May 15, 2014

From Ancient Persepolis to the Desert City of Yazd

Written by Tina Patterson

After entering the magnificent ruins of Persepolis, one cannot help but imagine a time when the great Persian armies of Darius and Cyrus ruled the land. When colorful noblemen, from different nations, such as Ethiopia, Libya, Cappadocia, all under the control of Darius, traveling on horseback for days and laden with exquisite gifts came to pay their respects to the great king. With just a handful of tourists around, stories of a bygone era carved into the stone by skillful artisans come alive in front of our eyes. This is incredible… we are standing inside one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world!

The Amazing Persepolis

The glory of the Persian Empire at Persepolis

Carvings at Historial Persepolis Site Iran

As we depart for Yazd and leave behind the ruins of ancient Persia, we pass the tomb of Cyrus with the following inscription:

Welcome, Pilgrim

I have been expecting you.

Before you lies Cyrus,

King of Asia, King of the World.

All that is left of him is dust.

Do not envy me.

Robert Byron in “The Road to Oxiana” described Cyrus’ tomb as “a sarcophagus of white marble on a high stepped plinth standing by itself in the ploughed fields. It looks its age, every stone has been separately kissed, and every joint stroked hollow, as though by the actions of the sea. No ornament or cry for notice disturbs its lonely serenity.

Then suddenly, in front of us, as far as the eye can see, lies the great desert…