You don't know, but the people here at Mega Curioso are increasingly convinced that our planet is truly amazing and full of mysteries! Take, for example, the case of Naqsh-e Rustam - have you ever heard about this place? Situated in Iran's Fars province, just over 10 kilometers from the ruins of Persepolis, the site consists of an ancient necropolis built to house the royal tombs of the Achaemenid Empire, which flourished between 500 and 330 BC until its defeat. Alexander, the Great.

Imposing crosses

Also known as “Persian Crosses, ” according to Max Cortesi of the Atlas Obscura website, the huge tombs were built to hold the bodies of Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II, but with the exception of Darius I's tomb., it is not possible to identify which grave corresponds to which monarch specifically, since the inscriptions engraved in the rock do not clarify who was placed where.

(Wikimedia Commons / Roodiparse)

According to Max, at the base of the graves it is possible to find carved in the rock images of important battles won by the Achaemenid Empire, while on the entrance of each of the tombs there are real figures being anointed by divine creatures.

The impressive tombs have been carved into a rocky wall at a significant height from the base, and each has an opening leading to the main chamber where originally the sarcophagi containing the remains of the kings were placed. However, no one can say for sure how exactly the bodies of the monarchs reached their graves.

(Wikimedia Commons / Diego Delso)

This is because, since Naqsh-e Rustam is a monument to Zoroastrianism, according to the burial tradition followed by this religion, the corpses should first be left in a Tower of Silence - a tower-shaped building set in the mountains where the dead were placed so that were devoured by vultures - so it is possible that sarcophagi contained only the bones of kings.

Multicultural Sacred Site

According to Dhwty of the Ancient Origins site, archaeologists have also identified Naqsh-e Rustam rock inscriptions that were created before the Achaemenid period, indicating that the site had already been used by other cultures - probably by the Elamite peoples - before transforming itself. in royal necropolis.

(Wikimedia Commons / Amir Hussain Zolfaghar)

Then, from the 3rd century, after the fall of the Achaemenid Empire, Naqsh-e Rustam became a sacred site of the Sassanid Empire and remained in use until the 7th century for religious ceremonies.

(Wikimedia Commons / Maasaak)

Another structure that exists in the necropolis is a building called Ka'ba-ye Zartosht - whose name is translated as Zoroaster Cube - which represents a replica of Solomon's Prison (or Zendan-e Solayman ) located in the ancient city of Pasargada, where served as the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire - but no one is sure for what purpose it was used. Regardless of its actual use, the fact is that Naqsh-e Rustam is an incredible site and there are plans to include this site on the official list of UNESCO monuments.