Persepolis
Persépolis es la versión latinizada del antiguo nombre persa, "Parsa", que significa literalmente "ciudad de los persas." Otro logró espectacular de los aqueménidas fue que Persépolis se convirtió en una de las cuatro capitales del imperio. Fundada por Darío I alrededor de 518 aC, crecería para convertirse el centro de las festividades ceremoniales y culturales, un centro para que dignatarios y visitantes rindieran homenaje al rey, una residencia privada de los reyes persas, un lugar para que los sátrapas llevaran regalos para el rey en la primavera, durante el festival de Nouruz, así como un lugar para la gobierno y la ordenanza del reino.[9] El prestigio y las grandes riquezas de Persépolis eran bien conocidas en el mundo antiguo y se describen mejor por el historiador griego Diodoro Sículo:[5].
Today the archaeological remains of this once opulent city are about 70 kilometers north of the modern Iranian city of Shiraz, in the Fars province of southwestern Iran. Persepolis is a large, elevated complex 40 feet high, 100 feet wide, and one-third of a mile long,[3] composed of multiple rooms, hallways, a wide terrace, and double symmetrical staircases that have access to the top of the terrace.[9] The staircase displays relief scenes of different motifs from everyday life or nature, including some that were literal or metaphorical; Some showed scenes of natural acts such as a lion attacking its prey but representing spring and the festival of Nouruz. Other scenes showed subjects from all the states of the empire presenting gifts to the king, as well as scenes of royal guards, or scenes of social interactions between guards or dignitaries.[9] This staircase is sometimes known as "All Countries."[4].
The structure was built from several halls and complexes which include, the Apadana hall (the longest hall with 36 columns), "Tachar" (the private chamber of Darius I), "Hadish" (later added as the private chamber of King of all nations), the "khazaneh" (the royal treasury), a hall and palace-type complex was later developed by Artaxerxes III Ochus, Tripylon (council hall), and the "rock cut tombs of the kings" or Naqsh-e Rustam.[9].
The most impressive hall in the complex is the Apadana, which occupies an area of 109 square meters with 36 columns, each more than 19 meters high. Each column is fluted, with a square base (except a few in the porches), and a main column supporting the roof of the complex. The structure was originally enclosed from the elements of adobe walls over 5 meters thick and over 20 meters high.[14] The columns were unique in the fact that each had a composite capital often depicting bulls or animals. Those columns in the porches not only had a circular base, but also had an ornate capital after the flutes ended, only to be reduced by detailed bulls, supporting the roof.[14].
The Apadana relief is also unique because it delineates the presence and power of the king. Known as the "Treasure Relief", the scenes depicted at Apadana underline the continuity of the kingdom through Darius I, and underline his presence throughout the empire, as well as featuring his army of "immortal" Persians. Perhaps this was Dario's attempt to create a symbol of the assured continuity of his line. The Apadana hall and the adjacent structures in the complex are believed to have been designed to accommodate large numbers of people. In fact, the halls of Persepolis could at any time accommodate ten thousand visitors each day, with the king and his staff appropriately accommodated.[14]
The greatness of Persepolis lies in its architectural details, its impressive, tall, vertical columns, in its skillfully crafted reliefs depicting people from all walks of life, and from all corners of the empire, and most importantly, in its historical relevance as a political and social center of royal Achaemenid life.
Engineering
The tablets from the Persepolis Fortress dating from 509 to 494 BC. C. are ancient Persian documents that describe many aspects of the construction and maintenance of Persepolis.[15] The tablets are important because they highlight two important aspects of Achaemenid life and the construction of Persepolis: Firstly, that the structure was created by workers, who were paid rations or wages, and secondly, the structure had an intricate engineering system involving weight bearing and architectural elements and most notably an irrigation system composed of a system of pipes. closed and open aqueducts. The following text from PF 1224 outlines both points:
Persepolis' drainage and sewer networks are some of the most complex in the ancient world. Persepolis is built at the foot of the Rahmat mountain, with a raised terrace, partly man-made and partly part of the mountain complex. As Persepolis was, in essence, an important cultural center commonly used in early spring during the Nouruz festival, it enjoyed great rainfall and water runoff from melted ice and snow. The sewage network assumes great importance at this critical time since it was intended to both manage the flow of water downward from the highest areas, as well as manage the wastewater runoff of the inhabitants, and their water needs.[16].
To prevent flooding, the Achaemenids used two engineering techniques to divert melted snow and water runoff from the mountain: The first strategy was to collect the runoff in a reservoir, which was a well with a square opening with dimensions of 4.2 m of the square opening and a depth of , allowing a volume of , or 554,000 liters, (60 x 4.2 x 4.2 m) of collected runoff. Water was diverted into the reservoir through multiple culverts strategically placed around the structure. The second strategy was to divert water away from the structure if the reservoirs filled; This system used a 180 m conduit, 7 m wide and 2.6 m deep located just west of the site.[16].
However, the water system was much more complex than just water tanks and conduits and involved a sophisticated, ancient system of closed pipes and irrigation. Irrigation was divided into five zones, two serving the northern part of the structure and three serving the southern part. Surprisingly the irrigation system was designed to be in harmony with the structure so that in places where there were central drainage channels, in the center of the columns and small drainage holes and conduits on each floor that would draw water from the roof, each floor and the wastewater portals into an underground sewer network and away from the structure.[16].
The five zones (I-V) all possessed a runoff capacity that is certainly more than the amount needed to manage runoff from the mountains which indicated that the system was also used for water supply to the inhabitants, wastewater management, and even irrigation of the gardens around the structure.[16].
