By Emily Craig

January 3, 2010

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The ancient ruins of Persepolis reflect what was once a great world empire.

The ruins of Persepolis, once the seat of the Achaemenid dynasty, vouch for the past glories of this ancient city. Persepolis means “Persian city” in Greek and it was here, in the south of Iran, that Cyrus the Great, king of the Persians, established a summer capital for his empire.

The oldest parts of the city date from 515 BC, but it was almost 150 years before the buildings envisioned by Cyrus’s son, Cambyses II, and grandson Darius, were completed.

At its zenith, between 500 and 350 BC, the Persian Empire extended across North Africa, India and southern Europe. The Persian kings wanted the architecture of one of their main cities to represent their dynastic supremacy, and so they built the likes of the Imperial Treasury, the Hall of 100 Columns and the Apadana Palace as a show of their wealth and power.

Persepolitan architecture is distinguished by its use of wooden columns, although many of the city’s colossal buildings are constructed of grey limestone. Several grand staircases remain intact, together with a significant number of basso-relievo, and it is also possible for visitors to see the tombs where it is thought that Darius and his son Xerxes are buried.

The ancient city is also said to be the site of the biblical garden of Eden.

• It costs less than £1 to enter the site, which is open daily 7.30am-5pm (Nov-Mar) and 8am-6pm (summer).

• BMI () flies from London to Tehran from £497 return in April 2010. Shiraz, worth a visit in itself, is the nearest city to the ancient site (around a one-hour drive) and there are flights between Shiraz and the capital. However, potential visitors to Iran may experience difficulties in obtaining a visa and many choose to travel with a tour company in order to minimise potential hassle. Magic Carpet Travel Ltd () offers an eight-day tour of Iran from £1,695 per person (including flights, accommodation and group transfers), based on two people sharing, with departures scheduled for April 1 and September 3, 2010.