When Iran was the Persian Empire, or the Achaemenid Empire in its first phase, Persepolis was their ceremonial capital. The ancient capital is located in the city of Marvdasht and the Zagros Mountains surround it. While it dates back to 550 BCE, it has remained one of the icons of the Persian heritage of the country. Moreover, the value of Persepolis is not only visible for the Iranians but also for UNESCO. Since 1979, the capital has been a UNESCO Heritage List member.
Although it was not the biggest city in the Persian Empire, Persepolis occupied a great place in their history, nonetheless. Primarily, it served as a ceremonial capital. Now, what does that mean?
Excavations and studies at the site showed that the capital was home to a huge palace complex and a citadel. Moreover, there are 5 grand halls and entrances at the site indicating that the emperor himself stayed in Persepolis from time to time. Historians believe that these structures housed governmental and ceremonial activities and celebrations during specific times, such as the new year.
During the New Year celebrations at the capital, Persian nobles and others would gather and present the emperor with gifts and good wishes. This particular tradition is also visible in the stairway reliefs as well.
Persepolis is one of the finest and most durable examples of Achaemenid architecture. For two centuries, Darius I, his son Xerxes I, and his grandson Artaxerxes I developed the capital to ensure that the original vision remained true. Furthermore, the study of the writings at the capital helped archeologists and linguists decipher the Old Persian dialect in cuneiform.
The destruction of the ancient ceremonial capital came at the hands of Alexander the Great which is a story by itself. Allegedly, when Alexander invaded Persia, he took his army to Persepolis by the Royal Road. On their way, they met with Greek artists whom the Persians tortured and enslaved to work in the capital. This affected Alexander deeply; therefore, when he got to the capital he ordered his army to crash and burn it as revenge.
