Persepolis
is the Greek name for the ancient city of Parsa, located 70 miles northeast of
Shiraz in present-day Iran. The name Parsa meant “City of The Persians” and the
magnificent palace complex at Persepolis was founded by King Darius which
construction started at the site in 518 BCE. Darius made Parsa the new capital
of the Persian Empire, in its place of Pasargadae, the old capital and burial
place of King Cyrus the Great.
Persepolis
visualizing was a majestic show place and the seat of his vast Achaemenian
Empire, arrogantly proclaimed his achievement Due to its remote location in the
mountains, nevertheless, travel to Parsa is arduous task during the rainy
season of the Persian winter when paths turned to mud and the city was used
mostly in the spring and summer warmer seasons. The great city of Persepolis
was built in terraces up from the river Pulwar to rise on a larger terrace of
over 125,000 square feet, partly cut out of the Mountain Kuh-e-Rahmet
("the Mountain of Mercy") in the plain of Marv Dasht about 850
kilometers south of the present capital city of Tehran and about 50 kilometers
north of Shiraz.
To create
the level terrace, huge depressions were filled with soil and heavy rocks which
were then secured together with metal clips; upon this ground the first palace
at Persepolis gradually grew. The magnificence of Persepolis lasted only two
centuries, though, due to short-lived; but its royal audience halls and
residential palaces perished in flames when Alexander the Great conquered and
looted Persepolis in 330 B.C. and, carried away its treasures on 20,000 mules
and 5,000 camels (According to Plutarch). The site was identified in A.D 1620,
and following several centuries countless people traveled to Persepolis and ruins
of its Achaemenid palaces.
Persepolis
Palace Complex, Structures, Reliefs, and Inscriptions mainly deal with the
architecture of the palace complex, and its buildings and embellishing reliefs.
An inscription carved on the southern face of the Terrace proves that King
Darius was the founder of Persepolis and its work was began about 518 B.C.,
though the marvelous task was not completed until about 100 years later by
Artaxerxes I. Before any of the buildings could be erected, considerable work
had to be done. This mainly involved cutting into an irregular and rocky
mountainside in order to shape and raise the large platform and to fill the
gaps and depressions with rubble.
King Darius
planned impressive complex of palaces not only as the seat of government but
also, and primarily, as a show place and a spectacular center for the
receptions and festivals of the Achaemenian kings and their empire. King Darius
lived long enough to glimpse only a small part of his plans executed. His
brilliant and lavish ideas were taken up and followed by his son and successor
Xerxes, who said: "When my father Darius went the throne, I became king on
my father's throne. After I became king what had been done by my father, that I
also (did), and other works I added." Actually, the Persepolis is mostly
the work of Xerxes, according to an excavated foundation inscription.
Persepolis
platform on the northern part of the Terrace, consisting mainly of the Audience
Hall of the Apadana, the Throne Hall, and the Gate of Xerxes, represented the
official section of the Persepolis complex, accessible to a restricted public.
The other part held the Palaces of Darius and Xerxes, the Harem, the Council
Hall, and such.
The Apadana
is the largest and most magnificent building started by Darius and finished by
Xerxes that was mainly used for great receptions by the kings. Thirteen of its
seventy-two columns still stand on the enormous platform to which two
monumental stairways, on the north and on the east, give access. They’re
decorated with rows of gorgeously executed reliefs showing scenes from the New
Year's festival and processions of representatives of twenty-three subject
nations of the Achaemenid Empire, with court notables and Persians and Medes,
followed by soldiers and guards, their horses, and royal chariots.
Delegates
in their native attire, some completely Persian in style, normally carry gifts
as token of their loyalty and as honor to the king. These gifts include silver
and gold vessels and vases, jewelry, weapons, woven fabrics, and animals from
the delegates own countries. Although the overall arrangement of scenes gives
the impression repetitive, there are marked differences in the designs of
garments, headdresses, hair styles, and beards that offer each delegation its
own distinctive character and make its origin distinctive. Another means by
which the design achieves diversity is by separating various groups or
activities with stylized trees or by using these trees alone to form ornamental
bands. There’s also an intentional usage of patterns and rhythms that, by
repeating figures and groups, conveys a magnificent ornamental impression.
Next to the
Apadana, There’s a Throne Hall the 2nd largest building of the
Persepolis Terrace. The Throne Hall "Hundred-Column Hall", which was begun
by Xerxes and finished by his son Artaxerxes I. Its eight stone doorways are
decorated on the south and north with reliefs of throne scenes and on the east
and west with scenes depicting the king in combat with monsters. Moreover; the
northern portico of the building is bordered by two colossal stone bulls. The beginning
of Xerxes' reign the “Throne Hall” was used primarily for receptions for
representatives of all the subject nations of the empire. Later on, when the
Treasury proved to be too small, the Throne Hall also served as a storehouse
and, above all, as a place to display more adequately objects, both tribute and
booty, from the royal treasury. Concerning this, Schmidt wrote of the striking
parallel in a modern example of a combined throne hall and palace museum where
the Shah of Iran stores and exhibits the royal treasures in rooms and galleries
adjoining his throne hall in the Gulistan Palace at Teheran.
Adjacent to
the Throne Hall is the Treasury, part of which served as an armory and
especially as a royal storehouse of the Achaemenian kings. The tremendous
wealth stored here came from the booty of conquered nations and from the annual
tribute sent by the inhabitants of the empire to the king on the occasion of
the New Year's feast. Before the Throne Hall was finished, the most spacious
room of the Treasury was used as a Court of Reception. Hence; two large stone
relieves were discovered here that attested to its function. These depict
Darius I, seated on his throne, being approached by a high dignitary whose hand
is raised to his mouth in a sign of respectful greeting. Behind the king stands
Crown Prince Xerxes, followed by court officials.
The Palace
of Darius actually twelve columns supported the roof of the central hall from
which three small stairways descend. Relieves on these stairways depict
servants coming up the steps carrying animals and food in covered dishes to be
served at the king's tables. On the eastern and western doorjambs are relieves
showing the king in formal dress leaving the palace, followed by two
attendants; relieves on the northern and southern doorways depict the king in battle
with monsters.
The Palace
of Xerxes is almost double as large as that of Darius, shows much related
decorative features on its stone doorframes and windows, excluding two large
Xerxes inscriptions on the eastern and western doorways. In its place of
showing the king's combat with monsters, these doorways represent servants with
ibexes. Unluckily, all relieves in this palace are far less well preserved than
those of the Palace of Darius. The Council Hall is the royal apartment is a pompous
stairway which led to three entrances. And two were for official purposes; and
the third was a secret doorway which led into the Harem.
