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The
mausoleum of Cyrus the
Great, founder of the Achaemenid
Empire the second Iranian dynasty, would be buttressed and
renovated following its recent inscription on UNESCO’s
prestigious World Heritage List.
The mausoleum is part of the Pasargadae historical site,
added as Iran’s sixth entry on the list during the 28th
Session of the World heritage Committee in China. It is
one of the outstanding examples of the first phase of
royal Achaemenid art and architecture and an exceptional
testimony of Persian Civilization.
Dating back to 2,500 years ago, the burial chamber is
surrounded by royal gardens and has been a sacred place
ever since, even after the invasion of Arabs to Persia in
the 7th century.
“Due to the recent slip and erosion of the mausoleum
stones, we are drafting a fresh plan to renovate the
tomb,” said Babak Kial, head of the Pasargadae
historical site, indicating 30 percent of the plan is
already ready.
He added the project would involve replacing some stone
slabs with new ones, mined from recently discovered
original quarries. Kial reckoned the project would start
in early October and would last 12 to 15 months.
Pasargadae, located 70 km north of Persepolis, was the
oldest capital of the ancient Achaemenid empire, built by
the founder of this empire, King Cyrus the Great (559-330
B.C.). It resembled a park of 2x3 km in which several
monumental buildings were to be seen. Prior to his death,
Cyrus I founded a new capital city at Pasargadae in Fars
and had established a government for his Empire.
Pasargadae covered an area almost 1.5 miles in length and
included palaces, a temple and the tomb of the king of
kings. The city was built on the site where King Cyrus
defeated the leader of the Medes, Astyages, in 550 B.C.
Cyrus appointed a governor (satrap) to represent him in
each province, however the administration, legislation,
and cultural activities of each province was the
responsibility of the Satraps.
The heart of Pasargadae is the citadel, which is known as
Tall-i-Takht or ‘throne hill’. It overlooks a garden
in the south, and the palace complex itself. This consists
of two smaller units: the residential palace and
multi-columned audience halls. The audience hall or
Apadana can be approached from the south-east; the visitor
first has to pass a gate and then has to cross a bridge
over the river Pulvâr.
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