The History of Persepolis

The Middle East is home to some of the most amazing archaeological sites, and the site of Persepolis at Takht-e Jamshid in modern day Iran is no exception. One of the capitals of the ancient Persian empire, it was the seat of power for Darius I and the centre of one of history’s most powerful civilisations.

Persepolis is the Greek name for the ancient Persian city of Prsa, and in both languages has a meaning of The City of Persians. Darius I (522-486BC) is given the credit for founding the city in the late 6th Century, when he made it into the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. There are suggestions, without corroborating archaeological evidence, that it had already been made in a seat of government under Cyrus the Great (559-530BC) and his son Cambyses (530-522 BC). In establishing a new capital, Darius I moved the centre of power of the Persian Empire some 43 kilometres downstream from the Pasargadae, the original capital of the Empire as established by Cyrus the Great.

The Tachara Palace, Persepolis - A.Davey - CC-BY-2.0

In choosing a new site Darius wanted to create a site worthy of the might of the Persian Empire and a place to show off the vast wealth it had accumulated from its subjugated nations. Development of the new capital began in about 518BC, and meant that Darius’ men had to first create an artificial stone terrace measuring 450m by 300m. There followed four phases of building, undertaken by sequential Persian leaders, until about 450BC when the majority of work had been completed. The majority of the work was ordered by Darius’ son, Xerxes, but all of the Persian leaders followed the same style of architecture. Wood was the primary building material, and it was only when the Lebanon cedars or Indian teak trees could not meet the required sizes, that the builders resorted to the use of grey limestone.

The buildings on the site are numerous and can be broadly divided into three types; military quarters, the treasury and the Kings’ buildings. The principle buildings include: the Apadana Palace; the Palace of Artaxerxes III; the Gate of Nations; the Great Stairway; the Hall of a Hundred Columns; the Hadish Palace of Xerxes; the Royal Stables and Chariot House; the Imperial Treasury; the Tripylon Hall and Tachara Palace.

Persepolis - DAVID HOLT - CC-BY-SA-2.0

Darius commenced the construction of Persepolis, and did so with greatest of all of the palaces, the Apadana Palace. Designed for official audiences, Persepolis was used in the main as a residence and ceremonial centre, the Palace was finished by Xerxes I, 30 years after work started. Built in the shape of a square, with each side 60m long, seventy-two columns held up a ceiling 20 metres high, it has been estimated that many thousands of people could have been accommodated. The palace is described as being the most beautiful of all of Persepolis’ buildings, and although there are only 13 columns left standing, there is much evidence to support this assumption. The columns were topped with animal sculptures, with the walls tiled and decorated with images of lions and flowers. The outside of the palace was equally as well decorated, with embossed pictures of the kings’ elite guards, the Immortals (as depicted in the film 300).

Other impressive buildings were also started by Darius, the Tripylon, a three-gated debating hall, and the Imperial Treasury. In many ways the Treasury is equally as impressive as the Apadana Palace, housing all of the plunder from conquered regions, as well as the annual tributes demanded of the subjugated people. The Treasury is known to have employed 1348 people, many of whom were just employed to shine the gold and silver.

Columns at Persepolis - Adam Jones - CC-BY-SA-2.0

Xerxes is the prime builder of Persepolis, finishing off Darius’ work, and commencing many of his own projects. Of his buildings the most noted is the Gate of All Nations’, a grand hall of 25 square metres, consisting of four columns, and was designed as a meeting place for the nations within the Persian Empire. The power of the Empire was on display to all observers with a pair of Lamassus, bulls with the heads of men, looking over the main entrance.

By about 450BC, the majority of Persepolis was completed, and there was no more complicated building activity, for about a century. Kings following on from Xerxes, built there own palaces, with columned halls, but there was nothing to challenge the beauty or glory of Darius and Xerxes. The city in all its glory though lasted for barely two hundred years.

The start of the end for Persepolis came with the arrival of Alexander the Great, in 330BC, which also signified the end to the Persian Empire. On arrival in Persia, Alexander sent the bulk of his force to the city, and quickly captured the treasury with all its wealth before it could be looted or rescued. During the occupation of the city by Alexander’s forces, two things happened. Firstly the treasures were removed and returned to Greece and Macedonia, according to Plutarch, this required the use of 20,000 mules and 5,000 camels. Secondly the city was set alight, there is debate whether this was a deliberate act to ensure that the Persian’s could not make use of it or whether it was an act of vandalism by the Greek solders, as an act of revenge for the sacking of Athens some one hundred and fifty years previously. A gradual decline followed the burning of the city, whilst in 316BC Persepolis was still the capital of Persia, though a province of the Macedonian empire. One hundred years later though Persepolis was no longer a seat of government, as Istakhr, five kilometres north of Persepolis took over.

Situated in the mountainous region of south-west Iran, the dry climate has ensured that much of the archaeology has been preserved. Of course after the city was abandoned locals still knew of its existence and created their own stories about it, but it wasn’t until the early 17th century that the first westerners set eyes upon it again. The first of these was a Portuguese missionary, Antonio de Gouveia, in 1602, and for the next hundred there was a steady stream of diplomats who visited the site on their way to the Persian court. There was little archaeological activity though aside from some drawings undertaken by a Dutchman, Cornelis de Bruijn, in 1704. The first dig was undertaken by the Persian governor of the region in 1878, but the first archaeological research and excavation wasn’t undertaken until 1931. In this year Ernst Herzfeld and F Schmidt were commissioned by the Oriental Institute of Chicago University, to carry out the first scientific excavation. Herzfeld and Schmidt worked solidly for eight years on the site, before the Second World War brought the work to a halt. Ever since the end of the war the Iranian Archaeological Service has continued the excavations and has invited many archaeologists from overseas to assist.

Following the 20th Century archaeological work, UNESCO declared the citadel at Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979. Situated as it is in Iran, Persepolis has avoided much of the damage caused by the tourist trade, but the 2007 start of the construction of the Sivand Dam, has put different pressures on the site. The greatness of an Empire though, can be seen in the ruins of Persepolis.

Copyright - First Published 20th February 2008