Historic Site · Marvdasht, Iran
Persepolis
Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. Built c. 511 BC.
Photo: Laurens R. Krol via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Marvdasht, Iran |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 511 BC |
| Elevation | Elevation: 1627 m |
| Coordinates | 29.9350° N, 52.8900° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Persepolis is known for
Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c.
About Persepolis
Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BC). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros Mountains, Fars province of Iran.
History
Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. André Godard, the French archaeologist who excavated Persepolis in the early 1930s, believed that it was Cyrus the Great who chose the site of Persepolis, but that it was Darius I who built the terrace and the palaces. Inscriptions on these buildings support the belief that they were constructed by Darius.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Persepolis website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Marvdasht |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Shiraz Shahid Dastghaib International Airport (SYZ) |
| Distance from the airport | 32.3 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Shiraz Shahid Dastghaib International Airport (SYZ) · Shiraz, Iran · 32.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Iran
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Persepolis?
Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c.
Where is Persepolis located?
Persepolis is in Marvdasht, Iran. Its coordinates are 29.9350° N, 52.8900° E.
How do I get to Persepolis?
The nearest town is Marvdasht, and the nearest airport is Shiraz Shahid Dastghaib International Airport (SYZ), about 32.3 miles away (straight line).
When was Persepolis built?
Persepolis was built c. 511 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persepolis — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q129072 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://persepolis.ir — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.