Anshan was an ancient Persian city and an early homeland of the Achaemenid dynasty.
Anshan was located in the highlands of southwestern Iran, in the region later known as Fars. The name appears in Elamite and Mesopotamian records, where Anshan was associated with the eastern Iranian world and with Elamite political traditions. Archaeologists identify the site with Tall-e Malyan.
The early Achaemenid rulers claimed a connection with Anshan, and royal titulary sometimes described them as kings of Anshan. This connection reflects the dynasty’s roots before Cyrus the Great created the vast Achaemenid Empire. Anshan should not be confused with Pasargadae, the royal center Cyrus later established, or Persepolis, the ceremonial capital developed by Darius I and his successors.
The city’s history therefore helps explain the transition from regional southwestern Iranian power to imperial rule across Asia and Egypt.