The Royal Rock Tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam, Iran
The Royal Rock Tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam, Iran
Naqsh-e Rostam or The Throne of Rustam is an ancient burial site for Persian Kings located 12 km northwest of Persepolis in Fars Province, Iran. There are four tombs carved in the cliffs in cross shapes, all lying about 10-20 meters above the ground. The tombs are said to be those of Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the Naqsh-e Rostam site there are also some bas-reliefs carved in the rock representing war scenes and royal events. The Kaba-ye Zartosht tower is a cubical structure thought to be either a royal tomb, a calendar or a treasury.
The oldest relief at Naqsh-e Rustam dates to c. 1000 BC. Though it is severely damaged, 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. The man with the unusual cap gives the site its name, Naqsh-e Rostam, Rostam Inscription, because the relief was locally believed to be a depiction of the mythical hero Rostam.
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.
One of the tombs is explicitly identified by an accompanying inscription as the tomb of Darius I the Great (c. 522-486 BC). The other three tombs are believed to be those of Xerxes I (c. 486-465 BC), Artaxerxes I (c. 465-424 BC), and Darius II (c. 423-404 BC) respectively. A fifth unfinished one might be that of Artaxerxes III, who reigned at the longest two years, but is more likely that of Darius III (c. 336-330 BC), last of the Achaemenid dynasts. The tombs were looted following the conquest of the Achaemenid Empire by Alexander the Great.
Kab'eh-ye Zardusht, or the Cube of Zoroaster, is a mysterious structure below the rock-cut tombs in the cliff face. Although steps lead up to a hollow chamber, the windows are solid rock. It is known as the cube of Zoroaster because it may have been a Zoroastrian fire temple. It may also have been a tomb: but if it was a tomb why isn't it like the others at the site.
In 1923, the German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld made casts of the inscriptions on the tomb of Darius I. Since 1946, these casts have been held in the archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC. Naqsh-e Rustam was excavated for several seasons between 1936 and 1939 by a team from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, led by Erich Schmidt.
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HISTORICAL PLACES OF IRAN IN GOOGLE EARTH PART THREE ( 3/3 )
1. NAQSH-E-RUSTAM,ESTAKHER,FARS 29°59'24.99N 52°52'31.03E
2. KA'BA-YE ZARTOSHT,FARS 29°59'18.56N 52°52'26.62E
3. TOMB OF FERDOWSI,TUS 36°29'10.02N 59°31'3.20E
4. KUROSH'S TOMB,FARS 30°12'11.92N 53°10'44.43E
5. ST.SARKIS(SURP SARKIS)CHURCH,KHOY 38°33'6.84N 44°56'31.54E
6. TOMB OF HAFEX,SHIRAZ 29°37'32.93N 52°33'30.53E
7. ALI KAPI-KAZVIN,GAZVIN 36°15'56.35N 50° 0'11.18E
8. DOLLATABAD GARDEN,MOALEM,YAZD 31°54'6.69N 54°21'13.45E
9. TOMB OF ESTHER&MORDECHAI,HAMADAN
34°47'52.94N 48°30'46.29E
10. WATCH STATUE,TABRIZ 38° 3'50.15N 46°19'47.09E
11. FORTY COLUMNS,ESFAHAN 32°39'26.90N 51°40'18.92E
12. CUMA CAMII,YEZD 31°54'4.73N 54°22'7.71E
13. AZADI TOWER,TEHRAN 35°41'58.81N 51°20'17.16E
14. GOY MECHID MOSQUE,TABRIZ 38° 4'25.00N 46°18'3.69E
15. EAST GATE CEMETERY,TEHRAN 35°31'29.05N 51°22'36.54E
16. MARKAR CLOCK TOWER,YAZD 31°53'1.75N 54°22'5.97E
17. ASIYAB WATER MILL,HORMOZGAN 27° 5'1.52N 54°29'43.11E
18. FLAG,TEHRAN 35°44'38.76N 51°20'25.05E
19. ZAYANDEH RUD & KHAJOO BRIDGE ,ISFAHAN
32°38'12.64N 51°40'59.92E
20. TOWER OF THOUGHT,TEHRAN 35°41'17.55N 51° 1'24.98E
21. ARG OF KARIM KHAN,SHIRAZ 29°37'3.71N 52°32'40.90E
Nagsh-e Rostam, Iran
Naqsh-e Rostam is an archaeological site with tombs and bas-reliefs in Iran. It is located about 12 km northwest of Persepolis in Fars province. The site is also called the ' necropolis ' of Persepolis. The name Naqsh-e Rostam is submitted by the local Bedouins. They thought that the hero Rostam from the Persian mythology was depicted on the bas-reliefs. The location contains four tombs of Achaemenid kings namely: Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I and Darius II. Their tombs are handsome in the cliff face and have the shape of a cross. The tombs are in the course of the centuries by looters cleared out. Further there are six reliefs from the time of the Sassanids. These include by Shapur I, Adashir I and Bahram II. The location also includes a free-standing construction: the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht or cube of the Zoroastriërs, which is not clear for which it is built. This tower is 12 metres high.
