Tomb of Cyrus the Great - renovations.
Posted on 07/11/2004 3:41:05 PM PDT by freedom44
The mausoleum of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire, would be buttressed and renovated following its recent inscription on UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List.
The mausoleum is part of the Pasargadae historical site, added as Iran’s sixth entry on the list during the 28th Session of the World heritage Committee in China. It is one of the outstanding examples of the first phase of royal Achaemenid art and architecture and an exceptional testimony of Persian Civilization.
Dating back to 2,500 years ago, the burial chamber is surrounded by royal gardens and has been a sacred place ever since, even after the invasion of Arabs to Persia in the 7th century.
“Due to the recent slip and erosion of the mausoleum stones, we are drafting a fresh plan to renovate the tomb,” said Babak Kial, head of the Pasargadae historical site, indicating 30 percent of the plan is already ready.
He added the project would involve replacing some stone slabs with new ones, mined from recently discovered original quarries. Kial reckoned the project would start in early October and would last 12 to 15 months.
Pasargadae, located 70 km north of Persepolis, was the oldest capital of the ancient Achaemenid empire, built by the founder of this empire, King Cyrus the Great (559-330 B.C.). It resembled a park of 2x3 km in which several monumental buildings were to be seen. Prior to his death, Cyrus I founded a new capital city at Pasargadae in Fars and had established a government for his Empire. Pasargadae covered an area almost 1.5 miles in length and included palaces, a temple and the tomb of the king of kings. The city was built on the site where King Cyrus defeated the leader of the Medes, Astyages, in 550 B.C. Cyrus appointed a governor (satrap) to represent him in each province, however the administration, legislation, and cultural activities of each province was the responsibility of the Satraps.
The heart of Pasargadae is the citadel, which is known as Tall-i-Takht or ‘throne hill’. It overlooks a garden in the south, and the palace complex itself. This consists of two smaller units: the residential palace and multi-columned audience halls. The audience hall or Apadana can be approached from the south-east; the visitor first has to pass a gate and then has to cross a bridge over the river Pulvâr.
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Tomb of Cyrus the Great - renovations.
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