Necropolis of Naqsh-e Rostam

Naqsh-e Rostam

Naqsh-e Rostam, located 6 km north of the Persepolis terrace, is, in our opinion, an integral part of the occupation zone of Persepolis, as the necropolis of the Achaemenid rulers of Darius I to Darius II. This place is called Naqsh-e Rostam “the portrait of Rostam” because the Persians believed that the Sasanian bas-reliefs under the tombs represented Rostam, a Persian mythical hero of the Shahnameh.

Mervdasht region is magnificent and stunning historic mountains displaying ancient splendour. In fact, this site, which contains monuments from the Elam Civilization, stands out thanks to the tombs of the four Achaemenid kings of the Achaemenid Empire and the Sassanid Empire. It is noted that this area became the site because of the similarity of its Sassanid decoration to what Rostam depicted in the Shahnameh. The site is known as Naqsh-e Rostam (Rustam Relief), but there are no figures of Rostam.

The royal Achaemenid site consists of four monumental rock tombs and the tower, Cube of Zoroaster, whose function, probably ritual, remains enigmatic. The place was not chosen at random: these cliffs at the south-western end of the Kuh-e Hussein massif must already have had symbolic importance in the pre-Achaemenid periods, as evidenced by the presence of a bas-relief mid-Elamite and another neo-Elamite to the west of the tombs, perhaps linked to the existence of an ancient spring. The symbolic importance of Naqsh-e Rostam then continued after the Achaemenid period. During the Sassanid period, the site was protected by a mud-brick rampart and the sovereigns of the 3rd century had bas-reliefs engraved at the foot of the Achaemenid royal tombs. Shapur I also had a trilingual inscription engraved on the walls of the Cube of Zoroaster commemorating his victories. In addition to an obvious desire to mark dynastic continuity with the Persian Achaemenid kings who have become legendary, the presence of these bas-reliefs testifies that Naqsh-e Rostam, together with Naqsh-e Rajab and Istakhr, constitute an important Sassanid dynastic sanctuary.

Naqsh-e Rostam
Naqsh-e Rostam
 
Naqsh-e Rostam
Naqsh-e Rostam