The six steps
Huge stone blocks.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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
The Tomb of Cyrus is the resting place of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire, now an archaeological site in Fars Province on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The simple stone structure stands alone on a broad plain and makes a strong impression despite its small size, and it is among the best-known symbols of ancient Iran. Before the British diplomat James Morier identified it with Cyrus in 1812, later legends attributed it to the Mother of Solomon. It is said to be the oldest base-isolated structure in the world, a feature that helped it resist earthquakes, so it is cited as an early example of earthquake engineering. The tomb has stood for millennia in a region of frequent tremors. You see six huge stone steps rising to a small chamber with a sloping roof and a narrow doorway. Around it are an open space and a fence that keeps visitors back. The rest of the city of Pasargadae spreads across the plain with scattered palaces and buildings, so allow time to walk out to them if you love ruins. The light is finest near sunset. It is about 39 km in a straight line from Persepolis and about 36 km from Naqsh-e Rostam, so you can combine them in a long day. The site 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.
Huge stone blocks.
A sloping roof, narrow door.
Scattered palaces.
Pasargadae, Fars Province, Iran
No, a fence keeps visitors back, and the tomb is seen from around it.
Its base is cited as an ancient example of isolating a building from ground movement.