On 24 Shahrivar 1310 in the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar, the Pasargadae complex was registered among Iran’s national historical monuments. Ninety-five years have now passed since the national registration of this unique ancient complex. Despite the many ups and downs it has experienced over this period of nearly a century, Pasargadae remains a monument upon which the eyes of the world are firmly fixed.
Pasargadae is a complex comprising structures such as the Tomb of Cyrus the Great, the Pasargadae gardens, palaces, pavilions and water features, the Tang-e Bolaghi gorge, the so-called Tomb of Cambyses, and several other structures. All of these ancient remains are located in Pasargadae County, Fars Province. Their national and international registration underscores the need for greater protection and for their preservation with vigilance and care.
In ancient times, Pasargadae was known as “Pasargada” (Pāsargād). Its meaning has been interpreted as “the camp of the Persians,” although other explanations for the origin and meaning of the name have also been proposed, each of which has its own significance. Pasargadae derives its name from a royal Persian tribe that established the Achaemenid Empire.
Mountains surround the plain of Pasargadae. Without a doubt, the jewel of this plain and its archaeological complex is the Tomb of Cyrus the Great. The plain lies approximately 130 kilometers from the city of Shiraz and covers an area of nearly 190 square kilometers. Yet the plain and its archaeological remains are considerably older, with evidence of the Middle Paleolithic period having been discovered there—a period spanning roughly 300,000 to 30,000 years ago. It was during the Achaemenid period, however, with the beginning of the reign of Cyrus the Great, that Pasargadae assumed its great importance as a center of the Achaemenid Empire. Cyrus the Great laid the foundations of the earliest structures that today continue to captivate the world at Pasargadae. The architecture and stone-carving techniques of Pasargadae also reveal the distinctive features of Achaemenid civilization.
The Persian dynasty established its foothold during the reign of Cyrus the Great in the region that later became known as Pasargadae. It was here, following Cyrus’s defeat of the Median ruler Astyages, that he chose to establish his capital, or the center of his realm. Approximately seventy kilometers from the place where Cyrus the Great established Pasargadae, Darius the Great built the city of Parsa (Persepolis) and its palaces. Other Achaemenid monarchs subsequently expanded the area of Parsa and its structures, until Alexander of Macedon seized Pasargadae during his unexpected invasion.
The monuments of Pasargadae are of immense archaeological value and, historically, represent a highly significant chapter in the history of Iran. As noted above, the most important and central monument of Pasargadae is the Tomb of Cyrus the Great. The tomb was constructed around 540 BCE and stood within a royal garden. A six-stepped platform and a square-shaped structure form the monument.
Along the northern edge of Pasargadae stands a stone tower known as the Tomb of Cambyses, although some have suggested that it may instead have been the tomb of Cassandane, the wife of Cyrus the Great. Others regard this interpretation as untenable. In any case, the structure forms part of the Pasargadae complex.
The great platform of Tall-e Takht, apparently a ceremonial structure, is another component of the Pasargadae complex. A bridge also stands approximately 150 meters west of the Gate Palace. The water features of the royal gardens, known as the “Paradise of Cyrus,” constitute another important part of the site. The Audience Palace and the Gate Palace should likewise be included among its principal structures. Between the Pasargadae plain and the plain of Saadat-Shahr lies the Tang-e Bolaghi, through which the Royal Road once passed.
The unique Pasargadae complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2004, during a UNESCO session.
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