| Persepolis was one of the ancient
capitals of Persia, established by Darius I in the
late 6th century BC. Its ruins lie 56km (35
miles) north-east of the city of Shiraz, the
mountainous region of south-western Iran, where the
dry climate has helped to preserve much of the
architecture. Darius transferred the capital of the
Achaemenian dynasty to Persepolis from Pasargadae,
where Cyrus
the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, had
ruled. Construction of Persepolis began between 518
and 516 BC and continued under Darius's successors
Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I in the 5th
century BC. Known as Parsa by the ancient Persians, it
is known today in Iran as Takht-e
Jamshid ("Throne of Jamshid") after a
legendary king. The Greeks called it Persepolis.
At its height the Persian
Empire stretched from Greece and Libya in the west
to the Indus River in present-day Pakistan in the
east. The many nations under the empire's rule enjoyed
considerable autonomy in return for supplying the
empire's wealth. Each year, at Noe-Rooz
(the national festival of the vernal equinox)
representatives from these nations brought tribute to
the king. The Persian kings used Persepolis primarily
as a residence and for ceremonies such as the New
Year's celebration. The actual business of government
was carried out mainly at Susa and Ecbatana.
Persepolis consists of the remains
of several monumental buildings on a vast artificial
stone terrace about 450 by 300 m (1,480 by 1,000 ft).
A double staircase, wide and shallow enough for horses
to climb, led from the plains below to the top of the
terrace. At the head of the staircase, visitors passed
through the Gate of Xerxes, a gatehouse guarded by
enormous carved stone bulls.
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