The carved facades
Tombs high in the rock.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carole Raddato from Frankfurt, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0
Naqsh-e Rostam is an archaeological site and royal necropolis in Fars Province, north-west of Persepolis, where generations carved tombs and reliefs into a single rock face. It holds the resting places of four Achaemenid kings, including Darius the Great and his son Xerxes. Standing before the cliff, you see the history of Iran cut into stone. Work on the cliff spans more than a thousand years, from the Elamites and Achaemenids to the Sasanians, which gives the site its special place. The Achaemenid tombs have huge cross-shaped facades high above the ground. The lower Sasanian reliefs show royal victories and investitures, and the nearby site of Naqsh-e Rajab holds four more Sasanian reliefs. You see four carved facades high in the golden rock, with great equestrian reliefs below them and, in front, an old square stone building known as the Kaaba of Zoroaster. The colour of the cliff changes a lot with the light, and it looks finest in the morning and late in the day. The tombs cannot be climbed, so enjoy them from the ground. It is about 6 km in a straight line from Persepolis, so combine them in one visit. The ground is exposed, so bring a hat and water. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Iran and warns that British nationals risk detention, so check official guidance before making any plans. We could not confirm the current state of this site.
Tombs high in the rock.
Kings and horsemen.
A square stone building.
North of Persepolis, Fars Province, Iran
Four Achaemenid kings, including Darius the Great and his son Xerxes.
No, they are high on the cliff and are seen from the ground.