Reflection On:

The Destruction Of Persepolis

by Meghan Ashley B. Bantog

Centuries ago, various civilizations were run by kings in their empires.

These empires have unique characteristics to them and have had developments
which future civilizations bene ted from. The Persian empire was founded during
the 550 B.C. by Cyrus the Great and since then had been governed by other kings
who further enriched the empire and its architecture. The architecture in the
Persian empire was in uenced by rich cultures since it was a big empire which
stretched across numerous countries. Though the ruins of the Persian empire
already tell much about their history, discovering Persepolis showed that there
were more to be uncovered about the empire.

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 On the documentary The Destruction Of Persepolis: The Golden City Of The

First Persian Empire, historians showed the uncovered wall carvings, clay tablets,
cuneiform, and other artifacts which tell something about the history and the
lifestyle of the people during the Persian Empire. The walls by the staircases
outside the palaces showed depictions about the traditions of the Persians during
that time. It could be seen that people were giving gifts to the king. Moreover, it
was also assumed that the king lead with an iron st though the carvings show
that people lived in peace and harmony under the king’s rule, though this could
all be a ploy. It was also revealed that even though life was controlled and
civilizations were calculated, some groups of people were still nomadic.

Ancient Near East Architecture was characterized by massiveness,

monumentality, and grandeur. These features could be observed in Persian
architecture. Their halls had multiple tall columns decorated with symbolisms of
power like bulls and lions. Their palaces were equipped with stairs which were
constructed in a way that people would climb it in a processional way. During
the Persian empire’s reign the kings had constructed massive halls for celebratory
purposes and to accommodate their citizens and visitors. The materials used
throughout this era were stones, wood, mud, and bricks which were sourced from
and made in different countries. Though the Persian empire had various cultures,
Persian architecture still had its own characteristics.

The fall of the Persian empire has started even before Alexander the Great
burnt Persepolis in behalf of the Greeks but Alexander the Great dealt great
damage to the empire after he destroyed the palace. Now, the ruins is considered
a world heritage site under the care of United Nations. It is also said that it is
being reconstructed in order to preserve the empire’s history. The ruins of the
Persian empire continues to fascinate people from around the world which is why
the Iranian government funded good tourism for the site. Tourists can view the
area with 3D glasses allowing them to see the might of the old Persepolis. Even
without the empire’s 3D reconstruction, the ruins alone are still reminiscent of
how rich the architecture and the history in the empire is.

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