Editing Persepolis (section)

===Construction===
Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. [[André Godard]], the French archaeologist who excavated Persepolis in the early 1930s, believed that it was [[Cyrus the Great]] who chose the site of Persepolis, but that it was [[Darius I]] who built the terrace and the palaces. Inscriptions on these buildings support the belief that they were constructed by Darius.

With Darius I, the sceptre passed to a new branch of the royal house. The country's true capitals were [[Susa]], [[Babylon]] and [[Ecbatana]]. This may be why the Greeks were not acquainted with the city until [[Alexander the Great]] took and plundered it.

[[File:Darius.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|left|[[Darius the Great]], by [[Eugène Flandin]] (1840)]]
[[File:Harold f Weston - Iran13.jpg|thumb|Persepolis in 1920s, photo by [[Harold Weston]]|321x321px]]

Darius I's construction of Persepolis was carried out parallel to that of the [[Palace of Darius in Susa|Palace of Susa]].<ref name=Perrot>{{cite book |last1=Perrot |first1=Jean |title=The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia |date=2013 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |isbn=978-1848856219 |page=423 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fDimj7F2VVgC&pg=PA423 |language=en |access-date=25 December 2021 |archive-date=20 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420100929/https://books.google.com/books?id=fDimj7F2VVgC&pg=PA423 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Gene R. Garthwaite, the Susa Palace served as Darius' model for Persepolis.<ref name="The Persians">{{cite book |last1=Garthwaite |first1=Gene R. |title=The Persians |date=2008 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1405144001 |page=50 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unG8_JqzYQQC&pg=PA50 |language=en |access-date=19 October 2020 |archive-date=20 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420100921/https://books.google.com/books?id=unG8_JqzYQQC&pg=PA50 |url-status=live }}</ref> Darius I ordered the construction of the [[Apadana]] and the Council Hall ({{transliteration|grc|Tripylon}} or the "Triple Gate"), as well as the main imperial Treasury and its surroundings. These were completed during the reign of his son, [[Xerxes I]]. Further construction of the buildings on the terrace continued until the downfall of the [[Achaemenid Empire]].<ref>2002. Guaitoli. M.T., & Rambaldi, S. ''Lost Cities from the Ancient World''. White Star, spa. (2006 version published by Barnes & Noble. Darius I founded Persepolis in 500 BC as the residence and ceremonial center of his dynasty. p. 164</ref> According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the Greek historian [[Ctesias]] mentioned that Darius I's grave was in a cliff face that could be reached with an apparatus of ropes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Persepolis |title=Persepolis |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=16 October 2017 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410060736/https://www.britannica.com/place/Persepolis |url-status=live }}</ref>

Around 519 BC, construction of a broad stairway was begun. Grey [[limestone]] was the main building material used at Persepolis. The uneven plan of the terrace, including the foundation, acted like a castle, whose angled walls enabled its defenders to target any section of the external front.

<gallery mode=packed>
File:General view of the ruins of Persepolis.jpg|General view of the Persepolis
File:Plan of Persepolis.png|Aerial architectural plan of Persepolis
</gallery>