Sunday, November 20, 2016

Naqsh-e Rostam (Necropolis)


Naqsh-e Rustam (PersianNaqŝ e Rostam‎‎ [næɣʃeɾosˈtæm], "Rustam Relief") is an ancientnecropolis located about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars ProvinceIran, with a group of ancient Iranian rock reliefs cut into the cliff, from both the Achaemenid and Sassanidperiods. The oldest relief at Naqsh-e Rustam dates back to c.1000 BC. Though it is severely damaged, it depicts a faint image of a man with unusual head-gear, and is thought to be Elamite in origin. The depiction is part of a larger mural, most of which was removed at the command of Bahram II. The man with the unusual cap gives the site its name,Naqsh-e Rustam ("Rustam Relief"), because the relief was locally believed to be a depiction of the mythical heroRustam.
Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face at a considerable height above the ground. The tombs are locally known as the Persian crosses, after the shape of the facades of the tombs. The entrance to each tomb is at the center of each cross, which opens onto to a small chamber, where the king lay in a sarcophagus. The horizontal beam of each of the tomb's facades is believed to be a replica of a Persepolitan entrance. One of the tombs is explicitly identified, by an accompanying inscription, as the tomb ofDarius I (c. 522-486 BC). The other three tombs are believed to be those of Xerxes I (c. 486-465 BC), Artaxerxes I (c. 465-424 BC), and Darius II (c. 423-404 BC) respectively. The order of the tombs in Naqsh-e Rustam follows (left to right): Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I, Xerxes I. Source: Wikipedia 



 
Cube of Zoroaster, a cube-shaped construction in the foreground,
against the backdrop of Naqsh-e Rustam


The triumph of Shapur I over the Roman emperors Valerian and Philip the Arab

The investiture of Ardashir I

Panorama of Naqsh-e Rustam

Picture Source: Collected from Internet

No comments:

Post a Comment