Persepolis is in Iran, where it served as a ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
King Darius I began construction at Persepolis around 518 BCE on a large raised terrace near modern Shiraz. Later rulers, including Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I, expanded the complex with palaces, audience halls, monumental stairways, and decorated gateways.
The reliefs show delegations bringing gifts from different parts of the empire. These images are valuable evidence for the empire’s peoples, clothing, animals, and court ceremonies. Persepolis was not the only Achaemenid capital: Susa and Ecbatana also held important administrative or royal roles.
Alexander the Great captured Persepolis in 330 BCE and parts of the complex were later burned. The ruins remain one of Iran’s most important archaeological sites and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.