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Day 85: Kate writes: Having visited some of the famous ancient cities of Greece and Ancient Rome earlier in our trip, it was only fitting to visit Persepolis, one of the great sites of the mighty Persian Empire.

Built from 518 BC onwards, Persepolis reflects a vast, cultured and powerful people at its zenith. You enter the high-walled city via one of two stepped paths. The first path (which is slightly shorter) was for the Persians. The second was for important visitors, the idea being that Persians always got to the top first and impressed their guests.

Entry to the city proper is via two huge gates. These led into a high antechamber still filled with tall columns. After being left to wait, visitors would be summoned to the palace of 100 (even taller) columns where they would be received by the king.

The most beautiful feature of Persepolis is the intricate carvings that line the Apadana Palace and Staircase. They show the twenty-plus subject nations visiting the Persian Emperor and making offerings, each wearing a distinctive national costume and bearing a gift from their region.

Coming to Persepolis via Greece, the Levant and Egypt, it was fascinating to see how these countries how influenced the otherwise unique Persian architecture. For example, some of the columns were carved in a Corinthian style and would not have been out of place at the Acropolis, while the large, flowering capitals reminded me strongly of Egypt. Our guide explained that these foreign influences came from the workers at the site, who were imported from the many countries under Persia’s rule. The fact that they were incorporated into the city shows the Persians enlightened approach to imperial rule.

Sadly, Alexander the Great did not have the same level of appreciation for other cultures, and he razed Persepolis when he passed through in 330 BC, from which the city never recovered.