Pasargadae

🕰️When was it built?

Greek and Roman historians held Pasargadae to be the work of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus defeated the Medes in 550 BC and, as the accounts say, made this his capital because it was near the place of his victory. Trilingual inscriptions on the palaces also show that they go back to Cyrus.

🏛️What was it built for?

It was the capital of Cyrus the Great. Several palaces, a royal garden with water channels and the fortifications of Tall-e Takht together made up a royal complex.

👀What you will see

• The Tomb of Cyrus the Great.
• The Gate Palace, the Audience Palace and the Private Palace.
• The royal garden of Pasargadae and its water channels.
• The fortifications of Tall-e Takht.
• The relief of the winged figure.
• The Mozaffarid Caravanserai and the Tomb of Cambyses.

💡Something interesting

Pasargadae was the fifth site in Iran to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was inscribed in the summer of 2004, at a UNESCO session in China, by a unanimous vote. In the 7th century AH (13th century) one of the Atabegs of Fars built a mosque beside the Tomb of Cyrus with stones from the palaces; in 1971 these stones were put back in their original places.

🎒Good to know before you go