Naghshe Rostam is 68 km north east of Shiraz and about 6 km from Persepolis. It is known as the royal necropolis. This place is registered under UNESCO World Heritage alongside Persepolis as well. In here we see remnants of three major dynasties in Iran: Elamites, Achaemenids and Sassanian Dynasties.
The rock cut tombs of Naghshe Rostam
There are four rock cut tombs which two of the more important ones belong to Darius the Great & Xerxes. These are shaped as a cross and the design resembles the designs of Persepolis complex. There are some scenes depicted on the tombs which all were copied after the design used on the tomb of Darius the great. In these scenes, all the nations that formed the Persian empire are depicted. Its as if they are carrying the king to his final resting place.
The bas-relief
These tombs aren’t the only things we can see here. There are some bas-reliefs from Sassanian and Elamite dynasties as well. These bas-reliefs show the most important events that took place at that time. Most of them talk about the battles and victories of Sassanian kings against their rival, the Roman Empire. The rest of these bas-relief are depicting an investiture scene where the kings received their ring of power and legitimacy from a higher being. Since this place was originally close to the main road, it was the best place for kings to show their triumphs.
Zoroaster cube
One other main part of the necroplis is Zoroasters cube. When the Europian historians and archeologists saw the building for the first time, half of it was buried under the ground. At that time it resembled the muslims kaaba so they named it Zoroasters cube. Later on when it was fully excavated, they found out there is much more to this building. Up until this day, no one knows the exact function of such a building.
On each side of this stone monuments which goes back to Achaemenid era, there are some inscription of high historical value. The inscription is written in Parthian middle persian, Sassanina middle persian and Greek.
Final words
This complex shows the rich history of Iran to the world. From Elamites to Achaemenids to Sassanians. These rock cut tombs and bas-relief show us the civilizations come and gone. Let’s appreciate the share legacy we have together.