SHAFAQNA- IRNA: Gate dating back to Cyrus era have been unearthed near the Persepolis in southern Iran. A joint Italian and Iranian team could prove that Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire, ordered building of a gate for Persepolis, which was built during his successor Cambyses II. The joint venture has been headed by Piier Franchesco Kaliyeri Pierfrancesco Callieri, a full Professor at Department of Cultural Heritage of Bologna University, and Alireza Askari Chaverdi, Associate Professor of Archaeology at the University of Shiraz.
The 12-meter-tall gate locates in Tale-Ajori area, which is three kilometers away from north-western part of Persepolis, 60 kilometers far from Shiraz, capital city of Fars province, southern Iran. The structure has a corridor in the center, including a rectangular chamber with 8 meters width and 12 meters length. There were four chairs in the central chamber. The corridor opened to Persepolis from two sides.
The gate was built of clay and brick materials. Colorful bricks formed its interior and exterior. There were symbolic paintings of ancient Iranian emblems from Achaemenid, Elamite eras and people of Mesopotamia. One of the most important aspect of the findings is that there are inscriptions in Eamite and Babylonian calligraphies.
Askari Chaverdi told IRNA that all documents, materials, decorations, Carbon dating 14 and sacrilege aspects of the gate show that the structure was constructed after 539 BC to the honor of the Babylon conquest, when Cyrus the Great ordered the construction of the monument.
According to the academic, Cyrus the Great ordered construction of the Persepolis in order to highlight the religious importance of conquering Babylon, which was the most important city in the ancient time; so, his son continued the construction work, because he was interested in the city and was well acquainted with people of Babylon.
Chaverdi noted that archaeologists are working round the clock to turn the site into a museum for public display; therefore, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts as well as the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies , Izmeo, have taken protective measures. Hamid Fadaei, the Director of the Persepolis International Cultural Heritage Centre, expressed hope that as a result of efforts made to prepare the campus for public display, it will be put on show in the near future. The Italian and Iranian archaeologists started excavations in Tale-Ajori area in December 2020. The Tale-Ajori is a gate, which was built for Firouzi Complex before the construction of Persepolis and inside the ancient city of Parse.
Founded by Persian Emperor Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis had been capital city of the Achaemenid Empire. The king of kings of that time constructed a palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian stronghold. Successive emperors ordered construction of a series of stunning palatial structures, among them the Apadana palace and the Throne Hall. The magnificent ruins of Persepolis rest in southwestern Iran, which are among the world’s greatest archaeological sites. The gem of Achaemenid Empire is symbol of ancient Iranian architecture, urban planning, construction technology, and art.