The site

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, raised around 510 BCE on a great walled terrace in the plains of Marvdasht, Iran. Seemingly occupied only seasonally, its palace complex showcases the full grandeur of Achaemenid architecture. Alexander the Great's army seized it in 330 BCE, and its wooden halls were soon consumed by fire.

Field notes

civilizations

Persian (Achaemenid)

types

City

built

510 BCE — 330 BCE

occupied

518 BCE — 330 BCE

country

Iran

elevation

1,627 m above sea level