The hard-to-discern remnants of Darius’ garden, which were recently added to the World Heritage list as part of a joint entry under Persian gardens, display a sophisticated irrigation system. The water channels, punctuated by square pools, run along the perimeter of the garden giving a good indication of the enormous scale of the palace project.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.23 MILES
The stairs, which are guarded by stone soldiers, are decorated by an exceptionally finely crafted frieze in three panels. Each panel is divided into…
25.27 MILES
The bronze trumpets that once heralded the arrival of important foreign delegations (a fragment of which is on display in the museum) may now be silent,…
25.22 MILES
In its heyday Persepolis was one of four key cities at the heart of an empire that spread from the Indus River to Ethiopia. Its original name was Parsa…
23.33 MILES
The spectacular rock tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam are a must-see. Hewn out of a cliff high above the ground, the four tombs are believed to be those of Darius…
0.89 MILES
Proud and alone on the Morghab Plain, the Tomb of Cyrus is the first of the monuments encountered on entering the site of Pasargadae. The tomb consists of…
25.26 MILES
Constructed on a stone terrace by Xerxes I, the Apadana Palace lies largely in ruins. It's thought that this is where foreign delegations would have been…
25.31 MILES
The palaces in the southwestern corner of the site are believed to have been constructed during the reigns of Darius and Xerxes. The Tachara is easily the…
25.2 MILES
With an extravagant hall measuring almost 70 sq metres and supported by 100 stone columns, this palace formed one of two principal reception areas in…
Nearby Iran attractions
0.02 MILES
‘I am Cyrus, the Achaemenid King’ reads the cunieform inscription on a pillar of Cyrus' palace complex. The minimal ruins of what must have been a grand…
0.52 MILES
Around 500m north of Cyrus’ Private Palace are the remains of the Prison of Solomon (Zendan-e Soleiman), variously thought to be a fire temple, tomb,…
0.68 MILES
Begun under Cyrus the Great in about 546 BC, Pasargadae developed into a city of some significance until it was superseded by Darius I’s magnificent…
0.89 MILES
Proud and alone on the Morghab Plain, the Tomb of Cyrus is the first of the monuments encountered on entering the site of Pasargadae. The tomb consists of…
23.33 MILES
The spectacular rock tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam are a must-see. Hewn out of a cliff high above the ground, the four tombs are believed to be those of Darius…
23.82 MILES
On the old Shiraz–Esfahan road, these rock carvings could easily escape notice if it weren't for the sign and the entry kiosk. Four fine Sassanian bas…
25.1 MILES
On the hill above the Treasury are two rock-hewn tombs. The larger and more elaborate of the two belongs to Artaxerxes II, and clambering up to this…
25.17 MILES
Few visitors wander up to the smaller of the two tombs above the Treasury but it has its own charms, not least for a commanding view across the plain. It…