Pasargadae was the first major royal capital established by Cyrus the Great.
Cyrus founded Pasargadae in the Persian homeland after defeating Astyages and creating the Achaemenid Empire. The site lies in modern Fars Province, north of Persepolis. Its palaces, gardens, audience spaces, and monumental gateways expressed the new dynasty’s authority in a region associated with the Persian royal family.
The most famous monument at Pasargadae is the tomb traditionally identified as Cyrus’s tomb. Ancient writers, including Arrian, describe a simple stone tomb with an inscription identifying Cyrus. The surviving building has a stepped base and a small chamber, though scholars continue to discuss details of its construction and later history.
Pasargadae did not cease to matter when Persepolis was developed. It remained a dynastic and ceremonial center, showing how Achaemenid royal power used several important sites rather than one exclusive capital.