Restoration of Cyrus Tomb Resumed

Tehran, 17 February 2006 (CHN) -- The Tomb of Cyrus the Great, Achaemenid King who ruled over Persia from 550 to 530 BC, was surrounded again by scaffolds so that the process of restoring its stones may be resumed.

“These scaffolds will remain around Cyrus’ tomb for one year to support the construction from rain and snow during this raining season before completion of the project and to ensure the safety of the building until the restoration of the stones of this ancient monument is completed,” said Reza Rezaei, the new director of Pasargadae historical complex.

According to Rezaei, following the establishment of Pasargadae Research Base, these scaffolds were installed around Cyrus’ tomb several times, and each time different sections of this tomb were renovated. This time, the project focuses on the ceiling of this stone monument. One of the main features of this tomb is that its entrance doorway is constructed to face the sunset, which was due to the fact that Cyrus loved the twilight view.

Pasargadae, located 70 km north of Persepolis, was the oldest capital of the ancient Achaemenid empire, built by the founder of this empire, King Cyrus the Great (559-330 BC). It resembled a park of 2x3 km in which several monumental buildings were to be seen. Prior to his death, Cyrus founded a new capital city at Pasargadae in Fars Province and had established a government for his Empire. Pasargadae covered an area of almost 1.5 miles in length and included palaces, a temple and the tomb of Cyrus the Great. The city was built on the site where King Cyrus defeated the leader of the Medes, Astyages, in 550 BC. Cyrus appointed a governor (a ‘Satrap’ in ancient Persian) to represent him in each province; however, the administration, legislation, and cultural activities of each province were the responsibility of the Satraps. This historical complex along with the Tomb of Cyrus the Great were inscribed in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites last year.