Persepolis: Throne of Kings

If you ever have the chance to visit Iran, you must definitely visit one of the most popular tourist places called Persepolis (Parsa). These ancient buildings are considered to be an amazing complex that served as the capital of Achaemenid Empire. Just seeing the vast and majestic structure for the first time will leave you stunned with its beauty and scale.

Persepolis was ruled by Darios the Great who founded it in 518 BC (the construction of the city started and the rock terrace was carved out). Nevertheless, it was not built by one ruler because after the creation of Darius the Great, Xerxes his son, and grandson Artaxerxes 1 added their own contributions to the construction of Persepolis. The construction of Persepolis and its beautiful palaces, halls, and gateways continued for many years.

To be more precise, most historians believe that it took around 120 years for construction to start and finish. It means that right after its foundation, it took two centuries for this grandiose building to be completed. But unfortunately, it was burned down by Alexander the Great in 330 BC and left to decay.

In this picture, you can see sculptured stone bull’s head capitals typical of ancient Persian architecture. So, look closely at this picture and you will see how masterfully this detail is made and connected to other blocks of stone with ancient construction methods. This is a prime example of dry masonry, and one can only marvel at the skills of the ancient masters.