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The Royal Rock Tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam, Iran
Naqsh-e Rostam or The Throne of Rustam is an ancient burial site for Persian Kings located 12 km northwest of Persepolis in Fars Province, Iran. There are four tombs carved in the cliffs in cross shapes, all lying about 10-20 meters above the ground. The tombs are said to be those of Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the Naqsh-e Rostam site there are also some bas-reliefs carved in the rock representing war scenes and royal events. The Kaba-ye Zartosht tower is a cubical structure thought to be either a royal tomb, a calendar or a treasury.
The oldest relief at Naqsh-e Rustam dates to c. 1000 BC. Though it is severely damaged, 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. The man with the unusual cap gives the site its name, Naqsh-e Rostam, Rostam Inscription, because the relief was locally believed to be a depiction of the mythical hero Rostam.
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.
One of the tombs is explicitly identified by an accompanying inscription as the tomb of Darius I the Great (c. 522-486 BC). The other three tombs are believed to be those of Xerxes I (c. 486-465 BC), Artaxerxes I (c. 465-424 BC), and Darius II (c. 423-404 BC) respectively. A fifth unfinished one might be that of Artaxerxes III, who reigned at the longest two years, but is more likely that of Darius III (c. 336-330 BC), last of the Achaemenid dynasts. The tombs were looted following the conquest of the Achaemenid Empire by Alexander the Great. [source]
Kab'eh-ye Zardusht, or the Cube of Zoroaster, is a mysterious structure below the rock-cut tombs in the cliff face. Although steps lead up to a hollow chamber, the windows are solid rock. It is known as the cube of Zoroaster because it may have been a Zoroastrian fire temple. It may also have been a tomb: but if it was a tomb why isn't it like the others at the site.
In 1923, the German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld made casts of the inscriptions on the tomb of Darius I. Since 1946, these casts have been held in the archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC. Naqsh-e Rustam was excavated for several seasons between 1936 and 1939 by a team from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, led by Erich Schmidt.
Hillside Tombs, Naqsh-E Rostam. Image credit Julia Maudlin
Naqsh-e Rustam - Kab'eh-ye Zardusht. Image credit David Stanley
Image credit H Sinica
The Triumph of Shapur II, Naqsh-e Rostam. Image credit Dan
The Investiture of Ardashir I, Naqsh-e Rostam. Image credit Dan
Naqsh-e Rustam - Kab'eh-ye Zardusht Image credit Paul
Image credit Dan
Naqsh-e Rostam, Rock Tombs. Image credit Daniel
Image credit Fulvio Spada
Image credit Lucsaflex
The Royal Rock Tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam. Image credit David Lewis
Spinning at Naqsh-e Rostam in Iran
Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient site northwest of Persepolis. It is seen as a royal necropolis where four Achaemenid and Sassanid kings have been laid to rest. The graves carved out of a huge cliff are said to belong to Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I and Xerxes I. The royal tombs were looted during the invasion of Alexander the Great who toppled the Achaemenid Empire in 331 BC.
There are several bas-reliefs in the Naqsh-e Rostam archeological site. The oldest one can be dated back to the Elamite era, 1000 BC. There are also reliefs from Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties depicting scenes from more than two-thousand years ago.
Ka'ba-ye Zartosht which literally means Cube of Zoroaster is a stone structure lying at the foot of the cliff. The tower-like monument is similar to the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae and dates back to the Achaemenid era (5th century BC). Unlike its name, many scholars believe it has nothing to do with Zoroastrianism and is indeed a royal Archaemenid tomb.
The royal cemetery is very quiet and peaceful indeed, making it a perfect place to enjoy the amazing works of art carved into the rock and the tons of history trapped in the middle of the rocks!
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Check out my travel videos: Spinning Around The World
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Teen D-R-A-M-A! - throwback short I did: Freefall Pilot
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SAADI E SHIRAZI man nadanestam az aval keh tou bi mehr o vafaei motreb e HAFEZ
SAADI E SHIRAZI man nadanestam az aval keh tou bi meh o vafaei ayatava khanandeh ye HAFEZ