Persepolis (image courtesy http://persepolis.nu) |
Persepolis Foundations
The plan for this magnificent location began with Cyrus - the Father of my Mother. The location selected for its prominence in trade routes. These routes passed through the fertile valleys connecting East to West that at that time took months and years to travel end to end.
Magnificent shelter from the nearby mountain was selected. The plans also placed Persepolis on the west side so as to gather the complete benefits and glory of the setting sun. This plan proved strong and well suited. The climate of the region was extreme with the seasons and this design along with the architecture of the structures provided advancements in comfort.
Two rivers flowed gently nearby and this location gave fruit to the most simple of irrigation and water aqueduct designs. All were complex of course for their times, but Cyrus and Darius were great minds with genuine intellect and wonder. Darius fulfilled the dream of Cyrus within the structures of Persepolis.
Cyrus was revered and memorialized in every stone. In every wall. In every hall. Eternal for that epoch. Darius ensured that the legacy of the King of Kings would continue through the generations in the magnificent design and displays of Persepolis.
To begin now.. The perimeter of this great city included the slope of the adjacent mountain. The foundations of the Western and Southern walls were raised and built to prevent the waters from infiltrating during the spring floods. The foundations in the North included faceless structures to limit the cooler winds of winter and early spring. Structures for horse and oxen were along the Northern face. This area was selected to limit the fragrances from the livestock during the prevailing winds of the hot and arid summers. And of course to provide a subtle warmth during the colder times.
Also located along this perimeter were the merchants and industriants of copper and silver and gold and other metals. Blacksmiths. Swordsmiths. Goldsmiths. Those works that included great fires and expansive spaces to produce the adornments. The swords and the shields.. And the pots and the knives.
Homes were built on the exterior of the Southern and Western walls and were of simple stone and mortar construction with timber supports and roof coverings. These included the central towers shared previously. To provide the natural cooling effects in the heat of long days.
The interior of Persepolis was home to the Halls and Galleries. And of course what is revered as a great palace. A central promenade was designed to connect the exterior merchants and industriants, and the residents to the central area for education and entertainment.
For all of the historical references of Persepolis. None match the true intention. Construction. Grandeur. And of course the complexity of the place.
Denice Note: Was directed to locate some Persian music.
Listened to this while transmitting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwrTHFwYRDQ
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