Pasargades
Pasargades (in Greek old Πασαργαδών / Pasargadốn , in Persan F dir=rtl پاسارگاد/pāsārgād) is an ancient city built with 1900 meters of altitude in the Zagros and to 87 km of Persépolis, in the current province of the Fars in Iran. It was the first historical capital of the Persian Empire.
History
Pasagardes is built by the king achéménide Cyrus II. According to the Greek author Strabon (XV, 3,8),
the great veneration of Cyrus for Pasargades came from what it had delivered on the site of this city the last battle in which Astyage the Mède had been overcome, battles decisive which had transported between its hands the empire of Asia. It was to even devote forever the memory of this event that had been founded and built the palate of Pasargades.
However, this interpretation seems doubtful: the battle of Pasargades is not the last of the war against Mèdes, and the archaeological indices indicate that the foundation of the city takes seat later on, after the conquest of Sardes (towards 546 av. J. - C.). For Hérodote (I, 125), the choice of the site is rather explained because Pasargades is the cradle of the one of the three Persian tribes, that whose is resulting the clan from Achéménides.
Pasargades remains the capital until the reign of Darius {{Ier}} which moves its seat with Persépolis.
Archeological site
The archeological site covers 1,6 km ², and includes the mausoleum of Cyrus II, the fortress of Tillers Takht and the Zendan-E Solaiman (“prison of Solomon”), a building which the function remains discussed. Was also released the ruins of two royal palaces - the palate P, probably going back from the reign to Darius, and the palate R, build under Cyrus. Lastly, the site contains a royal garden and many other gardens, the most former representatives of the concept of “paradise” Persian.
The most important monument of the city is undoubtedly fall it from Cyrus the Large one, described in a contradictory way by the old authors. The funerary room, capped of a roof with double slope, is 3,17 m long, 2,11 m broad and 2,11 m in height and has two entries. It is set up at the top of a podium to six degrees.
When Alexandre Large the conquered and destroyed Persépolis, he visited fall it from Cyrus. It ordered with one its soldiers, Aristobulus, of enter in the monument. It found there a gold bed, a table assembled with glasses and drinks, a coffin out of gold and many jewels and crimped ornaments of invaluable stones. On the tomb, one could read:
Passer by, I am Cyrus the Large one, I gave to Persians an Empire and I reigned on Asia ,
Then jealous step my tomb
See too
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