Persepolis was an ancient ceremonial capital of the second Iranian dynasty, the Achaemenid Empire, situated some 70 km northeast of modern city of Shiraz, not far from where the small river Pulwar flows into the Kur (Kyrus). To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Parsa, meaning the city of Persians, Persepolis being the Greek interpretation of the name. In contemporary Iran the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid (Throne of Jamshid).
The largest and most complex building in Persepolis was the audience hall, or Apadana with 72 columns, accessible by two large sets of stairs. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 518 BC.
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