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

Access to this elevated stage of empire was no accident of design but a carefully choreographed experience. The northern approach was dominated by a monumental staircase of 111 shallow steps, each wide enough to allow dignitaries to ascend side by side. Unlike the steep stairs of fortresses, these were crafted for grace, allowing elderly ambassadors or richly adorned nobles to climb with dignity, their measured pace becoming part of the spectacle of power.