What city was burned by Alexander the Great in 330 BC?

The city burned by Alexander the Great in 330 BC was Persepolis. The ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire stood in Fars, in what is now southern Iran, and was known to its inhabitants as Parsa.

Alexander captured Persepolis after defeating Persian forces and overcoming the Persian Gates. His army later looted the palace complex, and a major fire destroyed much of its wooden roofing and interior. Ancient writers disagree about whether the burning was a deliberate act of revenge for Persia’s destruction of Athens or the result of an intoxicated celebration led by Alexander and his companions.

Persepolis was not simply a densely populated capital city in the modern sense. It was a grand ceremonial and administrative complex built on a huge terrace, where royal audiences, imperial rituals, and the presentation of tribute took place. Construction began under Darius I and continued under Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I.

A common mix-up is confusing Persepolis with Susa, Babylon, or Ecbatana, which were also important Persian centers. Persepolis is specifically associated with the famous Macedonian sack and burning in 330 BC.