Apadana Palace

Top choice in Iran


Constructed on a stone terrace by Xerxes I, the Apadana Palace lies largely in ruins. It's thought that this is where foreign delegations would have been received by the king and the splendour accompanying their audience is captured in the bas-reliefs on the northern wall. It's the exquisite reliefs of the Apadana Staircase on the eastern wall, however, that are the star attraction. A virtual log of visitors to Persepolis from across the Achaemenid Empire, they continue to draw people from around the world today.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Iran attractions

1. Apadana Staircase

0.04 MILES

The stairs, which are guarded by stone soldiers, are decorated by an exceptionally finely crafted frieze in three panels. Each panel is divided into…

2. Persepolis

0.05 MILES

In its heyday Persepolis was one of four key cities at the heart of an empire that spread from the Indus River to Ethiopia. Its original name was Parsa…

3. Xerxes’ Gateway

0.07 MILES

The bronze trumpets that once heralded the arrival of important foreign delegations (a fragment of which is on display in the museum) may now be silent,…

4. Grand Stairway

0.09 MILES

Persepolis sits on top of a great plinth of stone blocks and today, as in ancient times, visitors seeking entry to the city must approach this elevated…

5. Palace of 100 Columns

0.1 MILES

With an extravagant hall measuring almost 70 sq metres and supported by 100 stone columns, this palace formed one of two principal reception areas in…

6. Private Palaces

0.11 MILES

The palaces in the southwestern corner of the site are believed to have been constructed during the reigns of Darius and Xerxes. The Tachara is easily the…

7. Persepolis Museum

0.12 MILES

Restored in the 1930s, what was perhaps once the royal harem now houses the museum and administrative offices. The museum contains a stone foundation…

8. Treasury

0.13 MILES

The southeastern corner of the site is dominated by Darius’ Treasury, one of the earliest structures at Persepolis. Archaeologists have found stone…

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      "country": "Iran",
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