Monday, September 07, 2009

Naqsh e Rostam in Persepolis, Shiraz

Shiraz, was the center of Persian Empire for a long time. Among many places you have to visit in Shiraz in Fars province in Iran, you must try Persepolis first. Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid dynasty (Hakhamaneshian). just about 10 km to the north from Persepolis, there is Naqshe Rostam (the picture of Rostam or Rustam, an epic hero in ancient Persia/Iran)
The below paragraphs is my uncle's review, Pouyan Kazemian, who lives for couple of decades in Australia, when he came back to Iran after a long time. you may find it amazing, I attach some pictures to give you a clearer idea:

Naqshe Rostam (Rostam’s Drawings translated loosely) is an ancient site in Mid-Southern Iran, which cannot be expressed through words. A crude description of the place would be “a series of tombs of Persian kings, surrounded by sculptures, all of which are carved into a cliff edge”. It is located at the heart of one of the most scared locations in Iran, less than an hour away from Perspolis and Centre of Shiraz .

No one knows the real name of this place; hence the name Naqshe Rostam as it was concluded by those who first laid eyes on this site thousands of years ago, that only a mythical Persian character would be powerful enough to build it (type Rostam in google.com for more info). For people that come here today, the real name of the place is irrelevant, as the sheer size of the cliff face and the carvings are enough to make anyone feel humble and insignificant when standing beside them. As if this isn’t enough history to move just about anybody, one of the first ever Zartosht temples is also situated opposite the cliff edge, just to remind everyone not to take things for granted as they walk on hallowed ground, the same place where many Persian kings once stood and admired their creation.


To Iranians, Naqshe Rostam is symbol of pride and patriotism, a sign of who they were and how great they can be in the future if they dare to try. To a foreigner, it is difficult to comprehend how great mankind was in the past and what they can achieve during their time on earth, if they are willing to do so. Despite these subjective and objective points of view, Everyone who come to this site agrees that Naqshe Rostam is most certainly a symbol of hope and inspiration. After all if our ancestors were capable of creating something as astonishing as this more than two thousand years ago, there is no reason why any one of us today should ever believe that we cannot accomplish feats just as stunning in the future.


the last picture I think is for Apadana stairs, near the Naqsh e Rostam.