Parthian Empire

The seat of Kings for Iran's Persian legacy

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• published: 31 Jul 2015
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Persian kings influenced the world's currency, literature, human rights and left a 2,500 year old legacy. The tombs of the Achaemenid kings, such as Darius the Great, are found in southern Iran and attract tourists from around the world. This road leads to the burial ground for some of Persia's finest kings that ruled this area 2,500 years ago. A ten minute drive from Persepolis toward Northwest takes visitors to a Naqshe Rostam, where the storymakers of Persian history have been buried. Popularly known as Naqshe-Rostam, the mountain has protected tombs of Achaemenid kings who ruled half of the known world in the 6th century before Christ. Registered a UNESCO World Heritage site in May 1997, the area hides the mysteries of the graves of four great kings of Achaemenid Empire, from right to left, Xerex, Darius the Great, Artaexerex I and Darius II respectively. Reliefs carved deep in to the rock depict the victories of the Sassanid kings, Shapur I and Hormozd over Roman Emperors. Each relief depicts great events from various periods of Persian history. The Acahaemanid kings inspired future rulers, and generations of Persian leaders have plundered the history books. Often regarded as the jewel of the Naqshe-Rostam crown, the site of the tomb of Darius the Great is a highlight. Buried high on the mountainside, the tomb of Darius the Great overlooks a vast plain where his magnificent complex of palaces were built. Darius opted for the high mountain view to ensure that he did not lose sight of his beloved Persepolis, and his hard won emporer's beating heart. One tourist from Russia is enthralled with the site. "This site is very beautiful, it's amazing, it's wonderful, I like it� it's great! Yeah, it's really nice," he says. Tour guides believe the site is prone to erosion caused by acid rains from nearby refineries, but so far this is unproven. Tour Guide and provincial cultural heritage expert, Mohammad Javad Ranjbar says there are treasures that are up to 3,500 years old and the site should be protected. "At this site, we see a single bas relief of Elamite origin which is 3000 to 3500 years old, the most prominent parts, however, are of Achaemenid origin which includes cross-shaped tombs of Achaemenid kings engraved in the hillside and also a monument called Cube of Zoroaster, a cubic construction made of rock. In addition, there are Sassanid monuments on the site, which includes bas reliefs of Sassanid kings carved below the royal Achaemenid tombs," he says. The founder of the Persian empire, Cyrus the Great, left behind a mighty empire and a cultural legacy that involves military tactics, and introduced the world's first human rights charter. Visitor, Tahereh Salehzadeh says more domestic tourists should come to visit the tombs and understand their country's legacy. "I wish all Iranians could come and see the things that historians have written about. They should come and see a king that didn't insult the gods of other religions and made a name for himself in history, a man who wrote the first declaration of human rights, and founded such a civilization that has inspired many other nations around the world, but unfortunately many of our own people have forgotten it," she says. Naqshe-Rostam is located 6 kilometres (3.72 miles) from Persepolis, in southern Iran. ==== Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/dfaa594e5d344ff33ec8b7f81d5e5079 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork