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

Persepolis was not conceived as a mere palace but as a monumental statement. Around 518 BCE, Darius the Great initiated its construction on the slopes of a sacred mountain later called Mount Rahmat, “the Mountain of Mercy.” Unlike his administrative capitals at Susa or Ecbatana, Darius envisioned Persepolis as a ceremonial stronghold, a fortress of identity and a treasury of culture. This dual purpose—defensive and symbolic—was etched into every stone.