Naqsh-e Rustam
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Naqsh-e Rustam
Location
Persepolis

Country
Iran

Year of Research
1000 BCE

Culture
Naqsh-e Rustam is an archaeological site lies about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars province, Iran. Naqsh-e Rustam situated a few hundred meters from Naqsh-e Rajab.The ancient relief at Naqsh-i Rustam is severely damaged and dates to c. 1000 BCE. It depicts a faint image of a man with unusual head-gear and is thought to be Elamite in origin. The depiction is part of a larger mural, most of which was removed at the command of Bahram II. Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face. They are all at a limited height above the ground.The tombs are known locally as the Persian crosses , after the shape of the facades of the tombs.The entrance to each tomb is at the center of each cross, which opens onto to a small chamber, where the king lay in a sarcophagus. The horizontal beam of each of the tomb's facades is believed to be a replica of the entrance of the palace at Persepolis.