Loading...
Saturday 2 June 2012

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid


Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid

From Naqsh-i Rustam, we drove for about 10km or so to another archaeological site called Persepolis, which literally means the ancient Persian City (in Greek). In Persian, it’s known as Takht-e Jamshid or the Throne of Jamshid. This was the capital of Achaemenid Empire back in the years between 500-300BC. So unlike in Naqsh-i Rustam, where all we could see are tombs, Persepolis offers a lot more than that.

According to what my guide told me, the architecture in this ancient city was mainly based on wood and timber. Marbles and stones were mostly used only for column bases and other parts that are bigger than the biggest timber that they could get hold of. So when the city was burnt down soon after it was conquered by Alexander the Great, nothing much was left standing, apart from a few huge stone/ marble columns and walls.

Talking about Greek-Persian Wars – something which I didn’t learn at school and only got registered on my mind when I visited Athens, Greece right before the trip to Iran – apparently Persepolis was burnt down in retaliation to the Persians burning the Acropolis in Athens. And by the way, do you know the history of how marathon started and why it’s called “marathon”? You can read it here. It involved the Persians too. 😊

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

So anyways, I digress. Back to Persepolis.

This archaeological site is quite big and keeps on expanding with new findings over the years. Visitors can still see archaeologists working in the area. I thought of writing bits of history related to places shown in the following photos but I better not. Obviously one is better off reading the history somewhere else. So I tried to come up with something else instead, to explain my experience visiting this site. But I simply couldn't. There are no words to describe Persepolis. It's just one of those places which you have to visit and experience yourself. Yeah, sounds so cliche, I know. 😝

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

The Gate of All Nations

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Apadana / Palace of Xerxes (?)

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Hall of 100 Columns

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Hall of 100 Columns with Tomb of Artaxerxes III in the Far Background

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Apadana Audience Hall

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Apadana Audience Hall Columns

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Tachara Palace

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

View of Hall of 100 Columns and the Tomb from Apadana Audience Hall

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Tomb of Artaxerxes III

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

Imperial Treasury

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

View of Main Archaeological Site of Persepolis

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

View of Other Archaeological Areas in Persepolis

Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

The Signage to the Thrones for Today's Visitors. 😝

Persepolis is, by the way, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Personally, I do believe that it’s as good as Acropolis in Athens, Greece, if not better. The site is well maintained and background information is well displayed at each individual site. Unfortunately Persepolis is not as well known as Acropolis, or even when compared to Esfahan. Well, I know I myself haven’t heard of Persepolis before deciding on this trip to Iran. Hopefully, more can be done to promote this place to the whole world.

If it were you, would you be interested to visit Persepolis as part of your trip to Iran?


Further reading/ reference: (If you have any other recommendations, just let me know :-))
1. Ancient Encyclopedia History
2. Iran Chamber Society
3. UNESCO World Heritage
4. Wikimapia


Read More:


Iran: Persepolis of Takht-e Jamshid - Ramble and Wander

On Pinterest? Use this photo to bookmark and/or share the blog post. 😉


For other blog entries on Iran, click here.




Stay updated with the latest travel stories & tips, direct into your mailbox:
 

7 comments:

Comments and feedback are always appreciated. So do leave one or two if you have the time. Thank you!

  1. I heard about Persepolis before - from Civilization IV. Hahahaha

    Civilization tuh game

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh haha! That's cool. At least you learnt something from playing games, haha! ;-D

      Delete
    2. learned about Greek Civilizations, and about ancient wonders too ; The Colossus, Hanging Garden. Dunno if they're still exist or not

      Delete
    3. Ah-ha! Then one day perhaps you should travel to Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Egypt. Knowing what you're going to become in less than 2 years time, I suppose inshaAllah it won't be that hard :-)

      Delete
    4. Ok, got to refer to my son's history book here ;) Tapi the ladies washroom sign tu kelakar la hehe! Gorgeous shots, by the way..

      Check out my summer companion!
      http://mrsjackofalltradesdaily.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-companion.html

      Delete
    5. At first I thought, "Is the woman wearing a maxi dress with a headscarf?" ;-) Think I saw a similar one in Musandam, Oman :-)

      I have checked the list of books earlier, by the way. Too chick-lits for me, heheh! Well may be apart from the last one? Think I need to stock up on books as well for this next one month. It's getting hotter and hotter outside.

      Delete
  2. what an amazing pics!
    kisses!
    self-dressed.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
 
Toggle Footer
TOP