The surviving ruins of Persepolis today are a mere shadow of Persepolis' former glory. It was founded by Darius I in 518 BC and was added to by the subsequent kings over a period of about 150 years. In its heyday the city spread over an area of about 125000 sq meters and was the place where all the...more

"The ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam, surrounded by three huge concentric walls, are found at Tchogha Zanbil. Founded c. 1250 B.C., the city remained unfinished after it was invaded by Ashurbanipal, as shown by the thousands of unused bricks left at the site."

One of the most...more

"Built by Shah Abbas I the Great at the beginning of the 17th century, and bordered on all sides by monumental buildings linked by a series of two-storeyed arcades, the site is known for the Royal Mosque, the Mosque of Sheykh Lotfollah, the magnificent Portico of Qaysariyyeh and the 15th-century...more

The archaeological site of Takht-e Soleyman (Throne of Solomon), in north-western Iran (Azarbaijan Province), is situated in a valley set in a volcanic mountain region. It lies midway between Urumieh and Hamadan, very near the present-day town of Takab, and 400 km (250 miles) west of Tehran.
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The mausoleum of Oljaytu was constructed in 1302–12 in the city of Soltaniyeh, the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, which was founded by the Mongols. Situated in the province of Zanjan, Soltaniyeh is one of the outstanding examples of the achievements of Persian architecture and a key monument in...more

Pasargadae was the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus II the Great, in Pars, homeland of the Persians, in the 6th century BC. Its palaces, gardens and the mausoleum of Cyrus are outstanding examples of the first phase of royal Achaemenid art and architecture and...more

Bam is a small town in the middle of the desert on the southern edge of Iranian high plateau. Its origin dates back to the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries). Its enormous citadel, Arg-e-Bam, was built sometimes about 500 BC and before the 2003 earthquake destroyed more than 80 percent of the...more

On the rocks of Bisotun Mountain, there stand some of the most important historical evidence, dating from Achaemenid period. The principal monument of this archaeological site is the bas-relief and cuneiform inscription ordered by Darius the Great, when he rose to the throne of the Persian Empire in...more

The Armenian Church and Monastery of St. Thaddeus, locally called Kara Kelisa (the Black Church) is situated in desolate, but nowadays easily accessible, country about 18 km south of Maku.

Northwest Iran is home to the oldest churches in the country among which Qara Kelisa, St. Stepanos,...more