Each of the 72 columns that held up the roof of the Reception Hall (called the Apadana) at Persepolis was 62 feet (19 m) high, and on the top of each were a pair of these bulls
Persepolis
is the Greek name (The City of Persia) for the site known to the Iranians as Takht-i Jamshid (The Throne of Jamshid). It dates from the period when the Achaemenid empire dominated the area we call the Middle East. The construction of the Persepolis complex, some 50 km north of present day Shiraz, seems to have been conceived by Cyrus the Great and was then realised by Darius (549 - 486 BCE) and his son Xerxes I (519-465 BCE). The great buildings, including the Apadana, the Throne Room, palaces and treasury, were placed on a huge terrace (300 x 455 m), partly artificial and partly hewn from the rock. Famously Alexandre the Great largely destroyed the site in 330 BCE.A full account of Persepolis and its sculptures can be found in Encyclopaedia Iranica.
A number of the columns of the Apadana are still intact, the capitals of each were carved with the pair of bulls - shown to the left
The curious battlements of the Palace of Artaxerxes I intrigues archaeologist, there is something uncomfortable or artificial about it
Each of the columns was headed with a carved capital of two bulls, like this pair sitting on the ground. A number of these capitals and their columns have been re-erected since this photograph was taken
While the magnificence and scale of the site and its buildings (for example the Throne Hall is 70 metres by 70 metres and accommodated 10,000 people) is extraordinary and well marked by the fact it become a world heritage site back in 1979, it is the vivacious bas-relief carvings that inspire artists, archaeologist and historians alike. There are hundreds of these showing tributary peoples and animals and the costumes of the various countries at the time.
The main double staircase is the most impressive part of the whole site. Described by the original excavator, Herzfeld (1941), as "perhaps the most perfect flight of stairs ever built." Sixty-three steps lead to a landing, and then after two right-angled turns, forty-eight steps lead to the top. Each step is only 4 inches (10cm) high, allowing a dignified ascent for the aged. Up the length of the stairway are pristine bas-reliefs carved into marble; some of these are illustrated below.
These three images show lance-bearers with earrings, the Persian long flowing robe, with three strapped sandal and a twisted fillet (head-band). In front of them is a cypress tree - representing auspiciousness
These spear carriers are probably the "Immortals" the elite members of the Achaemenid army; traces of pigment suggest they were originally brightly coloured
The symmetrical carvings on both flights of stairs show a lion attacking a bull
This motif was used at the time across the empire and on coins; it appears to be a kind of coat of arms
Dignitaries are being welcomed to the court by an usher whose hand appears at the left. In reply the guests raise their hands in greeting. They carry lotus flowers and fruit. There is a noticeable parallel between this system of offerings in the Middle East by subordinate kingdoms to the central conquering state, and similar procedures in the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) of Chinese history.
This party of delegates are Bactrians and bring a Bactrian (two humped) camel and bowls for the emperor
Detail from the adjacent image.
The lines of dignitaries are identified by their clothing and come from all corners of the Empire including: Medes, Susians, Armenians, Arians, Babylonians, Arachosians, Assyrians, Cappadocians, Egyptians, Parthians, Indians, Zarangians and Ethiopians.
(Detail of image upper-left.) The carver/supervisor's mark can be seen by the hat. These marks have shown us a great deal about how Achaemenid craft trades were organised due to the work of
Michael Roaf
which is published by the Persian Institute, Volume 21 of 'Iran'
A Lydian (Western Anatolia) dignitary offering a vase. Assyria bas relief work of 400 years earlier, shows similar stylised beards and eyes, although then they were contained in a much cruder representation
A royal figure who seems to be smiling while receiving a gift
The most impressive aspect of the carvings at Persepolis is the humanity and relaxation on display at the heart of a huge empire. The dignitaries appear more as guests attending a party than as tributary states paying homage. The sculptors have been free to introduce many human touches such as the stroking of a beard, a hand on a friend's bag or shoulder, or the benevolent smile of a king. These are elements rarely seen in state art of any epoch.
The next page
goes to the south-east of Iran and the haunting adobe city of Kerman, with desert and mountains for backdrop.
The last page was about Shiraz, the main city near Persepolis
Ruins from another culture - dating from the Hindu period in eastern Vietnam
The Egypt Museum has monuments built 1,400 years before Persepolis
