Persepolis, Iran : past glory of the ancient Persian Empire

In 1971, just few years before his down fall, Mohammad Reza of the last Pahlavi Shah hosted the 2500th year celebration of the Persian Empire in Persepolis.  Foreign royals and distinguished guests were invited to attend the event.  Many millions of dollars were spent on the celebration just to make good impression on the Iranian people and foreign guests. This is one of the last acts that Mohammad Reza tried to hold onto his power through the memory of the Persian Empire.

Last month, my wife and I made our first trip to Iran.  Persepolis was definitely one of the highlights for our tour.  More than 2500 years ago, the Achaemenids created a vast empire across Central Asia, Turkey, Egypt and India. They also built a grand ceremonial palace in Persepolis to receive tribunes from different people and tribes of the empire. The palace was built on the foot of Mountain Mercy over a large terrace of 125,000 square meters.  When we saw it nowadays, we could still feel its greatness.

(The Apadana Courtyard of Persepolis)

 
Most visitors will enter the palace through its north-west stairway and the Gate of All Lands.  Right away, visitors will be impressed by the stone guardian bulls of the doorway.  Each guardian bull has eagle wings, bull body and human head. 

(The Gate of All Lands)

You can image that tribal people from afar in the Persian empire were led through the Gate of All Lands.  They waited in patience until the Persian guards led them to the Audience Palace in the Apadana Courtyard.  With their gifts in their hands, they were deeply impressed by the facades and panels along the way.

(Stone panel with Darius the Great on top and Persian guards below)

(Stairway façade showing the lion goring the bull)

Despite the passage of time, many huge stone columns are still found standing in the palace.  Although the roof had long collapsed and disappeared, we can still find huge stone column capitals of different animals.  Many of them are preserved on site and many of them are housed in museums. 

(Double-headed eagle capital)

(Double-headed bull capital in the National Museum, Tehran)

Along the stairways around the Apadana, there are beautiful facades of Persian guards and gift-bearing delegations.  Historians and archaeologists have identified more than 23 different groups of tribal people in these facades, including Armenians, Egyptians, Arabs, Scythians, Indians and even Ethiopians.  Their gift items  and animals, including lamps, bulls, horses and lions, can still be seen clearly in the facades.

(Persian guards on the stairway)



(Gift-bearing delegations led by guards)

After the religious revolution, the West has an unfair image of Iran.  During our visit, we have interacted with different local people.  They are friendly and are eager to communicate with foreign visitors.  They are also proud of their heritage and culture.  From what we have experienced and seen, we definitely agree.

If you are interested to know more about the ancient Persian empire, you can read Allen, Lindsay. The Persian Empire: a history. London: The British Museum Press, 2005.