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Persepolis
(Old Persian Pârsa, modern Takht-e
Jamshid): Greek name of one of the capitals of the ancient
Achaemenid empire, founded by the great king Darius (522-486 BCE).
There were several satellite sites, like Naqš-i
Rustam and Takht-e
Rostam.
The construction of the large Stairs of All Nations in Persepolis was ordered by
king Xerxes (486-465),
the son and successor of the founder of the city,
Darius
I the Great. Originally, the main access had been in the south; now, one
had to ascend to the terrace
from the west.
The individual stairs are very low.
Perhaps this was to enable horsemen to climb to the terrace, but another,
more likely explanation is that it was because you were forced to walk
upright. The first building one encountered upstairs, was the Gate
of All Nations. It inspired the Parthian
architects of the sanctuary in Konkobar.
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