Schoolchildren agree that it was Darius the Great who initiated the construction and expansion of the Persepolis project, however German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld believed that it was Cyrus the Great who chose the site for construction, although ultimately it was Darius who finished the construction and created his impressive buildings. Excavations on behalf of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, headed by Herzfeld in 1931 and later with the cooperation of Eric F. Schmidt in 1933, led to some of the most impressive discoveries of Achaemenid artifacts, palaces and structures. Herzfeld felt that the siege of Persepolis was made for special ceremonies and was intended to transmit the power of the Achaemenid empire to its subject nations.[9].
In some versions, Persepolis was never officially completed and its existence was interrupted by Alexander the Great, who, in a fit of rage, ordered the burning of the city in 330 BC. Originally begun by Darius I a century earlier, the structure was constantly changing, undergoing renovation to maintain its impressive façade. After the city burned, Persepolis was deserted and relatively lost to history, until excavations by Herzfeld, Schmidt, and the Chicago team discovered it in the 1930s. This great historical artifact is unfortunately at serious risk of "irreparable damage"[3] from neglect, the elements, and vandalism.
Persepolis was by no means the only large-scale Achaemenid project, as Susa was also host to a similar structure initiated by Darius for similar ceremonial purposes. However, that history can still enjoy the remains of Persepolis as opposed to the scarce remains of Susa, is due in part to the selection of stone in the construction of Persepolis as opposed to the adobe in Susa, and the fact that it was relatively uninhabited, protecting it from the wear and tear of the inhabitants. Politically, Persepolis was a significant discovery because the nearby discovery of Naqsh-e Rustam, the Persian necropolis, home of Darius I shed light on its importance as one of the greatest capitals of the empire.[5] Naqsh-e Rustam was not only the home of Darius I, but also of his son Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II as well. The necropolis complex was looted after the invasion of Alexander the Great, and possibly in the Sassanian period and during the Arab invasion.
During the time of the Shah of Iran, the structure enjoyed protection and coverage as Mohammad Reza Shah appealed to its royal and national symbolism. During this period of time many Western politicians, poets, artists and writers gravitated towards Iran, and Persepolis, either based on political relations with the Iranian monarchy or to inform or visit the ruins. Those figures include the procession of international dignitaries who attended the Shah's 2,5000th birthday celebration, as well as individual visits from figures such as Heinrich Lübke of Germany, and Ralph Graves of LIFE magazine. In an article in LIFE in 1971, Graves described his experience in Persepolis as follows:
Vandalism
Throughout history there have been cases of neglect or vandalism in Persepolis. The most notable historical figure who vandalized this structure was Alexander the Great, who after entering Persepolis in 330 BC. C., called it "the most unpleasant city in Asia" and allowed his Macedonian troops to sack it.[18] Despite this hatred, Alexander also obviously admired the Persians for their respect for Cyrus the Great, and their act of giving Darius III a dignified burial. Years later, after revisiting the city he had ordered burned, Alexander would regret his action. Plutarch represents Alexander's paradoxical nature when he relates an anecdote in which Alexander pauses and speaks to the fallen statue of Xerxes I as if it were a living person:
In retrospect, it must be understood that despite his momentary loss of judgment and his role as the main figure that brought Persepolis to its end, Alexander was by no means the only one. Many people in the following centuries would damage Persepolis including thieves and vandals during the Sassanian dynasty. When the Arab armies invaded in the 19th century, they caused much civil unrest, religious persecution, and book burning. There is no clear record of his vandalism to date, and it is likely due to his destruction of books and historical records.[20].
During the colonial era, and World War II, the structure also suffered from vandalism at the hands of the Allies. Natural causes such as earthquakes and wind have also contributed to the general deterioration of the structure.[21].
Even to this day, the structure is not safe from destruction and vandalism. After the Iranian revolution, a group of fundamentalist servants of Ruhollah Khomeini, including his right-hand man Sadegh Khalkhali, attempted to demolish both the tomb of the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi and Persepolis, but were fortunately stopped by the provisional government.[22]
This gallery shows some of these unfortunate acts of vandalism carried out mostly by foreign visitors from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. The structure is currently at high risk of "irreparable damage".[3].
Virtual reconstruction
French archaeologist, Egyptologist, and historian Charles Chipiez (1835–1901) has created some of the most advanced virtual drawings of what Persepolis would have been like as a metropolis of the Persian Empire. The following mini gallery shows their virtual recreations.[23].
The first image on the left is a view of the "Talar-i-Takht" or the hall of 100 columns of Persepolis. It should be noted on the left side of the image, the famous "Lamassu" (chimeric man, lion, eagle beast) greeting visitors (see below for a photo of a lamassu). Chipiez's drawings outline his technical skill and attention to detail.
The second image from the left is a drawing by Chipiez of the columns, capital, and roof structure of Darius's palace at Persepolis, also known as "Tachar." Note the details of the bull, as well as the use of wood in the construction of the roof. This explains why the palace caught fire when Alexander the Great set fire to it.
The third photo from the left is a more detailed technical drawing of the "Talar-i-Takht" or the hall of 100 columns. Note the stratification of the roof, the detail on the edges of the roof, the window structures, and the technical detailing of the construction poles.
The last photo, on the right, is a panoramic view of the exterior of Darius the Great's palace in Persepolis. In the details of the Persepolis reliefs, as can be seen, symbolic scenes of lions attacking bulls are represented, accompanied by two groups of Persian soldiers who protect (symbolically in this case) the previous infrastructure.