Images

The Towers of Silence were used in Zoroastrianism. In the Zoroastrian tradition, corpses were left out exposed to the elements on structures commonly called Towers of Silence to prevent them from being contaminated by demons. Once the body...

Sasanian relief in Naqsh-e Rajab (Iran) depicting Sharpur I (r. 240-270 CE) on horseback (identified by a trilingual inscription) followed by a group of nine people. Naqsh-e Rajab is the site of four limestone rockface inscriptions and rock-cut...

The Tomb of Cyrus the Great is the final resting place of Cyrus II (d. 530 BCE), the first king of the Achaemenid Empire. It is located in Pasargadae, an archaeological site in the Fars Province of Iran.

A 17th-century painting by Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen showing the 1607 battle of Gibralatar. Here a Dutch galleon is ramming the Spanish galleon flagship of Don Juan Alvarez. The flagship was sunk when its powder magazine exploded. (Rijksmuseum...

Relief on the southern wall of the east stairway of the Apadana in Persepolis depicting an Armenian tribute bearer carrying a metal vessel with Homa (griffin) handles. 5th century BCE.

A general view of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, in Persia (Persis/Fars), southwestern Iran.

The east side of the Gate of All Nations (also known as the Gate of Xerxes) in Persepolis (Iran), built by Xerxes I (r. 486-465 BCE). The gate was flanked by two monumental statues of lamassu, winged bulls with human heads, who were thought...

The palace of king Ardashir I (r. 224-240 CE), the founder of the Persian Sasanian Empire, was built around 224 CE opposite the city he had founded, Ardashir-Khurrah (“Glory of Ardashir”), on the bank of the western branch of Tangab river...

A 17th-century painting by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom showing English and Dutch galleons in combat in 1605. Both ships are typical of the Spanish galleon type. (National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam)

Early Sasanian bridge (Kavar bridge) spanning the Qara Aqaj River near Firuzabad in Iran. It was built in the 3rd century CE, possibly by Romans who were taken captive during the campaigns of Shapur I (r. 240-270 CE).