Naqsh-e Rostam

Four Achaemenid kings are buried in the rock-cut tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam: Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II, though the exact attribution of each tomb is debated among scholars. Each tomb is carved high into the cliff face in the shape of a cross, with the king depicted standing on a three-stepped platform before a fire altar.

Naqsh-e Rostam is located approximately 6 kilometers northwest of Persepolis in Iran's Fars Province, making it easy to visit both sites in a single trip. The site is roughly 70 kilometers northeast of Shiraz, the nearest major city and common base for exploring the region's ancient sites.

The site features several large rock reliefs from the Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE), depicting royal investitures and military victories, including the famous relief of Shapur I on horseback receiving the surrendered Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE. These reliefs were carved centuries after the Achaemenid tombs, repurposing the sacred site for a new dynasty.

The Ka'ba-ye Zartosht (Cube of Zoroaster) is a tower-like stone structure standing about 12 meters tall at the base of the Naqsh-e Rostam cliffs. Its exact function remains debated, with theories ranging from a royal tomb to a fire temple, and its walls bear an important trilingual inscription by Shapur I in Middle Persian, Parthian, and Greek.