Aerial View of the Ceremonial Complex, Persepolis

The Ceremonial Complex, Persepolis
Iran. 518–c. 460 BCE.Arazu/Fotolia.

The Persians obtained independence in 549 BCE under Cyrus II "the Great."
Darius I and his successors were known as the Achaemenids, and their rule lasted for nearly two centuries. They developed fair taxation, standard currency, and improved communication.

The new capital at Persepolis was built starting in about 515 BCE in a multicultural style of art. It combined Persian, Median, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek elements. Persepolis was set on a raised platform and laid out on a rectangular grid.