Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Iranians—quick to smile for the camera of a new American friend—visit Persepolis to
connect with and celebrate their impressive cultural roots.
Wandering the site, you feel the omnipotence of the Persian Empire and gain a strong
appreciation for the enduring strength of this culture and its people. Immense royal tombs,
reminiscent of those built for Egyptian pharaohs, are cut into the adjacent mountainside.
The tombs of Darius and Xerxes come with huge carved reliefs of ferocious lions. Even
today—2,500 years after their deaths—they're reminding us of their great power. But,
as history has taught us, no empire lasts forever. In 333
B.C.
, Persepolis was sacked and
burned by Alexander the Great, replacing Persian dominance with Greek culture…and
Persepolis has been a ruin ever since.
