse
• Virtual Reconstruction of, amongst others, Persepolis: persepolis3D
• Pedram Veisi, Persepolis, Photo Set, flickr.
• Persepolis Photo Gallery 2009 (German)
• Persepolis Before Incursion (Virtual tour project)
• Persepolis Satellite view @ Google Maps
• Persepolis Photographs and Introduction to the Persian Expedition, Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.
• Persepolis Photos and videos
• Photos and a map of Persepolis
• Picture archive of Persepolis
• 3D reconstructed pictures and movies of Persepolis
• Secret of staircase of G-Palace in Persepolis revealed, Cultural Heritage News Agency, February 13, 2006.
• Seals on the Persepolis Fortification Tablets - by Mark B. Garrison and Margaret C. Root, at the Oriental Institute webpage
• Farzin Rezaeian, and Hossein Hazarati, Persepolis Recreated, a video documentary made in 2004:
  Part I (8 min 38 sec), Part II (9 min 52 sec), Part III (8 min 52 sec), Part IV (10 min 29 sec), Part V (3 min 22 sec).
• Useful text and pictures of Persepolis (Persian)
• http://www.rugreview.com/13-3pers.htm Persepolis
• Location
• Persepolis - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Further reading

• Curtis, J. and Tallis, N. (eds). (2005). Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia. University of California Press. ISBN 0520247310.
• Wilber, Donald Newton. (1989). Persepolis: The Archaeology of Parsa, Seat of the Persian Kings. Darwin Press. Revised edition ISBN 0878500626.

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Coordinates: 29°56′04″N 52°53′29″E / 29.93444°N 52.89139°E / 29.93444; 52.89139

Architecture of Persia and Iran Elements Bazaars · The Persian Garden (hayāt) · Windcatchers · Shabestan · Kucheh · Talar · Iwan · Howz · Panjdari · Hashti · Andaruni · Biruni (Persian architecture) · Dalan e Vorudi · Qanat · Kariz · Gonbad · Ab anbar · Yakhchal · Caravanserais · Robats · Burj · Khaneqah · Tekyeh · Sahn · Imamzadeh · Mosques Notable traditional cities Architecture of Tehran · Bam · Bukhara · Ctesiphon · Derbent · Herat · Isfahan · Kashan  · Merv · Mashad · Persepolis · Qazvin · Qom · Samarkand · Shahrisabz · Shiraz · Susa · Tabriz · Takht-i-Suleiman (Takht-e Soleyman) · Yazd · Gur-e Amir History and theory Traditional Persian residential architecture · Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity · Islamic architecture · Sassanid architecture · Pre-Parsi style · Parsi style · Parthian style · Khorasani style · Razi style · Azari style · Isfahani style Lists List of ab anbars of Qazvin · List of historical Iranian architects · List of mosques · Args, Castles, and Ghal'ehs · List of Ziyarat-gahs

Fars Province, Iran Capital Shiraz Counties Abadeh · Arsanjan · Bavanat · Darab · Eqlid · Estahban · Farashband · Fasa · Firuzabad · Jahrom · Kazerun · Khonj · Khorrambid · Lamerd · Larestan · Mamasani · Marvdasht · Mohr · Neyriz · Pasargad · Qir-o-Karzin · Rostam · Sarvestan · Sepidan · Shiraz · Zarrindasht Cities Abadeh · Abadehtashk · Alamarvdasht · Ahal · Ardakan · Arsanjan · Asir · Babanar · Bahman · Banaroyeh · Baladeh · Bayram · Bayza · Darab · Dariyan · Dehram · Efzar · Eqleed · Eshkanan · Estahban · Eyj · Evaz · Fasa · Fathabad · Farashband · Firouzabad · Galledar · Gerash · Ghaderabad · Ghayemiyeh · Ghir · Ghotbabad · Hajiabad · Izadkhast · Jahrum · Jannatshahr · Jovaym · Kareye · Kamfiruz · Kazerun · Kenartakhteh · Khavaran · Kherameh · Khesht · Khonj · Khour · Kouvar · Lamerd · Lapoyi · Lar · Latifi · Marvdasht · Maymand · Mohr · Moshkan · Mosiri · Neyriz · Nodane · Nojin · Nurabad · Ramjerd · Roniz · Saadatshahr · Safashahr · Saghad · Sarvestan · Shahrpir · Shehdeh · Shiraz · Sormagh · Sedeh · Seyeddan · Surian · Varavi · Zahedshar · Zarghan Landmarks Afif-Abad Garden · Amir's dam · Arg of Karim Khan · Barmdelak lagoon · Bishapur · Delgosha Garden · Eram Garden · Estakhr · Ghal'eh Dokhtar · Ka'ba-ye Zartosht · Kazerun fire temple · Lake Parishan · Naqsh-e Rajab · Naqsh-e Rustam · Palace of Ardashir · Pars museum · Pasargadae · Persepolis · Qavam House · Qur'an Gate · Saadi's mausoleum · Sarvestan Sassanian palace · Shah Cheragh · Tangeh Bolaghi · Hāfezieh · Tounbbot · Vakil Bath · Vakil Bazaar · Vakil Mosque

From Wikitravel

Hafez Tomb

Shiraz [1] (شیراز) is the capital of Fars province and a treasure trove of Persian culture. It was the capital of Iran during the Zand dynasty (1747-79), and also the celebrated birthplace of the great poets Hafiz and Saadi. It is also the origin of one of the best wines in world called Syrah. The city has a population of about 1,300,000. Shirazi Citizens really care for Enjoying in their life, and they really do everything they can and whenever they can for enjoying , and have fun time together. Family & Friends Party are very common between Shirazi(s), And Dance of Shirazi Girls can not be Competed.

• Shiraz International Airport (IATA: SYZ) (ICAO: OISS) has regular flights to all major and some smaller cities in Iran. There are International flights to Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain, Kuwait. There is a flight from Istanbul operated by Turkish Airlines.

By bus

Shiraz is well connected to most parts of the country by bus.

By car

Freeways connect the city to Isfahan, Kerman, Bushehr, Ahvaz and Yasouj, and Bandar-e Abbas is reachable by highway.

By Train

Shiraz Train station has recently been finished and there will be Trains to Persepolis, Isfahan and Tehran.

Get around

For non-Persian visitors, taxis are probably the most convenient mean of transport. However be sure to haggle for a good price prior to getting into the car.

If an unmarked car stops while you are hailing a taxi, don't be alarmed. Many taxis in Shiraz are unmarked and also as a means to supplement their income, is not uncommon to find private car owners touting themselves as taxis.

However it always best to find a taxi through a reputable "telephone taxi" agency. For a set fee, drivers of these agencies will take passengers to their destination, drive them around town and also wait for them while they shop or run errands. All hotels and local residents will have a phone number of one these agencies. There are also taxis driven by women that specifically cater to women passengers.

The city also has a reasonable bus service.

Talk

Dont hesitate to talk to people, especially youths. Almost all of them speak English well enough to talk to you, answer your questions and chat with you. They're all very welcoming and like getting into conversation with you. Some of them might even invite you to be their guest.

Saadi Thomb

• Hafez Tomb - Recommended. Mausoleum of Hafez- Hafez (1324-1391), the greatest master of Persian lyric poetry and the literary giant of the 14th century, was born in Shiraz, lived all his life here, sang its praises in unsurpassed verse and was buried in a garden known after him as the Hafezieh, in the northeast part of the city. The extraordinary popularity and the wide appeal of this great poet among all Persian-speaking people make his tomb a cherished placed, visited by all. This mausoleum too was rebuilt in the early 50’s. A flight of stone steps reaches to the tomb under a tiled cupola resembling a dervish’s hat. The tombstone is beautifully inscribed with two of Hafez’s poems or Ghazals. Visitors to the tomb can still, as they have done for centuriesm take the omens, or faals, by picking a page at random from a volume of Hafez, kept for this purpose.
• Saadi Tomb - Recommended. Mausoleum of Saadi: Here lie the earthly remains of one of Iran’s greatest poets-Sa’di. Even from the very early days after the poet’s death, the mausoleum of Sa’di became a place of pilgrimage to lovers of poetry and literature. In 1808 AD Karim Khan Zand renovated the mausoleum. The tomb was rebuilt in the early 50’s. The porch with its tall columns of pinkish marble is a traditional feature of Iranian architecture.
• Arg of Karim Khan - formerly a prison, but now an architectural wonder on exhibit.

