The “Capital of Persia” city of Persepolis was the ancient capital of the second dynasty of the Persian Empire with architectural works dating back to the time of Alexander the Great. Every detail of the carved reliefs depicts the life in the early days of the Persians with their unique culture and customs.

According to archaeologists, the ancient capital of Persepolis existed around the 6th century BC. In Greek, Persepolis means “Capital of Persia”. Persepolis is a proud cultural and historical relic of Iran – the present-day name of the Persian Empire.

The capital city of Persepolis is splendid with its palaces, mansions, and magnificent halls. The Apadana Palace is an outstanding work of Persepolis, 300m long from east to west and 460m from south to north, built in 515 BC and completed after 30 years, then 150 years later, supplemented and completed. A masterpiece, a symbol of the Persian soul and ideology but at an international level in architecture and art. Artisans from all over contributed Greek-style white stone columns, Roman-style temples, and Persian-style stone reliefs, mixed with the colors of Syria, Turkey, and Egypt. It is where Persian kings held meetings and welcomed ambᴀssadors from other countries.

Persepolis was not only a building serving the dynasty at that time, but also an architectural masterpiece, expressed through the exquisitely carved stone columns, vividly sculpted walls… showing off the talent of ancient Persian craftsmen.

Persepolis is also a symbol of the wealth of the Persian Empire because of its grand architecture, lavish works with gold and silver and beautiful sculptures.

In 320 BC, Alexander the Great from Macedonia, after conquering Greece, attacked Persia. He came to this city of Persepolis, where his troops rested for two months. The place that used to be the place to celebrate the spring and receive ambᴀssadors from all over the world, now became a resting place for the notorious soldiers from all over the world. Wine flowed like a river during those two months. Until one day, Alexander the Great seemed to remember that a century and a half earlier, the Persian emperor Xerxes attacked Greece and burned Athens to the ground. Wine was spilled and fire broke out. It is believed that Alexander the Great intentionally burned Persepolis to avenge Athens.

Excavations of the site in the 1930s revealed that fire had broken out, burning the stone pillars of the Apadana Palace, burning the hundred marble pillars of the Hundred Pillars Palace, and melting the iron and lead beams. The palace dome collapsed.

Before Persepolis was burned, Alexander the Great plundered all the treasures in the city’s treasury, loaded them onto three thousand camels, and transported them to his home country of Macedonia. He also had all the gold plating stripped from the stone pillars, the reliefs on the walls, and the staircases. Persia at that time was famous for its abundance of gold, silver, and treasures, and was the richest country under the heavens.

The palace of a hundred stone pillars now has only marble pedestals, beside which are scattered pieces of the once towering pillars. At the Gate of All Nations, there are still three stone pillars nearly twenty meters high, on top of which were statues of animals with the heads of birds and the bodies of lions. Nearby are cows with graceful wings flying up,…

Although time and war have destroyed most of Persepolis, the cultural and architectural values ​​of Persepolis still exist. Persepolis is a great testament to the prosperity of the ancient Persian empire. Persepolis was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Today, the Persepolis ruins are one of Iran’s most popular year-round tourist destinations. Every year, Persepolis hosts sacrificial ceremonies and community festivals.