Persepolis (#114)
The footsteps of the empire that once encompassed a vast area from the Nile river in Egypt to Danube river in Europe and the Indus river in India, can be traced in the remains of Persepolis, in Fars Province of Iran. Persepolis was structured in the 6th century BC, by Darius the Great, as the ceremonial capital of Achaemenids used for celebrating Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. The remnants of the city’s majestic stairways, the columns topped with iconic capitals, palaces, royal passageways, and reception halls don’t fail to do justice to the splendor of the empire. In 1979, Persepolis was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
