Pasargadae

Iran · Fars

Ancient cityIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 2004
Approximate period3,200 BCE — 1,400 CEChalcolithic, Achaemenid, Hellenistic and Islamic periods See on the map ↓

In brief

Founded by Cyrus II in the 6th century BC, Pasargadae was the first capital of the Achaemenid dynasty. Excavations revealed the layouts of the palaces and gardens; earlier and later settlement phases in the surrounding area were also investigated.

What was found?

  • 1Palace S

    Stone columns and doorway elements of the building identified as a reception hall have survived. The remains are among the principal examples of early Achaemenid palace architecture.

  • 2Palace P

    The remains of the palace identified as a royal residence show a layout connected with the garden. The building illuminates the importance of open spaces in palace life.

  • 3Gate R

    The stone foundations and column bases of the freestanding entrance building were found. This structure shows that entry to the palace grounds was arranged on a monumental scale.

  • 4Garden water channels and pools

    Stone channels and pools partially preserve the layout of the royal garden. They provide direct archaeological evidence for reconstructing the garden's plan.

  • 5Tall-e Takht terrace

    The large fortified terrace is an important part of the royal building complex. It documents the large-scale stone construction work of the early Achaemenids.

What does it point to?

Pasargad suggests that palaces and gardens were designed within a shared plan. The architecture shows that elements adopted from different cultures were brought together in Persian design.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that gardens connected separate palace buildings within a coherent settlement layout.
  2. It revealed that monumental entrances, reception halls, and royal residences were planned together in early Achaemenid architecture.
  3. According to researchers, the garden may be an early example of the later four-part garden tradition; reconstructing this layout relies on interpretation.

Images

The entrance hall (Gate R), Pasargadae, the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire, Iran (
Carole Raddato from Frankfurt, Germany · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Pasargadae, Marv Dasht, near Shiraz - 4-8-2013
Soheil Callage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Primarily Achaemenid
First modern dig
1923
Coordinates
30.1938°, 53.1673°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. iranicaonline.org
  3. UNESCO Dünya Mirası Merkezi

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