Afif Abad Gardens

• Afif abad Garden (Bagh-e-afifabad) - a garden and houses owned by the Ghavami family. Highly recommended.

Eram Garden

• Eram Garden (Bagh-e-eram) - Highly recommended.
• Narangestan Qavam (Bagh-e-naranjestan) - highly recommended
• Delgosha Garden (Bagh-e-delgosha)

Interior of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

• Nasir al-Mulk Mosque
• Jame’e Atigh Mosque
• Vakil Mosque
• New mosque
• Vakil Bath - Highly recommended.
• Vakil Bazaar - hundreds of vendors housed in an ancient bazaar. Highly recommended.
• Saray-e-Moshir - a caravansary at the south entrance of Bazaar Vakil, which now functions as exhibition space for Iranian handicrafts. highly recommended.
• Mesgarha Bazaar
• Moshir-e-Now Bazaar
• Shah Cheragh - Highly recommended. Seyed Amir Ahmad, known as Shah-e Cheragh, the brother of Imam Reza, came to Shiraz in the latter half of the 8th century. He passed away in the city and his tomb is now a respected place of pilgrimage. The structure, tile work and the dome of the mausoleum have been rebuilt several times over the centuries. The tomb, the beautiful silver doors and the exquisite mirror work are the handicrafts of masters and contemporary artists of Shiraz.
• Khwaju Kermani Tomb
• Abesh Khatoon Tomb
• Seyed Taj-e-din Gharib Tomb
• Sheykh Roozbahan Tomb
• Khan school
• Ghal'eye Karim Khan
• Christians Church
• Qor'an Gate (Dar vazeh Quran) - the city's main entrance. The original gate was built as an ornamental decoration by the Buwwayhids (Buwayhid dynasty) about 1000 years ago, but this was replaced 60 years ago by new gate, which is considered one of the finest architectural designs in Iran and has won numerous awards. From the the gate walk up the stone stairways to enjoy picturesque and panoramic views of Shiraz. The tomb of Khajooyeh Kermanee, a famous poet is also located here. Hidden in the alleys on the hill-side are numerous restaurants that serve the finest chelo kabob. It is an excellent place for picnics and taking photographs.

Buy

Retail stores usually open between 9AM and 1PM, reopening again from 5PM to 9PM. It is customary to haggle for a discount, which is referred to as a takhfeef.

• Bazaar Vakeel - a huge ancient bazaar specializing in fine carpets, textiles, antiques and handicrafts, and spices . There is also a wonderful courtyard with a pool located in the bazaar perfect for photographs. It is called 'SARAYE MOOSHIR'. Visit Sharzeh and Hamam Vakeel for a great dining experience located just outside the bazaar.

Shopping Malls:

• Hafez Shopping Center, Afifabad Blv.
• Setareye Fars Shopping Center, Afifabad Blv.
• Sina Shopping Center, Motahhari Blv.

• Kebab with rice - like elsewhere in Iran, the mighty old kebab with rice is a common fare, though Shiraz does offer a local variation on the national dish.
• Shirazi Salad - A delicious and famous salad available throughout Iran, made with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing.
• Masghati Halva - a great dessert and snack.
• Nokhod(Chickpea) Cookie - delicious cookie made of chickpea, known as one of Shiraz's souvenirs.
• Shirazi Paloodeh - Paloodeh is an ice cream made of rice starch, which takes the form of noodles. It is flavored with "sharbat" (sugar water), which can be of different flavors. Shirazian paloodeh is the best paloodeh in Iran especially when mixed with Bahar-e-Naranj Distill.

