Ancient Persia

Dezful

Dezful: Dezful (Dezh-pol, Persian: Fortress Bridge) a city in the Khuzestan province. Dezful is 6000 years old, but the most famous ancient structure of the city is a bridge that dates back to 300 BCE.The bridge was built during shapur I and it is the oldest full functioning bridge in the world. When the Roman Empire Valerian was defeated in Battle...

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The Guardian Angel

A famous statue from the palace of Cyrus in Pasargadae. (ca. 530 BCE)...

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Cast silver statuette from the Oxus treasure

Achaemenid Persian, 5th-4th century BC. From the region of Takht-i Kuwad, Tadjikistan. This statuette is part of the Oxus treasure, the most important collection of gold and silver to have survived from the Achaemenid period. The treasure, probably from a temple on the banks of the river Oxus, dates mainly from the fifth and fourth centuries BC....

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Part of a hoard of silver currency

Median, buried in the 6th century BC. From Tepe Nush-i Jan, western Iran. This group of silver objects is probably the most important find at the Median site of Tepe Nush-i Jan. They were packed inside a bronze bowl and buried in the floor. Although the hoard was probably buried in the late seventh century BC, some of the items are very much older....

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Ceremonial gold scabbard from the Oxus treasure

Achaemenid Persian, 5th-4th century BC. From the region of Takht-i Kuwad, Tadjikistan. This scabbard is part of the Oxus treasure, the most important collection of gold and silver to have survived from the Achaemenid period. The treasure, probably from a temple on the banks of the river Oxus, dates mainly from the fifth and fourth centuries BC....

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Images of Ancient Iran

Iran, formerly known as Persia, boasts a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The country is home to a wealth of ancient sites and artifacts that provide a glimpse into its storied past. One striking aspect of this history is the diverse range of images and artwork that have been preserved from ancient Iran. These images offer valuable ...

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Susa (Shushan)

Susa: also called Shushan , Greek Susiane , modern Shush, capital of Elam (Susiana) and administrative capital of the Achaemenian king Darius I the great and his successors from 522 BC. Susa is one of the oldest cities in the world. Excavations have established that people were living at the acropolis in 5000 BCE. This gallery contains images of th...

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Persian Soldiers

Part of a Wall of Persepolis, near Shiraz. From the 5th Cent. BC. (ca. 520's BCE)...

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Stone relief showing a sphinx

Achaemenid Persian, 5th century BC. From Palace H at Persepolis, south-west Iran. A guardian deity, originally protecting the royal Persian god. This male sphinx wears the imposing horned headdress of a divinity. Discovered at Persepolis by Colonel John MacDonald Kinneir during excavations in 1826, it was originally one of a pair flanking the winge...

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Blue chalcedony cylinder seal

Achaemenid, about 6th-4th century BC. From Kirmanshah, Iran. This seal shows the varied foreign influences on the art of the Achaemenid Persian empire. The Persians had, at first, no clearly defined art of their own, but they made use of foreign craftsmen and expertise and welded the disparate traditions of their immense empire into a coherent and ...

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