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The Ruined splendour of Persepolis

By- Dr. Veena Shekar

“ If you have doubts about our grandeur, look at our edifice”, wrote a Timurid historian. He was, of course referring to the many splendours of Persia of which Persepolis is easily the most remarkable. Its ruined edifices even today stand in majestic honour that one cannot help but admire the cause and causation behind its creation. This extraordinary site is 57km from Shiraz to the Southwest of Iran and was discovered after a series of excavations( first scientifically excavated by Ernst Hertzfield) between 1931 to 1940. what we see today is a mere shadow of the former glory of Persepolis but it is easy to get an idea of how magnificent it once was when we visit the site.

Persepolis, also known as Takt-e-Jamshid (throne of Jamshid) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenian kings. The complex of buildings forming a ritual city was built by Darius I around 518 B.C. and was completed over the next 150 years by subsequent rulers.

Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, the great conqueror and king of all lands was also the founder of the Persian empire. Under Darius I and Xerxes the Persian empire expanded and grew larger than its Egyptian and Assyrian predecessors. The Persians were not only conquerors but were revolutionary innovators as well. They advocated a respect for the other existing religious institutions and guaranteed freedom of worship. Jews were permitted to build temples and were allowed to settle wherever they wanted. Large areas of land were made fertile due to the Persian method of irrigation, unrestricted travel were made possible by safe roads and trade was facilitated by one monetary unit, the Daric. The Persians had three capitals-Susa, Hamedan and Persepolis. While the first two were purely for business, Persepolis was used for celebration during the spring and New year festival.

Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenian empire in 331 B.C. Darius had formed a huge army to meet him, but Alexander’s tactics and the training of his troops proved superior in the battle of Arabela. The vast treasure house of gold and silver at Persepolis was captured and the palace seized. Before leaving, Alexander and his men mercilessly burnt down the palace complex. This action of Alexander, many historians believe was triggered as a retaliation for the destruction of Athens by Xerxes in 480 B.C. when he defeated a force of Spartans and Greeks in a fierce battle. After the death of Xerxes, the Achaemenid dynasty declined but the monuments of Persepolis continue to live in majesty, silently communicating to all its visitors the pomp, festivity and grandeur that it once enjoyed. It is incredible to believe that such opulence existed.

The palace of Persepolis was purely meant for ritualistic purposes. Each spring, at the time of the ancient Now Rooz ( New year) festival, representatives from the entire kingdom came to pay homage and bring tribute to the king of kings. The complete layout of the set of buildings was designed in detail before any other construction work was begun. An intricate underground water system and drainage cutting through the foundation proves this.

The rooms, halls and courtyards are built on a rock outcrop at the foot of Rahmat hills. The entire structure is built on an expansive platform and the palaces are arranged in four separate levels, each being two meters higher than the other. On reaching the base platform one reaches the level reserved for delegates who came from different parts of the world. The Apadana palace was for nobles and the royal quarter is a step higher to this. The storage rooms and administrative offices are on the lowest level.

The Gateway of all Nations, or Xerxes Gateway, built by Xerxes is the first entrance that greets us once we are on top of the platform. Very closely resembling the Gate of Sargon in Khorsabad (Assyria) the Xerxes Gateway has the figure of two colossal bulls guarding on either side. A cuneiform inscription in three languages seeking the blessings of Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian God, has been inscribed. The delegates who participated in the festival had to pass through this gate before entering the palace.

The Great hall of Audience or the Apadana is again built on a stone terrace. A staircase leads to a columned porch. Of the original fluted and tapering 36 columns in this hall only thirteen remain today. Most of the walls of the Apadana are covered with bas-reliefs showing the figures of nobles and foreign dignitaries in a sort of procession. The figures are all duplicate representations of subject nations ranging from Greece to India and from central Asia to Ethiopia. Figures of exotic animals such as giraffes and lion cubs are also depicted. It is believed that the entire palace including these reliefs were once painted and the ceiling beams of cedar, ebony and teak were gold-plated, inlaid with ivory and precious metals. The staircase to this palace contains reliefs of Median and Persian soldiers, fertility symbols and the New year’s symbol of the lion devouring the bull. This depiction is duplicated many times and is interpreted as the incoming new year replacing the old. However many believe this to have great astronomical significance. On the eastern stairway twenty three delegation from different lands with presents for the king have been depicted. There are delegates from Babylonia, Assyria, Middle East, Ethiopia, and India as well. Their headdress and costume are very curious but aptly represented.

