Darius the great decided that the necropolis of the Achamenid king had to lie a few miles away from Persepolis, and he chose the cliff site of Naqsh-e Rostam (also Naqsh-i Rustam) where some old Elamite works already stood as the home of the large tombs hewn out of the vertical rock face. Instead of creating a mausoleum in the form of a house like that of C yrus the Great at the ancient site of Pasargadae, here the architectural formula was totally changed with the realization of colossal tombs cut directly out of the mountain face and visible from a great distance.
Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient archaeological site with a rich history dating back over 3,500 years. There are works from the Elamite periods from 600 to 2000 BC, the Achaemenid period from 600 to 330 BC and the Sasanian period from 224 to 651 BC. which shows the strength of Iranian architecture before Islam. It is renowned for its remarkable rock-cut tombs and bas-reliefs. The site is situated approximately 12 kilometers northwest of Persepolis and served as a necropolis for the Achaemenid kings of Persia.
The rock-cut tombs, hewn into a cliff face, are believed to belong to Darius the Great and his successors, including Xerxes, Artaxerxes I and Darius II. These imposing tombs were created around 486-424 BC and are marked by ornate facades and inscriptions in Old Persian cuneiform.
Naqsh-e Rostam also features majestic bas-reliefs on top of the tombs that depict representatives of the nations under control of the Persian Empire from the Achaemenid period (circa 5th century BC). In these scenes, these figures are carrying a throne where the king is standing in front of a royal fire altar.
Over the centuries, the site remained significant during the Sᴀssanid period (224-651 AD) when additional reliefs were added. Naqsh-e Rostam stands as a testament to the grandeur of ancient Persia and provides valuable insights into the culture, art, and burial practices of the Achaemenid and Sᴀssanid empires. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for tourists and history enthusiasts.
At Naqsh-e Rostam there is a tall natural rock wall, a barrier that delimits the landscape for hundreds of feet. In this grandiose site, in re-establishing a link with the tradition of rock-cut tombs — such as the Median sepulcher at Kiz Kapan with its embedded columns and capitals with ‘Ionic’ volutes, imitating a palace and decorated with a bas-relief representing the Zoroastrian fire temples and rituals — the Achaemenid kings ordered the creation of amazing sculpted façades whose cross shape stands out in the recesses of the rock. There are three registers. The center is occupied by a transverse rectangular element that reproduces the façade of a palace: four embedded columns, whose capitals consist of double headed bulls, crown a single entrance way. The lintel of this latter is surmounted by an Egyptian Cyma, while the upper part is topped by a stone “rolling shutter” that is half lowered. Separated by denticulate frieze, the upper part has a large square bas-relief, the lower section of which has 28 bearers — the symbol of the nations under Persian dominion — lined up on two levels like atlases to support the king’s official litter. Above, the king, in an erect position, holds the emblematic arch and makes a ritual sacrifice in front of a fire altar below the image of Faravahar, which emerges in the middle of the sun disk supported by vulture or eagle wings. As regards the lower part, the base of the sculpted motif, the Persian sculptors who executed the hollow and smoothed the wall left it bare, like a silent beach, opposite the tomb.
The rock-hewn tombs are no less than 72.1 ft (22 m) in height and are situated well above ground level in order to prevent violation. In the interior, once past the door, which is set at a high level, without any other possible access except for removable ladders, visitors will note a straight inside corridor that runs parallel to the façade and leads to three chambers large enough to house several sarcophagus intended for the king and his family.
The first tomb of this kind, made for Darius the great (522-468 BC), is situated in the middle of the rock face. To the left, with the same shape and size, are the tombs of Xerxes (486-465 BC) and Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC), while to the right is the tomb of Darius II (423-404 BC)
At the left-hand end of the Naqsh-e Rostam cliff there is a square tower 22.9 ft (7 m) per side and 36 ft (11 m) high, which Muslims call Ka’aba-i Zartusht, or Ka’aba of Zoroaster. This construction has elegant limestone masonry that makes use of the subtle alternation of pits and hollows that lend rhythm to the walls, on which the false stone windows create strong contrasts.
The opinions of specialists concerning the function of this edifice, which is entered by a jutting stairway that leads to a door halfway up the structure, are not unanimous. Some consider it a fire altar, others a “library that housed the texts of the Avesta” (the sacred scripture of the Zoroastrians), and yet others a temporary tomb which holds the body until the proper tomb gets ready. It should be said that in Pasargadae an analogous edifice already existed, built with identical construction techniques but in this latter case the role of the structure is still wrapped in mystery.
To conclude this discussion of royal tombs, it must be pointed out that the last Achaemenian kings Artaxerxcs II (404-358 BC) and Artaxcrxcs III (358-338 BC) decided to build their tombs directly above the palaces of Persepolis, in the rock face of the mountain known as Kuh-i Rahmat, while the tomb of Darius III (335-330), who Alexander the Great defeated, was never finished.
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