Pasargadae

Pasargadae lies in ruins 43 kilometers from Persepolis in Fars province of Iran.

It was the capital of Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) and today is an archeological site and one of Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The tomb of Cyrus the Great and his son Cambyses 2 have been found in Pasargadae. The design of Cyrus’ tomb is credited to Mesopotamian or Elamite ziggurats.

The first archeologist that explored Pasargadae was Ernest Herzfeld in 1905. From 1949 to 1955 it was worked by an Iranian team led by Ali Sami.

When Alexander looted and destroyed Persepolis, he paid a visit to the tomb. He commanded Aristobulus , one of his warriors , to enter the monument . Inside he found a golden bed , a table set with drinking vessels , a gold coffin and an inscription on the tomb . The text of the inscription is:

Passer-by , I am Cyrus , who gave the Persians an empire , and was the king of Asia . Grudge me not therefore this monument.