To the north of the Apadana is the Palace of Darius. An interesting feature in this palace is that on the doorway the king is represented as preventing the monster from entering the palace. The monster is here in a composite form of a bull-lion-raven-scorpion. Behind the Darius palace, is the Xerxes palace and the Tripylon. These two palaces seem to have suffered much in the fire.

Largest of all the palaces in the complex is the Hundred column palace. A few columns survive even today. This palace was mainly used for the congregation and reception of the subject nations. Behind the Hall of Hundred columns is the royal treasury and a museum which houses some of the artefacts found during excavation. But compared to the original magnificence of Persepolis, the collection is very meagre. There are also some rock-cut tombs behind the treasury that are ascribed to Artaxerxes.

The art of Persepolis is a result of a unique style. The artists seem to follow the Assyrian tradition in their rendering of humans and animals. But at times become rustic and ingenious. The style can be called as a combination of influences from various places, due to the vastness of the empire. While the monumental structures remind one of Egyptian architecture, the columns with their fluted shafts and bell capitals are Greek in character. In India, the Achaemenid influence can been seen in the Mauryan capitals at Pataliputra. The Persian sculptors who had worked at Persepolis came to India in search of new patronage along with Alexander’s army. Thus we can find depictions that were popular in Persepolis such as the fertility symbol, the floral patterns and the lion figures in several edicts of Pataliputra.

Persepolis is a true legacy to Iran and Iranians. It is proof that human effort and sheer physical force can do phenomenal wonders. Alexander’s brutal force and exploitation is a power that is immediately felt at Persepolis, but what remains dynamic, eloquent and imposing through the passage of time is a different power, that of human qualities, belief and understanding. The belief is that of the king in his capabilities and the understanding that of his people.

Deccan Herald 24th Sept 2000

Author

Dr. Veena shekar, is an art-historian and web designer. A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990, where she studied a few art courses. Her two years stay in the art-loving country immensely helped her pursue her career in the field of art-history.
Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis " A study of historical paintings of karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication.
As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention.She is presently residing in Bangalore, India.

