Naqsh-e Rostam

Fars Province, Iran, Iran

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Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient necropolis and rock‑relief site in Fars Province, Iran, located about 12 kilometers northwest of Persepolis near the village of Zangi Abad.

The name literally means “the picture of Rostam,” because later Persians thought the Sassanian reliefs carved beneath the tombs depicted the legendary hero Rostam. The site’s most striking elements are four massive Achaemenid royal tombs carved high into a cliff face; they are shaped like crosses with columned façades and are believed to be the tombs of Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II, though only Darius I’s tomb is confirmed by inscriptions.

In front of the cliff stands the Ka’ba‑ye Zartosht, a perfect stone cube with a stepped staircase and inscriptions in Greek, Parthian, and Sassanian Pahlavi, which dates to the Achaemenid period and may have served as a temple, treasury, or ritual building. Below the tombs are seven large Sassanian bas‑reliefs showing kings such as Shapur I and Ardashir I in victory scenes, coronations, and cultic rituals, adding a second major historical layer to the site.

Because of its combination of Achaemenid and Sassanian monuments, its proximity to Persepolis, and its role as a royal burial place, Naqsh-e Rostam is one of Iran’s most important ancient cultural sites and has been on the country’s UNESCO tentative list since 1997.