The oldest palace at Persepolis, built by Darius I, is called the Tachara.
The Tachara, also known as the Palace of Darius, was constructed during the reign of Darius I at Persepolis, the Achaemenid ceremonial capital in southern Iran. Its name comes from an Old Persian term generally interpreted as “winter palace,” although its exact ancient meaning is debated.
The building is a relatively compact stone palace with finely polished dark limestone doorways and window frames. Reliefs show Darius I and attendants, while inscriptions identify the king and celebrate the construction. Xerxes I and later rulers expanded or modified parts of the Persepolis complex, but the Tachara is associated primarily with Darius.
It is sometimes confused with the larger Apadana, which served as a grand audience hall, or with the Hadish, a palace attributed to Xerxes. The Tachara is distinct for its smaller scale, unusually polished stonework, and early place in the development of Persepolis’s royal architecture.