Send mail to Dr. Veena Shekar

Visit Veena shekar's Homepage



	The Ruined splendour of Persepolis By- Dr. Veena Shekar “ If you have doubts about our grandeur, look at our edifice”, wrote a Timurid historian. He was, of course referring to the many splendours of Persia of which Persepolis is easily the most remarkable. Its ruined edifices even today stand in majestic honour that one cannot help but admire the cause and causation behind its creation. This extraordinary site is 57km from Shiraz to the Southwest of Iran and was discovered after a series of excavations( first scientifically excavated by Ernst Hertzfield) between 1931 to 1940. what we see today is a mere shadow of the former glory of Persepolis but it is easy to get an idea of how magnificent it once was when we visit the site. Persepolis, also known as Takt-e-Jamshid (throne of Jamshid) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenian kings. The complex of buildings forming a ritual city was built by Darius I around 518 B.C. and was completed over the next 150 years by subsequent rulers. Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, the great conqueror and king of all lands was also the founder of the Persian empire. Under Darius I and Xerxes the Persian empire expanded and grew larger than its Egyptian and Assyrian predecessors. The Persians were not only conquerors but were revolutionary innovators as well. They advocated a respect for the other existing religious institutions and guaranteed freedom of worship. Jews were permitted to build temples and were allowed to settle wherever they wanted. Large areas of land were made fertile due to the Persian method of irrigation, unrestricted travel were made possible by safe roads and trade was facilitated by one monetary unit, the Daric. The Persians had three capitals-Susa, Hamedan and Persepolis. While the first two were purely for business, Persepolis was used for celebration during the spring and New year festival. Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenian empire in 331 B.C. Darius had formed a huge army to meet him, but Alexander’s tactics and the training of his troops proved superior in the battle of Arabela. The vast treasure house of gold and silver at Persepolis was captured and the palace seized. Before leaving, Alexander and his men mercilessly burnt down the palace complex. This action of Alexander, many historians believe was triggered as a retaliation for the destruction of Athens by Xerxes in 480 B.C. when he defeated a force of Spartans and Greeks in a fierce battle. After the death of Xerxes, the Achaemenid dynasty declined but the monuments of Persepolis continue to live in majesty, silently communicating to all its visitors the pomp, festivity and grandeur that it once enjoyed. It is incredible to believe that such opulence existed. The palace of Persepolis was purely meant for ritualistic purposes. Each spring, at the time of the ancient Now Rooz ( New year) festival, representatives from the entire kingdom came to pay homage and bring tribute to the king of kings. The complete layout of the set of buildings was designed in detail before any other construction work was begun. An intricate underground water system and drainage cutting through the foundation proves this. The rooms, halls and courtyards are built on a rock outcrop at the foot of Rahmat hills. The entire structure is built on an expansive platform and the palaces are arranged in four separate levels, each being two meters higher than the other. On reaching the base platform one reaches the level reserved for delegates who came from different parts of the world. The Apadana palace was for nobles and the royal quarter is a step higher to this. The storage rooms and administrative offices are on the lowest level. The Gateway of all Nations, or Xerxes Gateway, built by Xerxes is the first entrance that greets us once we are on top of the platform. Very closely resembling the Gate of Sargon in Khorsabad (Assyria) the Xerxes Gateway has the figure of two colossal bulls guarding on either side. A cuneiform inscription in three languages seeking the blessings of Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian God, has been inscribed. The delegates who participated in the festival had to pass through this gate before entering the palace. The Great hall of Audience or the Apadana is again built on a stone terrace. A staircase leads to a columned porch. Of the original fluted and tapering 36 columns in this hall only thirteen remain today. Most of the walls of the Apadana are covered with bas-reliefs showing the figures of nobles and foreign dignitaries in a sort of procession. The figures are all duplicate representations of subject nations ranging from Greece to India and from central Asia to Ethiopia. Figures of exotic animals such as giraffes and lion cubs are also depicted. It is believed that the entire palace including these reliefs were once painted and the ceiling beams of cedar, ebony and teak were gold-plated, inlaid with ivory and precious metals. The staircase to this palace contains reliefs of Median and Persian soldiers, fertility symbols and the New year’s symbol of the lion devouring the bull. This depiction is duplicated many times and is interpreted as the incoming new year replacing the old. However many believe this to have great astronomical significance. On the eastern stairway twenty three delegation from different lands with presents for the king have been depicted. There are delegates from Babylonia, Assyria, Middle East, Ethiopia, and India as well. Their headdress and costume are very curious but aptly represented. To the north of the Apadana is the Palace of Darius. An interesting feature in this palace is that on the doorway the king is represented as preventing the monster from entering the palace. The monster is here in a composite form of a bull-lion-raven-scorpion. Behind the Darius palace, is the Xerxes palace and the Tripylon. These two palaces seem to have suffered much in the fire. Largest of all the palaces in the complex is the Hundred column palace. A few columns survive even today. This palace was mainly used for the congregation and reception of the subject nations. Behind the Hall of Hundred columns is the royal treasury and a museum which houses some of the artefacts found during excavation. But compared to the original magnificence of Persepolis, the collection is very meagre. There are also some rock-cut tombs behind the treasury that are ascribed to Artaxerxes. The art of Persepolis is a result of a unique style. The artists seem to follow the Assyrian tradition in their rendering of humans and animals. But at times become rustic and ingenious. The style can be called as a combination of influences from various places, due to the vastness of the empire. While the monumental structures remind one of Egyptian architecture, the columns with their fluted shafts and bell capitals are Greek in character. In India, the Achaemenid influence can been seen in the Mauryan capitals at Pataliputra. The Persian sculptors who had worked at Persepolis came to India in search of new patronage along with Alexander’s army. Thus we can find depictions that were popular in Persepolis such as the fertility symbol, the floral patterns and the lion figures in several edicts of Pataliputra. Persepolis is a true legacy to Iran and Iranians. It is proof that human effort and sheer physical force can do phenomenal wonders. Alexander’s brutal force and exploitation is a power that is immediately felt at Persepolis, but what remains dynamic, eloquent and imposing through the passage of time is a different power, that of human qualities, belief and understanding. The belief is that of the king in his capabilities and the understanding that of his people. Deccan Herald 24th Sept 2000 Author Dr. Veena shekar, is an art-historian and web designer. A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990, where she studied a few art courses. Her two years stay in the art-loving country immensely helped her pursue her career in the field of art-history. Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis " A study of historical paintings of karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication. As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention.She is presently residing in Bangalore, India. Send mail to Dr. Veena Shekar Visit Veena shekar's Homepage