Pasargadae (pronounced /pəˈsɑːrɡədi/; from Pāθra-gadā, meaning "protective club" or "strong club"; Persian: پاسارگاد, written in the Roman alphabet as Pāsārgād) was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire during the rule of Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC). It is located just north of the town of Madar-e-Soleyman and about 90 kilometers (56 miles) northeast of Shiraz. Pasargadae is one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is believed to be the location of the Tomb of Cyrus, a tomb previously thought to belong to Madar-e-Soleyman, known as the "Mother of Solomon." The site is managed by Iran's World Heritage organization.

History

Pasargadae was built in the 6th century BCE as the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great. It was located near where he won a battle against the Median king Astyages in 550 BCE. The city was named after Cyrus’s royal family. Pasargadae remained the Achaemenid capital until Darius moved it to Persepolis.

The archaeological site covers about 1.6 square kilometers (0.62 square miles) and includes a structure believed to be the mausoleum of Cyrus, a fortress called Toll-e Takht located on a nearby hill, and the remains of two royal palaces and gardens. The Persian Gardens of Pasargadae are the first known example of the Persian chahar bagh, or four-part garden design (see Persian Gardens).

The remains of the tomb of Cyrus’s son and successor, Cambyses II, were found in Pasargadae near the fortress of Toll-e Takht. These remains were identified in 2006.

Gate R, located at the eastern edge of the palace area, is the oldest known freestanding propylaeum. It may have been the architectural model for the Gate of All Nations at Persepolis.

Tomb of Cyrus the Great

The most important monument in Pasargadae is the tomb of Cyrus the Great. It has six wide steps leading to the burial chamber, which is 3.17 meters (10.4 feet) long, 2.11 meters (6 feet 11 inches) wide, and 2.11 meters (6 feet 11 inches) high. The entrance to the chamber is low and narrow. While there is no clear proof that the tomb belongs to Cyrus the Great, Greek historians say that Alexander the Great believed it was his tomb. When Alexander destroyed Persepolis, he visited this tomb. Arrian, a historian from the second century CE, wrote that Alexander ordered one of his soldiers, Aristobulus, to enter the monument. Inside, Aristobulus saw a golden bed, a table with drinking vessels, a gold coffin, jewelry with precious stones, and an inscription on the tomb. No part of the inscription remains today, and scholars disagree about what the text originally said. According to Strabo and Arrian, the inscription read:

The design of Cyrus’ tomb is believed to be inspired by Mesopotamian or Elamite ziggurats, but the inner chamber is often compared to tombs from Urartu, an earlier civilization. The tomb at Pasargadae has nearly the same size as the tomb of Alyattes, the father of the Lydian king Croesus. However, some scholars disagree with this comparison, as Herodotus wrote that Croesus was spared by Cyrus during the conquest of Lydia and later became part of Cyrus’ court. The main decoration on the tomb is a rosette pattern above the door inside the gable. Overall, the art and architecture at Pasargadae show how the Persians combined influences from many cultures, including Elam, Babylon, Assyria, and ancient Egypt, along with some styles from Anatolia.

Archaeology

The first capital of the Achaemenid Empire, Pasargadae, is now in ruins and is located 40 kilometers from Persepolis in the present-day Fars province of Iran. Gardens were very important in Persian culture, and the palace complex had a large garden layout that stretched from the Tomb of Cyrus to a fortress called the Tall-i Takht, about three kilometers away. This area included several palaces and other buildings. The architecture combined designs from Elamite, Egyptian, and Phoenician cultures, as well as building methods used by the Ionian Greeks, showing that Cyrus wanted to represent his role as an empire ruler rather than just a leader of one nation.

Pasargadae was first studied by the German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld in 1905. In 1928, Herzfeld and his assistant Friedrich Krefter conducted an excavation. Since 1946, original records, notes, photographs, wall paintings, and pottery from these early excavations have been stored in the Freer Gallery of Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. In 1934, Sir Aurel Stein created a detailed map of the site. In 1935, Erich F. Schmidt took aerial photographs of the entire complex.

From 1949 to 1955, an Iranian team led by Ali Sami worked at Pasargadae. A British team led by David Stronach from the British Institute of Persian Studies continued excavations from 1961 to 1963. In the 1960s, a collection of items known as the Pasargadae Treasure was found near the base of "Pavilion B." Dating to the 5th–4th centuries BC, the treasure includes beautiful Achaemenid jewelry made of gold and precious stones. It is now displayed in the National Museum of Iran and the British Museum. Some experts believe the treasure was buried after Alexander the Great's army approached the area, suggesting there may have been violence.

After a long break, work at the site was restarted in 2000 by the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization and the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée at the University of Lyon. Pasargadae is now one of Iran's most important cultural heritage sites for tourism.

Sivand Dam controversy

There is increasing worry about the planned Sivand Dam, named after the nearby town of Sivand. Planning for the dam has taken 10 years, but Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts did not know about the larger areas that would flood during much of this time.

The dam is located between the ruins of Pasargadae and Persepolis, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Many archaeologists and Iranians are worried that the dam could flood these areas. Scientists working on the dam say the sites are above the planned waterline, so flooding may not happen. Pasargadae is considered more at risk than Persepolis. Experts agree that future dam projects in Iran should examine risks to cultural sites earlier in the planning process.

Archaeologists are concerned about the increased humidity caused by the lake. They agree that higher humidity will speed up the damage to Pasargadae. However, experts from the Ministry of Energy believe controlling the reservoir's water level might help reduce this damage.

Construction of the dam began on April 19, 2007. The waterline height was limited to help protect the ruins from harm.

In popular culture

In 1930, the Brazilian poet Manuel Bandeira published a poem titled "Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada" ("I'm off to Pasargadae" in Portuguese) in a book called Libertinagem. The poem describes a man who wishes to travel to Pasargadae, a utopian city. In the poem, the man recalls that he learned about this "utopian city" from stories told in school. Manuel Bandeira first heard the name Pasargadae when he was 16 years old, while reading a book written by a Greek author. The name reminded him of peaceful and beautiful places. Many years later, during a time when he felt sad and anxious, he thought of the phrase "vou-me embora pra Pasárgada" and wrote the poem. Today, this poem continues to influence the imaginations of many people in Brazil.

Gallery

• Tomb of Cyrus the Great
• Tomb of Cambyses I
• The Private Palace
• The Audience Palace
• The Gateway Palace
• The citadel of Pasargadae. At the top, many column bases show that the structure was similar to the Athenian Acropolis in how it was placed and built.
• Pasargad audience hall
• Holy area (Pasargad)
• Toll-e Takht hill (Pasargad)
• Toll-e Takht hill (Pasargad)
• The gate of the palace with the view of the winged man
• The back of the 50 riyal banknote of the Pahlavi era
• Pasargadae in the 1920s