For about 250 years, from 550 to 300 BCE, Iran was ruled by the Achaemenid Dynasty, named after its eponymous founder Achaemenes. A number of the Achaemenid kings were great builders, starting with Cyrus. He established his capital city at Pasargadae in Fars Province, where he built several palaces and laid out splendid gardens, often interpreted as early evidence for the classic chahar bagh form of the Persian garden. It is not impossible that it was Cyrus who initiated the building program at Persepolis, but the credit for this is usually given to Darius. He and Xerxes were responsible for most of the building work at the site.

By Mahdieh Qazvinian

Curious about the international relations between the nations in the past? The ancient cities keep the secrets of the past in their hearts.

Iranica Desk

Pir-e Sabz is one of the most sacred Zoroastrian shrines left in the world. The fire temple is located in a hamlet by the name of Chak Chak, which literally means “drip drip,” in reference to the freshwater spring inside the temple.

A restored road connecting two ancient Egyptian temple complexes in Karnak and Luxor was unveiled in a lavish ceremony aimed at raising the profile of one of Egypt's top tourist spots.

A wooden canoe used by the ancient Maya and believed to be over 1,000 years old has turned up in southern Mexico, officials said on Friday, part of archeological work accompanying the construction of a major new tourist train.

Iranica Desk

Iranica desk

By Monique Keiran*

The history of the art of pottery in Iran goes back into ancient time. When agriculture came into existence and cultivation started on Iran’s plateau by primitive races of this land, people made utensils of baked clay in order to meet their needs.

An ancient Roman sculpture stolen more than a decade ago was recovered after two off-duty officers spotted it in an antique shop in Brussels, Italian police said.

Archeologists showed off their finds at what they say is the "largest" ancient city ever found in Egypt, dating to a golden age of the pharaohs 3,000 years ago.

Archeologists hailed the discovery of what is believed to be the largest ancient city found in Egypt, buried under sand for millennia, which experts said was one of the most important finds since the unearthing of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Ancient Greece has long been a civilization full of mystery, wonder, and fantasy. Their ancient jewelry-crafting techniques are used even today, and they often inspire modern-day artisans to create some truly amazing pieces.