Naqsh-e-Rostam
The Naqsh-e Rostam complex is located in the north of Marvdasht city and 6 km from PERSEPILIS. This area has Sassanid, Achaemenid, and Elam dynasty monuments, and because of the tombs of four Achaemenian kings, epigraphs from the Elam era, and the Cube of Zoroaster, this place has always been interesting for everyone. The reason for the name of this place is due to an old legend. According to this legend, this place was the place where Rostam and Esfandiyar faced each other, and Rostam, the legendary hero of Shahnameh, defeated Esfandiyar. In ancient times, the elements of water, air, earth, and fire were sacred. Ancient Iranians did not use the methods of burning and burying the dead because it disrespected the sacred elements of nature. So they used the method of mummifying and placing the dead in stone coffins. The tombs of Achaemenid kings, from right to left, are the tomb of Xerxes 1, the tomb of Darius the Great, the tomb of Artaxerxes 1, and the tomb of Darius II.
History
Darius l of Achaemenid is one of the most well-known kings of Iran, who cited services such as making roads and reforming government tax laws. At the top of the entrance of this tomb is an image of the kingdom of rituals that the king can be seen with the winged man and fire.
Xerxes was the first son of Darius l, and like his father, he was very fond of art and knowledge. His tomb like Darius, had special architectural prominence.
Ardashir l was the son of Xerxes who became king after his father was murdered. The entrance of his tomb is very similar to the tomb of Darius l and it looks like a crypt, but the tomb of Ardashir l has been more damaged than the rest of the tombs. In terms of masonry and excavation, it has a lower level than the tombs of Darius l and Xerxes.
Unlike the rest of the kings, Darius ll was a weak king who was controlled by his Consultants. This tomb was built like the tomb of Darius l in terms of carvings, and the date of these carvings on the tomb is estimated to be around 420 to 404 BC. Archaeologists consider this tomb to belong to Darius ll due to the imitation of the motifs of the tomb of Darius l.
Inscriptions and reliefs in Naqsh-e Rostam mostly belong to the Sassanid era but among these inscriptions, there are also works from the Achaemenid and Elamite periods. The oldest bas-relief in Naqsh-e Rostam is a work left over from the Elamite era. The Elamite relief shows an image of an ancient Iranian god and goddess in side view and leaning on a throne, who is being praised by a group of people.
The triumph relief of Shapur in this site has been excavated 10 meters east of Darius’s tomb. The image of Shapur in this relief has been identified from the image of the remaining coins from his reign. During his reign, Shapur had a significant impact on the expansion of the borders of Sassanid territory. One of Shapur’s most important achievements during his reign was the conquest of Valerian, the emperor of Rome. The relief of Shapur is a representation of the victory of the Sassanian over The Roman Empire. For this reason, it has high historical value.
The relief of Ahura Mazda and Ardashir is a rock relief from Sassanian Persia. This relief is located at the eastern end of Naqsh-e Rostam. It is less damaged than other reliefs. In this relief, Ahura Mazda on the right and Ardashir on horseback face each other, and Ahura Mazda attributes Ardashir as king and gives him the kingship. Under Ardashir’s horse is tramping Artabanus V, the last Parthian king, and Ahura Mazda’s horse is tramping the devil’s dead body.
Ka’ba-ye Zartosht is a historical building in front of Naqsh-e Rostam mountain and it is located right in front of the tomb of Darius ll. The name of this building was changed to the Cube of Zoroaster 150 years ago. One of the reasons was that this palace was the center of worship and since the name of the Iranian prophet was called Zarathushrta their religion was Zoroastrianism. The External structure of this place is similar to a cube. In the past, this building was called the Zoroastrian Fire Temple, because the inside of the building was blackened by smoke, and due to they mistook the Zoroastrians for fire worshipers, this place was called by this name. They used marble to build it and over time, the marbles turned black and brown because of smoke. The architectural style of this structure is similar to the structures of the Achaemenid era. So it can be said that this building belongs to the Achaemenid period.
Visiting Hours
Visiting hours of Naqsh-e Rostam are every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