Restaurants

Almost all of these places have Live music playing

• Lotus Restaurant, on the top floor of Setareh-e-Fars Shopping Center
• Kaktoos Restaurant
• Shater Abbas
• Sharzeh Restaurant, a classic old restaurant located just outside the Vakil bazaar
• Soofi Restaurant, traditional restaurant located at Sattarkhan St.
• Hammam-e-Vakil (Vakil Bath), classic old style restaurant
• Parmin Restaurant, Italian Restaurant
• Shandiz Restaurant
• Sita Terditional Restaurant, with Live Iranian Music
• Gambron SeaFood Restaurant, serving famous food from the whole of Persian gulf

Fast Food

You can find at least one fastfood parlor in every Street of Shiraz.

• Givani, Modern restaurant offering Burgers,FC,Pizza
• Safir SFC, another Modern themed restaurant
• Iranwich
• Hot
• Rabo
• Soofi
• Shaverma
• 110 Wimpy
• Emperor

Cafes

You can find coffee shops at shopping centers and on the main streets. Some are big and some are small.

• Brentin
• Safir

Food Gardens

There are a lot of gardens out of Shiraz, most have been remodeled as restaurants. Most have live music playing in the evenings and offer great view.

• Nakhlestan Garden
• Padra Garden, relatively new
• Darband Garden
• Silvia Garden

Drink

Alcohol is illegal in Iran, though available on the black market. Shiraz is internationally famous for its distinctive red wine.

• Doogh is a popular and delicious naturally-carbonated yogurt drink. It is generally served with ice and a dash of mint.
• Distill's - Shiraz have many kind of aromatic distill's.

Sleep

Budget

There are a few budget hotels located about 200m south of the roundabout at Arg-é Karim Khan.

• Shiraz Hotel reservation - Pardis Reservation Network [2]
• Aryo-Barzan Hotel, Roodaki Ave. Tel: +98 (711) 2247182-4 . Fax: +98 (711) 2228959 [3]
• Parseh Hotel, 22Bahman St. Tel:+98 (711) 2226600 . Fax: +98 (711) 2223003
• Parsian Hotel, Roodaki Ave. Tel:+98 (711) 2304965-69 . Fax:+98 (711) 2331000
• Apadana Hotel, Ahli St. Tel:+98 (711) 2301336 & 2359322 . Fax:+98 (711) 2301337
• Shiraz Eram Hotel, Karim Khan-é Zand. Tel:+98 71 230-3884 [4]

• Homa Hotel, Meshkinfam St., next to Azadi Park. Tel:+98 (711) 2288000-9 . Fax:+98 (711) 2288014 & 2288021 [5] - housed in the former Intercontinental.
• Pars International Hotel, Zand Boulevard. Tel:+98 (711) 2332255 . Fax:+98 (711) 2307006 & 2336380 - highly recommended.
• Persepolis International Hotel, Atlasi Sq. , Azadi Blvd., Tel: +98 (711) 2271280-94 . Fax: +98 (711) 2280941 [6]

Get out

Pasargad was a Persian capital built by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC. Around 500 BC, Darius built a new capital at Persepolis 50 km away. Both are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List and both are near Shiraz.

Persepolis (Takht-e-Jamshid)

• Takht-e-Jamshid (Persepolis) - The center of the great Persian Empire, ceremonial capital of the Achaemenians and the showpiece of Achaemenian art, Persepolis (Capital of Persia in Greek) is a historic site in Fars Province, 60 km to the northeast of Shiraz. Iranians call it Takht-e Jamshid (The throne of Jamshid), Jamshid being the first, probably mythical, ruler of Iran. This magnificent court was the summer residence of the Achaemenian emperors and their official reception quarters. It must be by some strange accident of history that Persepolis was never mentioned in foreign records, for it was here that representatives of all the varied peoples of the empire gathered to pay homage, and bring tribute, to the King of Kings, probably each spring, at the time of the ancient Now Ruz festival. Although set on fire and destroyed by Alexander in a gesture symbolizing the destruction of Persian imperial power, its still impressive ruins permit a fairly complete reconstruction of its original appearance.

• Palace of Apadana
• Bishapur
• Firouzabad
• Ghal'eh Dokhtar
• Palace of Ardashir – The Palace ruins of Sassanid king Ardashir I

From LoveToKnow 1911

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

English

Wikipedia has an article on:

Persepolis

Wikipedia

Proper noun

Persepolis

1. an ancient city of Persia.

Translations