The Secrets of Engineering and the Splendor of the Achaemenid Empire | How Persepolis Survived 2,500 Years

At the center of the terrace stood the Tripylon, or “central palace.” With three entrances converging into one chamber, it likely served as a council hall. Here, reliefs depict one of the most striking images of Persian kingship: the king seated beside his heir, upheld on a throne carried by representatives of 28 nations. The symbolism was unmistakable: empire endured not through force alone but through the willing shoulders of its many peoples.