Persepolis, Iran

Pasargad was a Persian capital built by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC. Around 500 BC, Darius I built a new capital at Persepolis 50 km away. Both are now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Listand both are near Shiraz. We did not visit Pasargad due to the distance. 

• Takht-e-Jamshid (Persepolis) - The centre of the great Persian Empire, ceremonial capital of the Achaemenians and the showpiece of Achaemenian art, Persepolis (Capital of Persia in Greek) is a historic site in Fars Province, 60 km to the northeast of Shiraz. Iranians call it Takht-e Jamshid (The throne of Jamshid), Jamshid being the first, probably mythical, ruler of Iran. This magnificent court was the summer residence of the Achaemenian emperors and their official reception quarters. It must be by some strange accident of history that Persepolis was never mentioned in foreign records, for it was here that representatives of all the varied peoples of the empire gathered to pay homage, and bring tribute, to the King of Kings, probably each spring, at the time of the ancient Now Ruz festival. Although set on fire and destroyed by Alexander in a gesture symbolizing the destruction of Persian imperial power, its still impressive ruins permit a fairly complete reconstruction of its original appearance.
• Naqsh-e Rostam & Naqsh-e Rajab رجب ن قش و ر س تم ن قش

We nerely photod The rock tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam outside of the gate on tge way out of Persepolis. Hewn out of a cliff high above the ground, the four tombs are believed to be those of Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I and Xerxes I (from left to right as you look at the cliff) although historians are still debating this. 

According to the lonely plaent, the tombs of the later Artaxerxes above Persepolis were modelled on these. The reliefs above the openings to the funerary chambers are similar to those at Persepolis, with the kings standing on thrones supported by figures representing the subject nations below.

The seven Sassanian stone reliefs cut into the cliff depict scenes of imperial conquests and royal ceremonies; there are detailed descriptions in front of the tombs and reliefs.
We did not even get out of the taxi to photo Naqsh-e Rajab, which os described as having Sassanian bas-reliefs hidden from the road by the folds of a rocky hill and depict various scenes from the reigns of Ardashir I and Shapur the Great. We were just sick of paying ten times than Iranians for admission that was just enforced since 2013.